Mild winters in Alicante draw Alpine accentors, thrushes, finches and buntings to the mountains, raptors and waterfowl to wetlands and provide some good seawatching along the shores, plus some winter oddities.

I started a challenge trying to see a different bird every single bird this 2026. January brought nice sights in northern Spain, mountains and wetlands of Alicante and ultimately frozen forests in Finland.

Short days and bad weather make birding challenging in Helsinki during autumn. However, flocks of geese, waxwings, thrushes, cranes and raptors plus the chance of connecting with vagrant passerines are truly magical.

Bird feeders at this hotel-restaurant in the middle of Finnish Lapland provide world-class photographic opportunities of Arctic specialties while enjoying a warm atmosphere and tasty food.