Birdwatch - February 2022

■ Year in review: With 40-year blockers finally falling, a great selection of firsts and some exciting influxes, as well as periods where nothing seemed to happen, 2021 was a year of contrast. We round up the highs and lows of 12 months in British and Irish birding.
■ And the winners are ... You’ve cast your votes and the results are now in. Find out the recipients of the 2021 Birders’ Choice Awards. From Conservation Hero to Product of the Year, did your favourites make the top spot?
■ Lost and found: Our ongoing series looking at poorly known species from around the world heads to Australasia.  Shrouded in mystery, some of these birds may never have existed, while others could be rediscovered and some already have been. Alex Berryman investigates.
■ Ups and downs: Birding can produce some intense highs and lows which inevitably impact our mental health, especially during those periods of extended bad luck. Matt Phelps takes a look at the sometimes negative effects the pastime can have, as well as suggesting possible remedies to those birding lows.
■ Field ID notes: With the days gradually getting longer and milder, February is a fine time to look for wintering warblers – and searching for them may reveal a scarcity if you’re lucky. Ed Stubbs points you in the direction of where to search and what to look for.

PLUS: more thought-provoking comment from columnists Bill Oddie, Lucy McRobert and Dominic Mitchell, the team at BirdGuides provides round-ups of December’s birding highlights from Britain, Ireland and the wider Western Palearctic, news, views and reviews, tips and advice on building your birding skills and knowledge and our expert panel answers your questions.