I get just as much pleasure, if not more, from my patch, and by that I mean the area around my house. Last weekend for example, I found a Common Sandpiper less that a mile from my house, a patch first for me. Then the next day I turned up at Brandon to find two Temminck's Stints there. I got far more excitement from the Common Sandpiper than I did from the much rarer stints. Not only was it was a first for me on my local patch walk (indeed the first wader) but it was self found.
Many of my favourite birding moments have been with a couple of miles of my house - a Spotted Flycatcher, Little Owls, a breeding pair of Tree Sparrow, Goosander, the sandpiper etc. Not as rare as some of the birds I've seen elsewhere, but I've found all of them myself, they've all be unexpected. That adds something special to the experience. You'd be amazed what is on your doorstep (I mean seriously amazed - I've found out that several of the birds on my wish list are regularly(ish) found within 10 miles of my house!)./QUOTE]
I couldn't agree more with all you say here, Hornet. I've never found anything rare on my local patch, but when I find a new species of bird there, it's always exciting because of the unexpectedness of it, and because of the excitement of finding it myself. (I've yet to find my first wader there, although someone else who does a WeBs count along the same bit of river, sees waders there, so I know if I keep looking, I will eventually.)
I just love local patchwatching, and I love reading the reports from people here on their local patches. One of my favourite bits of BF.