Bird Meeting at Newtown on 17th December 2023

Nine members and two prospective new members met at the National Trust visitor centre car park for a walk in the area. We walked along High Street to the short footpath to the field overlooking Causeway Lake and noted the birds congregating there. There were Pintail, Wigeon, Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Black-Tailed Godwit. On one of the fields opposite was a flock of Brent Geese feeding. Blue Tit were flitting in the hedgerow and a Buzzard flew overhead. We noted a total of three of the latter during the course of the morning. We heard a Raven calling and saw three Carrion Crow and a small flock of Fieldfares with three perched on the top of a tree on our continued walk to the flower meadow. This was very muddy and water had accumulated in the area of the gate which leads to Newtown River. Having successfully negotiated this we then walked around the saltpans to the boathouse and back along the wooden footbridge to the main hide looking at the birds on the way. There was a lovely spectacle of Dunlin twisting and turning in flight before landing on the Main Marsh. There were Cormorant, Redshank, Shelduck, Little Grebe, Red Breasted Merganser, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Little Egret, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Curlew and in the Scrape, two Greenshank. On the Marsh near the boathouse were two Meadow Pipit. Two seals were resting on the mudflats. 35 species were noted during the morning. Jackie Hart