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)
Aug 1
25 Greenshank and 1 Spoonbill - Parkgate.
1 Mediterranean Gull (juv), 1 Greenshank, 1 Kingfisher along R Birkett and 33 Little Egret and the groyne - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Whimbrel with 700 Sandwich Tern on edge of East Hoyle Bank - Hilbre.
July 31
2 Ruddy Shelduck but no sign Long-billed Dowitcher up to 1130am - Burton Mere Wetlands.
19 Greenshank, 1 Spoonbill, 2 Pintail, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Quail calling, 1 Hobby flew north and 2 Marsh Harrier - Parkgate.
830 Sandwich Tern on edge of East Hoyle Bank - Hilbre.
1 Whimbrel flew inland - Leasowe Lighthouse.
4 Great Egret and 1 Marsh Harrier - Burton Marsh.
2 Mediterranean Gull (adults), 1 Greenshank and 1 Peregrine - Meols Shore.
Juvenile Mediterranean Gull on Meols Shore, July 29th © Richard Smith
Long-billed Dowitcher at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 28th © Ken McNiffe
Roseate Tern at Hoylake, July 26th © Alan Hitchmough
Long-billed Dowitcher (centre) with Black-tailed Godwits at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 26th © Mark Woodhead
Long-billed Dowitcher at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 26th © Chris Wilding
Sandwich Tern at Hoylake, July 25th © Charles Farnell
Black-tailed Godwits at Caldy, July 23rd © Richard Smith
The colour-ringed bird is 18 years old and has visited the Dee Estuary every year since 2005
Hoopoe on Hilbre, July 21st © Steve Williams
Melodious Warbler on Hilbre, July 20th © Steve Williams
Little Tern mobbing a Herring Gull at Gronant, July 17th © Roy Lowry
Sandwich Terns by Tansky Rocks, West Kirby, July 17th © Richard Smith
Good to see that around a third of the flock are juveniles including these four
Wood Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 14th © John Hewitt
A sunbathing Willow Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 14th © Mark Woodhead
Little Egret on Meols Shore (by the groyne), July 8th © Charles Farnell
Sandwich Terns, West Kirby, July 6th © Richard Smith
Mediterranean Gull at Thurstaston, July 4th © Richard Smith
Gannet off Hilbre, July 4th © Alan Hitchmough
Spotted Redshanks at Burton Mere Wetlands, July 2nd © Peter Sutton
Siskins on feeder in Bromborough, June 30th © Andy Cocoxon
Juvenile Rock Pipit on Hilbre, June 27th © Allan Hitchmough
Spotted Redshank at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 23rd © Les Hall
Little Terns at Gronant, June 20th © Carole Killikelly
Spoonbills at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 4th © Mark Woodhead
Bittern at Burton Mere Wetlands, June 4th © Mark Woodhead
Marsh Harrier at Parkgate, June 1st © Roy Wilson
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.