Hello from the PWC team!
Would like to start this month's review with a massive thank you to everyone that has taken part so far in this years competition. If it wasn't for the participants there wouldn't be a #PWC2025!
May was a bit slower than one would have hoped, but there has still been plenty to see and some patch birders have certainly been rewarded!
June is a funny month. The first couple of weeks feel like a monster rare could turn up at any moment, as shown by what has been in the across the British Isles since the turn of the month with Eyebrowed Thrush, Pallas's Reed Bunting, Scop's Owl (yes I know those three are all on Shetland) and Song Sparrow. It is a great month to try and find something like Lesser Grey Shrike (second best month) or Roller (best month), although neither of which are yet to be found in Britain this year. However, there is still a chance to pick up other rarities too in more usual locations like Rosefinch or Marsh and Blyth's Reed Warbler, or perhaps the odd lingering Golden Oriole or Bee-eater could appear just about anywhere. It is also a good month for Honey Buzzards to still be arriving into Britain, or roving about as they look for breeding sites. There also seems to have been a little influx of Red-necked Phalaropes into Britain over the last few days, so get checking those water bodies! There is always a lull in migration in June, but the rewards can be outstanding if the birding goes your way!
The first signs of autumn are already occurring too, with a Crossbill irruption taking place with birds being seen passing over anywhere, if you aren't in an area surrounded by coniferous forest, the best way to get Crossbill on your list this month is an early morning visible migration watch, listening out for their loud and distinctive 'glip-glip' calls. Then towards the end of the month, Sand Martins and Swifts will be moving south, as well as the first waders, gulls and wildfowl. Then we are into the fabulous July!
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| Crossbill map of records on eBird since 1st May this year. (https://ebird.org/home) |
Remember, if you are out birding this summer and come across any RBBP data species, report them appropriately and to the local county recorder, for more information follow this link: https://rbbp.org.uk/
Inland North, England:
Ben Moyes at Swillington Ings, West Yorkshire is still at the top of this mini-league, and is motoring ahead with 182 points (and already on 96% comparatively). His May highlights included a patch tick Temminck's Stint and a Sanderling. Second is Ciaran Rowett at WWT Martin Mere with 149 points, a respectable 81% comparatively and the highlight being patch ticked Spoonbill. Hot on the heels however is Duncan Bye at Wheldrake Ings, with 147 points. Lee Wiseman at Gouthwaite Reservoir isn't too far behind the top three with 135 points and he had a very decent month there. His highlights being Garganey, Whimbrel, which was a patch tick, and life ticked Egyptian Goose!! Mike Leaky is in fifth with 113 points from 104 species at Bishop Middleham then there is a close running of scores, all battling it out for sixth, with Darren Best at Swinemoor on 92pts, Phil Woolen at Mollington on 91pts, Paul Whitehouse at Stanley Ferry Flash and Southern Washlands and Nigel Harris at Middletons both on 89pts then Owen Tattersall at Figham Common on 88pts. Owen had a couple of highlights this month of Grey Partridge and Cuckoo, both being patch ticks. So it is really close there in the middle of the mini-league with only a few birds in it!
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| Egyptian Goose, Lee Wiseman |
Inland Midlands, England:
Peter Sofley has had a brilliant month at Ladywalk NR, keeping him in the top spot with 154pts from 125sp. His highlights include a Black Tern, a patch tick Glossy Ibis and finding a #patchgold (quite literally!) first record of Golden Oriole, so a nice haul there! Although the gap has widened slightly since end of April, Steve Atkinson still isn't too far behind the top spot with 140pts (giving a good comparative score of 88%) at Middle Tame. The highlight there for May was a Temminck's Stint. Andy Sims is still third at Boultham Mere/Swanpool, Lincolnshire, finishing the month with 117pts finding #patchgold Cattle Egrets. Brian Hedley at nearby Trent Port and Marton is on 110pts, with the best birds being Gropper, Hobby, four Common Sands and four Ravens. Tom Shields at Colwick Park has picked up a couple of points the month and is now on 102pts, putting him on a whopping 94% comparative score. Hot on Tom's heels is Steve Lister at Swithland Reservoir who is on 100 points by the end of the month. Steve's highlight was finding 17 Arctic Terns. Dan Leadley at Dereham scored a life tick in the form of a Garden Warbler, while Cuckoo and Tawny Owl were other May additions putting him on 72pts but he comments on the lack of other common migrants. In the 10km patches, Tom Shields is up front with 136pts along the Nottingham Trent Valley scoring on Little Tern and Little Stint. Dan Webb at Sellack is on 106sp scoring 121pts, hitting 95% of his comparative score. William Lambourne at Ledbury is on 114pts and Steve Lister at Loughborough is on 110pts.
