22 June 2025

 Played a couple of times on the Blue course this weekend and had a walk around the Red course.  It itsnoticeable that the rough is getting longer.   One of the more attractive plants that you may come across if your driving is errant is the Musk Mallow.  There are plenty on the Red course.  This one was behind the 4th.

Musk Mallow [4th Red]

I have looked hard, but seen very few snakes around the estate over the last three or four years.  Last week I saw a very small grass snake next to the 13th tee on the Red but was unable to get a photo before it slithered off.  On the Blue course however I came across this Grass Snake in front of the 2nd tee.  It had captured a frog, and unless I have badly misread the situation, the frog was having a pretty bad time.

Snakes are able to dislocate their jaws in order to swallow prey that is wider than their mouth.  Even with this tick this snake looked to have bitten off more than it could swallow.  

Grass Snake [2nd Blue]

There were a pair of Spotted Flycathers around the 3rd and 9th on the Blue.

Spotted Flycatcher [8th Blue]

After the excitement of hearing and occasionally seeing a Lesser Whitethroat on the 5th Red in May I came across a pair of Common Whitethroats today, clearly nesting close by.  These are a little less secretive than the Lesser Whitethroat and I was able to get a couple of photos.  The male is in the top photo and is a little more colourful than the female (bottom photo)

Whitethroats [5th Red]

It is good to see that the Stock Doves are still nesting somewhere near the greenkeepers' shed on the 16th Blue. This pair was on the roof today.

Stock Dovers [16th Blue]

Linnets are always a feature of the course in summer.  They nest in the gorse, particularly on the 5th and 15th on the Red. This one was singing on 15th.

Finally I came across this moth in the car park.  It is called Burnished Brass due to the colouring on it's upper wings:

Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis [car park]

19 May 2025

I played the front nine of the Blue this evening.   This large bracket fungus is growing on one of the willows by the second tee.  I think that it is Dryad' Saddle - sometimes called pheasant’s back because the brown scales on top give the appearance of a pheasant’s plumage

Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamous [2nd Blue]

There are two types of geese commonly found at Frilford.  Canada Geese are the most common.  There were 8 of them next to the 8th tee today.  4 of them joined me on tee, bravely standing directly in front - presumably to get a good view of my swing.  

Canada Geese [8th Blue]

The other geese that are commonly on the course are Greylag Geese.   In April I came across this individual on the 4th that looks like a hybrid between the two species:

Canada x Greylag Goose [4th Blue]

18 May 2025

 

I played the Blue course again today.  Nice to see the Yellow Flag Irises coming into flower in the marshy area on the 9th.

Yellow Flag Iris pseudacorus [9th Blue]

The caterpillars of the Peacock Butterfly feed exclusively on nettles.  There were plenty on this patch.  The adults are more attractive than their larvae!

Peacock caterpillars Aglais io [5th Blue]

Lots of Mistle Thrushes around the estate at the moment.  This one was near the 6th green.

Mistle Thrush [6th Blue]

Really nice to see that Spotted Flycatchers have returned again this year.  This was one of a pair by the 10th tee.

Sptted Flycatcher [10th Blue]

14 May 2025

 Had a walk around the estate today.  This year I have heard a Lesser Whitethroat on the course for the first time in a few years.  Its territory seems to be centred around the footpath to the left of the 5th on the Red course.  They are easy to hear, but virtually impossible to see or photograph as they generally stay hidden in bushes.  In several hours of trying, this is the best picture that I managed to get.

Lesser Whitethroat [5th Red]

There also Linnets nesting in the gorse in this area.  They are a little less secretive and there are lots of them.

Linnet [5th Red]

A little lower down the footpath you can find a patch of Heath Dog Violets, one of Frilford's speciality flowers.  They are a bit bluer than the more common violets and have a yellow spur.

Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [4th Red]

Cinnabar moths are quite common on the courses at this time of year.  They have distinctive red colouring and fly during the day.  Later in the year, look out for their black and yellow caterpillars.  This one was on the grass on the 1st Blue.

Cinnabar  Tyria jacobaeae [1st Blue]

Also on the 1st Blue I came across this freshwater mussel shell.  I suspect that this may have been eaten by an otter and left on the fairway.

Freshwater Mussel [1st Blue]

1 March 2025

 

I haven't posted for a while as I haven't seen much to write about over the winter.  There seem to have been the normal flocks of Redpoll and Siskins and quite a few Redwing, such as the one below, but nothing too spectacular.

Redwing [1st Blue]

However, today I went for a walk around the front few holes of the Blue this morning and came across a pair of Teal on the pond by the 3rd.  These are small ducks and the male is quite spectacular when you see it in the sunlight.  The male has a red and green head, whilst the female is dressed for camouflage rather than show.  This is the first time that I have seen them on the estate and whilst they may be looking to nest, I suspect that the resumption of play on the opening holes of the Blue may put them off.

