Patchwork Challenge

Hello from the Patchwork Challenge team!   December is a funny month. Most things have settled down for the winter but there still can be the odd bird that can provide interest! It is a month that does have some pedigree too, last year turning up species like Grey-headed Lapwing (presumably a late returning bird) into Northumberland, American Yellow Warbler in Kent, - wintering Hume's, Pallas's or Yellow-broweds can be found throughout the month also while its typically a good month for Rough-legged Buzzard, but these have been on short supply this autumn and early winter. Not all migration is over, if any cold weather occurs, hopefully a hard weather movement will begin moving wildfowl, waders, larks and finches off their frozen fields and wetlands and onto less used habitat. During this, it's a perfect time to pick up these moving flocks flying through, particularly if your patch has little to no standing water. If the weather on the continent is just as inclement, specie...

Hello from the Patchwork Challenge team!  We hope you have enjoyed taking part so far this year, but that certainly was a slow October if we ever knew it! We do really appreciate everyone taking part and sharing what they have seen and done, it is what keeps the competition alive! For the rest of November, remember to keep a look out for that last rare Siberian vagrant wherever your patch might be! Whilst I have been pulling this together, many of both Pallas's and Hume's Leaf Warblers have been gracing the coasts of Britain, with even a Pallas's turning up inland Wiltshire! Other scarcer species turning up have included Richard's Pipits, Great Grey Shrikes and Dusky Warblers, all inland too. It is the time of year to be on the look out for the more regular later autumn species like Hen Harrier, Waxwings, Lapland and Snow Bunting, Shore Lark, Twite and fortunatly these species have a habit of showing up just about anywhwere! Coastal patches have been picking up on some ...

Hello from the Patchwork Challenge team! With three quarters of the year out the way, we have now entered the final quarters meaning it is crunch time! Now is the time to go out there and secure those few extra bonus points that you weren't quite expecting by finding that skulky far flung vagrant, or picking up some vismig species that you have yet to pick up like a Hawfinch amongst a flock of Redwings. There has also been a healthy arrival of Yellow-browed Warblers up and down Britain and Ireland, maybe one will turn up on your patch soon? But keep an eye out for one of its rarer cousins, with already there being Hume's and Pallas's Warbler dotted about.  The last few days have brought a good arrival of commoner autumn migrants to the east coast of Britain, with some sites recording thousands of Redwings, Fieldfares, Starlings and Chaffinches as well as good falls of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs. The first Jack Snipes and Woodcocks have been turning up for a little while now...