Welcome

Ahuge part of the joy of birding is in the happy accidents that occur – those birds that turn up when and where you least expect it. Black Redstarts, the subject of our species profile on page 28, seem to feature regularly in that respect, because they’re relatively unobtrusive and, in this country, often live in noisy, busy urban sites. Read on, and you might just find one yourself. If you can’t add that tick to your #My200birdyear list, then turn to page 20, because we’ve got a host of other great birds to look for as the year draws to a close. Whatever your favourite species or family of birds, winter birdwatching is about making every precious minute of daylight count, so there are plenty of ideas there to make December a memorable month. And once you’ve enjoyed some great birding, put your feet up with Bird Watching, and have a very Merry Christmas!