Dee Estuary Birding

Curlews on a frosty day, Burton Mere Wetlands, December 6th © Mark Woodhead


Sanderling near Hilbre, December 1st © Steve Williams


Great Northern Diver on West Kirby Marine Lake, November 30th © Richard Steel


Waders at West Kirby Marine Lake, November 29th © Steve Round


Snow Bunting near Red Rocks, November 27th © Sean O'Hara


Black Redstart in garden between Kings Gap and Red Rocks, November 26th © Alan Hitchmough


Waxwing in sea-front garden, Hoylake, November 26th © Jane Turner


Marsh and Hen Harrier at Parkgate, November 25th © Eleanor Sutton


Shag on West Kirby Marine Lake, November 25th © Mark Woodhead


Great Northern Diver on West Kirby Marine Lake, November 24th


Snow Bunting at Hoylake, November 14th © Matt Thomas


Snow Bunting just north of West Kirby Marine Lake, November 13th © Alan Hitchmough
 
Short-eared Owl over Middle Eye (Hilbre), November 11th © Alan Hitchmough


Red-breasted Merganser on West Kirby Marine Lake, November 10th © David Lang


Purple Sandpipers at New Brighton, November 10th © David Bradshaw


Shag (left) and Cormorant on the pontoon on West Kirby Marine Lake
November 7th © Les Hall


Marsh Harrier over Burton Mere Wetlands, November 7th © Steve Round


Shelducks just off Meols Promenade, about 300 there this morning, November 6th © Richard Smith


Great Northern Diver at West Kirby Marine Lake, November 5th © Peter Sutton


Great Northern Diver at West Kirby Marine Lake, November 5th © Jeremy Bradshaw


Snow Bunting at Meols, November 5th © Matt Thomas


Great Northern Diver on West Kirby Marine Lake, November 4th © Les Hall


Pallas's Warbler being ringed on Hilbre, November 4th © Alan Hitchmough


Ringtail Hen Harrier at Parkgate, November 1st © Mark Woodhead


Common Scoters off Leasowe, November 1st © Elliot Montieth


Yellow-browed Warbler caught and ringed in a Bidston Hill garden, October 30th © Tony Ormond


Knots feeding in the channel at Meols, October 29th © Richard Smith
 
Nice collection of waders at high tide, Hoylake, October 28th © Richard Smith


Ringtail Hen Harrier in the mist at Heswall Golf Course, October 25th © Steve Houghton
 
Merlin at Parkgate, October 22nd © Mark Woodhead


Bittern at Burton Mere Wetlands, October 18th © Les Hall


Hen Harrier past Hilbre, October 17th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)


Rock Pipit by West Kirby Marine Lake, October 17th © Mark Woodhead


Short-eared Owl at Hilbre, October 16th © Steve Williams


Goosanders on West Kirby Marine Lake, October 16th © Charles Farnell


Redshanks on the rocks by West Kirby Marine Lake, October 14th © Alan Hitchmough


Flcok of Wigeon over the Dee Marshes, October 10th © Frank Burns


Short-eared Owl on the Dee Marshes, October 10th © Frank Burns


Stonechat at Denhall Quay, October 9th © John Crook


Cattle Egret at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 29th © Steve Round


Two Pectoral Sandpipers at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 28th © John Hewitt


Little Stint (centre) feeding with Dunlin, Heswall Shore, September 27th © Steve Hinde


Mediterranean Gull on West Kirby Shore, September 25th © Alan Hitchmough



Leach's Petrel at Hoylake, September 22nd © Alan Hitchmough


Baird's Sandpiper (centre) at Meols, September 21st © Richard Whitby


Baird's Sandpiper, Hoylake Shore, September 20th
Found and photographed/videoed by Sean O'Hara


"Wonderful view from up here"
Wheatears at Meols, September 16th © Sean O'Hara


Curlew Sandpipers just south of West Kirby Marine Lake on the rising tide, September 15th
© Steve Round


Cattle Egrets at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 13th © Steve Round


Dunlin enjoying the sun, West Kirby, September 13th © Richard Smith


Arctic Skua being chased off Hilbre, September 12th © Hilbre Bird Observatory (Chris and Steve Williams)


Another curlew Sandpiper pic! Three at West Kirby, September 12th
© Richard Smith


Curlew Sandpipers off south end of West Kirby Marine Lake, September 11th © Richard Smith


First Brent Goose back, Hilbre, September 8th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)


13 Cattle Egrets at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 7th © John Hewitt


The March of the Oystercatchers, Hoylake, September 2nd © Ian Sheppard


Large number of gulls (mainly Herring Gulls) at Hoylake after high tide, estimated around 10,000,
September 2nd © Richard Smith


Juvenile Peregrine at Hoylake at high tide, September 1st © Mark Woodhead


Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper at Meols, August 31st © Sean O'Hara


Part of a large flock of juvenile Knots at Hoylake, August 30th © Richard Smith
I've never seen so many juveniles at Hoylake before, they must have had a very good breeding season.
 
Curlew Sandpiper at Meols, August 29th © Richard Smith


Avocet on Meols Shore, August 28th © Sean O'Hara


Wheatear on Hilbre, August 26th © Alan Hitchmough


Citrine Wagtail on Meols Shore, August 23rd © Graham Connolly (the finder!)


Citrine Wagtail on Meols Shore, August 23rd © Alan Hitchmough


Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper at Meols, August 22nd © Frank Burns


Cattle Egret at Burton Mere Wetlands, August 22nd © Andrew Ingham


Curlew Sandpiper at Hoylake, August 21st © Mark Woodhead


Black-tailed Godwits at Caldy, August 20th © Richard Smith


Curlew Sandpiper (moulting adult), Meols shore, August 20th © Sean O'Hara


Bathtime at Meols, August 18th © Richard Smith


Curlew Sandpiper (centre) with Dunlins and Ringed Plovers at Meols at high tide, August 17th © Sean O'Hara


Green Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands, August 17th © Mark Woodhead


Kingfisher at Burton Mere Wetlands, August 15th © Francesco Parisi


Ringed Plover, high tide at Meols, August 15th © Charles Farnell


Spotted Flycatcher near Leasowe Lighthouse, August 14th © Sean O'Hara


Spotted Flycatcher, Hoylake Langfields, August 13th © Richard Whitby


Yellow Wagtail at Burton Mere Wetlands, August 12th © Carole Killikelly


Turnstones on wall of West Kirby Marine Lake, August 12th © Richard Smith


Nine Spoonbills at Parkgate, August 10th © Roy Wilson


Juvenile Sedge Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands, August 9th © Mark Woodhead


Yellow-legged Gull at Hoylake, August 3rd © Mark Woodhead


Greenshanks at Burton Mere Wetlands, August 2nd © Bill Wonderley


Breeding plumage Knot in the tern and wader roost at Hoylake, August 2nd © Richard Smith


Black-tailed Godwits at Caldy, July 28th © Richard Smith


Hen Harrier over Burton Mere Wetlands, July 27th © Francesco Parisi


A small portion of the Black-tailed Godwit flock (with feral Greylags) at Caldy Wildfowl Collection, July 25th
© Richard Smith


Juvenile Wheatear at Red Rocks, July 8th © Anthony Ramsden


Sandwich Terns near Hilbre, July 6th © Richard Smith


Black-tailed Godwit just flown in from Iceland (ringed in Ireland), Caldy Wildfowl Collection, July 6th © Richard Smith


Night Heron at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 4th © Allan Conlin


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.