What was your best found “patch bird”this year? (1 Viewer)

[KenM]

With the year speeding to an end, time to reflect on one’s efforts and rewards (if any, some years can be tough) regarding “patch birding”.
Mine came in the shape of a male Dartford Warbler on March 14th (1.5 miles from home), totally off the radar and unexpected…expletives certainly filled the air as I “fumbled” for a shot with my camera.
Interestingly Spurn Point had its first two weeks later with Heligoland having Germany’s 5th around the same time, clearly a movement period.

Cheers

 

[Larry Sweetland]

A flyover Little Ringed Plover which was new for the patch. A nocmigged Redshank came a close second, as it was a patch tick for me, though recorded twice previously by others (so a major gripback)

Your Darford, Ken, would have trumped the LRP on my patch. There was a Dartford only a couple of km from the patch boundary last winter where a little blob of suitable habitat exists, so it's vaguely on the radar.

 

[Ribbon]

Started patch birding last year, covering a 5 km radius from my home in the Dutch southwestern Delta. On the 9th of Oktober I found a Phylloscopus warbler at a local reserve. The first thing I thought was "Great, a Yellow-browed" and started taking some pictures. After looking on my screen something didn't seem quite right for that species. From that moment a lot happened and (long story short) it will hopefully be accepted as the 5th Two-barred warbler for the NL. Now in rotation at the CDNA...
Even if not accepted it for me shows the potential of patch birding, when eastern warblers show up barely 2 km from my house...

 

[KenM]

Started patch birding last year, covering a 5 km radius from my home in the Dutch southwestern Delta. On the 9th of Oktober I found a Phylloscopus warbler at a local reserve. The first thing I thought was "Great, a Yellow-browed" and started taking some pictures. After looking on my screen something didn't seem quite right for that species. From that moment a lot happened and (long story short) it will hopefully be accepted as the 5th Two-barred warbler for the NL. Now in rotation at the CDNA...
Even if not accepted it for me shows the potential of patch birding, when eastern warblers show up barely 2 km from my house...View attachment 1550334

It’s clinching it with a shot Ribbon! that “puts the icing on the cake”👍

 

[qwerty5]

A nice adult winter Laughing Gull found in late October. It was the first in Ohio since late June.

Second place would be Common Gallinule. It was a total shock, wasn't really on my radar at the time, and it's the third county record.

 

[Owene]

Firecrest that I was suprised to see people travelled to photograph

 

[Farnboro John]

Probably a Goshawk. Other contenders (past years sure-fire winners) would have included Mediterranean Gull (now annual), Raven (now annual over the house let alone in the area), Firecrest (increasing summer breeder and regular winterer at my original local patch of Fleet Pond: a garden record cannot be long distant) and Great White Egret (probably now resident year-round, seen twice over the garden).

Goshawks are rumoured breeders locally but very sensibly kept quiet: I probably don't skywatch as much as I used to but I never saw many and this was my first local one for several years.

John

 

[01101001]

A Barn Owl on a snowless winter evening while I was returning home from the day's birding conducted elsewhere.

A 'gripback' is a 'blocker' unblocked (just asking)?

 

[delia todd]

Well mine has to be Magpie, first seen on our feeding station patch in February, then came back today!

They're locally scarce, but seem to be gradually increasing.

 

[wheatearlp]

Pectoral Sandpiper, the first I've found anywhere in Britain. Close second would be two Whooper Swans, the first I've found on patch.

 

[delia todd]

Well mine has to be Magpie, first seen on our feeding station patch in February, then came back today!

They're locally scarce, but seem to be gradually increasing.

Oh gawd.... and how could I forget. My long-established Up the Hill Patch had a first visit from a Red Kite this year too.

 

[Tero]

Short-eared owl. Flushed from prairie.

 

[Mike Ball]

Marsh Warbler in Somerset, England.

 

[Dortmundbirder]

Three calling corncrakes where two stayed and probably bred. First record in my area after more than 50 years of absence.

 

[Farnboro John]

A Barn Owl on a snowless winter evening while I was returning home from the day's birding conducted elsewhere.

A 'gripback' is a 'blocker' unblocked (just asking)?

Yes and no. A grip back can be revenge (= catching up) on someone who has beaten you to the draw on a national/local/patch bird, wiping out the previous grip: or it can be another species that equals their previous jab into your vitals. So if your mate has nailed a GWE for the county and you get something he/she hasn't got like a Purple Heron, that could also be a grip back.

It's best kept on a humorous level but it isn't always!

Cheers

John

 

[bernie b]

Yes and no. A grip back can be revenge (= catching up) on someone who has beaten you to the draw on a national/local/patch bird, wiping out the previous grip: or it can be another species that equals their previous jab into your vitals. So if your mate has nailed a GWE for the county and you get something he/she hasn't got like a Purple Heron, that could also be a grip back.

It's best kept on a humorous level but it isn't always!

Cheers

John

 

[bernie b]

Co found 3 Bearded Tits with Gary Harper on a local water in Spring the first in Carmarthenshire since 1992 then on 10 December found a Pallid Harrier at WWT Llanelli a first for Carmarthenshire, certainly a great year for me locally

 

[aeshna5]

Living in the west London suburbs not many chances for anything majorly rare but in the last month found a Slavonian Grebe on the Thames on my WeBS count (not surprisingly only seen Little & Great Crested before) & Saturday an adult Med Gull on Ruislip Lido-my first for a site I visit regularly.

A recent visit to Staines had 2 each of Great Northern & Black-throated Divers. Though the former is a regular winter visitor there, the latter species isn't.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Living in the west London suburbs not many chances for anything majorly rare but in the last month found a Slavonian Grebe on the Thames on my WeBS count (not surprisingly only seen Little & Great Crested before) & Saturday an adult Med Gull on Ruislip Lido-my first for a site I visit regularly.

A recent visit to Staines had 2 each of Great Northern & Black-throated Divers. Though the former is a regular winter visitor there, the later species isn't.

My first ever Black-throated Diver was at Staines Res 😊 (late 70's).

 

[Rob Hunt]

Co found 3 Bearded Tits with Gary Harper on a local water in Spring the first in Carmarthenshire since 1992 then on 10 December found a Pallid Harrier at WWT Llanelli a first for Carmarthenshire, certainly a great year for me locally

Many thanks for that. They were my two county ticks for the year.