29 April 2021

 Another of the sunny frosty mornings that have characterised April this year.   The unmistakable flower of Cuckoo-pint is quite evident around all of the courses at the moment.  This one was beside the stream on the 2nd Blue

Cuckoo Pint Arum maculatum [2nd Blue]

At least one Kingfisher is quite active in the evenings at the moment, I've seen it quite often when having a quick nine holes on the Blue.  The Crossbills are still around as well, although the numbers are not as high as winter and they tend to be in the tops of the pines.  

Swallows are quite common all over the courses.  These two were on the wire around the reservoir:

Swallows [Reservoir]

There were a pair of Goldcrests in the pines next to the driving range.  They are the smallest bird in the UK (jointly with Firecrests, which are much rarer) and have a striking yellow stripe on their head when viewed from the right angle:

Goldcrest [Tubney driving range]

There was also a Greenfinch singing next to the car park:

Greenfinch [Tubney driving range]

and Roe Deer in the field next the 2nd Blue:

26 April 2021

Sunny but cold and windy.  I had a quick walk around the Blue first thing followed by nine holes in the evening.  I came across a couple of very tame Mistle Thrushes admiring my drive down the 7th.  Some birds are a lot less wary in the summer - during the winter it was difficult to get close without them taking flight.  There are quite a lot around the course at the moment - they are larger than Song Thrushes and always appear quite long-necked.

Mistle Thrush [7th Blue]

I saw another large thrush this morning - a Fieldfare on the 5th.  This one is very late - most of the other winter thrushes disappeared very quickly some time in March.  

Fieldfare [5th Blue]

On the far left of the 4th I found some Honesty, one of the more colourful weeds of rough ground.

Honesty Lunaria annua [4th Blue]

I put a trail camera down besides the stream behind the 3rd Green.  I was hoping to get images of Water Voles.  I didn't get any, but an Otter did pass through:

Otter [3rd Blue]

Mostly though I got images of Brown Rats, which I guess is not surprising.  Prioritising science over aesthetics, I have included a quick video:

25 April 2021

 

Had a walk around the Blue and Red first thing.  The Gadwalls had temporarily moved from the reservoir to the pond on the 3rd of the Blue - this is the male.

Gadwall [3rd Blue]

There were plenty of Mallards about on the 4th and 5th fairways.  I often see this male, which is a Mallard, but with rather aberrant plumage, although it doesn't look to have stopped him finding a mate:

Mallards [5th Blue]

There were plenty of Blackcaps singing.  This one was behind the 6th tee on the Blue:

Around the reservoir, the Common Sandpiper seems to be a fixture now:

Common Sandpiper [Reservoir]

There were also some House Martins along with the Swallows.  These are the first that I have seen this year - notice the shorter tail and White Rump.

House Martins (Reservoir)

I walked around Boundary Fen, which is the marshy area to the left of the 13th on the Red which has been worked on by Abingdon Green Gym over lockdown.  I couldn't see too many new flowers there, but there was some White Comfrey behind the 14th tee.  

White Comfrey Symphytum orientale [14th Red]

The small wood to the left of the 13th tee is full of Yellow Archangel, a rather attractive flower with variegated leaves, as well as Stinging Nettles - so don't go in wearing shorts.

Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon [13th Red]

Finally I called in at the Doghouse range to scan the short grass for anything unusual.  I managed to spot Subterranean Clover, which is quite rare, particularly away from the sea and one of the specialty of the estate.  It gets its name from the way that it's fruits bury themselves underground, planting themselves.  It is a tiny plant - I put a tee in the picture to give an idea of scale:

Subterranean Clover Trifolium subterraneum [Doghouse Range]

I also photographed a couple of other more common, but equally tiny plants:

Common Whitlow Grass Erophila verna [Doghouse Range]

Early Forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima [Doghouse Range]

24th April 2021

 

Another crisp clear morning, with plenty of different birds singing.  Blackbirds are one of the most common birds around the estate and are singing all over the courses at the moment.  Their song does not quite have the musical quality or clarity of a Song Thrush.  I've also only noticed this year that they seem to start singing slightly later than thrushes - perhaps for fear of being shown up.  This one was on the 8th, you can also hear a Wren in the background.

There are lots of warblers singing around the course.  I heard at least three Willow Warblers and numerous Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.  This clip is a Chiffchaff on the 6th, but you can also hear a Blackcap singing in the background.

I saw and heard a Lesser Whitethroat on the left of the 2nd on the Blue, towards the end of the fairway.  They are rather shy birds and difficult to spot, and have a white throat with uniform grey upper-parts and dark legs.  I heard one in the same spot last year, so hopefully it should be around for the summer.

Lesser Whitethroat [2nd Blue]

 Like most warblers, Lesser Whitethroats have a distinctive song, in their case ending with a bit of trill - diggadiggadiggadigga, which you can hear in this brief clip:

There are lots of Linnets singing around the course all over the Blue and Red - this one was on the 5th Red:

The Reed Buntings are also still around the 3rd and 4th on the Blue:

Reed Bunting [3rd Blue]

There are quite a few mammals around at the moment.  I regularly see Roe Deer and Muntjac.  There are a few baby rabbits about and at least 2 pairs of Brown Hares on the Blue course.  This one was on the 15th.

Brown Hare [15th Blue]

Hares are longer-legged than rabbits and also move very differently:

I had a nice moment walking along the footpath beside the 5th on the Red when a Stoat ran towards me, seemingly oblivious to my presence until the last minute.  I could just have done with a bit more warning to get the camera set up properly.

