Dee Estuary Birding
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The Dee Estuary, on the North Wales / North-West England border, is one of the United Kingdom's premier birding locations for wetland and shorebirds. This Website describes the best Dee Estuary birdwatching areas with detailed maps and latest bird news for dedicated twitchers and casual birdwatchers alike.
Please send any
sightings to: 
Newsletters
going back to March 1998 can be read, they are indexed both month by
month and by subject matter.
Aug 7
Several reports of Yellow Wagtails along the coast yesterday evening
and this morning indicating a passage.
76 Cormorant, 128 Little Egret, 2 juv Marsh Harrier, 2350
Oystercatcher, 53 Grey Plover, 4 Knot, 1 Turnstone, 280 Dunlin, 1620
Curlew, 3800 Redshank, 1150 Common Gull, 970 Black-headed Gull, 1 ad
Mediterranean Gull, 4 Yellow Wagtail at high tide - Heswall Shore.
125 Manx Shearwater, 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Greenshank, 1 Common
Sandpiper, 1 Kittiwake and 1 Wheatear - Hilbre.
1 Great Egret over Little Eye.
11 Greenshank and 1 Ruff at Donkey Stand Flash, 1 Hobby over marsh - Parkgate.
11 Common Sandpiper and 1,500 Redshank by R Dee channel - Flint Bridge.
4 Garganey, 1 Hobby, 1 Water Rail and 1 Wood Sandpiper (juv) - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Red Kite over Puddington.
Aug 6
3 Garganey, 2 Green Sandpiper and 1 Wood Sandpiper (juv) - Burton Mere Wetlands.
150+ Swift over Lower Heswall and marsh
this morning.
Wheatear on Hilbre, August 7th © Alan Hitchmough
Dunlin at West Kirby, August 6th © Elliot Montieth
Female and juvenile Garganey at Burton Mere Wetlands, August 1st © Mark Woodhead
Garganey at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 29th © Les Hall
Small flock of Dunlin feeding at high tide at Meols, July 28th © Richard Smith
Juvenile Cuckoo at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 26th © John Hewitt
Whimbrels at Thurstaston, July 26th © Charles Farnell
Turnstone on Hilbre, July 24th © Alan Hitchmough
Sandwich Terns at Hilbre - juvenile with parent, July 21st © Richard Smith
Little Ringed Plover on Heswall Shore, July 20th © Steve Hinde
Red Kite over Heswall, July 19th © Frank Burns
Mediterranean Gull on West Kirby playing fields, July 15th © Richard Smith
Juvenile Sandwich Terns on West Kirby Shore, July 11th © Richard Smith
Black-tailed Godwits in full breeding plumage just returned from Iceland. We think many fly directly from Iceland
to this site, one of the most important post breeeding stopover/moulting sites in the UK.
Caldy Wildfowl Collection, July 10th © Richard Smith
Little Tern at Gronant, July 9th © Elliot Montieth
Great Egret at Burton Mere Wetlands, Jul 7th © Frank Burns
Sandwich Terns at Hilbre, July 5th © Alan Hitchmough
Wood Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 30th © David Bradshaw
Ruff (male in semi-breeding plumage) at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 29th © Chris Wilding
Spotted Redshank at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 26th © Andrew Ingham
Spoonbills over Parkgate Marsh, June 25th © Roy Wilson
Great White Egret at Burton Mere Wetlands,June 24th © Mike Kay
Willow Tit at Hoylake, June 24th © Jane Turner
Mediterranean Gull at West Kirby, June 24th © Richard Smith
Eider at Connah's Quay Reserve, June 15th © Peter Haslem
Spoonbills at Parkgate, June 14th © Roy Wilson
Mute Swans flying past Parkgate, June 9th © Roy Wilson
Reed Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 7th © Mark Woodhead
White-winged Black Tern at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 6th © Steve Williams
Golden Plover on Gronant beach, June 3rd © Ian Sheppard
Lesser Whitrthroat on Hilbre, May 29th © Alan Hitchmough
Puffin off Connah's Quay Nature Reserve, May 15th © Deeside Naturalists Society
A very rare sighting within the estuary and a first for the reserve!
Sanderling off Hoylake at high tide, May 21st © Elliot Montieth
Dunlin on Hilbre, May 21st © Alan Hitchmough
Curlew Sandpiper on Meols Shore, May 17th © Sean O'Hara
Common Terns off Meols, May 16th © Sean O'Hara
Cuckoo, Burton Marsh, May 14th © Dave Wilson
Spotted Flycatcher at Burton Mere Wetlands, May 14th © Carole Killikelly
Wheatear at Parkgate, May 14th © Richard Jones
Sparrowhawk at Leasowe, May 12th © Jeremy Bradshaw
Sedge Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands, May 11th © Bill Wonderley
Marsh Harrier on the Dee Estuary, May 9th © Steve Round
https://www.stevenround-birdphotography.co.uk/
Whinchat on Hilbre, May 8th © Alan Hitchmough
Whimbrels at Heswall, May 6th © Charles Farnell
Summer Plumaged Purple Sandpiper on Hilbre, May 4th © Matt Thomas
Grasshopper Warbler at Leasowe, May 3rd © Steve Round
https://www.stevenround-birdphotography.co.uk/
Drake Garganey by Pasture Road, Moreton, May 2nd © Steve Williams
Spoonbill at Burton Mere Wetlands, May 1st © Richard Whitby
Cuckoo being harassed by a Magpie at Leasowe, May 1st © Graham Connolly
Common Sandpier at West Kirby, May 1st © Alan Hitchmough
This is a wholly independent web site and unless where specifically stated has been written and maintained by myself, Richard Smith. I do receive articles for the newsletter from time to time for which I am very grateful, and also various people kindly donate photographs and sketches. l rely to a large extent on people keeping me informed about the birds they have seen - this, more than anything, is what keeps the website going. Note that everything on this website is subject to © copyright although some material may be available for non-commercial use - but please ask first! Lastly, 'Dee Estuary Birding' is just the name of this web site - it is not the name of an organisation or society.
Copyright © 2020 Richard Smith | Header Photograph of Black-tailed Godwits © Steve Round.