Inside the May 2023 issue of Birdwatch
You can now read the May 2023 issue of Birdwatch as either a digital download or paper magazine. The paper magazine is available in the shops from Thursday [27 April] – or you can order online ahead of then.
Can you tick a bird on call only? Is it OK to include a rarity on your list that gets rejected by a records committee? Should there be a minimum age at which you can count a lifer? These are just some of the hotly debated issues surrounding listing ethics that Richard Bonser discusses in this edition of Birdwatch.
May is a month in which many classy vagrants show up in Britain, including several of the rarer warblers of the genus Curruca. While males are often quite straightforward to identify in spring, females can be anything but – Andy Stoddart offers advice on recognising nine similar species in this month's ID feature.
Also in the May issue, Ron Summers provides a detailed breakdown of what we know about the mysterious Scottish Crossbill – what it is, how it can be identified and where it is found are all covered. Additionally, James Kennerley and Sam Jones are on hand to offer further wisdom into the world of moult, looking at how it can improve our birding skills and also enhance the quality of data we collect in the field.
The RSPB's Kate Hanley explains the impressive work being conducted in the northern Peak District to restore upland bogs and how this is causing wader populations to bounce back. There's also an exclusive preview of a fascinating new exhibition at the British Library, which explores how humans have recorded wildlife for the past 2,000 years.
Our experts offer advice on editing your bird photos, what to do for wildlife in your garden this month and what to look out for on your patch, while we review Canon's RF 100-500 mm zoom lens, a binocular harness and the latest book releases.
Plus, there's the usual detailed round-ups of the top birds seen across Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic – including the Lesser Kestrel on Scilly and a huge influx of Alpine Swifts – and columnists David Campbell, Lucy McRobert and Alan Tilmouth offer entertaining comment.
May's digital edition has lots of bonus content, including:
• Video of breeding waders;
• Film of female Curruca warblers;
• Footage of Alpine Swift;
• Video of spring migrants;
• Sound recordings of Scottish Crossbill;
• 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.
