Pulling out some new oak posts for the folly as they are needing replacing, from the bank near the car park, nearly jumped out of my skin, a fox appeared out of the ground right under my feet. After my heart slowed down to normal I noticed the fox had dug himself a cosy nest in the old thatching straw piled by the oak tree.
Super mouse has struck again, I recovered a whole sack full of peanuts from under the seat of the caravan yet again.
 A new sighting can be recorded at Tanglewood , a goldcrest was spotted in a tree, fantastic.
The squirrels are becoming braver now and even taking corn from the chicken run.

what a difference a day makes. Sun switched off, fog and drizzle. Not a single dragonfly or butterfly to be seen.
19 Mallard ducks waiting for breakfast  (a new record!!!!)
Colder evenings drawing in so made a start  cutting and splitting wood from the big beech that came down in the gales of Feb 2014.

Feels like August, sun shining, butterfly and dragonflies a plenty. Can't last can it???
Embryonic "EDEN" on a budget is now open, so in the unlikely event of rain! you can eat your picnic in the dry.
The kingfisher is back again after a 2 week break, came and perched near me on Round pond for 4 1/2 minutes.
The dragonflies and butterflies stay with us this week enjoying the last of the summer sun.
A pair of ravens delight us with a spectacular flying display, apparently just for the joy of it.

Super mouse strikes again, has taken back a full bucket in 7 days!
Crows are starting to use the wood as winter roost, after breeding season has finished. First to arrive are the jackdaws very noisy, followed as darkness draws in by crows and finally ravens (quite a spectacle)
Sloes are nice and ripe, and have picked first batch and am trying sloe vodka this year instead of the traditional sloe gin, am told you get more flavour of the sloes, will wait and see.
A new bench in situ, custom made from an old cast iron bath, ideal seat to "soak up the silence".
Three 12 week old orphans have been rehomed at Tanglewood, they will join our menagerie of wild animals and hopefully live a long and happy life here.
Although we have been enjoying some beautiful warm sunny days, there is a chill in the air and we are on the final month of our year.  We have St Marys  C of E preschool children coming for a visit next week, which will probably be our last school trip until next year now,
The blackberries are nearly finished now, but lots of hips and haws, in the hedgerow, plenty of food for the birds.

Who would believe that a tiny mouse could steal half a sack of peanuts in shell, carry them one at a time and hide them under the seat in the caravan? well he did!!! Eyes bigger than his belly? Grand daughters really enjoyed seeing him and then removing all but a small pile so he could still have some.
17 mallard ducks on Bridge pond this morning, record number, all after a free breakfast.
The Heron has aspirations to be a kingfisher, on several occasions this week we have found him perched on the Kingfisher pole (not really designed for his weight)
Squirrels must be stocking up for winter as there was a queue of three for the nut feeder.
Weather very changeable this week, only a few more weeks until we close for the winter, lots of jobs on list to be done over the winter months.

Mallard drakes  (7 or 8) are displaying mating behaviour with their feather washing and whistles, bit too early me thinks!!
Early morning sighting of Kingfisher, looking very blue in sunshine, he seems to be visiting Tanglewood almost daily just now.
Lots of butterflies have been spotted on the buddleia, this has been seen on a few of the glorious days we have had over the past week. the weather is becoming autumnal now with a fresh feel and colder in the evenings, the embryonic eden (on a budget) will need shutting up at night now to protect the tropical plants we have planted, but it has done very well and the plants are beginning to flourish so next year we expect a jungle for our visitors to walk through and enjoy.
Grass cutting is getting less frequent, every two weeks now instead of every week.
The swallows that have been swooping down on the ponds to drink are now gathering on electric wires preparing themselves to leave for the winter.
The one surviving duckling, of the late hatch of 9 is now half grown so fingers crossed he will now survive.
We had the badger ladies in the wood trapping our badgers for inoculation and the good news is that having inoculated two last year we have now had three vaccinated this year.
Having a look at bees this weekend , we have the awful feeling that the stronger hive has robbed the weaker hive, will update next week.

Autumn has arrived the trees are turning brown especially the sycamore which are dropping their leaves daily. There are lost of blackberries and sloes, the visiting children are all leaving with stained lips and tongues.
Are we turning into a nation of wimps? After a record number of garden visitors over two days (fri and sat with sun shining) Sunday we had a couple of spots of rain and hardly any visitors at all.
Although we are getting very good reviews on Trip Advisor, thank you
Cormorant found fishing on Bridge pond, first time this summer, maybe sea is too full of Bank Holiday sailors, wind surfers, jet ski's etc and he has come to Tanglewood for a bit of peace and quiet!!
The Kingfisher was spotted on Bridge pond, was watched perched on the willow for 30 seconds before flitting away.
The Badger ladies have put baited cages out ready to collect our badgers for inoculation this will be the second year of a three year programme.
Cormorant back again this time bringing two friends with him!! and the kingfisher put in two more appearances and a whistle.
The white hive has a new queen and will be checked on in a week to see if laying , fingers crossed.