With a flurry of fireworks and the intake of disproportionate amounts of alcohol (the British way apparently) it is the 1st of January, an exciting time for birdwatchers the length and breadth of the country. At this point, a question arises. Do birdwatchers across the world get the same excitement from the New Year?
To us Brits the new year brings the excitement of a new list; in this case a 2014 list! For many it seems New Year's Eve is a time for planning the following days and months of birding to give yourself the best possible chance to get the most impressive list of species seen in that year. Please do not think this is me being high and mighty about the situation. If it wasn't for my wonderful girlfriend insisting I have a social life, I would in all likelihood be doing the same. As it happens, with time to spare this evening, I'm now doing it. Dreaming of trips to the highlands for those speciality ticks. Thinking of when it would be best to visit the woodlands of Mid-Wales to get cripplingly good views of some of the summer visitors. Telling myself that a trip to the Farne Islands is an essential part of my 'life experience' and not just an excuse to tick some breeding sea birds.
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| Pied Flycatcher - Gilfach Farm - Mike Ixer - May 2013 |
So to revert to my previous question, do people in other countries derive this same pleasure from 'collecting' ticks? Or is it, as the now infamous BBC documentary implies, a very British obsession? It is not a question I'm in a position to answer but any views would be much appreciated.
Anyway, this year I've decided to take part in the patchwork challenge - a competition between birdwatchers to see who can see, and more importantly find, a combination of the most and rarest species on their patch. Now, without wishing to patronise but I realise I have some non-birdwatchers who read this, a patch is an area that a birdwatcher basically calls 'home'. It is usually a manageable size (the competition states no more than 3 square kilometres) and it is where you make regular visits. You get to know the way the seasons affect it and you know where and when you can find certain birds. So this year, as the blog title implies, is going to be my 'year of the patch'.
"So where is your patch?" I hear you cry (metaphorically). Well, as previous blogs have hinted (may be even stated) Sandwell Valley is where I do the majority of my birding. It is a good site that has, over the years, been tarnished by some erroneous reports that have led people to loose confidence and not believe any reports of birds that have been seen. It has a mix of habitat including plenty of water, the life blood of the birding world. A patch without water would be a kin to a hospital without an A & E department. You would have your long-staying residents but there would be no regular turnover, no chance of regular fresh arrivals, just the same things you always see. Unfortunately, the massive problem with Sandwell Valley as a patch is the number of people who use it and the variety of activities that occur there (both encouraged and shady). This results in a lot of disturbance and therefore birds either don't stick around for very long or don't stop in the first place. However, that said every year (almost without fail) over 100 different species of birds are recorded.
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| Sandwell Valley - Google Maps |
I generally stick to the east side of the M5 with Forge Mill Lake getting most of my attention and regular walks to Swan Pool and around the paddocks and woods there. In 2013 I managed to see 108 species around the Valley despite missing a number that stopped for only a day. The Valley as a whole acts as a sort of service station for migrating birds. When flying over they see the lakes and fields as a good opportunity to stop, rest and feed ready to potentially fly hundreds more miles. For this reason a lot of birds do only stop for a short period, often just a day, before continuing their journey. Last year there were some real surprises when some excellent birds were seen. Firsts for the Valley included an avocet (which I missed), a ruddy shelduck (which I missed) and a great northern diver (which I saw).
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| Great Northern Diver - Sandwell Valley - Mike Ixer - Dec. 2013 |
Also, some birds that have been seen before but are equally impressive - a bittern (which I saw) and a spoonbill (which I found!).
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| Bittern - Sandwell Valley - Mike Ixer - Oct. 2013 |
So my attentions are turned to 2014. What will we see this year? 'We' of course refers to the regular birdwatchers who also use Sandwell Valley as their patch and a fine bunch they are too. If I was forced to make a prediction about the next new species for the Valley that could potentially appear this year I would have to go for either great white egret or glossy ibis. Both species have featured a lot around the country in 2013 and both have been seen within spitting distance of the Valley - but we shall have to see. There has also been some fairly extensive work completed by the RSPB remodelling their island and improving their marsh. Taking this into account it could be a good year for wading birds and we could possibly record some more of these than usual.
All of this talk of the new year and the Patchwork Challenge has got me excited about the possibilities for this year. Fingers crossed for a good one...
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