Birdwatch

Birdwatch magazine is the UK’s number one bird watching magazine for keen birders, featuring the latest rarity reports, ID guides, optics reviews and birding holidays, plus features and news from across the world.

Birdwatch

Editor’s Note

The ‘lost’ hummingbird of Santa Marta

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Goose invasion hits new heights

Loony times on the east coast

The fun continues • Entertaining birding was to be enjoyed in February, with a nice mix of rarities and influx species showing up. Sam Viles summarises the action.

Code red! • A stunning ‘Yank’ in Portugal led the charge in another excellent month for mega regional finds, as Sam Viles reports.

The dog-owning birders’ club • For the birding dog-owner, the challenge of ensuring that a pet doesn’t cause disturbance to wildlife is one our that columnist has experienced in recent years.

A green shock to the system • The Green Party’s by-election victory in Gorton and Denton rattled Westminster. But does it mark a turning point for environmental politics – or simply expose Labour’s faltering credibility on nature?

Fair Isle: moderate to mesmerising • From megas to breeding seabirds, island resident Jonnie Fisk explains why Fair Isle is renowned as one of the best birding sites in Britain.

The night singer • There can be few more impressive bird songs than that of Common Nightingale. Matt Phelps takes a look at the history – and future – of this iconic species.

Arctic Tern in spring • April is the key month to catch up with the ultimate globetrotting migrant on your patch. Miles Cluff takes a look at the ID features of Arctic Tern, along with the best conditions for finding the species.

A changing landscape • From advancing technology and social media to changing attitudes towards listing and conservation, the British birding scene continues to evolve, as Josh Jones explores.

What’s your spark bird? • For many birders, a single species provides the trigger that turns casual interest into a lifelong passion. Here, some of our regular contributors talk about their ‘spark birds’ – and we’d love to hear what yours are!

Grounded • David Callahan investigates the world’s flightless birds, asking how they lost their ability to fly, and whether they can survive under the extreme pressures of the modern planet.

America’s Eurasian invasion • From Siberian passerines to European waders, Julian Hough looks at how and why Eurasian species are reaching the eastern USA and Canadian Maritimes.

Zoom without limits • Kit Day is left impressed by the versatility and reach of a new zoom lens for the Micro Four Thirds system.

Notes on nightjars

Britain’s fantastic beasts

Dragonflies rebooted

Common Chiffchaff • This month’s panel includes: Keith Betton, Kit Day, Chris Harbard, Dan Owen and Ruth Weaver

Picking favourites

Mixing and blending colours

Dipper

Birds’ eye view

Strange relationships

Estonia

In the next issue May

The chaos of mystery bird competitions • Twenty expert birders, a purple-tinged TV and some obscure Western Palearctic birds – our columnist experiences her first Dutch-style MyBiCo.