Following on from the series of articles from Bird Count India about Patch Birding, we are pleased to announce details of the exciting Bird Count India Patch Birding Challenge. Simply register to take part below and write a patch report, based on the ideas discussed in the previous article, that covers the complete winter season: start as soon as possible, and end at the end of April 2017.
Reports can be produced individually, or as a team effort. If multiple people visit the same patch (whether known to you or not) you should include collated observations from all of them into an overall summary. If you know that you are not going to be able to visit your patch personally for a period of time, we recommend asking someone else to visit to ensure you have good coverage.
Submit your report (in any format) to Bird Count India by 1 Jun 2017 and the best three reports will win the following prizes:
- signed copy of A Patch Made in Heaven by Dominic Couzens
- Amazon India gift vouchers (Rs 3,000 for the overall winner, and Rs 1,500 each for two runners up)
- the opportunity for your report to be published in Indian Birds magazine
Reports will be judged on a combination of factors, including patch-birding effort, quality of presentation and interesting analyses. We will be looking for reports that demonstrate thorough coverage of your patch; however, the actual number of species recorded is irrelevant, and the number of checklists or hours spent watching is of secondary importance.
Register to take part below. Registrations received so far are listed on the next page. Do use the Facebook group to discuss and share your patch birding with others.