Inland East Anglia Minileague - May 2016

Adam Nicholls continues to lead the way with an impressive 124% thanks in no part to doing his chores as he added Cuckoo while putting the bins out! Do your chores people! James Emerson managed to get in on the inland Black Tern invasion with 3 at Whitlingham as well as his first patch tick of the year, Whimbrel! Steve Chapman ousts Nick Moran out of the top 3 as he approaches 100%. Mike McCarthy and David Gomer are the big movers of the month but with only 10% separating 3rd and 9th there is all to play for as we go into the summer.

Common Crane

Four points seperate the top 3 as Luke Wake takes advantage of a blank month for Ben Lewis, adding Black Tern and Whimbrel. Jamie Wells had a good month adding 19 points. Much like the Coastal East Anglia highlights were thin on the ground but there was a common theme as Cranes, Garganey and Turtle Doves made it onto multiple lists while Joe Harkness and Irene Boston had the pleasure of watching Nightjars on their patch.

Garganey

Coastal East Anglia Minileague - May 2016

No new additions for Rob Hall this month has seen James Brown close the gap to 6% at the top after he added 23 points with the help of 6pts for Great White Egret and a couple of 3 pointers including Greenish Warbler and Temminck's Stint. Scott Mayson climbs into the top 3 as he adds 7% for the month while Craig Fulcher has a quiet month on patch has he spent much of the month gallivanting around China. Ryan Irvine had a good month after 3.5 months off patch and managed to add 52 species including bonus points for Wryneck, Montagu's Harrier and Red-backed Shrike.

Red-backed Shrike, Hemsby c/o Ryan Irvine

James Brown is running away with the points league as his lead increases to 42 points. The top 3 remain as they were at the end of April. Highlights were thin on the ground and perhaps a sign of the times that Turtle Dove and Whinchat were highlights as they become ever harder to see on the coast this spring, well done Irene for catching up with both! A thought should go out for James Appleton who missed out on the Black-eared Wheatear on his patch, so close to a contender for best find prize!

Coastal Ireland Minileague - May 2016

Noel Keogh is the first to reach the 100% milestone on the Coastal Ireland Comparative Minileague table with some great patch birds for South Dublin Bay seen during May including singing migrant Reed Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler at Irishtown Nature Reserve plus a Great Skua and a Cuckoo(!) seen while seawatching the bay. He finished the month with a clear lead on 104.38%.

Eamonn O'Donnell adds Roseate Tern at Ninch/Laytown, completing the list of expected migrants for the site. This lands him on 90% but slips to fourth place due to the advancements of Eleanor Keane and Richard Donaghey. While watching four Wheatears at the West Pier Dun Laoghaire, a trio of Whimbrel flew overhead for Eleanor making an evening stroll all the more worthwhile as she finishes the month in second with 91.964%. Close behind in third is Richard who had a double duck patch tick day on 22nd May with a male Garganey and a female Scaup at the Bann Estuary. You can read more about Richard's patch birding exploits at the Bann Estuary on his blog post here. 

No major patch highlights for Neal Warnock at Larne Lough during May but at least these Dunlin showed well! © Neal Warnock

Noel's second patch site at Tacumshin, Co. Wexford is racing ahead on the Coastal Ireland Points Minileague table with 132 species yielding 173 points. That's 7 points clear of former table leader, Dave Suddaby at Blacksod who now sits in second place even after some #patchgold Shoveler. 

Seawatching from the sand dunes at Tacumshin has been productive for Noel, adding a trio of Great Skua, European Storm-petrel and a Black-throated Diver to the tally along with Spotted Flycatcher at the 'High Car Park', Curlew Sandpiper on the flats and a Hobby hunting over the marsh.

It has been a good Spring for Hobby in Ireland and Tom Moore got in on the action with one at Kilmore Quay (along with a most welcome Coal Tit!). A drake Garganey was backed up by a pair of Tufted Ducks at Chris O'Sullivan's patch at Clonakilty/Inhcydoney. Glaucous Gull was a fine addition during May for Michael O'Donnell at Kilmichael/Kilpatrick/Kilgorman and a Bullfinch at Belfast Harbour RSPB was Derek Polley's second record for the site, with the last being in 2010.

Inland Ireland Minileague - May 2016

Michael John O'Mahony comes in with a mighty update from Upper Rathduff at the end of May which sees the addition of the expected Spring migrants including Spotted Flycatcher as well as Swift (not seen in 2015). A total of 60 species recorded on the farmland around his home in Co. Cork so far this year. With this, he sails past the milestone marker and on to 106.25% taking him to first place on the Inland Ireland Comparative Minileague table!

Des Higgins also breaks the 100% barrier at University College Dublin but slips to second place with 103.5%. His additions during the month included Swift, Sand Martin and House Martin feeding over the main lake on campus as well as Dipper and Grey Wagtail on a stream near the border of the site.

Two Sedge Warblers and a male Tufted Duck were both patch scarce for Niall Keogh at Kilbogget Park and brought him to 100% on the dot, in third place.

Derek Charles updates his score from the southern shores of Lough Neagh for the first time since winter. A productive Spring results in Derek taking first place on the Inland Ireland Points Minileague table from Andrew Power with a grand total of 86 species and 99 points. 

A second summer Ring-billed Gull put in an appearance at Derek's patch on 10th April which constitutes the second county record for Armagh. This was followed up by a Corncrake on the 24th April (singing passage migrant) and a Little Egret on the same day which was just his second patch record. Inland rarities during May included a flock of 7 Light-bellied Brent Geese on 8th, a Sanderling on 10th and an Arctic Tern on 22nd May, all of which appear to be genuinely rare inland in Northern Ireland (the brent and tern were patch firsts for Derek).

