Patchwork Challenge

Happy New Year and good luck to everyone who is out #birding, making a start to their #PWC2026 totals this morning! If you have not yet signed up then use this link to do so! - docs.google.com/spreadsheets... Remember to keep us updated on your finds by using the #Patchbirding and #PWC2026 tags!

Stanford Reservoir - not the weekend to lose your phoneskope adapter! Poor video of the first-winter Sabine’s Gull I found in fading light in the roost this evening - first for Stanford. #PWC2026 @lrosbirds.bsky.social

@tylapwing.bsky.social has provided a lovely finders account on the discovery of the first American passerine for Northamptonshire. Head over to the blog to read more! #PWC2026 patchworkchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/amer...

We have now uploaded the September review of #PWC2026 to the blog! Head over and take a look at all the awesome birds that have been recorded on patches this month - patchworkchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/sept...

Isabelline Wheatear still at Saltend, lovely views still. Managed to coax enough life out of my old camera to take some photos. #YorkshireBirding #PWC2026

Exciting times at Clifford hill GP when I discovered the first American passerine for Northants, American Buff-bellied Pipit, as something about this pipit looked strange. Probably my best bird find ever. Many happy birders today. Jack snipe was in the same area. #northantsbirds #ukbirding #PWC2026

The new muddy pools at St Fittick's drew out a Jack Snipe this evening, my first of the autumn. I must have happened upon it as it was feeding, but inevitably it saw me first and froze still. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife #ThermalBirding

Terrible record shots of a distant Black-necked Grebe at Loch Riaghain on my belated WeBS counts today - the first record for Tiree! Also the 1cy female Ring-necked Duck at Loch a' Phuill & the adult American Golden Plover still at Cornaigbeg #BirdingScotland #PWC2026 @birdguides.bsky.social

More migration brilliance!

Surprise Kingfisher on quick whizz around Portsoy just before dusk, by rockpools near the fish shop. Patch ✔️ @patchbirding.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

Superb migration in action! Big Woodpigeon movements are class!!

#patchgold #pwc2026 GS Woodpecker Rum

A wee boom! 💥 for this long overdue #WestrayBirding isle tick! Little Bunting falla at last. @papaybirder.bsky.social must’ve been fed up of me whanging on about finding what must surely be a a regular bird on Westray. Just a small bird on a big isle! So majorly chuffed 😝 #PWC2026

Back to familiar territory! Decent variety at King George VI Park: the second Yellow-browed Warbler, five Firecrests and Thrushes arriving in-off. Plus first significant push of wildfowl with 687 Brent Geese amongst others ebird.org/checklist/S4... #PWC2026 #kentbirding

Bearded Tits on patch! 6 birds in the tiny reedbed at Barmston. Number 198 for the patch #PWC2026 #yorkshirebirding #patchgold

Returned to Titchfield Haven after a couple of weeks break. Trickles of Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and hirundines overhead - the latter swirling over the river! View from the new VC is pretty good, and turned out nice once fog cleared #LowCarbonBirding #PWC2026

Pretty much dawn til dusk in the field after yday’s winds and with decent reward with an all-too-brief isle first Citrine Wagtail, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, Redstart, 40 Brambling, 5 Chaffinch, 10+ Robin, 6 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff plus Wheatears and thrushes. #WestrayBirding #PWC2026

Delighted to get good views of the Sykes's Warbler at Girdle Ness today. I saw it only briefly yesterday morning, realised it was something significant but was unable to pin it down. Later, I scoped the bushes from home and got it on the house list🙃 #Birds #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK #PatchBirding

Richard’s Pipit, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers and a Redstart were the best of a wet and windy day at John O’Groats today #PWC2026 #CaithnessBirds

My morning trudge round Girdle Ness wasn't a total waste of time, as I found this lovely Rustic Bunting near the Battery. My first record here. #Birds #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

The 200th species for my 2026 south Shetland 10km Patchwork Challenge: a first winter Red-breasted Flycatcher in the stunted sycamores at Sumburgh Hotel garden this evening. #PWC2026 #patchbirding @patchbirding.bsky.social #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #UKWildlife

Good day on patch yesterday with 4 Grey Herons high SW over Marcle Ridge, probably not many hours after crossing the North Sea, also 217 Mipits SW and 5 Song T SW, then a Woodlark in the field behind home at Sellack a patch first #patchbirding

Finally, a very revised version of the August #PWC2026 round-up is now published on the blog. Please head over to the blog and take a look, and enjoy the limited September #patchbirding we have left! Not long till October... patchworkchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/augu...

