September round-up 2025

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 too. 

Curlew Sandpiper, Ben Moyes

Inland North, England: 

Ben Moyes is buiding his advantage, breaking two hundred points by the end month with 203 smashing his comparison score, which now stands at 107% - highlights included patch ticking Grey Phalarope but also Curlew Sandpiper and Black Tern. In second place Duncan Bye at Wheldrake Ings with 169 points from 140 species, the highlight of the month being a nice early Water Pipit. Ciaran Rowett at Martin Mere on 164 points life ticked Glossy Ibis, September having been the month to obtain Glossy Ibis on your patch year lists nationally. Lee Wiseman at Gouthwaite Reservoir came very close to smashing the 100% barrier in comparitive score with 99%. His impressive list of highlights included patch ticking a Hawfinch but also Hen Harrier, Great White Egret and finding a flock of 13 Glossy Ibis on vismig. Mike Leakey at Bishop Middleham finished the month on 139 points, picking up Curlew Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank. Owen Tattersall at Figham Common is on 108 pts putting him on a whopping 109% comparitive score, the highlight for September being an out of place juvenile Gannet, which is photgraphed in Cliff Smith style as shown below! Paul Whitehouse at Stanley Ferry finished September just shy of 100 points on 99, however he holds the highest comparitive score of the mini-league so far with 113%! Phil Woollen at Mollington just trailing behind on 97 points. Nigel Harris at Middletons notched up 95 points, with Gadwall being a site first. 

Grey Phalarope, Ben Moyes

Gannet, Owen Tattersall

Inland Midlands, England: 

Pete Sofley added just two species/points to his year total in September with Wheatear and Rock Pipit, but he is still firmly in the lead with 168 points recorded. Steve Atkinson at Middle Tame is in second on 158 points with a comparitive score of 99%. Andy Sims at Boultham Mere/Swanpool is in third on 136 points, after picking up some bonus points with the finding of a Pectoral Sandpiper. Steve Lister at Swithland Reservoir jumped up a place and picked up a brilliant list of species with self found Glossy Ibis but also Spotted Redshank, Turnstone, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits, Garganey and Little Gull! Putting Steve not too far behind third place after scoring 128 points, this score gives him the highest comparitive score in the league with 108%. Brian Hedley at Trent Port had a nice list of highlights with a mixture of summer and winter migrants including the first Pink-footed Geese back. Tom Shields at Colwick Park added two points to his score this month with Spotted Flycatcher and Lesser Redpoll. William Lambourne at Much Marcle reached 105 points after achieving some brilliant vismig including 602 House Martins and a Whinchat. In the 10km league, Andy Sims at Swanpool is in the lead on 159 points but by only one point with Richard Harbird at Redditch who is on 158 points with his month highlights being Little Stint and Rock Pipit. Tom Shields at Nottingham Trent Valley isn't trailing the top two by much, he is just seven points shy with 151 scores putting him on 104% comparitive score - Tom had a fantastic highlight of Manx Shearwater. Both William Lambourne at Ledbury and Steve Lister in Loughborough has also broken the 100% barrier both with 136 points, with the former recording a Wheatear on his roof but also three Whinchat in more suitable habitat. Dan Webb at Sellack is trailing just by a few points with 133. 

Pectoral Sandpiper (in front of a Ruff), Andy Sims

Inland South, England: 

Matthew Dick at Lakenheath Fen has increased his lead by a few points, he is now on 162 which pushes him over and onto 102% comparitive, his monthly highlights were Wryneck and Osprey, the former being a first record for the reserve. Geoff Wyatt at Day's Lock picked up Glossy Ibis, putting him on 144 points. There was then no ranking changes until fifth, John Pritchard gaining a point to put him on 116 points at Ver Valley. Neil Burt didn't record any new species for the year at his patch near Ashford but recorded plenty of hirundine vismig, as well as Hobby, Whinchat and Spotted Flycatcher. Gareth Blockley at Grimsbury Reservoir gained six points on last month, putting him only one point behind Neil with 111 points. Gareth recorded a few good patch records with the first Marsh Tits for the site since 2021 and Crossbills since 2020. Ian Bennell at Tring Reservoir picked up a county tick in the form of a couple of Red-throated Divers. Josh Hedley at Willen Lakes recorded no new spcies while Charlie Joseph at Weald CP & Bentley Area caught up with Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatear and Stoncechat. The only advancement in the 10km league was from Dave Helliar adding a point to his Chard patch, putting him on 100% comparitive. 

