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)
Oct 8 - New Event - High Tide Birdwatch at Riverbank Road, Heswall from 11.30 to 13.30hrs. High tide is at 12.29hrs, 9.8m (Liverpool). Join the Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens at the Riverbank Road car park with great views out across the marsh and along Heswall gutter. One of the highlights will be thousands of Shelducks which peak this month in the estuary, as well as thousands of waders and other wildfowl such as Pink-footed Geese. The first Hen Harriers of the winter have arrived and there are likely to be Marsh Harriers and other raptors.
Oct 7
1 Great Skua on shore before high tide then flew west, 6 Curlew Sandpiper over high tide - Hoylake.
1 Scaup (juv) quite close in at Leasowe Lighthouse.
14 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Greenshank on shore - Flint Castle.
Oct 6
19 Whooper Swans (six flew S at 07:30, thirteen on sea at high tide), 630 Pink-footed Geese, 4450 Shelduck, 160 Pintail, 460 Teal, 54 Golden Plover, 1100 Curlew, 3600 Redshank, 18 Greenshank - Heswall Shore.
6 Whooper Swan flew south past Parkgate.
1 Great Skua on sea west of Hilbre, then flew to Hoylake shore before heading into estuary and landing on sea off West Kirby Marsh.
1 juv curlew Sandpiper in wader roost east of Lifeboat Station, 5 Crossbill over Meols Drive - Hoylake.
13 Shag on the sea east side of Hilbre.
Curlew Sandpipers at Flint, October 7th © Mike Pollard
Grey Plovers at Hoylake, October 7th © Richard Smith
Brent Geese at Hoylake (left hand bird is a juv), October 7th © Richard Smith
Greenshank at Dove Point, Meols, October 7th © Matt Thomas
Whooper Swans at Heswall early morning, October 6th © Steve Hinde
Great Skua at Leasowe, October 5th © Richard Steel
Arctic Skua past Hilbre, October 5th © Alan Hitchmough
Leach's Petrel off Leasowe Gunsite, October 5th © Mark Woodhead
Kittiwake off Leasowe Gunsite, October 5th © Mark Woodhead
Leach's Petrel at Leasowe Gunsite, October 5th © Sean O'Hara
1st win Little Gull at New Brighton, October 5th © Richard Whitby
Great Skua over the sea defence at Leasowe Lighthouse, October 5th © Graham Connolly
Spoonbills at Parkgate, October 2nd © Les Hall
Glossy Ibises on Donkey Stand Flash, Parkgate, September 30th © Stuart Fear
Slavonian Grebe on West Kirby Marine Lake, September 29th © Joe Downing
Slavonian Grebe on West Kirby Marine Lake, September 29th © Alan Hitchmough
Slavonian Grebe on West Kirby Marine Lake, September 28th © Steve Williams
Grey Phalarope at Hoylake*, September 22nd © Allan Conlin
*found by Tim Kinch
Grey Phalarope at Point of Ayr, September 21st © Joe Downing
Grey Phalarope at Point of Ayr, September 20th © Mike Pollard
Curlew Sandpiper at Meols, September 20th © Allan Conlin
Little Stint at Meols, September 18th © Sean O'Hara
Spoonbills in flight, Parkgate, September 18th © John Crook
Juvenile Sabine's Gull off Wallasey shore, September 16th © Elliot Montieth
Grey Phalarope at Crosby Marine Lake, September 16th © Ashley Cohen
I know it's not North Wirral but when I saw this photo I just had to put it on the website, and it is very
likely that this bird later flew along North Wirral!
Stunning photo of Leach's Petrel flying past the coastgurds at Wallasey
September 16th © Pete Sutton
Somebody had a good view! Leach's Petrel off Leasowe Gunsite, September 16th
© Joe Downing
Black Tern (juv) at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 16th © Mark Woodhead
Curlew Sandpipers at Hoylake, September 11th © Allan Conlin
Whinchat at Burton Point, September 11th © Mark Woodhead
Curlew Sandpipers at Hoylake, September 10th © Joe Downing
Grey Plovers, Hoylake, September 9th © Richard Smith
Ringed Plovers, Hoylake, September 9th © Richard Smith
Curlew Sandpiper with Ringed Plovers, Hoylake, September 9th © Richard Smith
Curlew Sandpipers on Meols Shore, September 8th © Sean O'Hara
Male Greenland Wheatear on Hilbre, September 6th © Alan Hitchmough
Ruff at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 6th © Mark Woodhead
Hobby at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 5th © David King
This bird has a colour ring on it's left leg, details in my next colour ring report
Common Redstart (fem type) at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 4th © Joe Downing
Curlew Sandpiper at Thurstaston, September 4th © Steve Hinde
Curlew Sandpiper at Thurstaston, September 4th © Paul Ralston
Whinchat near Leasowe Lighthouse, September 3rd © Sean O'Hara
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.
Copyright © 2020 Richard Smith | Header Photograph of Black-tailed Godwits © Steve Round.