Bresser and Forest Optics Best Find 2015 - The Winner

Voting is closed and the results are in. The winner is of course Tom Raven's Hudsonian Godwit at Shapwick Heath. It had it all as an inland mega blocker. It was cryptic enough to hide amongst its cogeners but then gave itself up to the masses whilst disappearing on a regular basis. It garnered 95 of the 137 votes cast and rightly wins Tom a pair of Bresser 8.5 x 45 Montana binoculars. Please check out the Forest Optics website as they continue to support us for #PWC2016 and like their facebook page. Of course the Hudwit wasn't Tom's only find of the year with Night Heron, Little Bittern, Glossy Ibis, Dusky and Savi's Warblers all falling to his points cannon amongst others. Our heartiest congratulations to Tom!

Tom Raven's Hudsonian Godwit - Courtesy of James Packer

Despite Mark and James's best efforts to label it 'just a Yellow-legged Gull' in the podcast, Dave Roberts' fine Azorean Gull from Marston STW finishes in second place on 11 votes and 8% of the vote.

Azorean Gull - Ben Ward

Niall Keogh snagged third spot with a wandering Northern Harrier which he initially picked up at Kilcoole and was identified definitively shortly after. The Northern Harrier finished with 8 votes which constituted 6% of the vote.

Northern Harrier - Alan Lauder

The remainder of the top 10 finished like this:

4) Paul Sullivan, Broad-billed Sandpiper - 5 votes/4%
5) Ryan Irvine, Red-flanked Bluetail - 4 votes/3%
6) Dave Suddaby, Two-barred Crossbill -  4 votes 3%
7) Toby Collett, Wilson's Phalarope - 3 votes 2%
8) Alastair Forsyth, Gull-billed Tern - 3 votes 2%
9) Mick Turton, Laughing Gull - 2 votes 1%
10) Paul Parsons, Black Stork - 2 votes 1%

Forest Optics Best Find Competition 2016 - February Roundup

Welcome to the February update for the Bresser and Forest Optics  Best Find Competition! This is the competition open to anyone who finds a fantastically rare bird on patch and as always its prestige is backed up by a truly excellent prize. Last year Bresser and Forest Optics  donated a pair of Bresser Montana 8.5 x 45 binoculars worth a grand total of £665! This years prize is still to be confirmed but will again be a pair of binoculars. For the lucky winner, a prize definitely worth competing for so get yourself out there, you have to be in it to win it. In the meantime, for those looking to upgrade their optics, take a look a their website for the great products they have on offer.

After the 'everything counts again' bonanza of January, February can sometimes be a hard slog. Invariably the best find highlights are made up of wildfowl and gulls in the shortest month as everyone waits for spring. February 2016 was no different.

Bird of the month goes to Julian Wyllie at Baltimore in Ireland. From the other side of the pond, Black Duck is not going to have its own calendar anytime soon but what it lacks in looks it almost makes up for in rarity value! It is also a PWC first and another for our growing Bubo list.

Black Duck © Paul Connaughton (Shearwater Wildlife Tours)

In fact the theme of this write up is largely American orientated. Incredibly John Bowler on Tiree scored maximum points for the second year in a row for American Herring Gull, bagging a few good flight record shots at the same time. At times it shared the same location as a juvenile Kumlien's Gull. John's name is synonymous with this competition, and he added to his self-found rarity haul with a Green-Winged Teal.

Continuing the American theme, two bonus pointers that have been in the headlines frequently in the first two months are American Wigeon and Black Brant. Russell Neave on his new Sanday patch scores the extra points for the former whilst Irene Boston and Toby Collett successfully sifted out the latter from the Brent Flocks around The Wash at Brancaster and Frampton respectively.

American Wigeon, Sanday c/o @SandayRanger

Preceding Niall Keogh's Ring-Billed Gull prediction in the March podcast, Noel Keogh and Neal Warnock at South Dublin Bay and Lough Larne in Ireland scored bonus points for this cracker of a bird.