Coastal East, England: 

This league starting to come into its own as it approaches peak season, with many participants picking up plenty of points.

Jack Pettit at Spurn is still in the lead in this mini-league and nationally with 318 points scored so far, he had some nice highlights for what was actually a fairly quiet month for Spurn with Quail, Storm Petrel, Wryneck and Red-necked Phalarope. Owen Beaumont at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe is on 249 points, gaining seven points during the month. Trevor Girling at Titchwell didn't advance his point tally while James Brown at Lowestoft is now just eleven points off third with 222, after picking up Sooty Shearwater and a huge rarity nowadays in the form of Ruddy Duck. Paul French at Easington has had a quiet month, picking up just four points during September but he does however have the highest comparitive score in the league with 108%. Stuart Ainsworth at Gibraltar Point is in sixth after having a decent month for additions including finding Glossy Ibis and Ring Ouzel. Duncan Watson had a good month, picking up his first Black Tern at his Tynemouth patch in eight years. Will Scott at Bempton Cliffs has been picking up points more frequently now, getting his score up to 169 helped by finding a Common Rosefinch. John Chapman recorded Red-breasted Flycatcher and also potentially the bird of the month on his patch, north-east South Tyneside, in the form of a Pechora Pipit! This bird became a crowd pleaser as it was the first accepted mainland Britain record since the bird in Pembrokeshire between 19th-23rd November, 2007! Putting him on 140 points by the end of the month. Paul Newton at Hawsker Bottom notched up 119 points, improving his comparitive score by 13% on August. Will Scott at Bempton Village picked up four points including a Honey Buzzard, giving him a comparitive score of 88%. Over in the 10km section of the league, Nige Lound at Gibraltar Point finished September on 270 points, leaving him in the top spot with a tweleve point margin with Paul French at Easington in second place on 258 points. James Brown at Hopton came third on 229 points, giving him the highest comparitive score of the 10km Coastal East league with 85%. Paul Newton picked up twelve points during the month, with 178 scored with a 83% comparitive. 

Pied Flycatcher, Duncan Watson

Coastal South, England: 

Jacob Spinks added twenty-two points to his score by the time September came to a close, with 293 points scored. Highlights however wasn't new additions but large numbers of more regular birds, with the highest Dungeness count of Sooty Shearwaters with 351 west on the morning of the 17th while also the incredible numbers of hirundines passing through being equally impressive. Kevin Rylands at Dawlish Warren broke the 200 points barrier, with 201 scored giving him a respectable comparitive score of 83%. He also had an outstanding list of highlights too, with his second patch tick of the year with Glossy Ibis (after Marsh Sandpiper in late August somehow missed out the report for last month) but also Sabine's Gull, Bonxie, Arctic Tern and Slavonian Grebe, the latter the first in several years. Amy Robjohns has now been knocked down to third place with 184 points at Titchfield Haven. Jonathan Burton at Chyngton Farm is settled into fourth place with 103 points scored but a nice list of goodies including Redstart, Wheatear, Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail being notables. Kevin on his other patch, Teignmouth window, has picked up a solid 91% comparitive score after seeing Caspian Gull, Balearic Shearwater, Siskin and Meadow Pipit during the month. In the 10km league, Jacob Spinks at Dungeness is now on 341 species, with all the goodies being noted inside the 3km patch. Bob Ford at Weymouth broke 200 points, with him now scoring 207 points after picking up Storm Petrel, Little Stint, Spotted Redshank and Wryneck. 

Coastal West, England: 

Sean O'Hara at Leasowe/Meols/Hoylake picked up twelve points, giving a score of 158 with a comparitive of 97%. His highlights included Wood Sandpiper amongst other passage waders while seawatching also improved with just one day bringing 15+ Leach's Petrels, Grey Phalarope and juvenile Sabine's Gull.

