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.
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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)
Apr 14
1 White Stork over heading towars Hilbre then flew inland east, 1 Tree Pipit in sea-front garden - Hoylake.
1 Red Kite over also seen over Hoylake and Hoylake Langfields, 1 Grasshopper Warbler west end of paddocks near groyne, 1 Whimbrel over - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Whinchat and 10 Wheatear - Hoylake Langfields.
Apr 13
1 Common Redstart in chaple field this evening - Burton.
1 Whinchat on Kerr's Field - Leasowe Lighthouse.
53+ Gannet and 12 Sandwich Tern out to sea, also 2 Reed Warbler and 1 Sedge Warbler - Red Rocks.
1 Lesser Whitethroat - Burton Mere Wetlands.
5 Little Tern - Gronant.
1 Whinchat - Shotwick Fields.
Apr 12
35 Willow Warbler, 4 Tree Pipit, 6 Wheatear, 11 White Wagtail, 43 Gannet and 300+ Sandwich Tern highlights from Hilbre.
1 Ring Ouzel and 1 Osprey over - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Ring Ouzel in field by Limbo Lane - Irby.
1 Whinchat - Gronant.
Female Ring Ouzel by Leasowe Lighthouse, April 12th © Graham Connolly
Osprey over Leasowe Lighthouse, April 12th © Allan Conlin
'Channel' Yellow Wagtail at Leasowe, April 8th © Andy Jones
Black-tailed Godwits moulting into summer plumage at Caldy Wildfowl Collection, a few Knot present
April 7th © Richard Smith
Black Redstart by stables west end of coastal paddocks, Leasowe, April 7th © Sean O'Hara
Osprey over Leasowe, April 6rh © Allan Conlin
Great Grey Shrike by Kerr's Field, Leasowe, April 6th © Sean O'Hara
Common Redstart by Kerr's Field, Leasowe, April 6th © Tony Ramsden
Common Redstart in coastal paddock, Leasowe, April 6th © Jeremy Bradshaw
Common Redstart, a great garden tick in Lower Heswall, April 5th © David Thompson
Marsh Harrier at Burton Mere Wetlands, April 2nd © Steve Round
Mating Avocets at Burton Mere Wetlands, April 2nd © Andy Jones
Pink-footed Geese flying out of the estuary early morning, April 1st © Steve Williams
Short-eared Owl over the dunes, Red Rocks, March 31st © Tanis Davies
A pair of Ravens on Hoylake shore, they appeared to be courtship feeding, March 29th
© Ian Sheppard
White Stork at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 28th © Alan Hitchmough
Oystercatchers at the Caldy Wildfowl Collection, March 28th © Richard Smith
Pair of Shelducks at Hilbre, March 27th © Alan Hitchmough
Swallow by Net's Cafe, Burton © Bill Wonderley
Spotted Redshank at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 24th © Mark Woodhead
Barn Owl near Leasowe Lighthouse, March 23rd © Graham Connolly
Golden Plovers at Heswall, March 22nd © Elliot Montieth
White Wagtail on Kerr's Field, Leasowe, March 22nd © Allan Conlin
Dark-bellied and Light-bellied Brent Geese on Hilbre, March 20th © Steve Williams
Ruff on Neston Marsh, March 13th © Charles Farnell
Avocets at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 11th © Mark Woodhead
Wheatear in the coastal paddocks, Leasowe, March 9th © Jeremy Bradshaw
Chiffchaff with pollen horn, Hilbre, March 9th © Alan Hitchmough
A nice early Wheatear on Hilbre, March 8th © Matt Thomas
Russian White-fronted Geese in field by Thornton Hough, March 6th © Chris Wilding
Fantastic find by Sean!
Black Scoter off Hoylake, March 5th © Sean O'Hara
Whooper Swan at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 5th © Les Hall
Eiders at Hilbre, March 2nd © Elliot Montieth
Pink-footed Geese heading north past Hilbre at dawn, March 2nd © Alan Hitchmough
Twite on marsh by Flint Castle, February 28th © Jeff Cohen
Stonechat at Neston Reedbed, February 21st © John Crook
Purple Sandpiper, Leasowe Bay, February 19th © Steve Harrison
White-fronted Geese between Brimstage and Thornton Hough, February 16th © Steve Round
White-fronted Geese at Thornton Hough, February 14th © Paul Ralston
White-fronted Goose with Pinkfeet at Burton, February 8th © Richard Whitby
Teal at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 6th © Bruce Hogan
Barn Owl flying over the marsh, Parkgate, February 5th © Frank Burns
Lapwings on Meols goyne at high tide, February 4th © Richard Smith
Little Stint with nice size comparison with Dunlin and Redshank, Hoylake, February 3rd © Mark Woodhead
Stonechat at Leasowe, February 2nd © Jeremy Bradshaw
Little Stint on the ebbing tide at Meols, February 1st © Richard Smith
Brent Geese over West Kirby Shore, January 30th © Bruce Hogan
A peacful morning at Dove Point, January 30th © Richard Smith
Purple Sandpiper on Hilbre, January 26th © Alan Hitchmough
Black Redstart at Fort Perch, January 25th © Tony Ramsden
Black Redstart at Fort Perch, January 25th © Mark Woodhead
Black Redstart on the sand at New Brighton, January 17th © Steve Williams
Black Redstart on Fort Perch, New Brighton, January 17th © David Bradshaw
Knots enjoying the sunshine this morning at Meols, January 16th © Richard Smith
Redwing by Heswall Golf club, January 13th © Charles Farnell
Siberian Chiffchaff at Neston Sewage Works, January 11th © Richard Whitby
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.