NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

Lockdown has had a few (albeit minimal) plus points, among them a realisation amongst birders that they actually do have good birding resources on their own door-steps. Where once the knee-jerk reaction to a day’s birding was to see what rarities were around, select the tastiest morsel and then jump in the car and drive a few hundred miles, as this was off limits the choices open to us were far more limited. Our choices were, in fact, extremely limited. Early lockdown suggested an hour’s exercise - on foot - from your place of dwelling. Most birder’s plumped for nearby fields, parks or the back garden, if indeed they had one. Some made do with a window. And do you know what? Hundreds of birders up and down the country discovered a brave new ornithological world. One of surprises. One of wonder. It had been set-out before them all along, hiding in plain sight. At a time of social-distancing, together with climate change, rising air pollution and the ever increasing build in car tra...

With just over two weeks left of 2019 I can, without any chance of being called hasty, concede to Stewart Sexton in our Surrey v Northumberland patch competition. I currently languish on 137 species which is 64.31% of my historic uber-patch total. Stewart was already cruising along at 78.71% of his, and that isn’t taking into account at least four additions. Proper thumped I have been. Now, I have, as Baldrick might say, a cunning plan... My 2019 mini-Uber patch total of 100 species just happens to be 76.92 of its historic total. That is much closer to Stewart’s fine tally - might he be persuaded to take on my mini-Uber in 2020? He has had a record year, and myself a moderate one, so he would be gambling on losing his patch crown. I reckon he’ll pick up my proffered gauntlet and try to rub my southern snout into some good old-fashioned northern grit. Over to you Mr Sexton.

To be a successful patch worker you need... Optimism - "That flock of Linnets could attract a Common Rosefinch" Blind faith - "That flock of Linnets will, one day, attract a Common Rosefinch" Determination - "If I check that flock of Linnets three times a day I will find a Common Rosefinch" Imagination - "That sparrow-like bird with the Linnet flock could have been a Common Rosefinch" Appreciation - "My goodness, doesn't that flock of Linnets (without a Common Rosefinch with them) look grand" But it can all go wrong... Envy - "That bastard down the road has had a Common Rosefinch in his Linnet flock and he only checks them twice a day" Anger - "Why the bloody hell as every other Linnet flock within twenty miles got something in with them apart from my flock?" Despair - "My life will never be complete until I find a Common Rosefinch in my Linnet flock. I'm a feeble, sad, lonely man and a crap bird...

Do I detect a subtle shift in the UK birding psyche? Whisper it, but I really do believe that there are birders out there that have rediscovered the joys of working a patch. These are not all wide-eyed beginners or just washed-up faded has-beens (yes, yes, I know, the latter could be me). I seem to be bumping into plenty of people who have done their time - local park, local sewage farm, coastal hotspot, Scilly, Fair Isle, UK twitching, world birding domination - but are now choosing local patch again. I can see a skinny Ewan MacGregor running down an Edinburgh street to the strains of Iggy Pop whilst incanting "Choose binoculars, choose a scope, choose a warbler, CHOOSE A PATCH" If you don't know what the hell I'm on about watch the opening credits to the film 'Trainspotting', which by the way, should be shown to all school children as the best anti-drug message that is available. Blimey, where did that come from.... Back to the patch. Is there really this sh...