Ring-Billed Gull in the centre of this pic from Neal Warnock at Lough Larne

The long-staying Long-Billed Dowitcher at Cresswell in Northumberland went on a brief holiday to Iain Robson's Druridge Bay patch on the 7th February.  The final bird of this round up to have crossed the Atlantic was the diminutive Richardson's Cackling Goose which matched the wintering Barnacle flock for size.

Richardson's Goose, Oa c/o David Wood

Coming to birds from destinations closer to home, Common Crane is becoming a more regular bird in the UK. Indeed birds from breeding grounds would not make this round up, but a bird for Marc Lansdowne in the Trent Valley in Leicestershire was less expected.

That leaves us with two records, which whilst not on the same rarity scales as some of those above have added stories to their finds. The first is from Dave Suddaby who usually features in this roundup with his rarity laden garden. His golden touch seems to have moved to his office space as he added a Tundra Bean Goose to his office window list this month! Finally, Ben Rackstraw has moved house and thereby patches. In January he left behind Downham Market locating a Serin on one of his final visits. In February, he made his first visit to Wretton, his new patch and nailed a Great Grey Shrike. Quite some introduction!

Ben Rackstraw's incredible find on his first visit to patch.

Forest Optics Best Find Competition 2016 - January Roundup

Following a superb competition in 2015, Bresser and Forest Optics  have once again kindly agreed to sponsor the Best Find Competition this year. Whilst many of the rare birds appear on coastlines and islands, the last two years have seen winners from the estuarine Meare Heath and inland Pugney's Country Park, proving that the bird of the year can appear almost anywhere. A couple of the PWC admin team have predicted a UK first to be found on a patch this year, which if it happens I am sure will be a front-runner for PWC's most prestigious competition. Could it be you?

With such a prestigious competition comes an excellent prize. Last year Bresser and Forest Optics  donated a pair of Bresser Montana 8.5 x 45 binoculars worth a grand total of £665! This years prize is still tbc but will again be a pair of binoculars. An incredibly generous prize I am sure you will agree and we really appreciate their continuing support. Have a look at their website and see what they have to offer.

January is always an exciting month in Patchwork Challenge. Everything counts again, and even the one pointers are all ticks for the year! Bonus pointers can be hard to come by however and often come from scouring flocks of gulls, geese or wildfowl. Perhaps the most surprising find this month however was a Great Snipe at Wanstead Flats for Nick Croft. Flushed from scrub on the 3rd it gave close flight views before ditching down but could not be relocated again despite extensive searching. An amazing bird to find in the autumn in any part of the country, to turn one up in Greater London in January is a superb result, and already puts itself in contention from the off!

The first patch visit of the year for Derek Charles on New Years Day resulted in him finding a Black Guillemot on Lough Neagh, the first inland record for Northern Ireland since 1932! A great start to the year for any patch but even more incredible on an inland site. 

Black Guillemot at Ardmore, Lough Neagh c/o Derek Charles

On his first patch visit of the year, William Rutter located a pale redpoll in a flock at Birling Carrs. Fortunately it stuck around all month, providing the opportunity for many birders to pay a visit to this corner of Northumberland. Definitely one of the most popular birds of the month, there are many excellent photos and discussions on this stunning bird to be found online supporting the identification as Coue's Arctic Redpoll.

Arctic Redpoll at Birling Carrs (photo c/o Sacha Elliott)

Hardly a best find update goes by without John Bowler and Dave Suddaby getting a mention! This month they both scored bonus points for Kumlien's Gull, a second patch record for John, whilst Dave's find had the good manners to then add itself to his office list!

Third winter Kumlien's Gull at Blacksod (photo c/o Dave Suddaby)

American ducks are a feature of the winter with a few long stayers from last year providing points this year but no find bonuses. American Wigeon were found at Hesketh Out Marsh and Scarborough whilst a drake at Steart WWT for Joe Cockram was joined by a Green-winged Teal. Any patcher with a flock of Teal will spend the winter scouring them for their American cousin, and Pete Antrobus, Steve Nuttall and Ross Ahmed also got lucky when the vertical white stripe appeared in their scopes in January.

American Wigeon at Scalby Mills (photo c/o Nick Addey)

Ceri Jones and Peter Howlett bagged points for the same Lesser Scaup which commuted between Cosmeston and Cardiff Bay. There have been a few Surf Scoters on the east coast this winter, and Mike Hodgkin located one on the sea at Aberlady Bay in Scotland. 

