August round-up 2026
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!
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| 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!
Nick Morgan at Ainderby Steeple is on a brilliant score of 100% to put him in a very healthy third, but he has tense competition with Duncan Bye on 99% at Wheldrake Ings. Duncan's best birds were typical of the month with Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit. Pam Pickersgill at Morley and Churwell is in a close fifth on 98%. Mark Langston at Dearne Valley is in sixth having picked up 96%, his best birds included Whinchat and Ruff. Paul Whitehouse at Stanley Ferry Flash and Southern Washlands is seventh on 93%, his best included Green Sandpiper, Great White Egret and Spoonbill. Gavin Orr at Pontefract Park is on 91% and Phil Woollen is on 90%. Ciaran Rowett is on 83% at WWT Martin Mere to put him in tenth place, a Greenshank the best bird there. Pam Pickersgill's other patch, Gildersome, is at 80%. There could be some massive end of year comparative scores in this league with all but three of 90% or above so far.
In the 10km league, Nigel Harris at Middletons is on 96%, Hobby and Yellow Wagtail the best there.
In the overall points part of the league, the top two are well ahead. Leading those is Duncan Bye at Wheldrake Ings on 176 points but hot on his heels is Mark Langston on 173 at Dearne Valley. Mike Leakey is in third at Bishop Middleham with 145 points, but three! patches have nearly caught Mike up with Paul Newton at Scaling Dam, Ciaran Rowett at WWT Martin Mere and Adam Firth at Elvington all on 143. Paul had a very impressive highlight in the shape of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, as well as Wood Sandpiper.
Inland Midlands:
Lucas Burfield at Cambridge Research Park and Waterbeach Barracks has smashed up to the top spot at 108% having picked up the first patch record of Pied Flycatcher since 2020 but amazingly then a second on the last day of the month. He also picked up the fourth patch record of Bittern and a patch tick in the form of a Curlew. Dan Leadley at Dereham is second on 106% with his first ever patch records of Little Owl and Wheatear the best birds. Brian Hedley at Marton and Trent Port is so close to second place with just a one percent gap. Brian had some nice bits including Redstart, Hobby's and Common Sandpiper. Pete Sofley continues his stint in fourth at Ladywalk Nature Reserve. His best birds included Willow Tit and Black-necked Grebe amongst a bunch of August fare Tree Pipit. Andy Sims at Swanpool and Boultham Mere scored on some patch gold in the shape of three Glossy Ibis but amongst a long list of highlights was Spoonbill, Cattle Egret, three Ruff and Spotted Redshank. All this helped him jump from eighth to fifth on 93%. Tom Shields at Colwick Park is now in sixth on 90% and Richard Harbird at Marton Bagot on 88% picked up Goosander and Great White Egret. Joe Parham at Fen Drayton Lakes is on 84% and Steve Lister at Swithland Reservoir had a good month with plenty of goodies including five Greenshank, Ringed Plover and Black-tailed Godwit, but best of all the first Lesser Whitethroat for three years. All this pumped him to 77%.
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| Little Owl taken by Daniel Leadley |
In the 10km league, Andy Sims at Swanpool is on the top spot with 94%. Tom Shields at Nottingham Trent Valley is second on 91% having twitched a Red-necked Phalarope and Little Gull. It has been a good month nationally for the former. Richard Harbird at Redditch is on 90% having seen Black-tailed Godwit and Wood Sandpiper. Dan Webb is fourth at Ross on Wye and Sellack has picked up 83%. Steve Lister at Loughborough is on 77% with a Snipe over the garden the highlight. William Lambourne at Ledbury is just a few percent behind at 74%.
