Birdwatch Magazine

Spring is here and the April issue of Birdwatch is packed full of content to help you get the best from your birding this month. A classic species to be on the lookout for in the coming weeks is Ring Ouzel, and our latest ID field notes article offers tips on where, when and how to search for this elusive but highly desirable migrant.
Also in this issue, we take a closer look at European Serin’s status in Britain. A few decades ago, this charming little finch looked set to become the next coloniser on these shores, but it never quite happened and the species remains a scarce visitor. Why is this? Ed Stubbs explores in detail.
Fifteen years ago, White-billed Diver was almost unheard of in north-east Scotland. Yet a fortuitous encounter in spring 2011 proved the catalyst to one of the most dramatic revelations witnessed in British birding this century. Nowadays, the species is expected in the Moray Firth in spring and Paul Baxter charts the events that have led to this remarkable change in status.
Staying in Scotland, we visit the Isle of May Bird Observatory in this edition. Reserve manager David Steel introduces the island, the observatory’s history and work, and its special breeding and migratory birds, such as Puffin and Red-spotted Bluethroat.
Once a Scottish breeder, Great Auk has now been missing from Britain for two centuries – and the last surviving birds in Iceland were tragically killed in the name of science in 1844. In conjunction with the release of his fascinating new book about the species, Tim Birkhead discusses the life and times of this icon of extinction.
The arrival of House Bunting in Iberia marks the latest chapter in the colonisation of southern Europe by African species. Ernest Garcia looks in detail at the latest situation. Meanwhile, Keith Betton reports back from a recent birding trip to Saudi Arabia, where he was fortunate enough to encounter a number of hard-to-see regional endemics.