Welcome to #PWC2016

Welcome to this years competition. I wasnt planning to write this as I messed about with finishing off last years data and setting up the spreadsheet for this years competition but there has been such a buzz on social media with the start of the new year that I thought I would bring you a few highlights. Contestants new and old have been getting in touch with how they are faring and some of their best bits so far. As we start there are 369 patches registered which is up on this time last year making this the biggest Patchwork Challenge yet.

Nick Addey whose Scarborough patch was one of the high scorers of 2015 got us off with a bang as he squinted through his beer goggles and found the trio of roosting Black-necked Grebes in the harbour at 00:01.

Nick Addey - First species on the patch @ 00.01 hrs Black-necked Grebe #PWC2016

Joe Stockwell failed to add in the early hours but it appears he may have been impaired by intoxicating liquor which I imagine has slowed his start to the challenge this morning. Andy Hood, a new contestant who picks up Martin Garners baton at Flamborough, managed to open his account with the first patch Little Owl in three years for him and is currently up to 40 species with an Eider the latest addition. Ross Ahmed managed to add a Green-winged Teal which arrived at Bolden Flats just before Christmas. Its always good when a long-stayer doesnt do an overnight flit.

Craig Fulcher was the earliest riser to get in touch although his Woodpigeon that broke the 2016 duck doesnt set the pulse racing his Southwold patch will turn up plenty of good stuff over the next 12 months. Equally exciting was the Pete Antrobus's Robin at Neumann's Flash in Cheshire. This is another site that has been a mainstay of the Inland North minileague and turns up decent birds. Hopefully Pete gets off to a decent start.

The rather balmier climes of Poole Harbour now hold a plethora of players and Ian Ballam who patches Lytchett Bay started with a Blackcap/Spoonbill/Shoveler/Goldeneye combo whilst at Holton Lee new contestant Paul Morton got off to a flyer with 66 species.

Over in Inland East Anglia, Alison Allen was in the lambing sheds with little result so far but she has managed to add Lesser Redpoll, Brambling and Reed Bunting while Nick Moran (target of Jonny Rankin's #beatNick campaign) got off to a great start with 57 species/60 points including Barnacle Goose and drake Mandarin. I wonder how Jonny's hangover is going?

Barnacle Goose at the Nunnery - Nick Moran

 Finally in the Welsh uplands Geoff Morgan got off the mark with a Jack Snipe. A great start and always a tricky bird. As for me - I stuck my head out of the door on my newly added village patch and the mellifluous tone of a Blackbird rolled in. And a Crow.

Happy New Year from the PWC Team. 

Ireland Minileague - January 2015

Great to see some new patches joining the ranks in the Ireland Comparative Score Minileague after having taken part for the first time during 2014. 

Leading the charge is Niall Keogh's local suburban parks patch in South Dublin which sits in first place with 72.05% after he clocked up 46 species in January comparing favourably to a final 2014 total of 64 species. But for how long can he hold on to the top spot? Comparative league stalwart Eamonn O'Donnell makes a fine entrance, straight into third place with 61.74% at Ninch/Laytown. Tufted Duck & Merlin both good species for him there during January.

It's also very encouraging to see lots of new names and patches gracing the Ireland Points Minileague table in January 2015 where it looks like some 'friendly' patch neighbour rivalry might be kindling...most interesting! Niall Keogh's Kilcoole patch heads the table (for now) and the first to break the 100 points barrier with 88 species including patch scarce such as Barnacle Goose and Pintail. Neal Warnock's Larne Lough patch is close behind on 84 species and 99 points. Over two thirds of contestants (including many of those who are new) have recorded over 50 species/60 points.

Last year's overall points table winner, Dave Suddaby at Blacksod, has had a good first month but with a long way to go to catch up on what was a record score during 2014 for him...

Rarity of the month goes to a Glossy Ibis at Tramore Backstrand for Arlo Jacques, making for a great start to his PWC introduction. 'White-wingers' showed well with both Glaucous and Iceland Gulls at a total of four patches between them. Julian Wyllie had a Yellow-legged Gull at Baltimore whilst Cathal Forkan added a handful of overwintering Ring-billed Gulls and a Sandwich Tern at North Galway Bay...looking forward to see how that patch progresses through the year. An excellent winter Great Skua record off Kilcoole for Niall was most welcome as was an overwintering Marsh Harrier from 2014 and a brace of Red Kites. Best passerine of the month relates to a Siberian Chiffchaff which Julian found at his new suburban patch at Skibbereen. 

Iceland Gull at Larne Lough © Neal Warnock