The 'Patchwork Challenge 2016'

Nominally participating in the Inland South Minileague, we finished the Year with a total of 74 Bird' Species seen on the 'Patch'.

The 'Patch ran alongside the Thames from where the Footpath runs up to the Thames Path from Crabtree Manorway North in Belvedere, downstream, to just beyond Corinthian Manorway, in Erith.

We included the area, say 200 yards inland, running parallel to the River, which allowed us to spend some time in the Grounds of the Church of St John the Baptist, Erith. Sadly though; almost all of the ground immediately inland from the River has been built on. We also included the Footpath running up from Crabtree Manorway North with a Ditch bordered by Reeds, Brambles &c. running alongside.

The full list of Species seen is as follows:

Bar-Tailed Godwit viz.

Black Redstart viz.

Black-Headed Gull viz.

Black-Tailed Godwit viz.

Blackbird
Blue Tit viz.

Buzzard
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow

Cetti's Warbler
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff viz.

Collared Dove viz.

Common Gull viz.

Common Sandpiper viz.

Common Scoter
Common Tern viz.

Common Whitethroat
Coot
Cormorant
Curlew viz.

Dunlin viz.

Dunnock
Egyptian Goose viz.

Gadwall viz.

Goldcrest viz.

Goldfinch viz.

Great Black-Backed Gull
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Tit
Green Woodpecker
Greenfinch
Grey Heron viz.

Grey Wagtail viz.

Herring Gull
House Sparrow viz.

Jay
Kingfisher viz.

Lapwing viz.

Lesser Black-Backed Gull viz.

Linnet viz.

Little Grebe
Little Egret viz.

Long-Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard viz.

Marsh Harrier
Meadow Pipit viz.

Mediterranean Gull viz.

Moorhen

Mute Swan viz.

Oystercatcher viz.

Peregrine Falcon
Pied Wagtail viz.

Redshank viz.

Redwing
Reed Warbler
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Ringed Plover viz.

Robin viz.

Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon
Rock Pipit viz.

Sand Martin
Shelduck viz.

Siskin
Song Thrush
Sparrowhawk
Starling viz.

Teal viz.

Wood Pigeon
Wheatear
Wigeon viz.

Wren

and Yellow-Legged Gull viz.

We are super-pleased with the total. And it could have been even higher since we are fairly sure we saw both a Shoveler and a Greylag Goose but not being 100% sure on Identification (they were somewhat distant) we couldn't include them. But since our initial target was 50 Bird' Species we have every reason to feel more than satisfied with the total.

That being said, it is super-important for us to acknowledge that a 'Proper Bird Person' would see many more Birds. We used to reckon to see about 70% of the Birds that a 'Proper Bird Person' will see during an Outing; we are now of the opinion we rather Over-Estimated our Abilities so now reckon on 65% in lieu of 70%!