Walk on the Wild Side

Take a walk on the wild side on Friday, January 4, from 9am to 10.30am, with Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden’s volunteer wildlife warden, Trevor ‘Tabs’ Taberham, and get the inside track on what makes Fairhaven such an important place for wildlife.

Tabs will be leading wildlife tours at 9am on the first Friday of the month throughout 2019, plus the third Wednesday of the month from May to October, offering visitors a great opportunity to monitor the wild year in the garden.

This is a booking only event, t. 01603 270449, www.fairhavengarden.co.uk. The walk is included in the garden entry price, adult £6.85, concessions £6.60, children £3.95 and free to Fairhaven members and under 5s.

Tabs explains what could be on offer: “Wildlife is rarely predictable; each day’s sightings are different. This is what makes my visits to Fairhaven so interesting and enjoyable. There is a good chance of seeing goldcrests, the UKs smallest bird, as we walk along the laurel hedge bordering the woodland. There will be gadwall, teal and mallard ducks in the dykes, and in the woodland we should see greater spotted woodpeckers and blue, great, longtailed, coal and marsh tits. If we are lucky we might see the lesser spotted woodpecker and, if the Broad is clear of ice, we could chance on a kingfisher. The cormorants will be out on the Broad, and we might spot our resident muntjac deer and fawn.”

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden is at South Walsham, half way between Great Yarmouth and Norwich, signposted off A47 at B1140 junction.

The garden is open daily all year, 10am to 4pm during the winter (closed Christmas Day), free entry to tearoom, gift shop and plant sales. There is wheelchair access throughout the garden, including a Sensory Garden. Visitors requiring special facilities are advised to telephone in advance, mobility scooters available. Dogs are welcome on leads; small charge to cover poop scoop.