29 January 2021

 

Had a walk around the various bits of the red and blue courses today.  I was hoping to see the first spring flowers - there are quite a few snowdrops elsewhere in Tubney, but I couldn't see anything on the course yet.

A few birds about, but nothing particularly unusual.  

• A couple of Mistle Thrushes on the driving range
• A large flock of Siskins on the 9th on the Blue
• A Goldcrest by the 12th tee.

Mistle Thrushes [Driving Range]

Goldcrest [12th Red]

Hedge Sparrow [5th Red]

Many thanks to Maurice Alphandary for sending through these pictures and a video of an otter taken in 2011 by a trail camera set up by the greenkeeping staff next to the pond on the 6th on the Blue. Apparently it ate all of the large fish and then moved on.

Otter [6th Red]

23 January 2021

 

Had a walk round the Blue and Red courses on another frosty morning.  The highlight was a large flock of around 40 Redpolls next to the ditch by the 13th tee on the Red.  Along with Siskins, these form large flocks around the course in the winter and feed on the seeds in the tall trees.  They are a rather inconspicuous small brown bird unless you get a close up view and can see the red crown and breast. They also manage somehow to always face away from the camera.  I managed to get a few photos and a brief video (please excuse the camera work)

Redpolls [13th Red]

Redpoll [13th Red]

Redpoll [13th Red]

There were also some Goldfinches mixed in with the Redpolls.

Elsewhere there were well over 100 Redwings on the 1st of the Blue.

Redwing [2nd Blue]

.. and some heather covered with frost

Common Heather Calluna vulgaris [13th Red]

22 January 2021

 

Had a brisk but chilly walk around the Red and Blue course in the sunshine this morning.  Notable birds included:

• Pair of common gulls still on the reservoir
• Cormorant flying over the 5th on the Blue
• Pheasant flew up from almost under my feet near the bird feeders on the 14th on the Red

Cormorant [5th Blue]

Pheasant [13th Red]

Long-tailed Tit [5th Red]

Chaffinch [5th Red]

17 January 2021

 Had a walk round the Red and Blue courses this morning.  Most notable sighting was a couple of Common Gulls on the reservoir.  I haven't seen these at Frilford before:

Common Gull [Reservoir]

Common Gull with Black-headed Gulls [Reservoir]

Otherwise on the reservoir there was the usual pair of Mallards, a Coot and two or three Little Grebes:

Mallard [Reservoir]

Little Grebe [Reservoir]

I couldn't see any flowers out yet, but other birds of note include:

• Crossbills [5th Blue]
• Raven [13th Blue]
• Lots of Great-spotted Woodpeckers.

Raven [13th Blue]

Robin [16th Red]

Goldfinch [1st Red]

11 January 2021

 Had a brief walk round the Red back nine this morning.  Most notable thing was the increase in birdsong - always cause for optimism.  In particular Great Tits, Blue Tits and Song Thrush.

The usual Jays and Magpies in the trees around the 12th and 13th.

Jay [13th Red]

A flock of 5 Greylag Geese also flew over.

Greylag Geese [13th Red]

Thanks also to this photo of a Buzzard with a hapless rabbit, sent through from Steve Baxter, taken on the Red course in October:

Buzzard [10th Red]

3 January 2021

 

Walked around the first 3 holes of the Blue course this morning.  Highlight was a female Reed Bunting on the 3rd. I don't recall seeing one at Frilford before.  I managed to get a shot through the reeds...

Reed Bunting [3rd Green]

Other notable birds included:

• Lots of siskins and goldfinches on the first 3 holes.
• Collard Dove - seen from the practice net area.
• Pheasant - two males on the first hole
• Around 50 Redwings on the 2nd fairway
• 3 or 4 Herring Gulls flying over

Siskin [2nd Blue]

On returning to the car park I noticed a buzzard in the trees on the yellow course which stayed put whilst I stayed in the car photographing.  

Buzzard [Yellow course]

Buzzard [Yellow course]

I think that this bird is the fairly tame one that is usually around the 2nd fairway on the Green in the evenings.  There are at least four resident Buzzards, in addition to this one, look out for:

• An unusually pale bird on the Green course, particularly around the 11th and 13th;
• Another that I see along the first on the Blue and in the tall trees on the left of the 4th and 5th; and
• One around the 13th of the Red and the 14th of the Green

Finally I had a quick trip to the Doghouse range where I saw a pair of Crossbills in the small pines at the far end and a couple of Roe Deer in the next field.

2 January 2021

 First trip out in 2021. Had a very pleasant walk around the Blue course in the sunshine.  Stood by the 4th tee as a waves of birds came through the oak trees between the 4th and 9th tees.  First a flock of Long-tailed tits with blue tits, great tits and a treecreeper mixed in...

Long-tailed Tit [4th Blue]

Treecreeper [4th Blue]

A flock of Siskins then arrived...

Siskin [4th Blue]

Then a mixed flock of finches arrived, including Goldfinches and four or five Crossbills.

Crossbill [4th Blue]

Crossbill [4th Blue]

Walking further down the 4th and 5th I had nice views of a Kestrel.

Kestrel [5th Blue]

There were also large numbers of Siskins in the trees to the left of the 9th and a Grey Wagtail alongside a Pied Wagtail on the 2nd.

Grey Wagtail [2nd Blue]

Finally, back past the 1st tee there were more Siskins and a Nuthatch.

Siskin [1st Blue]

Nuthatch [1st Blue]