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.
Latest Sightings.... (more)
Jul 18
3,000+ Dunlin, early high tide - Meols.
7 Avocet incl very young juv - Parkgate.
1 Bittern in flight heading towards BMW - Burton Marsh.
Jul 17
1 Cuckoo showing well in sand dunes then flew onto sea wall - Meols Common.
4 Mediterranean Gull off Sandhey Slipway - Meols.
3160 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Wildfowl Collection.
1 Wood Sandpiper , 1 Green Sandpiper, 15 Ruff, 3 Little Ringed Plover 5 Marsh Harrier incl 3 Juvs, 2 Great Egret and 50 Little Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.
6+ Great Egret, 6 Avicet, 150 Black-tailed Godwit (s/pl) and c50 Bar-tailed Godwit (s/pl) - Parkgate.
Jul 16
250 (incl 69 juvs) Sandwich Tern on East Hoyle Bank close to Hilbre.
Plenty of young Sandwich Terns at Hilbre this morning, July 16th © Richard Smith
Sandwich Terns on East Hoyle Bank by Hilbre, July 14th © Richard Smith
This afternoon the Black-tailed Godwits at Caldy looked like they were suffering from the heat, standing with their beaks in the air and panting, July 12th © Richard Smith
One of a line of young Swallows sitting on a wire fence waiting to be fed
Leasowe Lighthouse, July 7th © Jeremy Bradshaw
Great White Egret and Grey Heron at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 3rd © Steve Harrison
Little Tern with chick, Gronant, July 2nd © Les Hall
Black-tailed Godwits landing after being disturbed by a Buzzard, Caldy Wilfowl Collection, June 30th © Richard Smith
Sedge Warbler, Burton Marsh, June 29th © Sasha Quentin
Black-tailed Godwits at Caldy Wildfowl Collection, June 26th © Richard Smith
S/pl Spotted Redshank at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 23rd © Allan Conlin
Male Ruff (with Redshank) at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 23rd © Steve Hinde
Dunlins at Hilbre, June 22nd © Alan Hitchmough (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
A good selection of different plumaged Knots at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 14th © Richard Smith
Spoonbill at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 11th © Les Hall
Curlew Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 10th © Richard Smith
Great White Egret at Burton Mere Wetlands, May 30th © Les Hall
Knots (mainly imms) at Burton Mere Wetlands, May 25th © Carole Killikelly
Manx Shearwaters off the north end of Hilbre, May 25th © Alan Hitchmough (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Common Whitetroat near Neston Reedbed, May 17th © John Crook
Curlew Sandpiper at Hilbre, May 15th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Gannets flying into the estuary, May 10th © Alan Hitchmough
White Wagtail on Hilbre, May 10th © Alan Hitchmough
Reed Warbler on Burton Marsh, May 6th © Frank Burns
Wood Sandpiper, Burton Mere Wetlands, May 3rd © Carole Killikelly
Curlew Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands, May 3rd © Richard Whitby
Whimbrel at Hilbre, May 3rd © Alan Hitchmough
Hoopoe near Greenfield Country Park, April 30th © Brian Roberts
Sedge Warbler at Burton Point, April 29th © Frank Burns
Blue-headed Wagtail in field off Carr Lane, Meols, April 27th © Steve Williams
Gannets off Hilbre, April 27th © Alan Hitchmough
Ring Ouzel near Leasowe Lighthouse, April 26th © Allan Conlin
Spoonbill at Burton Mere Wetlands, April 25th © Carole Killikelly
Wood Sandpiper near Ness Gardens, April 25th © Richard Whitby
Cuckoo at Leasowe Lighthouse, April 25th © Peter Ham
Whimbrels on the end of the causeway, Thurstaston, April 24th © Richard Smith
Grasshopper Warbler at Leasowe, April 24th © Steve Harrison
Whinchat on Heswall Fields NT, April 23rd © Steve Hinde
Little Stint with s/p Dunlin, Meols, April 22nd © Sean O'Hara
White Wagtail on Hilbre, April 20th © Alan Hitchmough
Whimbrels at Heswall, April 19th © Peter Ham
Common Sandpiper on Heswall Shore, April 17th © Steve Hinde.
