Birds of Ashwell
What has actually been seen around Ashwell: 115 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 115 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 14,566 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 66 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Ashwell
115 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ashwell (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 14,566 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Eurasian Skylark and Carrion Crow.
Ashwell 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. Woodpigeon, Eurasian Skylark, Carrion Crow and Corn Bunting make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 April and are lowest in October — about 4.4 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.
Guilden Morden, 5 km to the north, has more species on record (148 against 115). Birds logged far more often around Ashwell than there include Common Quail and Eurasian Hoopoe.
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ashwell
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 740 |
| 2 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 647 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 633 |
| 4 | Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra | 629 |
| 5 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 622 |
| 6 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 536 |
| 7 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 522 |
| 8 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 456 |
| 9 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 428 |
| 10 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 402 |
| 11 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 371 |
| 12 | MagpiePica pica | 360 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 354 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 352 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 329 |
| 16 | YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella | 310 |
| 17 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 304 |
| 18 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 300 |
| 19 | Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa | 285 |
| 20 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 283 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ashwell
Seasonal bird notes for Hertfordshire
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 Ashwell?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ashwell are Woodpigeon, Eurasian Skylark, Carrion Crow, Corn Bunting and Rook, based on 14,566 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ashwell?
115 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ashwell?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.