Dee Estuary Birds - birdwatching, birding and twitching

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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:

January Newsletter now published on this website featuring Species Spotlight - Shoveler, Colour Ring Report and December Bird News.
Newsletters going back to March 1998 can be read, they are indexed both month by month and by subject matter.

Latest Sightings.... (more)

Jan 6
1 Scaup (drake), 8 Brent Geese, 6 Goldeneye and 7 Goosander - West Kirby Marine Lake.
1 Bittern (briefly), 4+ Great White Egret and 3+ Marsh Harrier - Parkgate.

Jan 5
2 Scaup. 20 Goosander. 4 Goldeneye and 1 Mediterranean Gull - West Kirby Marine Lake.
1 Short-eared Owl - Parkgate.
2 Greenshank by groyne - Meols Shore.
30 Brent Geese at high tide - Hoylake.
2 Short-eared Owl, 1 Barn Owl, 3 Marsh Harrier and 1 Kingfisher - Denhall Quay.

Jan 3
15,740 Herring Gull flew west past north end, 1 Eider. 2 Goldeneye, 17 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Shag and 184 Cormorant - Hilbre.
2 Purple Sandpiper - New Brighton Marine Lake.
17 (incl 13m) Goosander on Roodee Mere - Royden Park.
130 Golden Plover off Boathouse Flash - Parkgate.
1 1st winter Caspian Gull in high tide roost - Hoylake.
22 Whooper Swan - Outer Burton Marsh.

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Redwing at Parkgate, January 6th © Nigel Favager

Stonechat at Denhall Quay, January 5th © Paul Liversage

Goosander and Scaup, West Kirby Marine Lake, January 5th © Steve Williams

Purple Sandpiper, Hilbre, January 3rd © Elliot Montieth

Pink-footed Goose and Teal at Parkgate, January 2nd © John Kane

Brent Geese on West Kirby Marine Lake, December 30th © Bruce Hogan

Goldeneye (drake) on West Kirby Marine Lake, December 29th © Alan Hitchmough

Goldeneye (female) on West Kirby Marine Lake, December 28th © Joe Downing

Redwing by Old Baths, Parkgate, December 26th © Carole Killikelly

Fieldfare near Denhall, December 24th © Nigel Favager

Short-eared Owl off Old Baths, Parkgate, December 23rd © Frank Burns

Short-eared Owl on Neston Marsh, December 16th © Mark Woodhead

Common Snipe at Parkgate, December 16th © Joe Downing

Short-eared Owl at Denhall Quay, December 11th © Jeff Cohen

Bufflehead at Point of Ayr, December 8th © Mike Pollard

Tawny Owl at Burton Mere Wetlands, December 8th © John Hewitt

Peregrine with prey (a Knot), Meols, December 6th © Rob Pettitt

Big Knot flock on rising tide, Meols, December 5th © Richard Smith

Short-eared Owl at Neston Old Quay, Novmber 30th © Jake Goswell

Waders at high tide, Flint Castle, November 24th © Jeff Cohen

Marsh Harriers at Neston Old Quay, November 19th © Jeff Cohen

Brent Geese at Hoylake, November 19th © Allan Conlin

Snow Bunting at Leasowe, November 15th © Graham Connolly

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.