November round-up 2025

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, species like Bewick's Swan, White-fronted and Bean Geese might also start to get pushed over. Although I could still be saying this until the end of February! 

If we get any good Northerly winds down the North Sea, species like Little Auks should start to appear on East Coast seawatching sites, on what has been a poor autumn for this species. It's also not too late for other species like Grey Phalarope, Pomarine Skua, Leach's and European Storm Petrel to occur. This is a good time of year for white-winged Gulls to get blown down from the Arctic, and these Arctic beacts can occur anywhere across Britain and Ireland, on your local reservoir, rubbish tip etc! The winter being an ample time to check flocks of wintering birds for that one sneaky, hidden away goodie while there is potentially little more to do! Particularly wintering Buntings, maybe a Black-faced has just hidden itself away in a weedy crop field near you? 

Radde's Warbler, Steve Dudley

An important note for end of year competition, please make sure you have all your PWC2025 scores in by 1st January 2026, as we have a very tight deadline for an article of 2nd January, which contains an overview of the year. We will have the PWC2026 entry sheet live on 31st December, and we hope you are looking forward to taking part in next years competition! 

THE TOP 20 COMPARITIVE SCORES

THE TOP 20 OVERALL SCORES 3km

THE TOP 20 OVERALL SCORES 10km radius

Leading Scores per mini-league 3km²:

Inland North England: Ben Moyes, Swillington Ings - 210 points

Inland Midlands: Pete Sofley, Ladywalk NR - 181 points

Inland South England: Matthew Dick, RSPB Lakenheath- 166 points

Inland Scotland: Alex Ash, Kilmacolm - 91 points 

Inland Wales: Nicholas Beswick, Mynydd Llangatwg - 58 points

Coastal East England: Jack Pettit, Spurn - 387 points

Coastal South England: Jacob Spinks, Dungeness Bird Observatory 3km² - 330 points

Coastal West England: Sean O'Hara, Leasowe/Meols/Hoylake - 167 points

Coastal Scotland: Rob Hughes, Nybster- 214 points 

Coastal Wales: Peter Howlett, Cardiff Bay - 135 points

Estuarine: Gordon Hodgson, Frampton, Splatt & Saul Warth - 180 points

Islands: John Bowler, Balephuil - 324 points

Inland North, England: 

A much quieter month in the Inland North mini-league. Ben Moyes at Swillington Ings is still well clear in overall points scored in this mini-league, even after adding nothing in November. Duncan Bye at Wheldrake Ings sits in second still, picking up Great Crested Grebe in November leaving him on 172 points, just two above Lee Wiseman at Gouthwaite Reservoir.

Although Ben Moyes leads in overall points, he comes third in comparitive scores for this league, with Owen Tattersall at Figham Common with the highest percentage after notching up 117% this year so far. His month highlights include Whooper Swans, Great White Egret and Goosanders. He is quickly followed by Paul Whitehouse at Stanley Ferry Flash and Southern Washlands, who is on 116%. Lee Wiseman is in fourth at Gouthwaite Reservoir and the last in this league to have broke 100% this year so far.

Inland Midlands, England: 

Peter Sofley is still in pole position with 181 points at Ladywalk NR, even after having a very queit November, with no additions for the year. Steve Atkinson at Middle Tame had a better month, adding Grey Partridge to his year list, this being the first site record in over 20 years, putting it in patch gold territory! In third overall, but first in this league and second across the competiton in comparitive score is Steve Lister at Swithland Reservoir, having scored 146 points so far with a comparitive of 124%. His month highlights are both brillinat records with a Lesser Scaup and a couple of Spoonbills. The only other patches to break the 100% comparitive barrier in the Inland Midlands league are Tom Shields at Colwick Park and Steve Atkinson at Middle Tame. 

Still in the 3km² league, William Lambourne at Much Marcle had a good month, this including patch gold (and patch tick) in the form of four vismig Great White Egrets amongst some blistering vismig totals of 100,000 Woodpigeons, 2547 Starlings and 12 Bramblings. Bramblings also features amongst Richard Harbird's Morton Bagot patch highlights, alongside Dunlin, Pink-footed Goose and Common Gull. 

As well as the 3km² league, Steve Lister is in the lead comparitvely also in the 10km league at Loughborough with 116%. Steve's highlights include the goodies at Swithland but also a Merlin from the garden. He is followed by two patches on 109%, those being Tom Shields at Nottingham Trent Valley and Dan Webb at Sellack. William Lambourne at Ledbury is also above 100% comparatively. Andy Sims leads the 10km league in overall points, with 166 points, but is followed shortly by Richard Harbird at Redditch on 163 points.

Inland South, England: 

Matthew Dick at RSPB Lakenheath is in the lead overall, having scored 166 points so far, adding just two points this month. There is then a twenty points gap to Geoff Wyatt at Day's Lock in Oxon, who picked up Brambling this month and is one of three people in this league to be on 90% comparitive scores. Neil Burt is looking like he will be champion comparatively as he is on 109% at Godinton, Hothfield & Singleton - will that still be case on 31st December as Gareth Casburn at Ardley ERF is on 105% and Matthew Dick is on 104%? Neil's highlights however were another Cetti's Warbler on the lakes and a Green Sandpiper over the house. 

Other highlights in the league include John Prithard recording Brambling at Ver Valley, Gareth Blockley at Grimsbury Reservoir and East Banbury picking up Little Gull and Josh Hedley at Willen Lakes noting Common Scoter. 

In the 10km, Dave Helliar at Chard is streaks ahead with 155 points and a 103% comparitive score! He had a fantastic month with a couple of Black Redstarts and Goshawks, a Pochard and best of all three Scaup, a proper patch gold as they are the first in 24 years! He also recorded a White-tailed Eagle, but due to the origins didn't count it in his totals. 

