Birds of Dodleston
What has actually been seen around Dodleston: 131 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 131 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 46,290 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Starling
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 17 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Dodleston
131 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Dodleston (Cheshire West and Chester) since 2010, across 46,290 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Starling, House Sparrow and Blackbird.
Dodleston is a garden-bird place: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Starling, House Sparrow, Blackbird and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders 2–3 metres from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.
Records peak in June and are lowest in November — about 3.0 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and winter visitors), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.
Broughton, 3 km to the north-west, has more species on record (136 against 131). Birds logged far more often around Dodleston than there include Eurasian Coot.
Daylight runs from 16 h 58 min at midsummer to 7 h 32 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Dodleston
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 4,049 |
| 2 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 3,699 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 3,632 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,798 |
| 5 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 2,513 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,103 |
| 7 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,094 |
| 8 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,087 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 1,947 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,697 |
| 11 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,617 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,601 |
| 13 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 1,187 |
| 14 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 1,119 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 957 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 896 |
| 17 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 854 |
| 18 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 784 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 779 |
| 20 | Great TitParus major | 778 |
Records by month
What to put out in Dodleston
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Seasonal bird notes for Cheshire West and Chester
What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for UK gardens. One email a month at most.
Nearby places
Frequently asked
What birds visit gardens in Dodleston?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Dodleston are Starling, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Goldfinch, based on 46,290 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Dodleston?
131 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Dodleston?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.