Birds of Mayfield
What has actually been seen around Mayfield: 120 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 120 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 10,216 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 156 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Mayfield
120 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Mayfield (Midlothian) since 2010, across 10,216 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blackbird.
Mayfield 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, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 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 April and are lowest in July — 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.
Dalkeith, 3 km to the north-west, has more species on record (145 against 120).
Daylight runs from 17 h 35 min at midsummer to 6 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:25 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Mayfield
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 594 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 516 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 509 |
| 4 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 493 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 468 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 465 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 442 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 402 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 374 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 328 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 322 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 277 |
| 13 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 238 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 224 |
| 15 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 222 |
| 16 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 213 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 207 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 196 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 155 |
| 20 | BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula | 150 |
Records by month
What to put out in Mayfield
Seasonal bird notes for Midlothian
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 Mayfield?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Mayfield are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Jackdaw, based on 10,216 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Mayfield?
120 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Mayfield?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:25.
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.