Birds of Bedford

270 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Bedford (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 348,196 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and Song Sparrow.

Bedford is backyard-bird country: 84% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Song Sparrow and Blue Jay make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey, Bald Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders about 10 feet from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 1.8 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and breeding arrivals), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.

Kearney Lake, 3 mi to the south, has more species on record (281 against 270).

Daylight runs from 15 h 35 min at midsummer to 8 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:31 AM in mid-April and 5:28 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.

• American Crow

  Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

• Song Sparrow

  Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• European Starling

  Suet · Cracked corn

• American Goldfinch

  Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower

• Kearney Lake3 mi south · 281 species
• Burnside4 mi south-east · 295 species
• Waverley5 mi north-east · 238 species
• Hammonds Plains5 mi west · 231 species
• Dartmouth6 mi south-east · 316 species
• Timberlea6 mi south-west · 238 species