In the last couple of years, a couple of the easier bonus pointers (if there is such a thing!) to link up with are Great White Egret and Yellow-browed Warblers. The latter has taken to wintering in a couple of locations in the south-west and Ilya Maclean unearthed a new bird at Lizard Point. New Great White Egrets were at Blagdon Lake and Hale and Pickering whilst a brace graced Conningbrook Lake. The influx of Cattle Egrets last year has left a few stragglers across the UK, but only one of those was a new bird in January with a  single at Topsham on the 3rd helping to boost Martin Elcoate's January points total. Meanwhile a flock of twenty Glossy Ibis at Tramore Backstrand in Ireland must have been quite a sight for Arlo Jacques who must be wishing their was a notable flock size bonus!

Cattle Egret at Topsham c/o Martin Elcoate

Scottish specialities White Billed Diver and White-Tailed Eagle put in appearances at Quoyangry and Balivanich respectively whilst the wintering Great Grey Shrike was relocated at Henlow Grange. Finally, Ben Rackstraw had his first bonus pointer in the form of a Serin on his last visit to his Downham Market patch before moving house!

Serin at Downham Market c/o Ben Rackstraw

Patchwork Challenge Podcast Episode 1: February 2016

Announcing the new Patchwork Challenge Podcast



Welcome to the new Patchwork Challenge podcast. A voice to update you on the latest goings on in PWC and wider birding, the PWC Podcast is here to bring the gossamer tones of Mark Lewis, ably assisted by James Common, Niall Keogh and James Spencer, to your ears. Episode 1 features a round up of the Best finds from #PWC2015 and the leaders in #PWC2016. There is a conversation with Rob Adams from Spurn about migfest, the new Spurn Bird Observatory Trust building and the YWT visitor centre.

You can find PWC at www.patchworkchallenge.blogspot.com ; our twitter is @patchbirding ; we are on facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/137291999754823/

Spurn Bird Observatory is www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/ and the link to the YWT visitor centre planning application is here: Spurn Planning Application

To vote in the Forest Optics best find competition visit the Best Find Post - this will close at the end of February.

Finally please do visit the Forest Optics website to view their selection of scopes, binoculars and other gear as without them PWC wouldn't be the same

www.marchwooduk.co.uk/products.asp?catID=608

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5XpreEuDAzzZ01RU2VjU2JRcEE/view?usp=sharing

#PWC2015 Best Find Competition with Forest Optics

It is that time again and here is the short-list for the Forest Optics Best Find Competition 2015. To vote visit our poll here : PWC 2015 Best Find Poll

•          Hudsonian Godwit at Shapwick Heath (found by Tom Raven)
•          Two-barred Crossbill at Blacksod (Dave Suddaby)
•          Azorean Gull at Marston STW (Dave Roberts)
•          Laughing Gull at Kilnsea (Mick Turton)
•          Gull-billed Tern at Palace, Birsay (Alastair Forsyth)
•          Broad-billed Sandpiper at Frampton (Paul Sullivan)
•          Wilson’s Phalarope at Frampton (Toby Collett)
•          Black Stork at Nantyfyllon (Paul Parsons)
•         Red-flanked Bluetail at Hemsby (Ryan Irvine)
•          Northern Harrier at Kilcoole (Niall Keogh)

Best Finds: Autumn 2015 in progress

The Bresser & Forest Optics Best Find Competition marks the pinnacle of the Patchwork  year.

This prestigious award goes to the lucky patcher who turns up the years best bird. A bird that causes other discerning patch birders to turn green at the gills with envy. The fine people at Bresser & Forest Optics have once again demonstrated monumental generosity and have donated a pair of Bresser Montana 8.5 x 45 binoculars worth a grand total of £665.00. A fine prize that will be awarded to the winner come years end when the results are collated and the votes cast.

