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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 Web site 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:


September Newsletter now published on this website featuring Bonaparte's Gull, 'Have Arctic-breeding waders had a poor breeding season?', Colour Ring Report and Latest Events.

Latest Sightings.... (more)

Sep 25
2 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker flew over Old Baths car park and later were chased by a Great Spotted Woodpecker, also 2 Great Egret, 2 ringtail Hen Harrier, 3 Marsh Harrier and 1Merlin and some distant flocks of Pinkfeet -  Parkgate this morning.
1 Water Rail along Lingham Lane by bridge - Leasowe Lighthouse.

Sep 24
1 Whinchat opposite Denhall House Farm - Burton Marsh.
1 Great Egret - Denhall Quay.
1 Hen Harrier and 1 Great Egret -  Parkgate.
1 Raven flew north over Wallasey this morning.

Sep 23
7 Pink-footed Geese over, 7 Brent Geese, 3 Goosander, 2 Eider, 1 Merlin and 2 Eider - Hilbre.
1 Great Northern Diver off Leasowe Lighthouse, with 1 Greenshank near the groyne.
55 Pink-footed Geese (came in high from NE), 180 Grey Plover, 240 Ringed Plover, 380 Knot, 450 Dunlin, 2 juv Curlew Sandpiper, 3500 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 ad Mediterranean Gull - Heswall Shore on rising tide, 20 Golden Plover in nearby field.
3 Curlew Sandpiper and 2 Marsh Harrier - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Sep 22
5 Brent Geese (first of autumn), 7 Leach's Petrel, 5 Manx Shearwater and 1 Eider by 8.30am - Hilbre.
1 Leach's Petrel abd a few Manx Shearwater by 7.45am - Hoylake.
1 Great Skua, 1 Little Gull and 1 Arctic Tern early morning - New Brighton.
2 Curlew Sandpiper (juv) - Heswall Shore on rising tide.
1 Pallid Harrier, 2 Hen Harrier (ringtail), 4 Marsh Harrier, 1 Short-eared Owl, 2 Whooper Swan and 1 Peregrine - Parkgate.
c600 Common Scoter on a calm sea this afternoon - Meols.
4 Whooper Swan - Burton Marsh,
1 Great Egret and 1 Peregrine on a post, several Pink-footed Geese dropping in - Neston Marsh.

Sep 21
1 Roseate Tern late afternoon (good views, bird still had full cap), 1 Great Northern Diver flew high out of Mersey at 9.15am, 1 Long-tailed Skua in Mersey mouth at 8.15am, also 1 Sabine's Gull (juv), 8+ Leach's Petrel, 2 Grey Phalarope (1 landed on beach right in front of observer) with 2 Grey Phalarope this evening over Mersey,  2 Little Gull, 3 Arctic Tern and 1 Black Tern - New Brighton.
1 Long-tailed Skua (juv) flew west and into estuary, 4 Leach's Petrel, 1 probable Great Northern Diver, 1 Grey Phalarope, 47 Golden Plover and 1 Ruff this morning, several Leach's Petrel over East Hoyle Bank this evening not making much progress against the wind - Hoylake.
15 Leach's Petrel, 5 Manx Shearwater and 1 Arctic Skua - Hilbre.
1 Pallid Harrier - Parkgate.
7 Leach's Petrel, 8 Manx Shearwater, 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Razorbill, 64 Golden Plover, 2 Great Skua, 3 Sandwich Tern, 4 Guillemot past Leasowe Gunsite.
3 Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Spoonbill, 3 Marsh Harrier and 1,800 Teal highlights from Burton Mere Wetlands.

Sep 20
Burton Mere Wetlands is now open (0945am).
1 Avocet on beach before high tide - Leasowe Lighthouse this morning.

Sep 19
1 Great Egret, 15 Spotted Redshank and 27 Greenshank - Connah's Quay Reserve.
1 Leach's Petrel mid-afternoon, also 5 Arctic Skua, 2 Great Skua, 5 Manx Shearwater and 3 Arctic Tern - Hoylake.
1 Black-tern and 1 Manx Shearwater - Leasowe Gunsite.
1 Goosander (redhead) on beach by Leasowe Lighthouse this morning.
2 Curlew Sandpiper, 5 Ruff and 1 Cattle Egret all from IMF hide -  Burton Mere Wetlands.

Sep 18
7 Marsh Harrier (one with green wing tags) this morning, 1 Hobby (juv) this afternoon - Parkgate.
1 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank and 1 Cattle Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.
2 Wheatear - Hilbre.

Sep 17
2 Hen Harrier in and around the roost at Parkgate this evening, earlier 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Hen Harrier.
1 Pallid Harrier - Neston Marsh this afternoon.
1 Marsh Harrier (with wing green wing tags) over Hilbre this morning flying west, 1 Fieldfare at first light and 3 Wheatear - Hilbre.
1 Spotted Crake - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Pink-footed Goose, 3000 Shelduck, 58 Little Egret, 60 Ringed Plover, 170 Dunlin, 2 juv Curlew Sandpiper, 3500 Redshank, 3850 Black-tailed Godwit, 1200 Curlew - Heswall to Thurstaston.

Sep 16
1 Chough at 1620hrs, landed on building roof before flying towards Point of Ayr, good views and calls heard - Hilbre.
Report of brief view of a Red-necked Phalarope, 1 Spotted Crake, 1 Garganey and 2 Common Sandpiper  - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Pallid Harrier, showed well at 1.15pm, 4 Marsh Harrier and 1 (ringtail) Hen Harrier came in to roost,  1 Barn Owl showing well and 1 distant Great Egret - Parkgate.

The September Newsletter includes:
Bonaparte's Gull, 'Have Arctic-breeding waders had a poor breeding season', Colour Ring Report and  Forthcoming Events.
Newsletters going back to March 1998 can be read, they are indexed both month by month and by subject matter.

Guillemot at New Brighton, September 21st © Paul Lee


Cattle Egret at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 23rd © Les Hall



Curlew Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 19th © Chris Wilding



Hen Harrier at Parkgate, September 17th © Frank Burns



Common Snipe at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 13th © Steve Round
http://stevenround-birdphotography.com/



Juvenile Ringed Plover at Hoylake, September 12th © Roy Lowry



Yellow-legged Gull (left) with Lesser Black-backed Gull, Hoylake Shore, September 9th © Tim Kinch


Photographers - please note there is a wildlife photographers code of practice , also read Guidelines.
Please Maintain a safe working distance from all birds, particularly roosts, so as not to cause unnecessary disturbance.
"There is one hard and fast rule whose spirit must be observed at all times. The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph."