Birds of Tilstock

135 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Tilstock (Shropshire) since 2010, across 7,498 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Robin.

Tilstock is a garden-bird place: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

12 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 June and are lowest in August — about 4.0 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.

Whitchurch, 4 km to the north, has fewer species on record (104 against 135). Birds logged far more often around Tilstock than there include European Stonechat and Meadow Pipit.

Daylight runs from 16 h 55 min at midsummer to 7 h 35 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• Blackbird

  Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms

• Woodpigeon

  Seed mix

• Robin

  Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts

• Blue Tit

  Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet

• Jackdaw

  Suet · Kitchen scraps

• House Sparrow

  Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet

• Whitchurch4 km north · 104 species
• Prees5 km south · 120 species
• Wem9 km south · 101 species
• Malpas11 km north-west · 118 species
• Penley13 km west · 105 species
• Audlem13 km north-east · 131 species