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What would happen if you didn't have your local patch? (1 Viewer)

RockyRacoon

Well-known member
I have some birds on my list I have only ever seen on my local patch, for example, Garden Warbler (a new one I got yesterday). Which birds have you only seen on our local patch? If you spend more time birding their than others it is likely you are going to see a rare bird that is unusual there. Apparently the summer I moved close to my local patch there was a Grasshopper Warbler breeding! I missed it by about 10 days!!!!! Now I have lived in my area for a few months hopefully rarer birds will pop out of no where! I'm wildlife watching tonight, I'll post here to let you know what I see!
 
The following are species which I have only seen on my local patch :

- Lesser Whitethroat
- Little Ringed Plover
- Cuckoo
 
Well Jake,
Grasshopper warblers do tend to return to previous successful nest sites so I really do hope you get to see it there! I have a similar problem, I live in a Dartford warbler zone, and have done all my life but have never seen one, but I did discover at the end of last year, I had actually heard one whilst sat in the car, but never even knew it!! How's that for bad luck! I wish you great success!
 
Just two weeks ago, I saw my first ever Crossbill on my local patch, my first lifer on my patch.

You're right Jake, with the time put in you are almost bound to pick up something eventually... but more than that, IMO, you will become familiar with birds you might otherwise see only rarely. For me, it will soon be Whitethroats and Owls, while I get the two big woodpeckers regularly.

Looking forward to your wildlife report!
 
Hi Jake,

For a long time my only Wryneck was on my local patch. Then I saw another - in Turkey! But I've seen some more in other places in Northumberland since.

Quite a few good birds I've only seen in Northumberland and nowhere else, though.

Michael
 
I'm sure I must have seen Little Owl somewhere else on my travels but without actually looking it up in my records I can't pinpoint anywhere specific.
 
Oh dear... I'd lose for example 50% of my Great-spotted Cuckoos, 75% of my Red Rumped Swallows 80% of my Red-throated Pipits, 50% of Great Reed Warblers & Greenish Warblers.... my only UK Bee-eater all 6 of my UK Melodious Warblers!

Please don't take it away from me...
 
I can't think of anything I've seen on my patch but nowhere else, although I've only seen one other American Golden Plover. I remember that I was birding for several years before I saw a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker further than a mile from where I grew up.
 
I'd go mad, (some say I have already!) without my local patch. I know what birds I am going to meet, or stand a good chance of meeting, and where. There's a greater spotted woodpecker nesting in a tree which I'm keeping a furtive eye on, a jay who comes down to the ground at my feet to eat the peanuts I throw, as well as many other birds who meet me at various pre-arranged rendezvous for a handful of birdseed, the jackdaws who wait for me at Dover castle, and fly across to wait on a wall for me, 14 pairs of black redstarts which have so far eluded me, but I know they are there, from other birders, a bat that flies in bright sunshine which I now look for every day. Whenever I'm not working, I go out with a bag of birdseed and peanuts, and a flask of coffee, and come back with happy memories and a peaceful mind!
 
I used to have great local patch. As a kid I saw my first Brambling and Pied Flycatcher there.

I now don't have a local patch. I twitch too much, and I'm now getting a bored of it not to mention getting stressed out (so sad). I need a new local patch.
 
tom mckinney said:
I used to have great local patch. As a kid I saw my first Brambling and Pied Flycatcher there.

I now don't have a local patch. I twitch too much, and I'm now getting a bored of it not to mention getting stressed out (so sad). I need a new local patch.

I'm the other way round... I get vertigo if I wander away from patch....and worry about what I'm missing! The furthest I've been so far this year is Dibbinsdale.. no I tell a lie - Frodsham
 
Southern Grey Shrike, Orca and Minke Whale are the only things I've seen on my patch that I haven't seen elsewhere.
Wouldn't swap it for the world, though.
 
Without birding my local patch I would not have Crag Martin on my British list, and neither would many other people either, as I found it and put the news out straightaway, allowing about 1500 people the chance to get there. Of course everyone everywhere then started checking hirundine flocks a bit more thoroughly and what was assumed to be the same bird was found in Yorkshire next day. If I had not seen it on my patch the previous day I wonder if anyone would have been on the look-out???

Steve
 
Jane Turner said:
I'm the other way round... I get vertigo if I wander away from patch....and worry about what I'm missing! The furthest I've been so far this year is Dibbinsdale.. no I tell a lie - Frodsham

I didn't realise that China was nearer to you than Frodsham, Jane!
 
I've just recently (in the last fortnight!) started watching an area near me that is proving to be a bit of migrant hot-spot - surprising really considering the location!
Without it, I wouldn't have Whinchat.........I saw my first there last week ;)
On the downside though, I've just read a report that a Black Redstart (another potential lifer for me) was found there this morning. I didn't know about it when I went at lunchtime though I doubt it would've made any difference as the site was quite dead at that time!
Oh well, at least it proves that my hunch was right! (I've been hoping for a BR there since my first visit - & it might yet show up if I sneak out there this evening ;) )
 
If I didn't have it I'd not have a place where I feel like Lord of the Manor and know every nook and cranny to eke out those important birds for the day list. Most of all I would lose the one place I REALLY love even though most times I do it just once a month.

FYI My local patch is my WeBS beat on the Grand Western Canal.
 
Steve Lister said:
Without birding my local patch I would not have Crag Martin on my British list, and neither would many other people either, as I found it and put the news out straightaway, allowing about 1500 people the chance to get there. Of course everyone everywhere then started checking hirundine flocks a bit more thoroughly and what was assumed to be the same bird was found in Yorkshire next day. If I had not seen it on my patch the previous day I wonder if anyone would have been on the look-out???

Steve
Hi Steve,

I was in the crowd that 'dipped' it the next morning - but on the way home was only 5 miles from Pugneys when it was relocated, so got it after all :D

Good one on the finding!

Michael
 
SimonC said:
I've just recently (in the last fortnight!) started watching an area near me that is proving to be a bit of migrant hot-spot - surprising really considering the location!
Without it, I wouldn't have Whinchat.........I saw my first there last week ;)
On the downside though, I've just read a report that a Black Redstart (another potential lifer for me) was found there this morning. I didn't know about it when I went at lunchtime though I doubt it would've made any difference as the site was quite dead at that time!
Oh well, at least it proves that my hunch was right! (I've been hoping for a BR there since my first visit - & it might yet show up if I sneak out there this evening ;) )
I sneaked.........I saw..........I left with a big stupid grin on my face :D
 
tom mckinney said:
I used to have great local patch. As a kid I saw my first Brambling and Pied Flycatcher there.

I now don't have a local patch. I twitch too much, and I'm now getting a bored of it not to mention getting stressed out (so sad). I need a new local patch.

Isn't it seeing birds that counts, even if there is no ticks or rarities to be seen? I have seen most of the birds that commonly visit my local patch. But I'm still looking for that last Goldcrest that spends the summer on my local patch and waiting for the Garden Warbler to pop up again. And I watch the whitethroats every night! Even if it is just finding out how the pair of Blackbirds are doing, or if the Chiffchaffs have paired yet, I always love seeing what is going on in my local patch! So can it get boring?
 
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