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)
Nov 1
1 Bittern showed well by the reedbed screen this morning - Burton Mere Wetlands.
Oct 31
5 Short-eared Owl and 1 Barn Owl, 10 Marsh Harrier flew towards Burton Point this afternoon - Burton Marsh.
1 Hen Harrier (ringtail), 10+ Marsh Harrrier, 2 Short-eared Owl, 1 Barn Owl heard, 1 Jack Snipe, 4+ Great White Egret and c2,000 Teal Boathouse Flash/Old Baths- Parkgate.
Oct 30
1 Brambling, 1 Pochard (drake), 2,000 Teal and 300+ Shoveler this morning, 200 Fieldfare, 1 Hen Harrier (ringtail), 3 Short-eared Owl, 2 Barn Owl and 10+ Marsh Harrier this afternoon - Parkgate.
Bittern by the reedbed screen at Burton Mere Wetlands, November 1st © Richard Whitby
Short-eared Owl at Parkgate, October 30th © Joe Downing
Fieldfare at Parkgate, October 30th © Frank Burns
Redwing at Parkgate, October 30th © Nigel Favager
Hen Harrier at Parkgate, October 28th © Frank Burns
Stonechat on Heswall Golf Course, October 27th © John Crook
Short-eared Owl over Burton Marsh, October 22nd © Joe Downing
Brent Geese on Hilbre, October 19th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Lots of young birds present, they've had a good breeding season
Merlin on Hilbre, October 19th © Alan Hitchmough (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Pink-footed Geese, Heswall marsh, October 18th © David Thompson
Whooper Swans at Burton Mere Wetlands, October 17th © Adam Westhorpe
Merlin over Hilbre, October 14th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Purple Sandpiprt on Hilbre, October 13th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Short-eared Owl off Heswall Golf Course, October 12th © Nigel Fafager
Sparrowhawk hunting over Heswall Golf Course, October 11th © John Crook
Arctic Skua over Hilbre, October 10th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Glossy Ibis at Burton Mere Wetlands, October 10th © Jake Goswell
Great Skua past Leasowe Gunsite, October 10th © Mark Woodhead
Leach's Petrel at Leasowe Gunsite, October 9th © Joe Downing
Two great shots of the Grey Phalarope on Shotwick Boating Lake, October 4th © Joe Downing
Spoonbills over Hilbre, October 4th © Alan Hitchmough
Spot the Spotted Redshank! Flint Marsh, October 1st © Mike Pollard
Curlew Sandpipers and a Dunlin, Flint Castle, September 30th © Mike Pollard
Ruff with Redshanks, Flint Castle, September 30th © Mike Pollard
Curlew Sandpipers at Meols, September 30th © Sean O'Hara
1st winter Black Guillemot at Hilbre, September 28th © Steve Williams
Stonechat on Hilbre, September 27th © Alan Hitchmough
Turnstones on West Kirby Marine Lake, September 26th © Richard Smith
Bearded Tit coming down for grit on path north of Marshlands Road, Neston, September 22nd
© Richard Whitby
Leach's Petrel past the Coastguards at Wallasey, September 20th © Mark Woodhead
Some were coming very close!
Great Skua, Hilbre, September 20th © Alan Hitchmough
Leach's Petrel past the Coastguards at Wallasey, September 20th © Mark Woodhead
Manx Shearwater, Hilbre, September 20th © Alan Hitchmough
Three superb photos of Leach's Petrels at Wallasey, September 17th © Joe Downing
Barn Owl at Parkgate, September 13th © Frank Burns
Common Scoter off Hilbre, September 13th © Bill Wonderley
Barn Owl by Leasowe Lighthouse, september 11th © Sean O'Hara
Leach's Petrel past Hilbre, September 9th © Alan Hitchmough (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Wheatear by Lifeboat Station Holake, September 9th © Sean O'Hara
One of two Arctic Skuas over Little Eye, September 9th © Alan Hitchmough (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Leach's Petrel past Hilbre, September 8th © Steve Williams (Hilbre Bird Observatory)
Juvenile Merlin at Point of Ayr, September 8th © Mike Pollard
Stonechat at Leasowe, August 6th © Jeremy Bradshaw
Baird's Sandpiper, Meols Shore, September 3rd © Steve Williams
Baird's Sandpiper on Meols Shore, September 3rd © Sean O'Hara (finder!)
Baird's Sandpiper on Meols Shore, September 3rd © Joe Downing
Baird's Sandpiper and Little Stint, Meols Shore, September 3rd © John Hewitt
Baird's Sandpiper on Meols Shore, September 3rd © Richard Smith
Little Stint and Dunlin at Meols, September 2nd © Sean O'Hara
Greeenshanks at Burton Mere Wetlands, September 1st © Lawrence Holland
Female Common Redstart on Hoylake Langfields, September 1st © 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.