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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:

April Newsletter now published on this website featuring RSPB on the Dee Estuary - 40 years of conservation success.

Cheshire and Wirral Bird Report 2016 NOW AVAILABLE. For a synopsis and details of how to obtain a copy CLICK HERE.

Latest Sightings.... (more)

Apr 18
4 Little Tern, 24 Sandwich Tern, 14 Wheatear, 50+ White Wagtail, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 5 Willow Warbler, 50+ Sand Martin, 9 Whimbrel, 1,000 mixed Dunlin/Ringed Plover, 400 Sanderling, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Short-eared Owl and 1 Merlin - Gronant.
3 Ring Ouzel, 1 Grasshopper Warbler and 1 Tree Pipit - Red Rocks.
1 Ring Ouzel, 75+ Willow Warbler, 1 Redstart, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 7 Blackcap and 2 Common Sandpiper - Hilbre.
1 Ring Ouzel between Ness Gardens and Burton in horse paddock.
1 Pied Flycatcher, 100+ Willow Warbler, 26 Blackcap, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 4 White Wagtail, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 60+ Wheatear, 6 Redstart, 10+ Ring Ouzel including flock of 7, 3 Whinchat, 12 Siskin and 2 Whimbrel in fields with Curlew, also 7 Sandwich Tern - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Cuckoo *first of spring* inland of Wirral Way near Dungeon Wood, Heswall.
1 Lesser Whitethroat and 6+ Common Whitethroat in blackthorn - Heswall Fields NT.
13 Whimbrel - Heswall Shore on rising tide.
1 Garganey (drake), 6+ Cetti's Warbler heard, 16 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Bearded Tit, 3 Cattle Egret, 5 Spotted Redshank and 2 Little Ringed Plover - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Ring Ouzel in newly seeded field below Stapledon Wood, Caldy, at 4.15pm.
1 Common Redstart (flew inland) and 2 Great Egret - Burton Marsh.

Apr 17
1 Ring Ouzel early morning, also 2 male Redstart, 11 Wheatear, 4 Whimbrel, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 45 Willow Warbler and 3 Chiffchaff, 3,268 Pink-footed Geese over before high tide - Hilbre.
1 Ring Ouzel in Nursing Home garden, and c8 Willow Warbler - Red Rocks.
1 Spoonbill over - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Common Redstart - Park Lane,  60+ Sandwich Tern, 21 Gannet, 2 Red-throated Diver, 5 Shoveller, 36 Great Crested Grebe, 20 Wheatear and 1 Tree Pipit - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 possible Iberian Chiffchaff on Wirral Way between Old Baths and Boat House Lane, recording inconclusive - Parkgate.
4,000 Pink-footed Geese still on Burton Marsh this afternoon.
635 Pink-footed Geese flew North, 17 Wigeon, 168 Grey Plover, 535 Curlew, 7 Whimbrel, 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, 600 Dunlin, 2 Greenshank, 1600 Redshank - Heswall Shore.
1 Ring Ouzel in newly seeded field below Stapledon Wood, Caldy, at 4.30pm.
1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Great Egret - Neston Reed Bed.

Apr 16
100+ Sandwich Tern on groyne at Leasowe Bay after high tide.
1 Little Ringed Plover over, 1 Puffin off NE corner then flew NE, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 4 Tree Pipit plus several Wheatears and Willow Warblers - Hilbre.
1 male Ring Ouzel (Park Lane this evening before flying NW), 2 Redwing, 1 Common Whitethroat, c20 Blackcap, 2 Tree Pipit, 2+ Common Redstart and 30+ Wheatear, also 31 Gannet, 2 Sandwich Tern and 47 Great Crested Grebe on the sea - Leasowe Lighthouse.
30+ White Wagtail and 8 Pied Wagtail on shore by Hoylake Lifeboat Station.
1 Sandwich Tern and 4 Gannet off shore, 2 Wheatear and 1 Cetti's Warbler - Red Rocks.
3 Cattle Egret (in field behind reception), 12 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Whitethroat, 5 Yellow Wagtail and 1 'Channel' Wagtail (Yellow Wagtail intergrade - M f flava x favissima) - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Apr 15
2 Common Redstart (along Park Lane and in horse paddocks) and 1 Common Whitethroat - Leasowe Lighthouse.
2 Ring Ouzel in flight over golf course - Red Rocks.
700 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Wildfowl Collection.
4 Water Pipit, 6 Yellow Wagtail and 1 'Channel' Wagtail (Yellow Wagtail intergrade - M f flava x favissima) - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Grasshopper Warbler singing by Boathouse Pub, Parkgate.
6 Wheatear along shorepath by Heswall Golf Course this afternoon.

The April Newsletter includes:
RSPB on the Dee Estuary - 40 years of Conservation Success,  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.

Left to right: Pintails, Black-headed Gulls and drake Garganey
Burton Mere Wetlands Apr 18th © Roy Lowry


Cattle Egrets near Burton Mere Wetlands, April 17th © Les Hall



Wheatears at Burton Mere Wetlands, April 16th



Common Redstart at Leasowe, April 15th © David Wilson



Mediterranean Gulls at Burton Mere Wetlands, April 13th © Carole Killykelly



Redpoll in Lower Heswall, April 12th © Jon Ashton



Yellow Wagtail at Leasowe Lighthouse, April 12th © David Haigh



Common Redstart near Leasowe LIghthouse, April 10th © Graham Connolly


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."