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| Pied Flycatcher taken by Lucas Burfield |
In the overall part of the mini-league, Chris Hubbard at Stanford Reservoir is in the top spot with an eleven point lead with 217 scored. Wryneck was the obvious highlight as well as Tree Pipit, Redstart and Whinchat being the typical August fare. Daniel Langston is second on 206 points at his Bardney Pits patch. Tyler Atkinson at Clifford Hill Gravel Pits is third on 184 points - he had a brilliant month seeing Little Stint, Ruff, three Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipits as his best amongst a long list of goodies. Pete Sofley at Ladywalk Nature Reserve is fourth on 174 points. Matthew Pollock is fifth at Kingsbury South on 141 points, he had a great list of birds too with Quail, Black Tern, Red-necked Phalarope and Osprey probably the best. Joe Parham is sixth on 136 points from his Fen Drayton Lakes patch, with just a point ahead of Andy Sims at Swanpool and Boultham Mere.
Tyler Atkinson from Northampton is smashing the 10km league with 207 points, with a 37 point lead. Matthew Pollock at his Kingsbury 10km patch is in second place on 170 points having seen Black-necked Grebe and Marsh Harrier. Andy Sims at Swanpool is on 157 points in third.
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| Red-necked Phalarope taken by Matthew Pollock |
Inland South, England:
In a very competitive comparative Inland South mini-league, Matt Slaymaker retains his top spot at West Sedgemoor with 110%. His best birds of the month include Jay, Tree Pipit and Green Sandpiper. Tom Bedford at Lye Valley has kept his second place having picked up his first ever autumn record of Cuckoo on patch, while a more usual Yellow Wagtail was recorded. Ian Bennell at Tring Reservoirs, College Lake and Pitstone Quarry had a brilliant month with first patch records since 2017 of Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff. Jeff Gooding at Roding Valley Meadows has jumped up the rankings to fourth on 103%, his best bird of the month being a couple of Whinchats. Matthew Dick at RSPB Lakenheath is just one percent short of the hundred percent barrier, he had an interesting month having picked up patch ticks of Little Tern and Turnstone. Geoff Wyatt at Day's Lock and Bishop's Court Farm is sixth having picked up 96% so far. Geoff saw Greenshank and Redstart during August. Charlie Joseph at Weald Country Park and Bentley Area is seventh on 94%, the best there being a Yellow Wagtail. Gareth Blockley at Grimsbury Reservoir and East Banbury is on 92%. Gareth Blockley at Grimsbury Reservoir and East Banbury has managed to gain three percent during the month to 92% while Neil Burt at Godinton, Hothfield and Singleton is on 91% in ninth. Neil picked up plenty of passage with a juvenile Cuckoo, a couple of Whinchats and Wheatears plus a Cetti's Warbler. John Pritchard at Ver Valley added Whinchat to his patch year list too, putting him on 88%.
In the overall points scored part of the league, Matthew Dick at RSPB Lakenheath is still flying in the top spot with a considerable lead of 18 points. Geoff Wyatt at Day's Lock and Bishop's Court Farm is on 147 points followed by Thomas Miller in third on 137 points at Port Meadow. Matt Slaymaker isn't too far behind on 134 points and in fifth is Dave Helliar at Chard Junction on 119 points. He recorded more regular August passage migrants with Whinchat, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail and Dunlin.
Coastal East, England:
Nige Lound has hit back, and taken top spot again having found the couple of juvenile Black Storks touring Gibraltar Point. This being the third patch record and self found tick, well done Nige!! Trevor Girling at RSPB Titchwell Marsh is second on 91%. Stuart Ainsworth, also at Gib is third on 88% where he is joined by nearby Owen Beaumont at Saltfleetby and Theddlethorpe Dunes. Owen had a fabulous month, seeing a juvenile Montagu's Harrier as well as Red-backed Shrike, Bee-eater, Stone-Curlew and Roseate Tern. Mark Andrews in Kilnsea is on 82%, just one percent ahead of Duncan Watson at Tynemouth. Duncan's best being a Ruff, just the fifth patch record. Will Scott's two Bempton patches are sixth and seventh with 72% at Bempton Village and 66% at Bempton Cliffs. John Chapman at NE South Tyneside is on 62% having seen Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit. James Spencer at Barmston had plenty of bits with Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Curlew Sandpiper and Black Tern. Paul French in Easington is on 52% having picked up a superb garden tick in the form of an Icterine Warbler.
