Birdwatch Magazine December 2021 Vorige editie

IN THIS ISSUE

■ The wanderers: Avian vagrancy – the phenomenon whereby birds turn up well outside their normal ranges – has fascinated birders for centuries & equally inspired and frustrated twitchers. In an exclusive article to introduce their new book on the subject, Alex Lees & James Gilroy shed some light on this fascinating and enigmatic topic.
■ Birders’ Choice Awards: Our annual awards are back! The past year has been an interesting one in conservation and wildlife, with various lockdowns across the country changing many people’s relationship with nature. Many important new books have been published and there have been some exciting developments in optics. This is your chance to recognise the best in birding and conservation.
■ Bullseye: Bullfinch is one of our most beautiful species, but is notoriously shy and retiring and can be tricky to catch up with. The British subspecies is endemic; however, the nominate form is also recorded here, though only occasionally. Andy Stoddart provides the key features to separate these two taxa.
■ The return of Bill Oddie: Having taken a well-earned break from Birdwatch, the beloved birder, TV presenter and naturalist is back as he reflects on the previous year and being confined to watching the wildlife in his garden.
■ Artist of the Year: We announce the winner of our prestigious award and showcase some works from the SWLA’s annual exhibition, The Natural Eye.

Plus: more thought-provoking comment from Dominic Mitchell and a response to Jake Fiennes’s article on conservationists and gamekeepers working together, our latest photo challenge, the team at BirdGuides provides round-ups of October’s birding highlights from Britain, Ireland and the wider Western Palearctic, news, views and reviews, tips and advice on building your birding skills and knowledge and our expert panel answers your questions.