Birds of Hemsby
What has actually been seen around Hemsby: 279 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 279 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 95,437 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 9 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Hemsby
279 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hemsby (Norfolk) since 2010, across 95,437 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Great Cormorant.
Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Hemsby are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Great Cormorant lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
22 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 October and are lowest in July — about 3.2 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.
Martham, 4 km to the west, has more species on record (311 against 279).
Daylight runs from 16 h 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 37 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 5:57 in mid-April and 4:28 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hemsby
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 3,026 |
| 2 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,674 |
| 3 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 2,548 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,130 |
| 5 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,835 |
| 6 | Common GullLarus canus | 1,822 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,819 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,803 |
| 9 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,796 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 1,764 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,735 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,726 |
| 13 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 1,722 |
| 14 | Northern GannetMorus bassanus | 1,715 |
| 15 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,710 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,624 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,610 |
| 18 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 1,551 |
| 19 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,514 |
| 20 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 1,509 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hemsby
Seasonal bird notes for Norfolk
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 Hemsby?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hemsby are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie, based on 95,437 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hemsby?
279 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hemsby?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:28.
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.