Patchwork Update: March

Species: 83
Points:87

Additions this month:10
Ringed Plover, Skylark, Jay, Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Chiffchaff, Grey plover, Stonechat, Sand Martin, Little Ringed Plover

March was pretty good on the patch and I have ended up with a higher points total than before at this stage in the year. Some good additions this month include the 3 patch-ticks in as many weekends - Curlew, Grey Plover and Stonechat. It was also nice to get in some of the 'easier' birds like Jay, Mipit and Skylark. There seems to be more Skylarks than the last couple of years which is encouraging. Some spring additions have been trickling in, and it was nice to squeeze in Little Ringed Plover at the end of the month.

Male Stonechat

From looking through reports and from what I know personally, at least 98 species have been recorded this year on site, though i may have missed a few commoner species that haven't been reported elsewhere. About the only species I'm missing which I would have expected by now are Coal Tit, Tawny Owl and perhaps lesser black-backed gull.

Curlew

April is the classic month for bulking up the PWC yearlist, so I'm hoping for a decent month. I only added 13 in April in 2014, but in 2015 I added 22 species, and ended on 103 species. That's a target of 20 additions this month, if I'm to match that total. It shouldn't be too difficult, although I will be going away to Portugal from the 8th-15th, so may miss the odd passage bird, but the 'bread and butter' stuff like warblers and commoner waders should be easy. (19 is the taget now, as I got House Martin on the 1st!)