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

Bonus digital content!

Coming full Cirl-cle

A mega encounter of the brief kind • Sharp reactions from Jamie Partridge secured the identity of a blink-and-you’ll-miss it rarity on his Kent patch in mid-June.

Bernadette the Brünnich’s • While en route to her first-ever trip to Orkney, Ruth-Ann Leak discovered a most unusual auk in Scrabster harbour.

Star tern draws summer crowds • Holly Pickett was in for a shock when an extremely rare tern flew past her during warden duties on Coquet Island.

Great birds come rain or shine • Major rarities continued to be found as the cool and wet start to June gave way to far warmer, summery conditions. Josh Jones reports.

One good tern deserves another! • Vagrant terns made headlines in France, while Iceland scored a couple of sensational albatross records and new ground was broken in Saudi Arabia. Sam Viles reports on an exciting month.

Every Birdwatch at your fingertips • BirdGuides’ new Ultimate PLUS membership gives you digital access to 32 years’ worth of Britain’s best birding magazine.

The ones that got away • Our columnist reflects on galling experiences with ‘nearly birds’ – those brief encounters with likely rarities that manage to slip through your fingers.

Changing times? • With a new UK government anticipated, our columnist asks if the future of our illegally persecuted raptors and burned moorlands is brighter.

Saving ‘Spoonie’ • In recent years, there has been an unprecedented international conservation plan for the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. David Callahan looks at its mixed results and speculates what the future might hold for this iconic bird.

On Holy ground • In north-east England, there are few sites with lengthier bird lists than Holy Island. Jonathan Farooqi explores the diverse habitats of this special place and looks at its birdlife through the seasons.

Storm petrels from land • During a seawatch, tiny storm petrels can be extremely difficult to keep track of among the swell, let alone identify with confidence. Brian McCloskey shares some expert tips for land-based ID of the three most regularly encountered species and also considers rarer options.

Breaking records by bike • Having been part of a team that used bicycles to set a new Oxfordshire big-day record in late April 2024, Tom Bedford tells the story of their effort and reflects on the pros and cons of non-motorised bird racing.

Call signs • The new guide Identifying Migratory Birds by Sound in Britain and Europe aims to take acoustic bird identification a step further. Its author, Stanislas Wroza, encourages us to record bird sounds, in the process opening up a whole new world of identification possibilities.

Hudson’s birds lost and found • A century has passed since the death of pioneer campaigning naturalist and author, W H Hudson. Biographer Conor Mark Jameson looks at the impact that Hudson made and what became of some of the British birds for which he feared.

Keeping the dance alive • In the rich, fertile wetlands of northern India, Sarus Crane stands as a symbol of nature’s resilience. The World Land Trust’s Christie Reed explains how the Wildlife Trust of India is bringing together communities to protect this species and preserve its habitat.

Stability secured • Kite has launched two new models in its increasingly popular APC range. Mike Alibone presents a balanced view of the brand’s most powerful stabilised binocular to date.

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An excellent update

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