22 April 2021

A sunny but frosty morning today.  Just some familiar birds about. These are the first Swallows that I have been able to photograph - on the wire around the reservoir.  I saw the first one on 1st April and numbers have been steadily increasing.

Swallow [Reservoir]

The number of pheasants on the course is also starting to increase.  It's hard to fathom how many of these are released ahead of the shooting season.  According the study that I read, the total number released each year is around 47 million.  At the start of the shooting season this means that over 60% of total UK bird biomass is made up of pheasants, i.e. around 150% of the total for the rest of the birds in the UK.

Pheasant [16th Red]

A couple of other familiar birds and animals in the sunshine.

Hedge Sparrow [6th Red]

Blackbird [16th Red]

Muntjac [5th Red]

21 April 2021

Headed out this morning for a walk around the Blue.  Was hoping to see some migrant birds, but settled for some interesting flowers instead.  

Field Pansies are delicate little flowers - it is well worth topping your drive short left off the 7th to have an excuse to look at them.

Field Pansy Viola arvensis [7th Blue]

Not too far away in the wood there is lots of Wood Sorrell.  Just outside is Bugloss - A less spectacular relative of Viper's Bugloss that is common on the courses. 

Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella [behind 6th Blue]

Bugloss Anchusa arvensis [6th Blue]

There is quite a lot of Cuckoo Flower (also known as Lady's Smock) around the damp areas of the Blue and Green at the moment.  This patch was in the rough between the 8th and 11th on the Blue.

Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis [8th Blue]

There is lots of Springbeauty all over the waste areas of the course.  It is actually an alien species introduced from North America in 1794.  Apparently it is quite good in salads. Look out for the fleshy leaves anywhere that is sandy.  This patch was on the 7th Blue.

Springbeauty Claytonia perfoliata [7th Blue]

I managed to find a better specimen of Heath Dog Violet on the 4th of the Green.

Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [4th Blue]

There were a couple of calling Woodpigeons when I got back to the car - they nest in the Leylandii around the chipping area.  

20 April 2021

Had a quick walk this morning around the reservoir and the top of the Red course.  Most notable sighting was around 20 Sand Martins over the reservoir - sadly too fast for me to get a photo.  

Later on I walked along the footpath next to the first few of the Red to photograph the flowers.  Sticky Mouse-ear is very similar to Little Mouse-ear, but very close inspection shows that it has 10 styles rather than 5 for the latter, it also usually has a cluster of flowers.

Sticky Mouse-ear Cerastium glomeratum [5th Red]

There is a lot of Dove's foot Cranesbill all over the course, just now starting to come into flower.

Dove's-foot Cranesbill Geranium molle [3rd Red]

Same with Garlic Mustard - plenty of this on the 16th on the Green as well as around the first few holes of the Red and besides the practice net.

Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata [18th Blue]

This Summer Snowflake is presumably a garden escape and grows by the bridge on the way to the Blue course.

Summer Snowflake Leucojum aestivan [1st Red]

There is quite a lot of Moschatel on the footpath, particularly between the 1st and 2nd on the Red:

Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina [1st Red]

I've kept a look out for Heath Dog Violets which are found on the course.  They have a yellow spur and rather less heart-shaped leaves that the Common Dog Violet.  I think that this rather moth-eaten specimen is one from the footpath by the side of the 5th on the Red.  I think that there are also some by the fen on the 4th on the Green.

Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [5th Red]

Another butterfly, a Speckled Wood, also by the 5th on the Red.

Speckled Wood [5th Red]

19 April 2021

 

A sunny evening on the Green course, spoiled only by the dreadful quality of my golf.   A couple of flowers at opposite ends of the size spectrum.  Field mustard (also known as Wild Turnip) is growing out of one of the piles of sand near the greenkeepers huts:

Field Mustard Brassica rapa [5th Green]

The tiny Barren Strawberry grows behind the 14th tee and, as its name suggests, will not be providing any fruits later in the season.

Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis [14th Green]

Also look out for the Bulbous Buttercups on the edge of the 12th.  These are earlier than other buttercups and have characteristic reflexed sepals:

Bulbous Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus [12th Green]

18 April 2021

 

Had a walk around the Red and Blue courses this morning.  A few more plants to tick off for the year, although I'm learning that identification of a lot of species is far from straightforward.  Bluebells are one flower that is fairly easy and a few are appearing on the left of the 13th on the Red.

Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta [13th Red]

This small shrub grows in some quantity on the the left of the 13th on the Red and I think that they are some sort of currant.  I will go for Red Currant for the moment and will hopefully get further clues when they fruit.

Red Currant Ribes rubrum [13th Red]

I think that this is a Dove's Foot Cranesbill on the left of the 15th on the Blue:

Doves-foot Cranesbill Geranium molle [15th Blue]

I think that this is a Wood Forget-me-not on the left of the 13th Red.

Wood Forget-me-not  Myosotis sylvatica [13th Red]

I think that this is Slender Speedwell on the 3rd on the Red.

Slender Speedwell Veronica filiformis [3rd Red]

This is definitely Field Mouse-ear - with the 15th on the Red in the background.

Field Mouse-ear Cerastium arvense [15th Red]

Not too much around bird-wise.  A few more Swallows, four Tufted Duck on the pond by the 4th tee on the Blue and lots of Linnets in the gorse on the 5th and 15th Red, where I think that they nest.

Tufted Duck [4th Blue]

Linnet [5th Red]

Song Thrush [6th Blue]