YvonneB
OH Bird Recorder
Well here we go again... Well done to @Bruce who was the Outer Hebrides top PWC patchbirder in 2021.
Due to ongoing problems with the Patchwork Challenge website this year i'm going to try something different, BirdGuides are running a Local Big Year initiative (using #LocalBigYear on social media) so I thought I would give that a go for a change. You choose your own criteria as you are, like PWC, only really in competition with yourself (or in my case in competition with @MisterT and Bill next door ). I have defined my area as within a 3 mile radius of home, for me this can easily be walked or cycled, it covers from Kilpheder in the south to Kildonan in the north and includes Daliburgh, this is a more realistic representation of my local patch. BirdGuides are encouraging people to aim for 150 species for the year which is probably a bit unrealistic for me - the most i've ever seen doing PWC is 133 in a year. But never say never, just got to put the effort in and see what pops up
A real shame about PWC and having supported that for the last 11 years I'm a bit sad to see it gradually head downwards into oblivion.
A very grey and dreary day with winds gusting to 70+mph made for very challenging conditions on the first day of the year!
1. Blackbird
2. House Sparrow
3. Goldfinch
4. Starling
5. Rock Dove
6. Redwing
7. Lapwing
8. Greylag Geese
9. Common Gull
10. Herring Gull
11. Turnstone
12. Oystercatcher
13. Sanderling
14. Golden Plover
15. Ringed Plover
16. Raven
17. Gannet
18. Great Northern Diver
19. Cormorant
20. Guillemot - I didn't see one at all on patch in 2021
21. Twite
22. Skylark
23. Whooper Swan
24. Curlew
25. Mute Swan
26. Tufted Duck
27. Wigeon
28. Mallard
29. Greenfinch
30. Dunnock
31. Dunlin
32. Long-tailed Duck
33. Great Black-backed Gull
34. Black-headed Gull
35. Teal
Grey and blustery meant most birds were keeping their heads well down!
Things can only get better!
Due to ongoing problems with the Patchwork Challenge website this year i'm going to try something different, BirdGuides are running a Local Big Year initiative (using #LocalBigYear on social media) so I thought I would give that a go for a change. You choose your own criteria as you are, like PWC, only really in competition with yourself (or in my case in competition with @MisterT and Bill next door ). I have defined my area as within a 3 mile radius of home, for me this can easily be walked or cycled, it covers from Kilpheder in the south to Kildonan in the north and includes Daliburgh, this is a more realistic representation of my local patch. BirdGuides are encouraging people to aim for 150 species for the year which is probably a bit unrealistic for me - the most i've ever seen doing PWC is 133 in a year. But never say never, just got to put the effort in and see what pops up
A real shame about PWC and having supported that for the last 11 years I'm a bit sad to see it gradually head downwards into oblivion.
A very grey and dreary day with winds gusting to 70+mph made for very challenging conditions on the first day of the year!
1. Blackbird
2. House Sparrow
3. Goldfinch
4. Starling
5. Rock Dove
6. Redwing
7. Lapwing
8. Greylag Geese
9. Common Gull
10. Herring Gull
11. Turnstone
12. Oystercatcher
13. Sanderling
14. Golden Plover
15. Ringed Plover
16. Raven
17. Gannet
18. Great Northern Diver
19. Cormorant
20. Guillemot - I didn't see one at all on patch in 2021
21. Twite
22. Skylark
23. Whooper Swan
24. Curlew
25. Mute Swan
26. Tufted Duck
27. Wigeon
28. Mallard
29. Greenfinch
30. Dunnock
31. Dunlin
32. Long-tailed Duck
33. Great Black-backed Gull
34. Black-headed Gull
35. Teal
Grey and blustery meant most birds were keeping their heads well down!
Things can only get better!
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