Dee Estuary Birding
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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: 
Newsletters going back to March 1998 can be read, they are indexed both month by month and by subject matter.
Latest Sightings.... (more)
Feb 27
11 Crossbill - Ness Gardens.
4 Eider, 3 Red-breasted Merganser and 350 Common Scoter off Hoylake.
Feb 26
3 Yellowhammer (males) - Thornton Hough.
4+ Crossbill - Ness Gardens.
1 grey male Hen Harrier and 3 Marsh Harrier - Parkgate.
1 Mediterranean Gull on shore, c100 Common Scoter off shore and 1 Kingfisher on duck pond (briefly) - Leasowe Lighthouse.
7 Purple Sandpiper - New Brighton Marine Lake.
2 Eider off Hoylake.
Crossbills at Ness Gardens, February 23rd © Dan Bentley
Yellowhammers at Thornton Hough, February 22nd © Michael Davenport
Little Egret on Thurstaston Shore, February 22nd © Mervyn Davis
Snow Bunting at hoylake, February 21st © Benjamin Twist
Stonechat on Hilbre, February 21st © Allan Hitchmough
Oystercatchers in flooded field by Leasowe Lighthouse, February 19th © Graham Parry
Crossbills at Ness Gardens, February 17th © John Hewitt
Green Sandpiper at Willaston, February 17th © Peter Sutton
Male Crossbill at Ness Gardens, February 17th © Chris Wilding
Female Crossbill at Ness Gardens, February 17th © Bill Wonderley
Sanderling on Hoylake Shore, February 16th © Charles Farnell
Firecrest at Heswall, February 11th © Frank Burns
Some interesting behaviour among the Goosanders today, February 10th © Jackie Edwards
Purple Sandpiper on Hilbre, February 10th © Allan Hitchmough
A nasty fight broke out between the drake Goosanders at West Kirby, February 10th © Richard Smith
A mound of waders at West Kirby Marine Lake, February 10th © Richard Smith
Sparrowhawk in Greasby garden, February 6th © Paul Mason
Stonechat at Burton Marsh, February 4th © Chris Kearney
Probable Scandinavian Rock Pipit at Hoylake, February 4th © Allan Conlin
All eight Snow Buntings at Hoylake, February 3rd © Peter Sutton
See Snow Bunting Article in Feb Newsletter
Little Stint (middle right) with other waders at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 2nd © Peter Sutton
An unusually pale Common Buzzard at Parkgate, January 28th
Raven at Leasowe, January 27th © Graham Parry
Goldeneye on West Kirby Marine Lake, January 24th © Graham Parry
Goosander on West Kirby Marine Lake, January 22nd © Bill Wonderley
Linnets by Leasowe Lighthouse, January 21st © Graham Parry
Flooded fields south of Park Lane, Meols, January 21st © David Haigh
Mediterranean Gull enjoying the rain at Park Lane, Leasowe, January 20th © Steve Williams
Greenshank on Leasowe Shore, January 18th © Graham Parry
Grey male Hen Harrier at Heswall, January 16th © Frank Burns
Curlew at Heswall, January 15th © Frank Burns
Kingfisher at Leasowe, January 13th © Graham Parry
Kingfisher on Leasowe Shore, January 9th © Sally Beever
Raven on Hoylake Shore, January 4th © Roy Lowry
Whooper Swans on Burton Marsh, January 3rd © Paul Ralston
Grey Phalarope between Flint and Bagillt, January 3rd © Dhivan Jones
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.