Birds of Preston

306 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Preston (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 328,607 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and Song Sparrow.

Preston is backyard-bird country: 64% 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.

20 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle and Osprey.

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 3.1 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.

Lake Echo, 3 mi to the north-east, has fewer species on record (289 against 306). Birds logged far more often around Preston than there include Northern Cardinal and Ring-necked Duck.

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 5:27 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

• American Goldfinch

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

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• Lake Echo3 mi north-east · 289 species
• Lawrencetown5 mi south-east · 344 species
• Port Wallace6 mi west · 308 species
• Cow Bay6 mi south · 346 species
• Porters Lake6 mi east · 291 species
• Eastern Passage7 mi south · 352 species