Birds of Middleton in Teesdale
What has actually been seen around Middleton in Teesdale: 108 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 108 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,397 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Chaffinch
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 234 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Middleton in Teesdale
108 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Middleton in Teesdale (County Durham) since 2010, across 2,397 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Chaffinch, Blackbird and Blue Tit.
Middleton in Teesdale is a garden-bird place: 71% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Chaffinch, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard 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 May and are lowest in December — about 37.9 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.
Cotherstone, 9 km to the south-east, has a similar number of species on record (107 against 108). Birds logged far more often around Middleton in Teesdale than there include Siskin, Common Sandpiper and Stock Dove.
At about 234 m above sea level, Middleton in Teesdale sits higher than most places in County Durham. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 17 min at midsummer to 7 h 15 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Middleton in Teesdale
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 123 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 113 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 93 |
| 4 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 92 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 84 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 76 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 73 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 70 |
| 9 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 70 |
| 10 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 60 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 59 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 56 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 54 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 51 |
| 15 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 50 |
| 16 | SiskinSpinus spinus | 50 |
| 17 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 50 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 44 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 44 |
| 20 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 43 |
Records by month
What to put out in Middleton in Teesdale
Seasonal bird notes for County Durham
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 Middleton in Teesdale?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Middleton in Teesdale are Chaffinch, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon and Jackdaw, based on 2,397 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Middleton in Teesdale?
108 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Middleton in Teesdale?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:30.
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.