 

Scaup, Dave Helliar

Coastal East, England: 

Jack Pettit at Spurn Bird Observatory is still sporting the top spot, with over a hundred points gap to the next patch. His highlights include a very good late flurry of birds with Eastern Black Redstart, Pallid Swift and Isabelline Wheatear. Owen Beamount at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR, is on 284 points with his November highlight being Richard's Pipit. Paul French is in third overall but sits in first comparitively on 119%, his month highlights include Dusky and Hume's Warbler in the village, both found by his wife Georgia! Paul is the only one in this mini-league to have an above par comparitive score, the other closest to doing so is Will Scott at his Bempton Village patch, which currently sits on 98%, followed by Paul Newton at Hawsker Bottoms to Robin Hoods Bay and James Brown at Lowestoft area both on 93%. 

In the 10km league, Nige Lound is still in first place at Gibraltar Points on overall points scored, although he sits third comparitively, Paul Newton from Whitby is currently first in this department with 88%. Paul's highlights incude a Corn Bunting, this being only his second ever at Whitby and a total of 28 Snow Buntings across his patch. Paul French twitched Isabelline Wheatear at Spurn for his 10km patch.  

Eastern Black Redstart, Jack Pettit

Coastal South, England:

Jacob Spinks at Dungeness Bird Observatory is in the lead, in both overall points scored and compaitive, being on 330 points and 106%. His month's highlight was finding a Pallas's Warbler amongst good numbers of common migrants. Kevin Rylands is fighting hard to break his 100% comparitive score at Dawlish Warren, he is on 93% by the end of November with a healthy list of highlights containing Velvet Scoter, Barnacle Goose, Snow Bunting, Yellow-browed Warbler, Black Redstart, Storm Petrel and at surprisingly long last, a Lapwing! Jonathan Burton at Chyngton Farm to Cuckmere Haven picked up Firecrest. Kevin Rylands on his other patch, Teingmouth window, is now on 90 points, putting him very close to toppling 100% comparitive with 96% and although 'pointless' he picked up a new subspecies in the form of Dark-bellied Brent Goose. 

No different highlights in Jacob's 10km patch away from his 3km, leaves him on 373 points followed by Bob Ford at Weymouth, who picked up a blistering November highlight in the form of a female Desert Wheatear. 

Pallas's Warbler, Charlotte Foote (Dungeness)

Coastal West, England: 

Sean O'Hara at Leasowe, Meols and Hoylake 3km picked up five points this month, throwing him over par comparatively to 102% from 167 points. His November highlights were Yellow-browed Warbler and Lapland Bunting.  

Inland Wales: 

Unfortunately no change in this league during November. 

Coastal Wales: 

Unfortunately no change in this league during November. 

Inland Scotland: 

Unfortunately, no change in this league. Migration seemed to have slowed down on ome patches! There is certainly a few exceptions however, and keep reading to find out.

Coastal Scotland: 

Rob Hughes at Nybster sits in top spot in terms of both overall points scored and comparitive, with 214 points and 116%. The only other participant to break par is his partner, Nina O'Hanlon who is also covering Nybster. She is only one percent shy of Rob's score with 115%. This just goes to show good that area has been this year! 

The only highlight mention in this league however is a Slavonian Grebe at Andrew Whitehouse's patch, Girdle Ness and Torry putting him second overall with 202 points scored. 

In the 10km league, Rob Hughes from Nybster is on 238 points, leaving him just shy of par with five points to go (98%) while Nina O'Hanlon, also from Nybster has broken her par score with 108%. 

Great Northern Diver, Andrew Whitehouse

Islands:

What a month for this league, November really has created a shake up! 

John Bowler failed to note a new species for 2025 in November, but picked up a Lesser Scaup again, as well as more Siberian Chiffchaffs and Snow Buntings. This however has opened the door to David Roche, who had a very good month on Papa Westray with the finding of Bonaparte's Gull (second isle record), Firecrest (also second isle record) and a big island tick grip back in the form of patch gold Pallas's Warbler hiding behind a stone wall! This puts David on 320 points, just four shy of John and 116% comparitive. Steve Dudley, who patches neighbouring island Westray, had a blindingly good November too, with three new species added to his year list but all patch gold! Steve picked up on two Island firsts in one morning with a Radde's Warbler and a Firecrest, which were sharing the same bush at times! He also noted a Northern Bullfinch in his 3km patch.  Steve is pipped to third place by David Parnaby on Fair Isle who found a BLACK-FACED BUNTING in his croft! The bird being a tick in all forms for David, and a second for the Island! A proper suberb find in what has been a brilliant year for this species. Sean Morris is third comparitive on his Kilmory, Isle of Rum patch with 104% scored. His November highlight being Brambling. 

In the 10km league, Steve Dudley added Taiga Bean Goose, with a whopping flock of 21 birds. These being only the second isle record. Mark Lawlor at Hommet to Rousse, Guernsey added Woodcock, only his second patch record. 

Estuarine: 

Only a few changes in this league, Gordon Hodgson at Frampton, Splatt & Saul Warth added one point, marginally growing his relatively slim advangtage of 10 points. Jackie Binks added two points to the Garston Coastal Reserve and Oglet patch in the form of patch gold with a Black Redstart! Just their third record there. 

Black Redstart, Jackie Binks

Under 25s: 

Green: 

Thank you so mcuh reading, and we hope you are getting ready to add a couple more points this year before the start of PWC2026! Please get your friends involved, the more that take part, the better the competition is for everyone. 

Happy birding! 

Patchwork Challenge team