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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 Web site 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:

August Newsletter now published on this website featuring The Wetland Bird Survey 2017/18.

  Latest Sightings.... (more)
 

Aug 18
1 Arctic Skua, 1 Green Sandpiper, 150 Little Tern, 10 Sandwich Tern, 300 Curlew, c1000 Oystercatcher - Point of Ayr.
1 Hobby over Park Lane, Meols.
4 Whimbrel plus 500 Knot distant - Thurstaston Shore.
1 Black Tern seen at high tide - Caldy Shore.
3 Arctic Skua, 10 Manx Shearwater and 20 Gannet over high tide - Red Rocks.
5 Greenshank from IMF hide and 1 Lesser Whitethroat at railway bridge - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Aug 17
100+ Manx Shearwater, 11 Arctic Skua, 5 Kittiwake, 12 Gannet, 6 Little Tern, 27 Common Scoter and 1 Yellow-legged Gull - Hoylake Shore.
15 Greenshank from IMF hide - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Aug 16
6 Greenshank, 6 Spoonbill, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk and c1,000 Starling - Parkgate.

Aug 15
3 Storm Petrel heading out of River Mersey, also 2 Arctic Skua just before high tide - New Brighton.
5,650 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Wildfowl Collection.
9 Arctic Skua, 70 Manx Shearwater, 5 Gannet and 4 Little Tern plus lots of Kittiwakes, Sandwich Terns and Common Terns - Hilbre over high tide.

Aug 14
1 Greenshank near groyne - Leasowe Lighthouse.
12 Common Scoter, 2 Gannet, 2 Arctic Skua and 27 Manx Shearwater during 20 minute seawatch, also 270 Dunlin on shore - Hoylake.
3 Greenshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.
3 Mediterranean Gull (adults) - Thurstaston Shore.
Note that Knot appear to have had an exceptionally good breeding season so we should be seeing plenty of juveniles here in the next few weeks.
 

The August Newsletter includes:
The Wetland Bird Survey 2017/18, Colour Ring Report and  Forthcoming Events.

Newsletters going back to March 1998 can be read, they are indexed both month by month and by subject matter.



Wheatear at Burton Point, August 17th © Les Hall



Common Scoter at Hilbre, August 13th © Carole Killikelly



Cormorant at Caldy, August 12th © Richard Smith



Wood Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands, August 9th © Les Hall



Arctic Skua off Hilbre, August 6th © Allan Hitchmough



Yellow Wagtail at Burton Marsh Farm, August 5th © Frank Burns


Photographers - please note there is a wildlife photographers code of practice , also read Guidelines.
Please Maintain a safe working distance from all birds, particularly roosts, so as not to cause unnecessary disturbance.
"There is one hard and fast rule whose spirit must be observed at all times. The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph."