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)
Mar 30
1 Little Gull, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Garganey (pair) - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 House Martin *first of spring* - Clatterbridge.
Mar 29
1 Osprey flying west at 1030am, also 3 Whimbrel over - Dove Point, Meols.
4 Wheatear (1 on groyne, 3 in Hoopoe Hollow), 2 Greenshank, 12 Brent Geese and 4 Goosander in channel, and 1 Kingfisher along R Birkett - Leasowe Lighthouse.
8 Brent Geese, 950 Oystercatcher, 63 Golden Plover, 78 Grey Plover, 3000 Dunlin, 2000 Knot, 400 Black-tailed Godwit, 480 Curlew, 2 Greenshank, 2700 Redshank, 1 Wheatear this morning - Thurstaston Shore.
1 Little Gull - Burton Mere Wetlands.
Mar 28
10+ Avocet (Boathouse Flash), 3 Spoonbil (2 flew north) and 1 Marsh Harrier - Parkgate.
2220 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Wildfowl Collection.
8 Spotted Redshank and 1 Little Gull - Burton Mere Wetlands.
Pair of Garganey at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 30th © Joe Downing
1st winter Common Gull at Greenfield Dock, March 30th © Jeff Cohen
Little Gull at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 28th © Carole Killikelly
These Black-tailed Godwits were busy feeding in a damp field next to
Caldy Wildfowl Collection
March 28th © Richard Smith
A nice range 0f plumages at Caldy Wildfowl Collection as the Black-tailed Godwits moult into
breeding plumage, March 28th © Richard Smith
Little Ringed Plover at Burton Mere Wetlands, March 22nd © Jason King
Russian White-fronted Goose at Thornton Hough, March 22nd © Richard Whitby
Sandwich Tern at Hilbre, March 21st © Chris Williams
Wheatear walking along the top of the sea defence, Hoylake, March 21st © Joe Downing
A nice selection of species at Caldy Wildfowl Collection, March 21st © Richard Smith
ChiffChaff on Hilbre, March 21st © Alan Hitchmough
Ring Ouzel in garden in Pensby, March 20th © Steve Hinde
Knots feeding at Meols, March 18th © Richard Smith
Green-winged Teal at Heswall (off Target Road), March 17th © Steve Hinde
Wheatear in 'Hoopoe Hollow' paddock, Meols, March 14th © Alan Hitchmough
Wheatears in 'Hoopoe Hollow' paddock, Meols, March 14th © Steve Williams
Dark-bellied and Pale-Bellied Brent Geese on West Kirby Marine Lake, March 10th © Mark Woodhead
Common Scoter on West Kirby Marine Lake, March 7th © Joe Downing
We don't often get the opportunity to take close-ups of Common Scoters, and this photo taken by Joe is escellent!
Black Redstart at Meols, March 6th © Sean O'Hara
First Wheatear of the spring! Hilbre, March 5th © Matt Thomas
Black-tailed Godwit already in full breeding plumage with w/pl knots in the background
at Thurstaston, March 5th © Richard Smith
Siskins in oak trees at Stapledon Wood, Caldy, March 4th © Richard Smith
Male Hen Harrier flying past Hilbre, March 1st © Alan Hitchmough
Spoonbill at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 27th © Keith Scovell
A Spoonbill with Avocets at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 25th © Les Hall
Stonechat on Hilbre, February 25th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits at Hoylake, February 19th © Richard Smith
Redshank roost at West Kirby Marine Lake, February 18th © David Senior
Short-eared Owl on Parkgate Marsh, February 17th © John Crook
Common Scoters off Hilbre, February 15th © Alan Hitchmough (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Water Rail at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 15th © Ian McKenna
Purple Sandpiper on rocks, Wallasey Shore, February 14th © Joe Downing
Short-eared Owl at Parkgate, February 13th © John Kane
Drake Scaup, West Kirby Marine Lake, February 7th © Joe Downing
Cattle Egrets at Burton, February 7th © Richard Whitby
Short-eared Owl at Denhall Quay, February 4th © Paul Liversage
Water Rail at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 4th © Mark Woodhead
White-fronted Goose at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 3rd © Jake Goswell
Knots in flight and Brent Geese on the shore, Hoylake, February 2nd © Bruce Hogan
Kingfisher at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 1st © David Thompson
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.