With two months to catch up with it’s time to look at what September had to offer. First up the rarities and starting with our overall leader, Mick Turton, who found a Blyth’s Reed Warbler at Sammys Point on the 28^th. An excellent find tick for Mick and still a very hard species to find on the mainland. We stay in the Coastal North league for the next two cracking birds. Nick Addey at Long Nab had another excellent month with Sabine’s Gull and Yellow-browed Warbler bringing bonus points but bird of the month had to be the Fea’s Petrel he picked up moving north on the 8^th. Peter Marsh completed a hat-trick of great birds for the Coastal North with an adult White-winged Black Tern at Heysham on the 26^th, an excellent find and worthy of the six points. Toby Collett at RSPB Frampton Marsh rounds up the rarities for September with a brief Wilson’s Phalarope on the 8^th which was on the patch with a Red-necked Phalarope and a Temminck’s Stint at the same day. What a day!!

On the not quite so rare scale but still excellent finds was a showy Red-footed Falcon at Girdle ness, Aberdeenshire and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Balephuil, Tiree.

September also produced many of the usual autumn scarcities with multiple patches recording Yellow-browed Wabler, Barred Warblers, Wrynecks etc while seawatching was productive with several Long-tailed Skuas, Sabine’s Gulls and Leach’s Petrels picked up. Other PWC bonus point staples were recorded throughout the country with several Great White Egrets, an American Golden Plover in Ireland, Cattle Egret in the south west etc.

As expected October was busy with no less than 75 entries into the bonus point section! The majority of these were Yellow-browed Warblers (25 patches!), Great Grey Shrikes (12 patches), Pallas’s Warbler (5 patches) and Richard Pipits (4 patches) along with a few Leach’s Petrels, Sabine’s Gulls, Siberian Chiffchaffs, Red-breasted Flycatchers and Rough-legged Buzzards (3 on his patch for Tim Hodge!).

Great fall of GG Shrikes on the east coast

As expected or at least hoped for a Radde’s Warbler (Tommy Corcoran, Great Yarmouth) and Dusky Warbler (Nige Lound, Gib Point) made it on to at least one patch in October.

American waders were represented well with the highlights a Baird’s Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs (an American Wigeon made it a patch yank hat-trick for the month) at Balephuil for John Bowler and an American Golden Plover for Mick Turton at Easington. An Alpine Swift at Little Orme found by Henry Cram was a great record for the area and a late one too! A Glossy Ibis made it too Rainham, a good record for the reserve and welcome bonus for Howard Vaughan. A Serin was a good find at Southwold for Craig Fultcher, adding to the Great Grey Shrike and Leach’s Petrel for the month.

Finally on to the rarer rarites of the month. A Pallid Harrier delighted two patches in Lincolnshire as both John Bradley and Nige Lound found it on their patches, Freiston and Gibraltar Point. Excellent work, a stunning bird. Staying on the east coast and Ryan Irvine at Hemsby had a day to remember as he found a Red-flanked Bluetail in the morning only to then find an Olive-backed Pipit 50m away in the afternoon of the 18^th. 27 points in one day! Nigel Millbourne at Blagdon had a good month, adding a Lesser Scaup, always a tricky species to ID and great find. An Azorean Gull at Marston STW for Dave Roberts was welcome bonus points. Finally, we head over to Dave Suddaby at Blacksod, Ireland and his male Two-barred Crossbill. An amazing find and extreme rarity for Ireland. Well done Dave! 

OBP at Hemsby

So that’s the autumn, can any of these excellent finds challenge for the best finds prize? We will have to wait and see, they have many good challengers from earlier in the year......

Best Finds August 2015

The Bresser & Forest Optics Best Find Competition marks the pinnacle of the Patchwork  year. 

This prestigious award goes to the lucky patcher who turns up the years best bird. A bird that causes other discerning patch birders to turn green at the gills with envy. The fine people at Bresser & Forest Optics have once again demonstrated monumental generosity and have donated a pair of Bresser Montana 8.5 x 45 binoculars worth a grand total of £665.00. A fine prize that will be awarded to the winner come years end when the results are collated and the votes cast. 