Really chuffed with this Wryneck, a very welcome patch tick at Bishop's Court Farm, Oxon this morning. #UKBirding #PWC2026 #patchgold

Grey partridge at the base of Tynemouth Pier this morning - the first here for ~40 years! Genuine #patchgold and early contender for bird of the autumn😜 It's the first bird I've run for in a long time and just as well I did, as it was flushed by a van seconds after I got there! #nebirding #pwc2026

Distant footage of the Pectoral Sandpiper this afternoon - Jubilee North, RSPB #middletonlakes #PWC2026

Much better views of the Red-backed Shrike in much better weather conditions! Still pretty windy and the bird keeping to the leeward side of these willows but spending much of its time hidden within them. #WestrayBirding#PWC2026

6 Nearctic waders of 4 spp. on Tiree today with @kgbirder.bsky.social : 2 juv Pec Sands at Balevullin & a 3rd at Balinoe, juv AGP & Buff-breast still at Ruaig & Baird's Sand at Gott Bay. Glossy Ibis: 6 at Balevullin(am), with 1 over Balemartine(noon) & 3 at Greenhill(pm) #BirdingScotland #PWC2026

Pleased to connect with this juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper at Bishop Middleham, the first at this inland site for five years and No125 on my patch year list #PWC2026

It felt like the first day of autumn at Girdle Ness in a strong southerly wind. Two Great Shearwaters went through, the second lingering to feed for 20 minutes. Also, 15 Sooty Shearwaters, 42 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Arctic Skuas, 5 Great Skuas. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #Seabirds

Isn't patch watching brilliant. Tufted Duck isn't annual for me at Whitby on my #PWC2026 10km from home patch so after a tip off yesterday, a major twitch was on. A 3 mile walk for only 1 point but it was we'll worth it. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

A really good morning on my Morton Bagot patch: 5 Spotted Flycatchers, Tree Pipit, 2 Redstarts, 2 Whinchats, first Meadow Pipit of the autumn, Lesser Whitethroat, and three Stonechats. #PWC2026. What a shame the #WestMidsAllDayer can't be the West Midlands All Weekender!

Great trip down to patch after school today, best were my lifer Goshawk that flew <10 meters aver my head when I was scouting a new viewpoint! Also the first Curlew Sand of the autumn, wader numbers still rising and this beautiful Angle Shades... @patchbirding.bsky.social #BirdingScotland #teammoth

RSPB Dungeness late afternoon from Firth VP, in deteriorating light, the White-winged Black Tern and 2 of the Black Terns present on Burrowes today. #PWC2026 #Birds #Birding #Kentbirding #Ukbirding

Spotted Redshank & Greenshank dropped in at the mere this afternoon. #PWC2026 118/135. 10km radius 132/159. Only my 3rd record of Spotted Redshank on the patch. @lincsbirding.bsky.social @patchbirding.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

Decent August at Clifford Hill GP with some new additions, migration starting to pick up here with some new waders finally dropping like this Little stint, glad the whinchats decided stopped off here this year. #northantsbirds #PWC2026 #ukbirding #waders

Saw this juv Rose-coloured Starling yesterday afternoon on the Guernsey @patchbirding.bsky.social patch, which is, I think, the 7th time I've found one on the island.

Kingsbury Water Park - found a⭐️Red-necked Phalarope⭐️ on Bodymoor Heath Water this evening 🙂 #warksbirds #PWC2026 #lowcarbonbirding 🪶

Patch platinum this morning as 5 Ruff dropped into Foxcote 💥 Sadly no pics. Whimbrel over, the Garganey again, plus Peregrine, Yellow Wag, Snipe & Mandarin made for a memorable visit. Compensation for weeks worth of dud visits! #ukbirding #bucksbirdnews #PWC2026 @bucksbirdclub81.bsky.social

Excellent morning loop of Clodgy Point with @lobb66.bsky.social who found this Wryneck along the drystone wall above the point - a cracking patch tick! Plenty of other common migs around including my first Tree Pipit of autumn and a flyover Yellow Wagtail! #UKBirding @patchbirding.bsky.social

Kingsbury Water Park - Black Tern on Bodymoor Heath Water this evening #warksbirds #PWC2026 #lowcarbonbirding🪶

Stanford Reservoir - the ringing group have been out all week & numbers have been a lot lower than last year. Just reward today though with this Wryneck, the first since 2023. Reward for their great effort. Ferruginous Duck still, 30 Yellow Wagtail. #PWC2026

Spotted flycatcher showing well, a passage bird stopping off at Clifford hill GP this morning #northantsbirds #ukbirding #spottedflycatcher #patchbirding #PWC2026

After quite a delay, the July round-up of #PWC2026 is now live on the blog! Head over and take a look by clicking this link: patchworkchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/08/july... Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your August patch birding!

The much needed heavy showers worked their magic & dropped this Greenshank on to the Dorset patch this morning. Also present, the long staying 3 Green Sandpiper & a single Common Sand. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #PWC2026 In south Somerset, the Black Tern is still at #ChardRes (for its' 4th day)