Birds of Wotton-under-Edge

135 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Wotton-under-Edge (Gloucestershire) since 2010, across 7,909 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.

Wotton-under-Edge is a garden-bird place: 81% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel. 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 October — about 6.5 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.

Charfield, 4 km to the west, has more species on record (141 against 135).

Daylight runs from 16 h 40 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:50 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• Woodpigeon

  Seed mix

• Blackbird

  Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms

• Robin

  Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts

• Jackdaw

  Suet · Kitchen scraps

• Blue Tit

  Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet

• House Sparrow

  Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet

• Charfield4 km west · 141 species
• Dursley6 km north · 145 species
• Wickwar6 km south-west · 152 species
• Hawkesbury Upton6 km south · 117 species
• Uley6 km north-east · 124 species
• Berkeley10 km north-west · 167 species