WELCOME
TAXONOMY CAN be a daunting subject, but it’s fascinating piecing together the relationships between what, on the face of it, are diverse and disparate families of birds. Our 16-page special section, Meet The Family, explores these links, and reveals the connections between exotic birds and their more everyday relations. Birdfair, of course, has done much over the years to conserve some extraordinary birds overseas. We’ll be there again, as ever, so make sure you come and see us to say hello, tell us your birding tales, and to update us on your #My200birdyear efforts, if you’ve taken part. I’ll be hoping to slip away and add a bogey bird or two, such as Spotted Flycatcher, to my own list, ahead of the main rush of autumn migration. Wherever you’re birdwatching in September, make the most of the long evenings and the constant movement of migrating birds – if this year has taught us anything, it’s that anything could turn up, anywhere. Good luck!