Leach's Petrel, Sean O'Hara

Inland Scotland: 

Unfortunatly there was no change in the scores from last month in this mini-league, however Lee Hesp reports that there are now three Beavers on his Strathyre patch!

Coastal Scotland: 

The top two patches of Rob Hughes (Nybster) and Dylan Daunt (Musselburgh) haven't added to their scores during September, though both remain in place. Andrew Whitehouse at Girdle Ness and Torry has shot up the leaderboard this month, he is now in third place with 172 points, just eight off second place, with Red-breasted Flycatcher being his highlight this month. Nina O'Hanlon at Nybster in fourth has got a brilliant comparitive score of 114%, with Sabine's Gull best. Andrew Whewell at North Berwick is comfortably in fifth place on 157 points, picking up White-tailed Eagle and Nick Littlewood at Portsoy finished September on 147 points, after having an awesome three patch ticks in the form of Little Grebe, Ruff and Treecreeper. Rob Hughes (the unstoppable force it seems this year) found a couple of great birds at his other patches, with John O'Groats picking up Red-flanked Bluetail (very scarce this autumn thus far) and Red-breasted Flycatcher. In the 10km league, Rob Hughes is out front with 222 points but not ahead in comparitive, with that spot taken by Nina O'Hanlon also at Nybster who has scored 103% with 184 points. 

Wryneck, Rob Hughes (a more typical view when finding a Wryneck!)

Islands: 

John Bowler at Balephuil is still in the lead by the end of September, but the gap has closed remarkably, leaving only a one point gap with David Roche at Papa Westray on 282 points and John on 283. Both having a brilliant month for finding rare birds. 

John found Baird's and Pectoral Sandpiper, Black Tern and Barred Warbler while also seeing Glossy Ibis and White Stork although David on the other hand found Baird's, Buff-breasted and Pectoral Sandpiper, Brown Shrike, Taiga Bean Geese as headliners along with three Wrynecks just in one day amongst other scarce autumn drift migrants. Both participants have now surpassed the 100% comparitive barrier too, with John just pipping there with 104% compared to David's 102%. More good birding on a nearby Orkney island by Steve Dudley on Westray, he added six species to his patch year list, which included patch tick Wryneck and the third record of Meditteranean Gull but best of all was finding just the second record for Orkney of Franklin's Gull. Sean Morris added a few species to his Kilmory patch year list on the Isle of Rum, putting him on 125 points. In the 10km league, John Bowler on Tiree picked up a superb list of additional species away from his 10km patch including American Golden Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Grey Phalarope and Turtle Dove leaving him oblitering the 300 points barrier, he is now on 312 with a comparitive score of 105%. Steve Dudley managed to add the Papay Brown Shrike, as even though it is one a different island, it is still only 7.84km from his house! This puts him in second place with 272 points and a comparitive just short of Johns, 103%. 

Baird's Sandpiper, David Roche

White Stork, John Bowler

Estuarine: 

After Gordon Hodgson's memorable year so far, he is still well clear in the top spot with 179 points scored and a brilliant comparitive score of 105%. The only change in position in this league is John Conlin-Hulme at Paull, who has jumped up to third with 131 points. Jackie Binks at Garston picked up a couple of points and is now on 125 where they noted their first Golden Plover record since 2018 #patchgold but also Wheatear and the first returning Pink-footed Geese providing the excitement.

Golden Plover, Jackie Binks

Under 25s: 

Fairly close battle for first and third considering what we have left of the autumn, it will be interesting to see how the autumn plays out!

Red-necked Phalarope, Jack Pettit

Other leagues:

Unfortunately, there was no change in any of the Welsh or Irish leagues. 

Thank you so much for reading, and please do encourage your friends to take part in next years competition, which is only a few months away now! We are already underway preparing the prizes for 2025 and the competition for 2026, but if you have some ideas you want us to think about or thoughts about ways to expand the participation of Patchwork Challenge, get in touch via the email!

Happy Birding, 

Patchwork Challenge team