PHOTOS, LETTERS, TWEETS, QUESTIONS – HAVE YOUR SAY

Red kites, great spotted woodpeckers and pink-footed geese are only a few of the birds doing brilliantly in the British Isles right now. Mark Cocker celebrates their success stories and looks at what might be learnt from them

DECEMBER 2025

Mike’s local area has become a difficult place to watch gulls, but it makes up for their lack in other ways

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

Our first issue, in 1986, hinted at developments that have since taken place among bird populations, writes Matt Merritt