Birds of Alston
What has actually been seen around Alston: 89 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 89 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,375 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Eurasian Curlew
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 298 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Alston
89 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Alston (Cumbria) since 2010, across 1,375 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Eurasian Curlew, Northern Lapwing and Jackdaw.
Alston is a garden-bird place: 64% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Tawny Owl. 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 March and are lowest in December — about 81.9 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.
Allendale Town, 15 km to the north-east, has more species on record (104 against 89).
At about 298 m above sea level, Alston sits higher than most places in Cumbria. 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 20 min at midsummer to 7 h 13 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Alston
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 67 |
| 2 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 63 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 59 |
| 4 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 51 |
| 5 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 50 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 48 |
| 7 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 40 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 38 |
| 9 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 36 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 35 |
| 11 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 35 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 35 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 34 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 32 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 29 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 29 |
| 17 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 29 |
| 18 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 28 |
| 19 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 28 |
| 20 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 26 |
Records by month
What to put out in Alston
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Cumbria
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 Alston?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Alston are Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Robin and Pied Wagtail, based on 1,375 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Alston?
89 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Alston?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.