Patchwork Challenge

Patchwork Challenge 2016 - Sutton Bingham Reservoir Report by Tim Farr I had a pretty good year in 2015 and honestly thought I would be heard pressed in beating last year’s total, but I guess hard work pays off and 2016 turned out to be a real cracker of a year with four patch lifers and some quality rarities to boot. As always my apologies for the photographs…I rely on phone-scoped record shots! January Not a bad start to the year with a January 1 st visit producing a drake Shoveler amongst the regular wintering Wigeon . A Stonechat kindly stayed in to the New Year and got added to the list alongside Kestrel and Little Grebe . Just a couple of days later I found a small flock of Lesser Redpoll , a species I’d not seen on patch for a couple of years and a week later I added Marsh Tit , a species which took eight months to get on to the year list in 2015! Some annoying news was received on 14 th January as a fellow birder had flushed a Jack Snipe , despite trying a cou...

Sean's rather abbreviated patch diary update for February. Dont worry Sean, it will be spring soon!

  Lytchett Bay has been one of the cornerstone patches of PWC and now has four contestants taking part for 2016. Included is an abridged version of the 2015 annual report. The full version is available to download from the Facebook Group. The Bay was visited on all but 6 days (!) as set out below. Records came from an increasing number of birders but Ian Ballam again takes the honors as an almost “ever present”. JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 29 26 31   30    31      30     31    31      30    31 30   29 2015 proved to be a year of quality and quantity. Lytchett Fields continued to develop as an attractive habitat and there were many excellent birding days in both spring and autumn. Given this change it was perhaps surprising that many of this year’s rarities were found in other parts of the Bay. Three records ...

2015 was my second year of PWC so the competition for the comparative league title was a real added incentive to get out in the field this year. January started quietly but I managed to pick up most of the regular resident and wintering species. Pick of the birds were Green Sandpiper , Redshank and Grey Wagtail giving a January total of 64 species. February’s highlight was undoubtedly Water Rail , a long anticipated first record for the parish. But the second patch sighting of Goldeneye and the first winter record of Little Egret were also noteworthy. A cracking flock of 200+ buntings got all the common species ticked off and February also turned up Oystercatcher , Siskin and wintering Blackcap pushing the list to 72 species. March is the best chance of finding Whooper Swans here as they move up through the Vale of Mowbray but with no standing water on the patch it’s mainly a matter of luck so a group of nine flying over was a bonus. A flock of Thirteen Goosan...

Patchwork Challenge 2015 Review – Hawes; Steven Ward January Fortunately, and as per usual for the beginning of the year, the 1 st of January saw areas of floodwater adorning the floodplain around the River Ure. This helps draw in certain species which wouldn't normally be present on Patch without floods. Teal , Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Redwing & Fieldfare were the modest opening day highlights. Biblical amounts of rain over the course of New Year's Day turned virtually the whole valley bottom into one giant lake for the next 24 hours. On the 3 rd , Wigeon, Goosander, Tawny Owl & Grey Wagtail were added. My BirdTrack complete list had to be abandoned on this day however, as a mournful squealing sound on the river bank led to an Otter cub, no doubt separated from its family following the previous days' extensive flooding. Scooping the poor creature up, it ended up with the nearest RSPCA via my house and the local vet. An unfortunate...