Bird Watching

Bird Watching is Britain’s best-selling birdwatching magazine. Each issue is packed with expert advice on when, where and how to see more birds, from common garden visitors to the most elusive rarities. There are features from some of British birdwatching’s best-known names, superbly illustrated by the work of the world’s best bird photographers, plus comprehensive coverage of all the latest sightings, guides to the best birdwatching sites, ID masterclasses, news and reviews of all the latest gear.

What's your ‘bogey’ species in the UK?

Welcome

YOUR BIRDING MONTH • OCTOBER

FIVE BIRDS TO FIND IN OCTOBER • October is the most magical of months. Birds there are aplenty, with the last summer visitors still getting ready to leave, the first winterers arriving, and a bunch of scarce passage and rare birds finding their way to the country. There are too many birds to aim for, but here are five for starters.

RARITY PREDICTOR

SHRIKES IN NUMBERS

Hirundine ID made simple

UK TIDES OCTOBER

Beyond Birdwatching • Early autumn is a great time to be looking for other wildlife, writes James Lowen

Weedon's World • Having had a pretty quiet late summer and early autumn, Mike took to local ‘land birding’ for a change of scene

Tower takes on mosquito threat • Birds are being enlisted to tackle insect pests in a natural and sustainable way, writes Ian Parsons

NEWS IN BRIEF

Grumpy Old Birder • Bo finds he's become a victim of his own success…

Join us on Birda!

Sign up to #My200BirdYear • Three months to go, and it's time to fill in the gaps on your list. This month, we've got some regional tips to help you do just that…

Meet our sponsor

Saying farewell in Belfast • Thirty-minute birder Amanda Tuke discovers exactly what makes the Northern Irish capital city so special for birds…

Recommended by Belfast birders…

Beating the birding bogey • Some birds just seem to elude you, no matter how hard you try. But don't give up – Paul Brook took eight years to bag his bogeys!

Watch a world in motion • We've all heard of the likes of Spurn, Tarifa and Falsterbo, but what about some of the lesser known but equally spectacular migration bottlenecks? David Lindo investigates…

Wandering WOODIES • They're a bird you see every day, but Woodpigeons are a great deal more adventurous than you might think, writes Ian Parsons

IDChallenge • This month's challenge is all about the identification of wetland birds

Answers & solutions • Check your answers against our explanations. Remember, there are no ‘trick’ birds or extreme rarities among these…

ID Tips & tricks • Here are a few extra tips to help you identify wetland birds

UDALE BAY • Search for wildfowl and waders on Cromarty Bay

HADSTON CARRS • Make discoveries at an underwatched gem of a site

LAZONBY • Winter geese, wetland, woodland, and even the odd rarity

GOUTHWAITE RESERVOIR • Passage waders and ducks, plus resident passerines

POINT OF AYR • A sandy headland at the very north-east of Wales

WALSALL ARBORETUM • Plenty for all the family to enjoy in a suburban setting

TINKER'S MARSHES • Wetland birding walk centred on the River Blyth

CROSSNESS NR • Wetland birding close to the capital's centre

HALSDON NR • Dense woodland and riverside meadows

PEN BARS • Search for autumn migrants at the ‘end of the world’

Reader Shots • Send your snaps to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk to be in with a chance of seeing your photo in print. All images should be high resolution JPEG files.

YOURVIEW • PHOTOS, LETTERS, TWEETS, QUESTIONS – HAVE YOUR SAY

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