Over a month since my last Patchwork Challenge update is clearly not acceptable but rest assured the patch is still out there and, perhaps more importantly, I’ve continued to make regular visits. The truth is that very little has changed during the intervening weeks and is probably unlikely to do Read more…
Today is officially the first day of summer (that’s why it’s cold, windy and raining) and it also marks the next phase for my Patchwork Challenge. Last week I managed to find my final outstanding spring migrants (those I expect at least) with two calling Cuckoos on Tuesday and a Read more…
Another two weeks on patch and, despite only managing a couple of visits, my recent run of success has continued unabated. Before we get to that though a few updates including the fact that Emma saw no less than four Shelducks flying over the valley early one morning. Quite what Read more…
It’s been another excellent few days out on patch this week with Spring migrants continuing to build in number. An influx of Willow Warblers in particular from Tuesday onwards has meant that we now only need open a window to hear their distinctive calls with the bushes up on Gopa Read more…
Gorgeous weather this week has meant plenty of opportunity for after work outings and in my continuing search for spring migrants I’ve spent them all out on patch. Tuesday evening saw us make a relatively brief outing up to Bryn-bach-Common where at least two Stonechats were perched around the pylons Read more…
Hard as it is to believe but March is already a fast fading memory and with it another month of the Patchwork Challenge has been and gone. I had hoped to have seen my first spring migrants by now but other than a couple of Chiffchaffs which have been singing Read more…
Ambling up to Bryn-bach-Common last Friday evening I couldn’t help but notice a distinctive bird song filling the air. At first the sound was familiar yet hard to place, delightfully varied with a volume to match. Then it slowly dawned on me that what I was listening to was in Read more…
Climbing Gopa Hill on Saturday morning you couldn’t help but notice the rapid advance of spring compared to even a couple of weeks ago. Daffodils, Snowdrops and even a few Crocuses are now all in flower, our garden Robin is once again tolerating the presence of another and best of Read more…
It’s hard to believe but yesterday was my last opportunity of 2014 to get out onto the patch in an attempt to push my current Patchwork Challenge score a little higher. Despite a less than attentive year I had still somehow managed to draw level with my previous comparative species Read more…
My local patch may not be able to offer any Golden Eagles (more’s the pity) but that’s not to say there hasn’t been plenty of interest since our return from Mull. We’ve had two Red Kites overhead, Long-tailed Tits and Goldfinches in the garden plus a rather extraordinary collection of Read more…