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The nights drawing in have made October a surprisingly swift month this year.  We've spent a few weeks this month working on a neighbouring piece of woodland assisting the owner with a management plan for dealing with the large amount of Ash dieback they are facing.  It's such a shame to see so many of the trees in this woodland diseased so quickly and the speed at which the pathogen gets to work makes it crucial to manage the risk before the trees are too brittle to process safely.   Within a year of infection the tree will lose  up to 40% of it's integrity meaning trees that are left become very difficult to remove without large cost machinery.  Another reason for removing the trees before the stems completely rot is to make sure the wood has the chance of another use, in this case the timber is being sold for biomass, which will in  turn pay for the costs of the works.  So what happens next?  The landowner is keen to get replanting with a variety of broadleaf specimens  such as Beech and Oak.  Its a strong possibility too that the woodland floor will produce lots more wildflowers this Spring so the woodland will be buzzing with all sorts of insect life, so positives emerging from  a sad situation....{trying to resist the urge to make a daft comment about rising from the ashes!}

We've also been milling some of the dead oaks we had to remove last year and the results are wonderful.  The ability to produce something useful has drawn local attention and we've been commissioned to mill other pieces of timber, destined to become benches and tables, and in one case, beams for a listed barn.  It's a great joy to us that we've been able to add a modern twist and can continue the original function of the garden; to produce wood stocks for building and charcoal production..... perhaps next we will consider pigs to graze on the acorns!  If you'd like to try your hand at a bit of carpentry we have a selection of planks and slices on sale outside the Tearoom, as well as a smaller stock of large slabs 'behind the scenes'.

Meanwhile the garden continues its Autumn transformation, the leaves are rapidly changing and the holly berries are getting redder by the day.  Just outside the Glade the bed of Nerine bowdenii are almost glowing the colour is so strong this year.  removing some of the conifer trees behind them last year has given the bulbs a much needed burst of light over the Summer and they are showing their gratitude with an electric display, so if you have the chance make the most of the ground being dry and come over for a stroll.

From all of us here at Fairhaven, we hope to see you soon.

Louise and the team
Gardens, Tearoom and Gift Shop
Open Saturday to Wednesday 10am - 4pm in November and December*
and weekends only in January as we replace the board walks

*Open daily during school holidays.  Closed Christmas Day
This months Wildlife update.....

Yet another month has flashed by, mild for October with plenty of sunny days, but also a few days of rain and very heavy at times, all of which helps the growth of fungi. We have a good number of all species. and I have spent extra time this month finding them and photorecording them. I am not a fungi fanatic, but I do find them very interesting. and have spent many late nights trying to identify those that I have photographed that day. This week Earth Stars are beginning to show themselves popping up through the leaf litter and will remain visible for several months where many of them last only a few days and some less than 24 hours. Should you be really interested in fungi book a slot with reception and join us on a Fungi Foray.

Now that Autumn has really set in we are changing our bird food menu by adding peanuts to the mix for the winter period. We do not feed peanuts during the breeding season, this avoids needless deaths of chicks, in particular the Tit species where the parents are known to try to feed them on whole peanut which of course chokes the chicks. The nuthatches love the peanuts and can be seen at the feeding stations, all the woodpeckers like them too. I fear that the grey squirrels are going to have a hard winter as both the oaks and beech trees failed to crop this year, what acorns there are are very small and beech nuts are almost non existent as the nuts had dropped off the trees before they were ready due to very dry conditions at that time. The hazelnuts did better and produced a good crop which of course was stripped from the branches by our little squirrel friends who buried all they could, and what the squirrels left on the ground were eaten by the muntjac deer.

On the bird front the great crested grebe are still away on their moulting holiday. Our normal winter quota of cormorants are back either roosting in the waterside trees or on one of the nesting rafts out on the Broad. Tufted duck are turning up now along with gadwall. Herons are present all the time and you can come across them almost anywhere on the estate. The kingfishers have been prominent this month and best place to see them is from the floating observation platform. For those who haven't seen one yet please note they are starling sized, brilliant electric blue and fly at about 60 mph around 18 inches above the waters surface. There are lots of robins about now along with blackbirds some of which are winter visitors from Scandinavia. No sign yet of any of the other winter visitors, but they will turn up shortly.

All of the large dragonfly have finished for this year, quite a few common darters are still around and the odd willow emerald damselfly can still be found in the sunny spots. There are still red admiral butterflies and speckled woods flying in the sunny spots. 

I spotted a weasel crossing the Ranworth walk footpath just past henhouse corner, needless to say it didn't stop for pictures or autographs!  Three otters were observed at the Eastern end of the Broad, I suspect it's mother otter with her two kits.

Enjoy your next visit to Fairhaven, should you see anything unusual in the wildlife world please let us know.  Stay safe everyone.

Tab's Taberham
Wildlife/conservation Warden
Fairhaven Trust


Sunday Roasts

are back!


~    Table service    ~   
~    no booking required    ~   
~    limited seating     ~

Looking forward to seeing you soon!!
Christmas wreath workshops

**  Only a few spaces left!
Wednesdays in December **

£30 per person,  Members £25

To book, visit our events booking page
Boxing day Guided Walk
11am
Free to members
Join us for a stroll around the garden, enjoy the peace and tranquillity and walk off a few of those mince pies!
New Years Day Guided Walk
11am
Free to members
Start the New Year off on a positive step and to join us for a gentle stroll around the garden! 
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