In the 10km league, Paul Newton at Whitby picked up seven Pied Flycatchers and a couple of Arctic Terns, putting him just one percent off the hundred percent barrier. James Brown at Hopton is just a percent behind on 98%, he also had a good month with Sabine's Gull and Wryneck. Nige Lound at Gibraltar Point is in third on 96%.
Coastal South, England:
Kevin Rylands at Teignmouth had a good month, increasing his comparative score to 89%. The best birds were just the third ever record of Great Spotted Woodpecker as well as Common Scoter, Balearic Shearwater and Common Tern. His other patch, Dawlish Warren, is sitting comfortably in second place with 84%. Again, a really nice mix of species there with Balearic and Cory's Shearwater as well as Arctic, Black and Roseate Tern. In third place is Jacob Spinks at Dungeness Bird Observatory at 70%. Jacob Wood at Berry Head and Mansands is on 57% in fourth.
In the 10km league, Bob Ford is flying in the top spot on 90% scored from his Weymouth on foot patch. Jacob Spinks is in a sorry second having only picked up 68% so far.
In the overall points scored part of the league, Jacob Spinks at Dungeness Bird Observatory is first on 230 points. Jonathan Bull in second is on 199 points at Sandwich Bay Estate and RSPB Worth Marshes, his best birds included Redstart, Hen Harrier and Spoonbill. Kevin Rylands at his Dawlish Warren patch is in third on 197 points. In fourth is Jonathan Singlewood-Dodds at King George VI Park on 122 points, he picked up some nice passage in the form of a vismig Spotted Flycatcher amongst other bits.
Coastal West, England:
Sean O'Hara at Hoylake and Meols is leading in the Coastal West comparative league, finding a White-rumped Sandpiper this month boosting his score to 80%. He is level in the overall points scored with Liam Langley at St Ives with 133 points.
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| White-rumped Sandpiper taken by Sean O'Hara |
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| Wryneck taken by Liam Langley |
Jonni Price is on 95 points from his Llanrwst patch.
Toby Phelps has run off with the lead, having had a brilliant August finding a stunning second calender-year Ring-billed Gull as well as an Ortolan Bunting and a Sabine's Gull. All this putting him on 105% from 178 points on his Manorbier patch. Peter Howelett at Cardiff Bay is in second on 67% from 97%.
There has been no updated change in the 10km league.
Inland Scotland:
Lee Hesp at Strathyre is on 103% with Raven being a new bird for the year. Alex Ash at Kilmacolm is on 90% in second for the comparative part of the mini-league, but is first on overall points scored with 85.
Coastal Scotland:
Rob Hughes at Freswick is leading the comparative mini-league by being the first to break the hundred percent barrier. He is also in second with his John O'Groats patch on 94%. Narrowly missing out on second is Andrew Whewell at North Berwick East, who saw Cory's Shearwater, Pomarine Skua and Pied Flycatcher to put his score on 93%. Nick Littlewood at Portsoy is in close fourth having picked up 92%. Rich Arthurs is fifth on 88% at Gullane and Aberlady Bay. Nina O'Hanlon is in sixth at Nybster on 86% while Andrew Whitehouse at Girdle Ness and Torry is on 83% making the battle between fifth and seventh fairly tight. Andrew saw Caspian Gull and Marsh Harrier on his patch. Rob Hughes is in eighth at Nybster on 67%.
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| Pied Flycatcher taken by Andrew Whitehouse |
Andrew Whitehouse is leading in the overall points scored part of the league with 172 scored at Girdle Ness and Torry. Paul Higson has been pipped to his long standing top spot at St Combs and is now in second on 169. Rob Hughes at Nybster is on 152 points, as is Andrew Whewell at North Berwick East to put them in a solid third.
