Welcome
Most of my birding is local patchwatching, with the odd foray further afield. But seeing a rare or at least scarce bird on the patch can be best of all – I still remember the excitement of seeing my first Pectoral Sandpiper at a local country park. On page 30, Mark Golley offers an expert guide to finding your own rarer birds, and even if his advice doesn’t bag you a ‘mega’, it will help you see more species, and to appreciate them all. If that doesn’t get your #My200birdyear list moving, why not come along on our Scottish readers’ holiday this autumn (p84), or try our competition to go birdwatching on Anglesey with Iolo Williams (p16)? Wherever you do your birding, though, good luck, and please let us know what you find.