As Local Patches go, mine is nothing special. A half mile stretch of the the Little Avon River in Wotton-under-Edge provides nothing more than 'common' birds but nothing more than 'common' birds is what a local patch is about. You may get a rarity once in a while but going out and discovering the everyday goings on is something special, something special that only you can unlock.
Unlocking this connection with your local patch doesn't mean avidly going out everyday, as I found out, but just developing an understanding of the area that you survey in your own time. If you find yourself struggling for time but feel you must to go out to survey your patch perhaps you are going about it in the wrong way. I found a local Patch is about surveying the area for your love and passion for birds, so just go when you have time and enjoy it.
So what is your patch? Well, there are no specifications to what your patch must have or look like because anywhere you look there will be birds whether it be in a city or in the countryside. But think to yourself when deciding, Have I seen birds here before? Do I want to come here in my own free time? Will I get bored of my patch? If you answer that sequences of questions with Yes, Yes, No then you need not worry about where your patch is.
As you will soon find out you will get excited about new birds that you see on your patch. One day I found 10 pheasants in a field, the fact that I had only ever seen 1 pheasant on my patch before got me very excited. And this is one reason why you survey your patch, for moments like these.
So if you feel like you are being starved of bird life due to unavailable transport to well known reserves, get out on your patch and discover the wonders within.
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