To many birders, August marks the start of Autumn. Gone are the Summer doldrums, the days spent observing butterflies and the warm yet somewhat tedious days of July. August provides a much needed jolt of invigoration to many birders as the first scarce migrants begin to trickle through and a myriad of marvellous seabirds grace our coastal watchpoints. To many, August means shearwaters, skuas and shrikes. Returning waders and wayward warblers. This is reflected perfectly in the results from last month with a whole manner of early Autumn scarcities adorning patches from the north of Scotland to the very south of England. Although no true megas were unearthed during this period the species that were noted were more than enough to keep many patchers enthralled and entertained during the month.

Starting with the glaring rarities and Black Storks proved to be a real flavour of the month, occurring on not one but four patches throughout August. Three out of four patchers recieved bonus points for this species with Sean Foote at North Portland, John Hopper at Hoveringham and Mick Turton at Easington all benefitting from this years influx of this awe inspiring species. Mick was also lucky enough to pick up a superb Red-Footed Falcon on at Easington and surely must have concluded August with a large smile upon his face. Elsewhere a Melodious Warbler for Ian Ballam at Lychett marked a first site record with the same site also throwing up a Bluethroat for good measure. Dave Craven at Hale & Pickering Pastures was likewise ecstatic to pin down a White-rumped Sandpiper whilst exploring his local high tide roost. Finally over to the Inland North league where Bill Aspin's perseverance paid off as he picked up a Lesser Yellowlegs at Brockholes Nature Reserve. In addition to the aforementioned rarities perhaps the most unusual find of the month goes to Ian Thompson who turned up a Magpie on his Askernish patch in the Islands minileague. Magpies are far from common in the Outer Hebrides with only two records to date. This just goes to show that even "common" British birds can set the heart to pumping when they turn up in unusual places! Nice find Ian.

Magpie at Askernish - Ian Thompson

Lesser Yellowlegs - Bill Aspin

Moving on to your more typical but no less endearing early Autumn scarcities and Icterine Warblers featured on no less that 10 patches during August. One of these seems to have brought David Aitken a great deal of happiness comprising his first bonus point scoring species at Bempton Cliffs. Congratulations David! Likewise Wrynecks featured prominently this month occurring on six patches whilst Barred Warblers were located at two sites though only one of these was self found courtesy of Chris Bradshaw at Long Nab. Sticking to the theme of typical Autumn fare and a Red-backed Shrike was unearthed by Barrie Hamill at Burray who also found his second Common Rosefinch of the year. 

Wryneck - Nick Croft

As ever August provided an opportunity for those with coastal patches to indulge in a spot of seawatching, a trend highlighted by the prevalence of scarce seabirds in this months results. Balearic Shearwaters brought in points for Kev Rylands, Eamonn O'Donnell and Craig Fulcher, the latter a county tick for Craig no less. Sooty Shearwaters were similarly well represented whilst Black Terns were observed on eight patches. Damian Money at Saltburn in the Coastal North minileague was lucky enough to catch up with a Leach's Petrel whilst Long-tailed Skuas were notched at three sites and a Pomarine Skua brought in yet more points for Eamonn O'Donnell at Ninch, Ireland. Concluding the coastal offerings an unseasonal Iceland Gull was noted by Alastair Forsyth at Palace, Birsay.

As ever in late summer, waders featured fairly heavily in August with the highlight undoubtedly the Pectoral Sandpiper picked out by Eamonn O'Donnell at Ninch/Laytown. The bird in question showed very well at times and is sure to have bolstered Eamonn's score nicely. Elsewhere the late summer influx of Wood Sandpipers was reflected nicely in the results with birds recorded on 11 patches throughout August.

Wood Sandpiper - Ian Ballam

Pectoral Sandpiper at Ninch/Laytown © Jim Bowman

No clear contenders for "Best Find" this month but with autumn migration heating up it will be interesting to see just what is unearthed in September by Patchwork's diligent competitors. September has the potential to truly shake up the leader boards and I for one look forward to seeing what the coming month will bring.

- James C (Patchwork Challenge)

Best Find June and July 2015

The Bresser & Forest Optics Best Find Competition is the highlight of the Patchwork Challenge year. This is for the best find of the whole patch birding year as voted for by you, the competitors. Those fine people at Bresser & Forest Optics are very generously furnishing the winner of the competition with a pair of Bresser Montana 8.5 x 45 binoculars worth £665.00.

