I've been working out my lists recently, Life, Year, Patch, and entering them into Bubo Listing so I can keep an accurate count, as I have found myself uncertain on many occasions. My life-list was as I had expected at 178, the same was to be said for my year-list at 79. Then I came to my patch list, 57. What? I knew it was low but not that low, I was expecting at least 60. Now I know it's not all about lists, but there are quite a few birds I would love to see at the patch which so far I haven't. Quite a few common ones, for example I've somehow gone the last two summers without seeing a Swallow here, I mean is that even possible? Clearly it is. This year however I plan to change that, I will see a Swallow.
Swallow will of course be a fly over tick, but for them small passerines which I will find near impossible to ID on their way over I've been scoping out some locations. I think I now have a good chance Wheatear, Mipit -which I can pick up by ear- and Willow Warblers. I think Whitethroat and Redstart would be a little too much to ask.
If I can keep up my regular patch visits through the spring I'm sure some of that should be manageable, especially the Swallows.
Good luck on your patch quest this year Gideon , David Campbell, aka Devil Birder , has an inland patch in Surrey and has achieved some amazing results there , so you never know :-)
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