Reed beds and open water. Waterside margins with soft rushes, irises, sedges and grasses. Beech woods, birch and hazel scrub woodland, wet grassland and flushes. Talkin Tarn has a variety of different habitats, attracting many different species of wildlife throughout the year.

Red squirrels frequent the bird and squirrel feeding area next to the tearoom, along with nuthatches and greater spotted woodpeckers.

The Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris can live up to seven years, and feed on pine seeds, berries, acorns, fungi and even tree bark. A red squirrel will construct a spherical nest called a Drey using twigs, moss and leaves. Although they do not hibernate in winter, they may shelter in their Dreys for days on end to avoid spells of bad weather.

During the summer months (May to August), the Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) emerge from their underwater home which they inhabit during their larval stage.

In the water, Damselfly nymphs feed on other aquatic insects, like freshwater shrimps, daphnia, and worms.

The nymphs emerge from the water by crawling up plant stems at the water's edge. Above the water line, they shed their larval skin and pump up their wings ready for flight.

Newly emerged damselflies are called tenerals, and are dull in colour, usually an olive bronze. They rest among the vegetation, feeding by picking small insects off the leaves, and wait for maturation into the brightly coloured adult damselfly.

Adult damselflies mate with the male clasping the female around the neck. The female lays her eggs among submerged vegetation.

Common Blue Damselflies are very similar to the Variable Damselfly and the Azure Damselfly, both of which can be found in the same habitat as the Common Blue Damselfly.

Common Blue Damselflies can be distinguished by the broad black stripes along the thorax.

An easy way to distinguish a damselfly from a dragonfly is damselflies hold their wings back along the line of their bodies when at rest. Dragonflies hold their wings splayed out when at rest.

Other species of wildlife that you may encounter at Talkin Tarn include the Otter (Lutra lutra), badgers (Meles meles), foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus).

Autumn brings a show of colours from the autumnal trees and the splendour of the fungi of all shapes sizes and colours, growing from nooks and crannies around the woodland.

The winter months bring a variety of birds to the open water, to feed and roost in safety. Among the usual Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), there are Wigeon (Anas penelope), Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) and Mute swans (Cygnus olor) as well as gulls and geese.