Patchwork Challenge 2023 - Blythburgh

Back in the day I was thick into Patchwork Challenge. I patched Needham Market - my place of work at the time. I accrued a solid selection of species over nine years. You can read about that on the Patchwork Challenge blog.

Life became more turbulent after the nine years of stability on the Needham Market patch. I am considerably more mercenary and change jobs without fear and feeling nowadays. I did find some excellent birds on my Bury St Edmunds patch after Needham Market, in the intervening non-PWC days, cumulating in a Red-necked Phalarope on 03rd October 2021:

Red-necked Phalarope - Hall Farm, Fornham St Martin 04th October 2021

Red-necked Phalarope - Hall Farm, Fornham St Martin 03rd October 2021

On episode 19 of Birders Twitter Season 1 we had Mr. James Spencer of Patchwork Challenge fame on, to tell us about the re-launch of PWC, which over-stimulated DDL, Jonny and myself. I decided in that moment to patch Blythburgh in 2023.

You can replay episode 19 - the Patchwork Challenge episode here:

My Blythburgh patch is 40 miles from home and 25 miles from work, which, in a Low Carbon Birding, Greta age is pretty unacceptable on the face of it. However, I have a good friend who lives in Blythburgh and regularly stay over, walk the dogs and generally inhabit Blythburgh and the White Hart - it's a home from home and I think in time we will relocate this way. Since the abatement of lockdown in summer 2020 it has become a favoured haunt and has produced some great birds and birding, as such, the 3km2 around the pub, river valley inland from the A12 bridge and estuary to the east are my patch nowadays...

The core 3km2 of patch - inland to 'the hill' above the Blyth, centred on the White Hart Pub and down estuary to Hill Covert

With historic records including Green-winged Teal, Black Kite, Spotted Crake, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Great Bustard, the pedigree of the Blythburgh patch is established. I've been lucky enough to see: Bewick Swan, Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier and Ring Ouzel as well as more expected estuary birds over the last couple of years alone.

Great White Egret - March 2021

Ring Ouzel - May 2021

Mediterranean Gull - September 2022

Peregrine - March 2021

Hen Harrier - March 2021

Hen Harrier - March 2021

Hen Harrier - March 2021

Green-winged Teal - Barry Yates - February 2016

Great White Egret - March 2021

Bewick Swans - December 2021

Avocet - December 2021

I type this in-situ on patch and ready to recce in the morning, ahead of New Years Day - when I intend to incur some serious damage. Watch this space...