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| Cattle Egret, Andy Sims |
Inland South, England:
Geoff Wyatt again in the top spot, with 137 points at Day's Lock, Oxon with the highlight being Marsh Harrier. Matthew Dick has crept up the league, closing the gap with the top spot. Matt is now on 129pts, closing the gap to 8pts with his best bird of the month being Black Tern and a good wader passage. Freddie Matthews at Winchester is now in third with 120pts, and the months highlights being Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail. John Pritchard is in fourth at Ver Valley scoring 108pts. Closely behind on 107pts is Conor MacKenzie at Sutton Courtenay. While Gareth Casburn at Ardley ERF is on 104pts, his highlight was a Sanderling and only trailing one point behind is Ian Bennell at Tring Reservoirs, College Lake and Pitstone Quarry, who had a lot of good highlights in May with patch tick Sanderling plus 5th Wood Sandpiper and first Avocet for 22 years! Neil Burt is on the verge of breaking the 100pts barrier with 99pts at Godinton, Hothfield & Singleton, his highlights include Common Sandpiper, Garden & Reed Warblers, Mute Swan. Just one point away from Neil is Gareth Blockley, over at Grimsbury Reservoir and East Banbury on 98pts who's highlight for the month was a true patch gold with his first patch Cuckoo after nearly 20 years.
In the 10km patches, Dave Helliar at Chard is at the top spot on 138pts, with the month's highlights being Greenshank, Hobby and Nightjar.
Coastal East, England:
Jack Pettit has taken the lead at Spurn with 243pts scored so far with a long list of highlights including Cory's Shearwater, 2 Bee-eaters, Kentish Plover, Melodious Warbler (only the fifth Spurn record), Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Rosefinch, Dotterel. Trevor Girling at Titchwell RSPB is not far off with 225pts scored. Owen Beaumont is third at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR with 177pts, his May highlights were Temminck's Stint and Ring Ouzel. James Brown a very close fourth at Lowestoft with 173pts while Stuart Ainsworth at Gibraltar Point is next on 167 points, his highlights are Long-eared Owl, Red-necked Phalarope and Bittern. Duncan Watson at Tynemouth is on 139pts, and had a decent list of either just about annual or rarer birds including Yellow Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Barnacle Goose and Great Crested Grebe. While just the other side of the Tyne, John Chapman is on 120pts. Will Scott is still on 113pts at Bempton Cliffs but Paul Newton is now on 96pts at Hawsker Bottoms to Robin Hoods Bay with his May highlight being a Osprey. Paul French in Easington had a Hawfinch in his garden. In the 10km section, Jack Pettit is still up front with Spurn while Nigel Lound at Gibraltar Point isn't far behind with 225pts. James Brown is on 186pts at Hopton then Paul French at Easington, who is on 166pts, scoring in on the Spurn Melodious Warbler and Cattle Egret. Paul Newton is on 161pts from Whitby.
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| Melodious Warbler, Jack Pettit |
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| Wader flock, mostly Ringed Plovers, Jackie Binks |
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| Little Stint, David Roche |
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| Common Rosefinch, John Bowler |
If you want to sign up still, remember it is not too late! We could all use a little extra competition! If you know any friends, even from the same patch, ask if they want to sign up! Thank you.
Please remember to keep your scores and highlights up to date, so we can keep producing this monthly review. We will always download scores at 8pm on the 7th of the month, to allow plenty of time for your scores and highlights to be submitted. We would like to also thank you all for taking part and we are looking forward to seeing what your patch will produce this month!
The Patchwork Challenge team