Birds of Porlock
What has actually been seen around Porlock: 139 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 139 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,519 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 35 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Porlock
139 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Porlock (Somerset) since 2010, across 4,519 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Porlock is a garden-bird place: 78% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite. 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 May and are lowest in February — about 9.9 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.
Minehead, 8 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (141 against 139). Birds logged far more often around Porlock than there include European Pied Flycatcher, Common Redshank and Common Cuckoo.
Daylight runs from 16 h 35 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:21 in mid-April and 4:58 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Porlock
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 199 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 183 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 164 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 153 |
| 5 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 150 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 133 |
| 7 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 128 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 118 |
| 9 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 117 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 107 |
| 11 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 106 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 102 |
| 13 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 100 |
| 14 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 99 |
| 15 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 96 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 87 |
| 17 | Great TitParus major | 84 |
| 18 | SwiftApus apus | 81 |
| 19 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 79 |
| 20 | BlackcapSylvia atricapilla | 79 |
Records by month
What to put out in Porlock
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Somerset
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 Porlock?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Porlock are Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Wren, based on 4,519 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Porlock?
139 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Porlock?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:58.
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.