Wetland Bird Counts...
The Dee Estuary is one of the most important areas in the United Kingdom for Wildfowl and Waders, a typical winters day holding 30,000 duck and 100,000 waders. Because of this exceptional wildlife interest the Dee Estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Ramsar Site, a Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation.
The following table of bird counts for some of the most important species on the estuary are based on, but not necessarily validated by, the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS). No data should be used without permission of the WeBS Office at BTO. Note that the max counts shown are the max over a twelve month period, July to June, which is the WeBS year. Therefore counts include the period when birds are on passage as well as wintering birds. Counts shown took place at high tide as part of the monthly nationwide Wetland Bird Survey. In some cases, particularly for Bar-tailed Godwits, counts were significantly higher at low tide.
More comprehensive counts are given in the National WeBS Reports and the Dee Estuary WeBS Reports - see the site index which gives details on how to obtain these publications.
For latest news of bird sightings and counts see the newsletter page and latest sightings.
| Species | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | Month (05/06) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelduck | 12630 | 13334 | 8872 | October |
| Wigeon | 5658 | 2464 | 6695 | November |
| Teal | 5549 | 2752 | 2854 | December |
| Pintail | 6317 | 4312 | 6330 | November |
| Oystercatcher | 23914 | 25944 | 22847 | November |
| Grey Plover | 1851 | 1214 | 1091 | February |
| Knot | 38070 | 10243 | 24505 | November |
| Dunlin | 41679 | 16878 | 19867 | February |
|
Black-tailed Godwit |
4493 | 6452 | 5379 | October |
|
Bar-tailed Godwit |
1209 | 132 | 328 | April |
| Curlew | 5727 | 6933 | 4826 | September |
| Redshank | 11014 | 10208 | 12427 | September |
References:
1. Neil Friswell
and Colin Wells. Dee Estuary WeBS Annual Report, 2003/04.
2. Neil Friswell
and Colin Wells. Dee Estuary WeBS Annual Report, 2004/05.
3. Neil Friswell
and Colin Wells. Dee Estuary WeBS Annual Report, 2005/06.
4. Banks, A.N. et al., Waterbirds in the UK 2003/04, BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC.
4. Banks, A.N. et al., Waterbirds in the UK 2004/05, BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC.