Looking at the Countryside – Newtown National Nature Reserve, 17 June

12 Members attended the above meeting with Helen Parry (National Trust Warden) and Hilary Higgins (National Trust Volunteer). This was in celebration of the 21st year of the Reserve being formed into a National Nature Reserve.
Helen took us on a short walk through some of the fields, showing an example of a typical burgage plot of land which the tenant was allowed to rent from the Bishop of Winchester.
She then went through Town Copse to part of Clamerkin Lake where the new Boardwalk to the Eastern Hide was shown.  It then started to rain quite heavily and the group beat a hasty retreat back to the road and the Visitors Centre where tea and coffee were made available.
A Small Heath and Meadow Brown butterfly were seen and Greenfinch, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Robin , Wren, Blue Tit, Jay, Jackdaw and Woodpigeon were heard.

 

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