In the woods:

The woods are home to squirells, foxes and badgers and an array of birdlife which are all frequent visitors to the cottage gardens. You may even be lucky to see an Otter. They have been sighted in the grounds and use the stream, which runs through the garden, as a thoroughfare, from their home in the reed beds and marshes of Caroline Grove a little over half a mile away.

Look and listen out for some of the following most prevalent birds and mammals, depending on the time of year:

Tawny Owl - A lasting nightime memory of Wood Cottage will be the soothing sound of ‘tu-whit- tu-whoo’, as the male and female owls talk to each other under the star lit night sky. There is a healthy population of the Tawny Owl at Wood Cottage and their calls echo through the wooded valleys surrounding the cottage after dark. Normally these nocturnal birds will lay three or four eggs in a nest in a hole in a tree. Their babies are called owlets and are grey downy creatures with big round faces and dark eyes like their parents. Adults develop a rich chestnut brown and buff mottling and feed on mice, rabbit and worm. Tawny owls are darker and slightly larger than Barn owls.

Noctule Bat - Appearing in the sky above the garden at sunset, this is a vulnerable, but the most common specie in Britain. It has a distinctive powerful and straight flight on narrow pointed wings. They fly in the open, often well above treetop level with repeated steep dives when chasing insects at up to 50 kph (30mph). They forage mainly at dusk for up to 2 hours and for about half an hour at dawn. They are selective about their tree hole roosts, preferring large uncluttered woodpecker holes high up in trees in less dense areas of woodland close to the woodland edge.

Robin - A cheery little bird found all year round in Wales, who loves plenty of undergrowth and is great company on walks through the Stackpole Estate. They will entertain you in the garden by their singing, hopping around and ready acceptance of food from the large patio bird table. Many live for just one year, although their numbers do appear to increase throughout the winter in Stackpole.

Great Tit - The largest of the tit family and a very common visitor to the cottage. They are resident throughout the year, and you will generally see them with other members of the tit family. Great Tits roost in holes and trees and most of their food takes the form of grubs and insects that live in trees, bushes and hedgerows.

Blue Tit - An all year round resident of the garden and woods, the Blue Tit is less timid than many other garden birds, and the first to arrive at any new feeder in the garden. They are often found in company with the Great Tit.

Chaffinch - Another full time resident of the area. The most common place to see them nesting is in the fork of a tree or a bush. Here they build neat round nests, using moss, lichen, wool, hair and feathers where they produce typically four to six grey eggs tinged with pink and covered in brown blotches. The female is less brightly coloured and often smaller than the male. The main sources of food for chaffinches are buds, berries and seeds. They are frequent guests to the bird table and so tame that they will continue to feed while you enjoy your breakfast on the patio!