Thursday 27 March 2014

Hitting the Patch

We still have not got a landline installed so have no regular internet access at home, but you have not missed any big adventures with my lack of posts.

Apart from the couple of big away days previously mentioned I've been concentrating on my new patch. Literally starting on my doorstep has allowed me to visit different parts of it on a weekly basis, far more than I could ever manage on the old Whitlingham Patch.

The quiet roads between my house and Antingham have proved to be my favourite area of the patch with 8 visits since Christmas, followed closely by Pigney's Wood. All my patch visits have so far been on foot, including one walk out to the coast at Paston, but with migration starting the bike will now have to be dusted off as I want to visit the Paston area more over the next couple of months.

'Antingham' and 'Pigney's Wood' featured highly during January as both area fell with the 2 miles i set for the 'Foot It Challenge' and i managed a tally of 66 species for January. The Lyngate area to the north of my house forms the core of my 1km sq that i will be focusing on more as plants and insects start to stir with the warmer weather(if the internet is installed next week these pages will soon have a big update).

So far this year the patch has provided 84 species, I've set myself a realistic target of 120 species for the year so we will see how it goes. This years highlights so far include Corn Bunting nr Antingham, Goosander on Antingham Pond and Common Crossbill nr Felmingham Heath.