Inside the February 2023 issue of Birdwatch

You can now read the February 2023 issue of Birdwatch as either a digital download or paper magazine. The paper magazine is available in the shops from Thursday [26 January] – or you can order online.

We’ve also got exclusive finder’s accounts for the two new national birds seen during December – Britain’s first Stejneger’s Scoter off Lothian, which was closely followed by an Irish White-winged Scoter.

The eighth annual Birders' Choice Awards proved as popular as ever, with thousands of you voting for the best and worst in birding and conservation. We reveal the results, as well as the winner of the prize draw for a Hawke binocular worth £349.

Also in this issue, Brian McCloskey details his attempt to break the Irish year-list record in 2022, resulting in a year-long journey packed with exhilarating highs and frustrating lows. 

In addition, we summarise the results of our extremely popular #LocalBigYear challenge, Andy Stoddart provides top tips on how to identify all five diver species in non-breeding plumages and Ed Stubbs visits Azerbaijan for epic migration and Caspian specialities, while a new lightweight binocular from ZEISS is put to the test.

Meanwhile, our new-look Expert Advice section offers tips on bird photography and gardening for wildlife, as well as the usual fascinating insights into the world of ornithology.

Plus: columnists Lucy McRobert, Bill Oddie and Alan Tilmouth return, we review the latest birding books and there’s the usual exhaustive round-ups of the top birds seen across Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic.

February's digital edition has lots of bonus content, including:

•    Video of some of the birding highlights of 2022;
•    Film of the best #LocalBigYear finds;
•    Recordings of Caspian Tit;
•    Footage of winter divers;
•    Sound recordings of Fieldfare;
•    Film of rarities and scarcities from Britain, Ireland and the wider Western Palearctic.

The digital edition is available for PC and Mac, iPhone/iPad and Android. Sample issues are free, and subscriptions or single copies can be purchased.