Birdwatching on the Dee Estuary
Thanks to the silting of the River Dee over the centuries, the estuary close to Neston today provides some of the best birdwatching - or birding - in Britain.
Some 120,000 wading birds and wildfowl spend the winter months here, providing a major spectacle, especially during high tides when the marsh is covered, pushing the birds up against the shoreline from Burton to Parkgate.
Parkgate especially is well-known for its high tide birdwatches, when up to 400 birders gather along the sea wall. As the birds' roosting sites are covered, they take to the air, and small mammals like water voles, mice and shrews break cover to avoid the tide.
All this activity attracts the attention of the hunters, as Herons, Kestrels, Marsh Harriers, Peregrines, Merlins and Sparrowhawks appear to take their share. The most spectacular hunter is the Short-eared owl, which can be seen patrolling the tide line.
The estuary mud is a rich feeding ground for waders, who come to find snails, shellfish, ragworm and lugworm over the winter months.
But the sights and sounds are not limited to winter, as a range of visitors move in and breed in the summer months. They include Skylarks, Redshank, Lapwing, Mallard and Shellduck.
As befits such an important site for birds, part of the estuary is run as an RSPB nature reserve and the RSPB runs guided walks and talks from the Old Baths car park on Parkgate Parade.
Visit our photo gallery, with pictures of the birds and wildlife of the estuary taken by Lynne Greenstreet. Click below to see it:
You can find out more about the reserve and birding on the Dee Estuary by clicking on the links below: