Birdwatch Magazine

The Dee Estuary is an important habitat for many birds, including waders and wildfowl on a continental level, with Hilbre Island Bird Observatory at its heart. Phil Woollen and Steve Williams introduce the ‘obs’ and discuss its history and key species.

Snow Goose is most often seen as an escape from captivity in Britain, but genuine wild vagrants from North America arrive annually and small, established feral populations also exist. Sam Viles takes a look at the complex status of this goose.

Careful checking of Eurasian Wigeon flocks on your local patch this winter could unearth a Nearctic vagrant. Brian Stretch outlines the key features, in particular for the cryptic and surely under-recorded female American Wigeon.

Talented and prolific 19th-century bird illustrator Elizabeth Gould rarely receives the recognition she deserves, especially compared with her famous husband. Sue Lisk takes a look at her life and work.

Wind on the clock 25 years from now and global warming and weather systems have become increasingly unpredictable. Still an active birder, an ageing David Callahan shares his diary for winter 2050-51.

The BTO’s Teresa Frost and Chris Thaxter explain how waterbird monitoring in the UK connects us to the Arctic environment and a global community.

Avian influenza and climate change are putting stress on Gyr Falcon populations in Scandinavia, Greenland and Iceland, while the release of captive-bred birds is blurring the status of the species in Britain. Ed Stubbs ponders whether this rare visitor from the north is going to become even trickier to catch up with on our shores.

Also in this issue, Mike Alibone gets his hands on a new image-stabilisation telescope from SWAROVSKI and we hear the accounts of November’s biggest finds. There’s also advice on bird photography, tips on understand moult and drawing birds, while our columnists discuss year listing, winter birding and the Labour government.