WELCOME
KEEPING A year list doesn’t have to be about getting competitive with your birdwatching, and our #My200birdyear challenge, starting in this issue, will show you to use it to improve your birding skills and get even more enjoyment from your hobby. It’s a testing target, but one that’s within reach of every birdwatcher out there. On page 14, Mike Weedon explains how to plan your year to take advantage of the movement of birds on your patch, while Ian Parsons, on page 20, takes a close look at three ducks that you may be able to catch up with early in the New Year – the striking sawbills. We’ve also got plenty of ideas for great places to go looking for those 200 birds – as well as our Go Birding guides (page 53), Matt Brierley explores the RSPB reserve at Arne (page 26). As you’ll see, there’s an awful lot to be seen there in winter. So, start the year as you mean to go on, and get out there to enjoy watching birds.
Matt Merritt, Editor