THIS month we’re taking a look back at 2020 – a year I’m sure we can all agree was a unique one.

It was heartening to see how many people turned to birds and wildlife during these challenging times to promote their mental and physical health. It shows just how important the natural world is to our wellbeing. This is something that birders have known for a long time, and it’s good to see the wider public are starting to catch on.

You only have to see the proliferation of birding pages and groups on Facebook to see just how popular it’s become. I hope that this interest doesn’t wane as things start to return to normal. I wonder if there’s anything we can do, as birders, to keep nature and conservation at forefront of people’s minds after they return to their regular lives.

Birding might have been different last year, but it certainly didn’t stop. We review 12 months in which there were some amazing rarities – who can forget that Bearded Vulture? – significant influxes and the best autumn for many a year (see pages 20-24). Local birding also came to the fore, with so many of us restricted in our movements, and we consider just how rewarding this can be (pages 26-30).

If all this looking back has got you feeling nostalgic, digital readers and subscribers to Birdwatch now have the opportunity to complete their collection of back issues at a highly discounted price. If you have previously purchased a digital issue, are a current subscriber or have previously subscribed via Pocketmags.com, you’ll be alerted to the special offer the next time you log into your account, enabling you to complete your magazine collection and giving you access to all our digital back issues at the click of a button. Enjoy!

Rebecca Armstrong