Patchwork Challenge

Hello from the Patchwork Challenge team! We are now accepting submissions for the Best Find of the first half of Patchwork Challenge 2026, although you can still find birds eligible for this competition until the end of June. There are three Pin Badge prizes up for grabs, and here is how to get a hold of one of them.  One of the Pin Badges up for grabs! It doesn't need to be a particularly rare bird in a national sense, just something that made you excited to find. For example it could be how you have thought a hedgerow looks amazing for a Pied Flycatcher, but as you live in say Northamptonshire, it is a shockingly rare bird. Finally however, after years of checking that spot, you eventually come across one. We want to hear that buzz and excitement in your entry.  Firstly, you will need to submit a paragraph or two to describe why that find on your patch was special. Ideally, it would say how you came across the bird on your patch, how many records there have been in your area...

Hello from the Patchwork Challenge team! We hope you enjoyed taking part in the past month of #PWC2026! If you have yet to sign up and are interested in joining this year's competition, then please do by following this link:    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iZORva8WZXRiaCZcQUE9CNmog3k0EhnhW-GflGqNYoA/edit?usp=sharing May was perhaps not as stupidly good as it could have been, but there was still plenty of birds to be found during the month. Some of the best birds include a full summer plumaged Grey Phalarope in South Yorkshire, Broad-billed Sandpiper in Devon, Spotted Sandpiper in Worcestershire, Great Reed Warblers in Suffolk and Orkney, Iberian Chiffchaff in Kent and Rustic Bunting in Orkney. There were far more superb patch records to be seen so continue reading to see what others have noted on their patches.   June can be difficult month, where nearly everything is on their breeding grounds already apart from a few late straggling Reed Warblers and Spo...