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American Buff-bellied Pipit, Clifford Hill, October 2026

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Tyler Atkinson has kindly provided a lovely article on the discovery of the first American passerine for Northamptonshire, as well as a little background about his patch, Clifford Hill Gravel Pits. Please enjoy and join me in thanking Tyler for providing this fantastic write-up. American Buff-bellied Pipit My local birding patch, the Northampton Washlands, also known as Clifford Hill Gravel Pits, is a critically important inland wetland ecosystem located on the southeastern outskirts of Northampton. Serving as the starting point of the broader Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site. Its defining feature is the Main Barrage Lake, a reservoir designed to hold water during periods of heavy flow and mitigate regional flooding. This is a patch I have been birding regularly for the past 3-4 years and visited several times growing up nearby. The patch is sitting just along the River Nene, surrounded by farmland and an industrial estate. The site is a grea...
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September round-up 2026

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Hello from the Patchwork Challenge team!   September was another fairly busy autumn month for migration with plenty of goodies found on patches. There was certainly some large, and unexepected surprises found during the month but persistent westerlies for large areas meant some patch birders experienced quieter Septembers than usual. However, October has already thrown up plenty of good birds nationally, including on some #PWC2026 patches so we look forward to writing about that soon! Superb Rustic Bunting found by Andrew Whitehouse TOP 20 COMPARATIVE SCORES 3KM² TOP 20 COMPARATIVE SCORES 10KM TOP 20 OVERALL SCORES 3KM² TOP 20 OVERALL SCORES 10KM Inland North, England:  Mike Leakey is continuing his long standing run at the top spot of the Inland North England mini-league with a whopping 120% so far. The best bird on his Bishop Middleham patch for September being his first Pectoral Sandpiper there in fifteen years, as well as a Whinchat. In second place is Owen Tattersall at F...
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August round-up 2026

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Hello from the Patchwork Challenge team!   I am very sorry for the shortened, revised write-up for August. Time has been scarce this month with work, birding and personal commitments. Hope you can still enjoy this round-up. If you feel like you have the capability to help out with the social media, the writing of blog posts or helping to organise the competition, then please get in touch via email. Cheers! Ring-billed Gull taken by Toby Phelps Inland North, England:  Mike Leakey is on for an incredible year at his Bishop Middleham patch with a MASSIVE 118% scored so far! The best for August included Curlew Sandpiper, Greenshank, Ruff and Great White Egret. Owen Tattersall at Figham Common is on 103% and he picked up some amazing patch records. Firstly, a pair of patch firsts flew over together in the form of a Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff - this being a brilliant combo for a patch with no standing water. The other goodie being Tree Sparrow, a first for the patch for 14 years!...
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