June and July are traditionally the quieter months in the birdwatchers calendar when thoughts often turn to dragonflies and butterflies and the fun to be had trying to get to grips with them, as activity with the avian population settles down a bit. This year however whilst there hasn't been a mega during the period there have been a generous scattering of rarities, along with double figures of scarce birds found by patchworkers.

Laughing Gull thanks to Tim Jones

Working our way from North to South with the rare birds we start with Gull-billed Tern for Alastair Forstyth at Palace, Birsay on Orkney. A great bird for the Northern Isles one of a number wandering the country in the early summer period. Dropping down to Easington in the Coastal North minileague and we have Mick Turton racking up the points with a site first - Laughing Gull. Mick picked this bird up on Kilnsea Wetlands before it flew south never to be seen again. Next up Paul Sullivan found a Broad-billed Sandpiper on his Frampton/Freiston patch which is in the Estuarine minileague. Several patchers managed to connect with this bird and some were bemoaning Paul's fortune as the finder. July was as expected quieter but the return of the moulting drake Lesser Scaup at Blagdon Lake meant a dozen points for the finder, Nigel Milbourne.

The numbers of scarce birds found in June & July reached double figures with a strong coastal bias, which is to be expected at this point of the year. Starting with the Islands minileague, and then again moving roughly North to South through the rest.

June in the Islands league was a most productive month for scarce birds. There were 3 Common Rosefinches records, two of them in Scotland with the other in Wales , Mark Newell logging two bird on the Isle of May whilst over on Burray, Barrie Hammill proved the worth of having a patch which includes home when he found one without leaving his living room and finally down on Skomer in Wales Jason Moss makes up the trio. The other birds found during June were all from the same patch, Mike Pennington's Baltasound to be exact. He managed to find both Red-backed Shrike and Marsh Warbler but was beaten to the punch with King Eider, Icterine and Great Reed Warblers which also graced his patch.

Moving to Scotland now and unlike the Islands it was June that was the quiet month with the best birds coming in July. Coastal Scotland and Whiteness Head, the patch that Jonathan Clarke works, was where he managed to find a Great White Egret giving him a handy 6 points. The Crinan Canal Corridor is where we find Jim Dickson, who logged a Ring-billed Gull taking his points total to 173.

Common Crane thanks to Chris Bradshaw

Now the Northern minileagues.  June saw Chris Bradshaw take advantage of a tip off that a Honey Buzzard was heading in his direction in order to add it to his patch list for the year. During July on the same patch Wykeham Lake & Potter Brompton Carr, he logged two Common Cranes whilst on his other patch Long Nab to Scalby Mills, Coastal North, Chris was lucky enough to pick out a Long-tailed Skua. Tom Cadwallender also found Common Crane in July on his Alnmouth patch.  Another patchworker to score in both months was Mick Turton on his Easington patch. In June it was  a Bee-eater as he came out of his front door whilst he found a White-rumped Sandpiper appropriately enough on the 4th July.  A second Bee-eater was found in July by Phil Woollen at Backford Cross whilst he was out shopping.

Let us now move South and East to East Anglia, where further Bee-eaters were found by Gary White, North Walsham & Trimingham, in June and in July by Rob Hall, Halesworth to Dunwich, both in the coastal league. Rob had also scored bonus points in June with a Common Rosefinch on his patch. Another good June bird found in the coastal league was the Montagu's Harrier found by Nigel Lound at Gibraltar Point NNR, whilst in July James Brown found a Marsh Warbler at North Lowestoft. In the Estuarine league we find Ed Keeble at Brantham who was another patchworker to register Common Crane in June.

Finally we reach the South - coastal and inland, again the areas splitting according to the month. Inland featured in June with a Night Heron being found by Tim Farr at Sutton Bingham Reservoir and Black Kite seen by Nick Croft at Wanstead. The sole Coastal South entry was the Cory's Shearwater seen by Ilya Maclean from his Loe Pool patch on the Lizard.

So we come to the end of this report, sadly we didn't see any megas but you have to agree that there were some very good birds logged by patchworkers. Here's looking forward to the next few months when we should get the migrants coming through, I hope you get a good one on your patch.