Fairhaven October Newsletter

It looks as though October will be an interesting month for us all again! We had hoped to open the inside seating area of the tearoom but with things changing on an almost daily basis again we have taken the decision to delay this until we are confident we can manage this safely for our visitors and staff. We are investigating alternatives and will keep you posted.

The weather in recent days has also tripped us up a little and sadly the strong winds and heavy downpours have battered a large number of our trees, meaning we had to close the garden to visitors for a few days. Matt and our trusty team of volunteers have been hard at work to get the damage cleared and the garden is reopen for you to visit, but with dozens of trees still needing works to keep them healthy it looks like our Head Forester Matt will be busy! Much of our work in the garden is pre-emptive and has enormously reduced the potential for damage in this type of weather but nature is formidable and can wreak havoc on the healthiest of trees. It's not all doom and gloom though, the space created by the fallen trees and lost limbs will allow smaller trees and shrubs below to thrive and make way for the next generation of woodland. We will of course be planting some more trees throughout the garden to help plug some of the gaps.

On a more positive note though the damp weather has encouraged lots of weird and wonderful fungi to appear in the garden and the new path along the Ranworth walk will be open for you to explore at the end of next week (It was open as planned mid September but tree works have temporarily closed it again!). This is a favourite part of the garden for our resident Muntjac deer population so keep your eyes peeled! We have also re-opened the floating platform over in the West Garden and this is a great place to watch the migrant waterfowl coming in for the Winter. A word with Tabs when he's on his rounds will also get you the location of the sweet spot to see Kingfishers on the platform.

Thank you for continuing to support us, and we look forward to seeing you soon!!
Louise

What’s On Wildlife this Month

What a month September has been, so dry for most of the month and then gales and torrential rain and low temperatures to see the month out. Rain was needed to get the Autumn fungi going and refresh the shallow rooted trees and shrubs. Most of the wildlife seems to get through the bad weather unscathed, especially the animals, the otters, foxes, hedgehogs, squirrels, stoats and weasels. Butterflies and dragonflies don't fare quite as well, but at Fairhaven there is large numbers of broad leafed trees they make use of for shelter from the wind and rain. Laurel and rhododendrons being particularly useful in this respect, also they are a source of honeydew on which a myriad of insects feed and it is very important that we nurture these tiny insects as they form the start of the circle of life. Without the little insects there would be no larger insects, without them we would have no birds etc. Fairhaven is quite unique in having several thousands of different species of insects of all shapes and sizes among which we have over forty species of bugs that are rare, very rare or thought to be extinct within the UK. Why are we so lucky to have so many different insects on the estate and for me the main reason is that the organic principles Lord Fairhaven set out are still used today. We have recorded in the past seven years just over one hundred different bird species, seventeen different species of dragonflies and damselflies including the rare Norfolk Hawker dragonfly and the Willow Emerald damselfly.75% of British bat species live on the estate and we try and carry out a census on them every two years or so and the populations seem to be stable.

On the bird front all the migratory have departed leaving the odd Cetti's warbler, Blackcap and sedge warbler who will hopefully get through our coming winter. Mid month we had a visit from a hobby, it stayed for two days filling itself full of as many dragonflies that it could get it's talons into. A few Wintering ducks have arrived in the form of teal, gadwal and two pairs of tufted ducks. more will arrive over the coming weeks. Green woodpeckers can be seen and heard in the oaked areas of the estate along with Pied Woodpeckers and jays are busy, along with the squirrels collecting and storing acorns of which this year there has been a good crop. The beech trees also have a good crop and hopefully will attract the bramblings during the Winter months.
Most of the waterbirds have finished their moults and are showing themselves. Members of all the tit families have completed this annual trauma and have come out of hiding.

The kingfishers are busy along the water front, but if it is windy they will retreat into the wooded dykes where the surface of the water is calm. During the month I was lucky enough to see a lesser spotted woodpecker in the West end of the estate, we have had two pairs here for at least five years, but they are secretive and seem to stick to a quite small area of woodland.

Some small changes to the pandemic rules have allowed us to open the floating observation platform at the Western end of the Broad and like all the pathways on the estate we would ask our visitors to please adhere to the Covid 19 safety instructions at all times and be mindful of others.

We look forward to seeing you on your next visit, take care and stay safe

Tab's Taberham
Wildlife/conservation Warden
Fairhaven Trust .

Don't forget, our groceries store is still running, email your order or pop in!

Last few paddle boarding sessions of the season, beginners & now intermediate available!

Prices from
non members: £25 Members: £22.50
Suitable for age 8+. Booking essential.
Wet suits available for a separate charge.
Price includes garden entry.

More events are being added throughout the month, keep an eye on our facebook page and website for more information

Warden walk with Tabs

Take a walk on the wild side every first Friday of the month with Tabs, our Wildlife Warden, and get inside knowledge of what makes our woodland garden such a unique environment of diverse habitats. All of which are organically managed, which makes it great for wildlife - some of it quite rare.

Booking only as limited spaces. Includes garden entry.

Please bring your membership card with you on the day - if you have one.

Book events here

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