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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:

March Newsletter now published on this website featuring OHighlights - March 2023 to February 2024, Colour Ring Report and February Bird News.
Newsletters going back to March 1998 can be read, they are indexed both month by month and by subject matter.

Note New Event -
Hoylake High Tide Birdwatch on Saturday February 10th.
See http://www.deeestuary.co.uk/news.htm#events

Latest Sightings.... (more)

Mar 18
1 Willow Warbler next to Puddington Lane - Puddington.
15 Chiffchaff singing along Wirral Way between Heswall and Neston this morning.
2+ Wheatear, 48 Common Snipe, 23 Chiffchaff and 1 Willow Warbler - Meols Common/groyne/Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Wheatear - Burton Marsh.

Mar 17
1 Long-tailed duck off East Hoyle Bank - Hoylake.
1 Wheatear on beach by Tinker's Dell - Thurstaston.
Small group of Waxwings in tree by Churchill Court - Neston.
1 Green-winged Teal and 1 Hen Harrier (ringtail) off Old Baths - Parkgate.

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Waxwings at Neston, March 17th © Nigel 'Wirral Guy'


Wheatear on the cliffs at Thurstaston, March 17th © Steve Hinde


Greenshank in the channel by the groyne, Meols, March 16th © Sean O'Hara


Short-eared Owl over Burton Marsh, March 13th © Nigel Maitland


Grey Partridge in field by the Old Baths, Parkgate, March 13th © John Hewitt


Water Rail at Parkgate, March 12th © Dave Edwards


Dunlins at Meols on the flooding tide, March 12th © Graham Connolly


Green-winged Teal on tide off Riverbank Road, Heswall, March 12th © Alan Hitchmough


Green-winged Teal on Heswall Shore, March 9th © Steve Hinde


Short-eared Owl at Denhall Quay, March 3rd © Stuart Phillips


Short-eared Owl near Hilbre, March 3rd © Alan Hitchmough


Waxwing on Halkyn Mountain, February 24th © Ken Lewis


Waxwing on Halkyn Mountain, February 23rd © Rob Devenish


Goldcrest at Ness Gardens, February 20th © Bruce Hogan


Little Egret in field, Lower Heswall, February 18th © David Thompson


Redshanks on Heswall Marsh during the spring high tide, February 12th © Frank Burns


Water Rail which had been walking around in front of the buildings near Nicholl's Ice Cream Shop!
Parkgate, February 12th © Dave Ball


Jack Snipe at Parkgate, February 12th © Chris Wilding


Stonechat at Parkgate, February 11th © Roy Wilson


Knots at Hoylake, February 10th © Steve Round


Twite flock by Flint Castle, February 10th © Jeff Cohen


Bar-tailed Godwits at Hoylake, February 9th © Richard Smith


Bittern at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 2nd © John Hewitt


Waxwings on Halkyn Mountain, January 28th © Steve Round


Glaucous Gull, Dove Point Meols, January 26th © Martin Dohn


Waxwing on Halkyn Mountain, January 26th © Jeff Cohen


American 'Storm' Wigeon at Burton Mere Wetlands, January 24th © Mark Woodhead


American 'Storm' Wigeon at Burton Mere Wetlands, January 22nd © John Hewitt


Drake Smew on West Kirby Marine Lale, January 18th © Richard Smith


Drake Smew and pair of Goldeneyes, West Kirby Marine Lale, January 18th © Steve Williams


Drake Smew on West Kirby Marine Lale, January 18th © Alan Hitchmough


Siskin at Burton Mere Wetlands, January 17th © Bill Wonderley


Common Scoter on West Kirby Marine Lake, January 16th © Ron Brumby


Brent Geese and Dunlin at high tide, Hoylake, January 13th © Richard Smith


Goldeneye on West Kirby Marine Lake, January 12th © Steve Williams


Slavonian Grebe off Hilbre, January 12th © Alan Hitchmough


Waxwings in garden, Seabank Road, Heswall, January 11th © David Thompson


Knots feeding in the late afternoon sun, Thurstaston, January 9th © Richard Smith


Goldeneyes on West Kirby Marine Lake, January 4th © Les Hall



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.