Light-bellied Brent Geese © Derek Charles

Elsewhere on the points table, the welcome return of singing warblers was noted with Whitethroats at Grand Canal Way, Carrick Mountain and Bramblestown and a reeling Grasshopper Warbler a Carrigmore.

Ian Stevenson continues to do well at his Grand Canal Way patch in Co. Dublin where a Common Sandpiper was a patch first plus nice sightings of Long-eared Owl and Stock Dove.

Midlands Minileague - May 2016

John Clarkson climbs from 5th to 1st in the comparative minileague as he becomes the first of four patchers to break the all important 100% mark and early as well. This month at Louth, John's highlight was a Hobby over the town centre. Friendly rival, Andy Sims, slips to second spot but he also breaks the 100% mark with his best bits including his first patch Black Tern for 13 years and 2nd patch record of Ringed Plover when a trio touched down. Tom Shields keeps hold of third place and also leaps the 100% hurdle with a brace of Temminck's Stints. An honourable mention goes to Rhys Chivers who is just 3.65% off the top and is the final member of the 100% club this month thanks to Wood Sandpiper and Whimbrel.

For the first time this year Rutland loses its grip on top spot in the points league as Steve Nuttall at Belvide takes over. He was aided by a monster haul of two-pointers including Roseate Tern, Black Tern, Little Stint, Little Tern, Garganey, Marsh Harrier and Red Kite plus 6 points for finding a Temminck's Stint. Just a point between the Rutlanders with Erik Ansell in second place overall on 176 having added Red-necked Phalarope and Knot which also happens to be his rival, Rod Baker's highlights.

Best finds this month are Toby Carter's Purple Heron at Grimston and Ben Ward's Whiskered Tern at Whisby, both crackers. Other three pointers hosted by patchers in the Midlands include a Temminck's Stint for John Hopper. There was a Great Reed Warbler for Mark Gash at Willington GPs and a Glossy Ibis for Kate Thorpe at RSPB Middleton Lakes.

Whiskered Tern, Whisby c/o Ben Ward

Inland South Minileague - May 2016

Stephanie is having her best ever year at Twyford and is top of the Inland South comparative table adding Common Tern, Cetti's Warbler and Hobby in May. She is on a heady 118%, way ahead of Richard Scantlebury who holds on to second place despite a quiet month. Ian Bennell at Tring Reservoirs takes over in third as he crests 100% although just 5% covers 3rd-8th. Ian's star bird was a Roseate Tern, just the 3rd for Hertfordshire and the 2nd site record. 

Roseate Tern c/o Ian Bennell

Returning migrants see Tom Raven add 26 points at Shapwick Heath to create a gap to second where Ian Bennell resides. Adam Bassett at Little Marlow is in third place, up a spot from April with Black Terns, Little Gull, Cuckoo and a second site Cetti's Warbler this month.

Honey Buzzard c/o Josie Hewitt

Away from the top and find of the month goes to Mark Andrews at East Verwood with a Red-footed Falcon seen from his new 'watchpoint'/patio. There were also bonus points for Josie Hewitt at Blackbushe Airfield with an overflying Honey Buzzard. Several patches recorded inland Arctic Terns, Sanderling and Cuckoos. A Black-necked Grebe for Martin Wood at Longham Lakes and a Brent Goose for Matt Phelps at South Guildford were probably the pick of the rest.

PWC2017: upcoming changes to the scores

As you may all be aware during our AGM at Spurn Bird Obs we discussed changing some scores for certain species. After much debate we decided to change 34 species based on losing or gaining BB status, declines and increases in more common species and deleting a couple plastic species or non-existent sub species. We have discussed all the changes in the latest podcast (which can be listened to by clicking here) but here is a very brief overview of the changes:

Lets start with the species that we have promoted from a 4 pointer to a 5 pointer.

Great Bustard

Forster's Tern

Black-eared Wheatear

Syke's Warbler

Yellow-breasted Bunting

Several species have went the other way and have been demoted from 5 points to 4 points:

Hooded Merganser

Pallid Harrier

Buff-bellied Pipit

Red-flanked Bluetail

Iberian Chiffchaff

Four species have been increased from 3 points to 4 points as they all have become BBRC species again:

Tawny Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Aquatic Warbler

Rustic Bunting

And six species have went the opposite way as they lost their BBRC status so 3 points for the following as of 2017:

Lesser Scaup

White-billed Diver

Glossy Ibis

Olive-backed Pipit

Citrine Wagtail

Blyth's Reed Warbler

Three species have been upgraded from 2 points to 3 points, the first due to the increasing difficulty in finding them bar a few hotspots and the latter two to clear up a sub-species anomaly we created by mistake! So as of 2017 it will be bonus points if you find any of these:

Shore Lark

Any non-flavissima Yellow Wagtail

Siberian Chiffchaff

The next category hurts slightly as we see some of our old faithful 3 pointers cut down to 2 pointers, mainly because they are pretty common now so if you find any of these next year there will be no bonus points on offer:

Great White Egret

Crane

Yellow-browed Warbler

On the plus side five 1 pointers have been upgraded to 2 pointers as a result of their much publicised declines in the country:

Grey Partridge

Ruddy Duck

Turtle Dove

Willow Tit

Corn Bunting

Only one species has went the opposite way as the ever increasing populations of Little Egret sees it reduced to a 1 point bird.

And finally the 2 species/sub-species that will now score 0 points:

Ruddy Shelduck

Borealis Eider

All point changes will be in place as of 1st January 2017 and the new website (hopefully) will have these changes in place for your scoring at the start of the year.