Best of the losers... and farewell to The Mall

 A last ditch attempt to gain a podium place over the last few days all came to naught. While the late addition of Purple Sand and Stock Dove elevated Squince to a heady 103.28%, it wasn't quite enough to oust South Don from the Bronze Medal position.

Tallying up the total for the neglected patch at The Mall revealed I hadn't updated the total on here for a while... so it jumps from last place to a much more respectable fifth, just behind Squince -- for yet another "Best of the losers" finish.

Although, in consolation, I did pick up both Silver and Bronze in the Irish Patch sub-category -- so that's something.

Alas, the close of 2022 is also a death knell for The Mall -- as I'll be focussing exclusively on Squince for the Patch Challenge next year... err... from tomorrow. It's been a solid, if rather uninspiring patch over the years, and I should probably say I'll miss it, but I won't (other than being able to tick stuff from the jax and the washing line... which is always a bonus).

At least Seppy will be out of the running for a couple of years once he factors in this year's ridiculous tally. I might even win the Irish Patch sub-category next year if I try really, really hard.

So Happy New Year to all participants. May your bins fog up and your scopes jam in 2023. 

Game #ON!

Homecoming

 

News from Royzah

 Yes indeedy, for it is he. Since his last missive, he reckons he's added a few bits in the form of little egret, little auk, red legged  partridge, redpoll and tree sparrow. 

All of which has probably pretty much secured him 3rd spot, unless Basil can work some more majik down Squince way

Hooray for Old Spoons

 Yes indeedy, for it was he who rang this morning with news of an adult yellow-legged gull on the beach at this end of Long Strand, as I sat in my warm(ish) office only a few hundred yards away!

A quick race around the house collecting scope and glasses and off down the road, just in time for the whole flock to boot off! Luckily tho, Old Spoons stayed calm and more importantly on the bird as it resettled on the sea, allowing awesome views as illustrated below:

Full fat YLG on the patch!

Shortly afterwards, he found a second adult in the flock! Score! So that was this mornings excitement - patch list now stands at 222 (Greenshank!) and year list trundles onwards to 145 - my 2nd highest score evah!

15/12 Edit - jammed into 3 lapwings in off earlier moving me up to 146! Is there any more to get?