Teal - male [3rd Blue]

Teal - female [3rd Blue]

There were also plenty of Coot and Moorhen, as well as Mallard and Mute Swans on the ponds by the 3rd and 4th.

Coot [3rd Blue]

6 October 2024

 

I haven't seen much of note around the estate for the past couple of months, so haven't posted for a while, but I played golf this weekend in the sunshine (Saturday) and the rain (Sunday) and came across a few things. I saw a stoat for the first time in a while on the 11th Blue, but it was too quick for me to get to my bag and get the camera.

On the next hole, this young Grey Heron was more obliging.  I suspect that it is the same one that I usually see on the 3rd and 4th holes.  This is the first time that I have seen it on the 12th - it was looking intently in the grass behind the green - presumably for frogs or mice - I'm not quite sure.

Grey Heron [12th Blue]

On the same hole the next day I came across a group of three Red-legged Partridges.  I see these occasionally on the Blue course - usually running away.

Red-Legged Partridges [12th Blue]

On the Red course I came across a Red Kite feeding on what looked like a rabbit.

Red Kite [15th Red]

The Stonechats still seem to be around the course.  I have seen them occasionally over the summer, but not with any regularity.  There was a pair near the reservoir.

Stonechat [Reservoir]

Plenty of Rooks around the course at the moment looking for grubs in the fairways. 

Rook [11th Blue]

I hit a great shot 5 wood onto the green close on the 11th and you can understand my distress seeing one of the Rooks take a liking to my ball, roll it off the green and carry it off into the rough.  

This is the second time that I have seen corvids do this.  Here is a similar occurrence with a Carrion Crow a couple of years ago..

https://youtu.be/lSL9wEph1Sk

14 July 2024

 I had a walk in the sunshine this morning.  In July and August there are usually a lot of juvenile birds around the estate.  They have typically fledged by now and are learning to feed, often in a family party.  The noisiest family parties are definitely Green Woodpeckers.  There are lots of them around the courses at the moment.  This juvenile was one of several calling very loudly for several minutes to the left of the 3rd Blue.

Green Woodpecker [3rd Blue]

When I took a detour from the 3rd tee to investigate the reason for the commotion became clear - you can see a nearby Buzzard in the background of the next picture.

Not far away, this juvenile Grey Heron was behind the 4th tee and the juvenile Blackcap was one of several to the left of the 5th Red.

Grey Heron [4th Blue]

Blackcap [5th Red]

7 July 2024

I played a few times this week.  Nothing particularly unusual around the estate at the moment.  The Spotted Flycatchers are still about around the 9th Blue, but not much else.  One thing of note at the moment is the large number of Mallards on the pond on the 4th Blue.  I counted 20, including this white one, trying rather unconvincingly to conceal itself among the reeds.

Mallard [4th Blue]

I see Feral Pigeons flying over from time to time, but have not seen one on the course until now.  This one was very tame and was feeding on seeds on the 8th on the Green.  Judging by the tags, this one looks like a racing pigeon.  These are actually descended from Rock Doves, which inhabited cliffs before moving to towns and cities for a ready supply of food.  You can still find wild Rock Doves in Scotland and Northern Ireland and their descendants in any urban environment.

Feral Pigeon [8th Green]

Whilst many of the flowers are starting to go over, you can still see a few rarities in Two Pine Fen on the 4th Green/16th Red.  Marsh Lousewort has recently been reintroduced in an attempt to restore the habitat here and at Boundary Fen.  One plant that has benefited is Marsh Helleborine, which is arguably the most attractive of the orchids to be found at Frilford.

Marsh Helleborine Epipactis palustris [16th Red]

Marsh Lousewort Pedicularis palustris [4th Green]

Found this Common Cockchafer wandering across the 14th fairway.  They are more numerous in early summer, hence there other name 'May Bug'.

Common Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha [14th Blue]

9 June 2024

 

Lots of sunshine in the early morning this weekend.  It was nice to see that the Spotted Flycatchers have returned.  There are usually three or four pairs that nest on the estate.  Today I saw a pair behind the 10th tee on the Blue and to the right of the 9th fairway.

Spotted Flycatcher [10th Blue]

There was a Herring Gull on the 11th fairway on the Blue.  I don't see them very often at Frilford, more usual are Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls.  They are large gulls with a light grey back and black wingtips, more usually seen steeling your fish and chips at the seaside.

Herring Gull [11th Blue]

In Two Pine Fen, some of the rarer flowers are starting to appear.   These Meadow Thistles are dotted about but easy to see.   Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchids grow in the middle and stout footwear is required to visit.  I can also see a lot of Marsh Helleborine coming into bud.

Meadow Thistle Cirsium dissectum [16th Red]

Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides [16th Red]

Another of Frilford's rare flowers, the Maiden Pink, is in flower to the right of the 10th tee green.

Maiden Pink Dianthus deltoides [10th Green]

There is also a nice display of Southern March Orchids to the left of the 3rd fairway on the Green.

Southern Marsh Orchids Dactylorhiza praetermissa [3rd Green]