In the 10km league, Paul Higson still keeps his top spot comfortably with 214 scored from St Combs. Rob Hughes is on 185 points at Nybster followed by Nina O'Hanlon also at Nybster on 176 points.
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| Caspian Gull taken by Andrew Whitehouse |
Róisín Towe still the only participant in the Inland Ireland mini-league, but her best bird of the month was Barn Owl at Tramore Valley Park. She is now on 75 points for the year.
Estuarine:
In the Estuarine comparative mini-league, Jackie Binks is still leading with 102% at Garston Coastal Reserve and Oglet. John Conlin-Hume is in second at Paull on 93% followed by Ravi Grewal at Cliffe on 90%. Peter Hazelwood at Oldbury Power Station is in fourth with 88% scored. His best birds of the month include 11 Goosander and Short-eared Owl. Gordon Hodgson at Frampton, Splatt and Saul Warth had an excellent patch tick in the shape of a male Montagu's Harrier. He also noted Spotted Flycatcher to put him on 80% for the year so far.
Peter Hazelwood at Oldbury Power Station is leading in the overall points part of the mini-league having scored 165 so far, nearly 20 ahead of anyone else. Gordon is in second on 147 points, just ahead of Ravi Grewal at Cliffe on 145. Jonnie Price had a good month, having the first Pectoral Sandpiper for his patch since 2016 as well as Hobby, Green Sandpiper and Ruff.
Islands:
Sean Morris up front in the comparative Islands mini-league, having picked up 89% so far at Kinloch on the Isle of Rum. Steve Dudley at Westray is in second on 81%, he notched up a nice couple of warblers in the form of Wood and Barred. Mark Lawlor at his Hommet to Rousse patch on Guernsey picked up some finders bonus points this month with a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling. Sean Morris at Kilmory on his other patch has picked up 78% while John Bowler at Balephuil on the Isle of Tiree is in fourth on 72%. John had a nice list of goodies for the month including Curlew and Green Sandpiper, Little Grebe and Pied Flycatcher. David Roche is in fifth on Papa Westray on 68% and David Parnaby is sixth on Fair Isle having scored 45%.
In the 10km comparative, Sean Morris is only just leading with 85% scored on the Isle of Rum. Mark Lawlor on Guernsey is on 84% to put him in second, additional from his 3km patch, Mark picked up Hoopoe. Steve Dudley on Westray had a good month for his 10km patch to put him on 81%. The best birds were American Golden Plover, which was an island tick for him but he also found a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, which is his second island record. By the sounds of it, the Red-necked Phalarope has almost become a padder! John Bowler in fourth on the Isle of Tiree picked up American Golden Plover, putting him on 69%.
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| American Golden Plover taken by John Bowler |
In the overall points part of the Islands mini-league, John Bowler at Balephuil on Tiree is on 237 in the top spot. David Roche on Papa Westray is second on 220 points followed by nearby Steve Dudley at Westray is on 189 points. Jodie Henderson at Portland Bird Observatory who is on 158 points.
In the 10km league, Hugh Harrop is 99 points ahead of his nearest competitor with 357 scored so far from his South Shetland patch. There are many amazing August highlights from Hugh, but these include Baird's Sandpiper, Arctic Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler and Pallid Harrier.
Under 25s:
Green:
Here is the comparative leaderboard for the Top 20 Green 3km² patches, and also the only comparative scores for the 10km radius patches.
Here are the Top 20 overall green rankings for the 3km² patches and all qualifying 10km radius patches:
Huge thank you for reading, as well as for taking part! Also a huge thank you to those who have posted pictures that we have used. We hope you enjoy the rest of your autumn Patch Birding! Remember to keep us informed and is possible pictures using the #PWC2026, #PatchBirding or #PatchGold hashtags on Twitter and Bluesky! We try to use as many pictures as possible on our blog.
We wish you the best of luck!
The Patchwork Challenge team!
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