The list has been split into three categories (Bird Reports, Booklets and Books), then in reverse chronological order, that is to say the latest publications are at the top. Many books are now out of print but it is well worth hunting through second hand book stalls for them, and a search on the internet might well prove useful. Personally I find reading the old books fascinating, they give you a real insight in to how the birds and the estuary have changed over the years, and indeed how the art of birdwatching and attitudes of birdwatchers have also changed.
Cheshire and Wirral Bird Report, published annually by CAWOS.
North-East Wales Bird Report (used to be called
Clwyd Bird Report), published by
the Clwyd Bird Recording Group.
Usually available at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB or see the CBRG
Website.
Hilbre Bird Report, published annually by the Hilbre Bird Observatory.
Dee Estuary WeBS (Wetland Bird
Survey) Annual Report, compiled by Neil Friswell and edited by
Colin Wells.
Available at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB, ring 0151 336 7681.
Wardening at Gronant Little Tern Colony (report), published annually by the Denbighshire Countryside Services.
Cheshire and Wirral Bird News, published three times a year, available to members of CAWOS only.
A Checklist of the Birds of Inner
Marsh Farm RSPB by Steve Williams, 2003.
Available at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB, ring 0151 336 7681.
A Checklist of the Birds of
Hilbre by Steve Williams, 2003.
Available from the
Hilbre Bird Observatory.
Birding the Wirral Peninsula by
Allan Conlin, 2003.
Available from Thurstaston Visitor Centre or ring Allan on
07791274837.
Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens Bird and Wildlife Report by
Chris Butterworth, 2001.
A comprehensive report of the flora and fauna
(with emphasis on birds) of West Kirby Shore and Marine Lake, Red Rocks
and Little Eye. Please
me for a free copy (if still
available, to see the bird section of the report
click here).
The Dee Estuary, published by the
Dee Estuary Conservation Group, 1996.
Available from
Thurstaston Visitor Centre.
Hilbre - the island in a
wilderness - by Valerie McFarland, Barry Barnacal and John Craggs, 1983.
Wings Across a Wilderness - A guide to birdwatching on the Dee Estuary - by Valerie McFarland and Barry Barnacal, 1978.
These last three booklets, illustrated with some excellent photographs, are wonderfully concise, yet comprehensive, guides to the Dee Estuary and its birds.
Where to watch birds in Wales by Dave Saunders and Jon Green, 2008, Christopher Helm.
Where to watch birds in Cumbria, Lancashire & Cheshire by Jonathon Guest and Malcolm Hutcheson, 2003, Christopher Helm.
A Guided Tour of Merseyside - its wildlife and natural history - by Bob 'the Birdman' Hughes, 2002, Avid Publications.
The Breeding Bird Atlas of Cheshire and Wirral by J.P. Guest et al, 1992, CAWOS.
RSPB Guide to Birdwatching in Clwyd by Valerie McFarland, 1989, RSPB.
Bird-Watching in Cheshire by Eric Hardy, 1988, Countrywise.
Dee Wildfowler - The last professional, Harold Gill (Leslie Brockbank), 1982.
Hilbre 'the Cheshire Island', its
History and Natural History edited by J.D. Craggs, 1982,
Commonly known as the Hilbre 'Bible'. Everything you ever wanted to
know about Hilbre, copies available on the Internet and at time of
writing one copy for sale at Thurstaston Visitor Centre.
Estuary Birds of Britain and
Ireland by A.J. Prater, 1981, Poyser.
This book uses data gathered from the first six years of the 'Birds
of Estuaries Enquiry' to give a detailed account of this country's
estuaries and birds, good coverage of the Dee Estuary.
The Birds of Cheshire by T. Hedley Bell, 1962 (supplement 1967), Sherrat.
The Birds of the Liverpool Area by Eric Hardy, 1941, T. Buncle.
Feathered Folk of an Estuary by
Guy B. Farrar, 1938, Country Life.
Guy Farrar was a wildfowler turned naturalist and gives a fascinating
account of the birds of the Dee Estuary between the two world wars.
The Fauna of Cheshire and
Liverpool Bay - Vol.1. Mammals and Birds - by T.A. Coward, 1910,
Witherby.
The systematic list in this book and those in the above books by Eric
Hardy and T. Hedley Bell give a comprehensive account of the bird life
on the Dee Estuary and surrounding areas from the late 19th century
until 1966.