Kestrel with prey by Leasowe Lighthouse, April 15th © Jeremy Bradshaw
White Stork over Hoylake, April 14th © Allan Conlin
Female Ring Ouzel by Leasowe Lighthouse, April 12th © Graham Connolly
Osprey over Leasowe Lighthouse, April 12th © Allan Conlin
'Channel' Yellow Wagtail at Leasowe, April 8th © Andy Jones
Black-tailed Godwits moulting into summer plumage at Caldy Wildfowl Collection, a few Knot present
April 7th © Richard Smith
Black Redstart by stables west end of coastal paddocks, Leasowe, April 7th © Sean O'Hara
Osprey over Leasowe, April 6rh © Allan Conlin
Great Grey Shrike by Kerr's Field, Leasowe, April 6th © Sean O'Hara
Common Redstart by Kerr's Field, Leasowe, April 6th © Tony Ramsden
Common Redstart in coastal paddock, Leasowe, April 6th © Jeremy Bradshaw
Common Redstart, a great garden tick in Lower Heswall, April 5th © David Thompson
Marsh Harrier at Burton Mere Wetlands, April 2nd © Steve Round
Mating Avocets at Burton Mere Wetlands, April 2nd © Andy Jones
Pink-footed Geese flying out of the estuary early morning, April 1st © Steve Williams
Short-eared Owl over the dunes, Red Rocks, March 31st © Tanis Davies
A pair of Ravens on Hoylake shore, they appeared to be courtship feeding, March 29th
© Ian Sheppard
White Stork at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 28th © Alan Hitchmough
Oystercatchers at the Caldy Wildfowl Collection, March 28th © Richard Smith
Pair of Shelducks at Hilbre, March 27th © Alan Hitchmough
Swallow by Net's Cafe, Burton © Bill Wonderley
Spotted Redshank at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 24th © Mark Woodhead
Barn Owl near Leasowe Lighthouse, March 23rd © Graham Connolly
Golden Plovers at Heswall, March 22nd © Elliot Montieth
White Wagtail on Kerr's Field, Leasowe, March 22nd © Allan Conlin
Dark-bellied and Light-bellied Brent Geese on Hilbre, March 20th © Steve Williams
Ruff on Neston Marsh, March 13th © Charles Farnell
Avocets at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 11th © Mark Woodhead
Wheatear in the coastal paddocks, Leasowe, March 9th © Jeremy Bradshaw
Chiffchaff with pollen horn, Hilbre, March 9th © Alan Hitchmough
A nice early Wheatear on Hilbre, March 8th © Matt Thomas
Russian White-fronted Geese in field by Thornton Hough, March 6th © Chris Wilding
Fantastic find by Sean!
Black Scoter off Hoylake, March 5th © Sean O'Hara
Whooper Swan at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 5th © Les Hall
Eiders at Hilbre, March 2nd © Elliot Montieth
Pink-footed Geese heading north past Hilbre at dawn, March 2nd © Alan Hitchmough
Twite on marsh by Flint Castle, February 28th © Jeff Cohen
Stonechat at Neston Reedbed, February 21st © John Crook
Purple Sandpiper, Leasowe Bay, February 19th © Steve Harrison
White-fronted Geese between Brimstage and Thornton Hough, February 16th © Steve Round
White-fronted Geese at Thornton Hough, February 14th © Paul Ralston
White-fronted Goose with Pinkfeet at Burton, February 8th © Richard Whitby
Teal at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 6th © Bruce Hogan
Barn Owl flying over the marsh, Parkgate, February 5th © Frank Burns
Lapwings on Meols goyne at high tide, February 4th © Richard Smith
Little Stint with nice size comparison with Dunlin and Redshank, Hoylake, February 3rd © Mark Woodhead
Stonechat at Leasowe, February 2nd © Jeremy Bradshaw
Little Stint on the ebbing tide at Meols, February 1st © Richard Smith
Brent Geese over West Kirby Shore, January 30th © Bruce Hogan
A peacful morning at Dove Point, January 30th © Richard Smith
Purple Sandpiper on Hilbre, January 26th © Alan Hitchmough
Black Redstart at Fort Perch, January 25th © Tony Ramsden
Black Redstart at Fort Perch, January 25th © Mark Woodhead
Black Redstart on the sand at New Brighton, January 17th © Steve Williams
Black Redstart on Fort Perch, New Brighton, January 17th © David Bradshaw
Knots enjoying the sunshine this morning at Meols, January 16th © Richard Smith
Redwing by Heswall Golf club, January 13th © Charles Farnell
Siberian Chiffchaff at Neston Sewage Works, January 11th © Richard Whitby
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.
Copyright © 2020 Richard Smith | Header Photograph of Black-tailed Godwits © Steve Round.