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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:

August Newsletter now published on this website featuring Little Ringed Plovers, review of 'Scarce and Rare Birds in North Wales', Colour Ring Report and Latest Events.
Sunday 12 August - Hen Harrier Day at Parkgate - see Events in Newsletter.


Latest Sightings.... (more)

Aug 15
1 Bonaparte's Gull (ad winter), also 1 Whimbrel and a good selection of terns and waders - Hoylake Shore, high tide.
1 Spotted Crake on main scrape this morning, also 1 Kingfisher, 1 Cattle Egret, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Corncrake, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Ruff and 2 Avocet - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Eider and 1 Whimbrel, 155 Swallows roosted overnight - Hilbre.

Aug 14
3 Arctic Skua, 12 Manx Shearwaters, 43 Gannet - Hoylake Shore, high tide.
1 Bonaparte's Gull (ad winter) - off Red Rocks an hour before high tide then west of Kings Gap, Hoylake, over high tide.
157 Swallow roosted overnight at Niffy Bay - Hilbre.

Aug 13
1 Bonaparte's Gull (ad winter) - Hoylake Shore, high tide.
4,760 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Wildfowl Collection (off A540), West Kirby, flew in before high tide between 10am and 11am.
1 Cattle Egret, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Pover, 1 Hobby, 3 Peregrine, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Redstart (juv) - highlights from Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Short-eared Owl over Wallasey Golf Couse this evening.

Aug 12
1 Bonaparte's Gull (ad winter) - Hoylake Shore before high tide, and just off old Lifeboat Station at 1.45pm.
1 Whinchat, 1 Yellow Wagtail (ad male), and 2 Stonechat with fledged young - Burton Point (sheep pens).
1 Hen Harrier, 1 Great Egret and 1 Marsh Harrier - Parkgate.
5 Manx Shearwater, 2 Kittiwake, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull - New Brighton between Forth Perch and the 'Dips'.

Aug 11
3 Manx Shearwater seen from Red Rocks before high tide.
1 Wheatear, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Peregrine, 1 Mediterranean Gull, and 2 Arctic Skua - Hoylake Shore.
600 Black-tailed Godwit seen flying inland, 1 Peregrine, 1 Merlin, 1 Wheatear, 600 Sandwich Tern and 1 Eider early morning, 115 Swallow in overnight roost, 4 Arctic Skua just before high tide - Hilbre.
1 imm Redstart on fence in sheep field by railway, also 1 Hobby - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Whinchat in Kerr's Field, Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Red Kite over Saughall.

Aug 10
260 Little Tern (two thirds fledgling, some being from Ireland) still roosting at Gronant (Great Egret there yesterday).
1 Yellow-legged Gull on beach, 1 Arctic Skua on the sea - Hoylake Shore.
1 Spotted Crake on main scrape this morning - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Aug 9
4 Great Egret, 2 Peregrine (ad + juv), 18 Greenshank, female Redstart on fence - Connah's Quay Nature Reserve.
1 Eider, 9 Whimbrel, 75 Ringed Plover, 1150 Sandwich Tern and 700 Black-headed Gull, 90 Swallows roosted overnight - Hilbre, early morning.
2 Arctic Tern, 50 Common Tern and 670 Sandwich Tern - Red Rocks at high tide.
800 Shelduck, 2000 Oystercatcher, 16 Grey Plover, 435 Dunlin, 4600 Redshank, 1650 Curlew, 7 Yellow Wagtail - Heswall Shore, on rising tide.
3,590 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Wildfowl Collection (off A540), West Kirby, at high tide.

Aug 8
1 Wheatear near Lighthouse, 3 Kingfisher along river at Lingham Lane bridge - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Eider, 14 Whimbrel, 1,500 Dunlin and 82 Ringed Plover -  Hilbre, early morning.
78 Little Egret, 350 Dunlin, 4100 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 880 Black-tailed Godwit, 1700 Curlew, 7 Yellow Wagtail - Heswall Shore.
2 ad Mediterranean Gull and 250 Black-headed Gull - Thurstaston Shore.

The August Newsletter includes:
Little Ringed Plovers, Review - Rare and Scarce Birds in North Wales, 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.

Juvenile Black-tailed Godwits at Caldy, August 14th © Richard Smith



Bonaparte's Gull, Hoylake Shore, August 13th © Mark Woodhead



Bonaparte's Gull, Hoylake Shore, August 12th © Allan Hitchmough



Bonaparte's Gull, Hoylake Shore, August 12th © Allan Conlin




Black-tailed Godwits at Caldy, August 11th © Richard Smith
The birds were spooked, probably by a Sparrowhawk, and flew right over my head,
they then went straight down again into the field so weren't badly frightened.



Yellow-legged Gull on Hoylake shore, August 10th © Allan Conlin



Feeding Oystercatchers and Dunlin at Hilbre, August 8th © Patricia Bargh


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."