31 July 2021

 

Mostly cloudy and wet today, but still a few more flowers to discover.  Common Fleabane grows in many of the damp areas around the course, particularly in the fen in front of the 3rd Blue.  This patch was on the 6th Blue.

Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica [6th Blue]

Very different, other than the name, Canadian Fleabane is common in the rough and on waste ground, but is rather inconspicuous - this plant growing in the Tubney range car park.

Canadian Fleabane Conyza canadensis [Tubney range]

This rather fearsome looking Wasp Spider was in the bushes behind the pond on the 3rd Blue.

Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi [3rd Blue]

In the background you can see Gypsywort - shown in better focus below:

Gypsywort Lycopus europaeus [3rd Blue]

Smooth Tare grows in among the rough on the left of the 11th Blue where it forms small bushes.

Smooth Tare Vicia parviflora [11th Blue]

Not much else around today, other than this juvenile Moorhen on the 9th Red.

Moorhen [9th Red]

29 July 2021

First time that I have been up to the club for a week or so after travelling to various golf events with Luke.  There were a couple of new dragonflies about.  The first is a Common Darter, which is fairly common around the course at the moment.

Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum [12th Blue]

The second is a Banded Demoiselle, which has a characteristic dark patch in the middle of its wings.  There were quite a few in the stream along the 2nd on the Blue.

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens [2nd Blue]

In Boundary Fen I came across this enormous caterpillar.  If all goes well it will turn into an Elephant Hawk Moth.

Elephant Hawk Moth Deilephila elpenor [Boundary Fen]

The heather on the Red and Green courses is starting to flower.  If you look closely you will see two different types.  Common Heather is the most abundant, but mixed in with this there is some Bell Heather, with somewhat larger bell shaped flowers.

Common Heather Calluna vulgaris [15th Red]

Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus on Bell Heather Erica cineria [15th Red]

Other flowers around the course at the moment include:

Water Mint Mentha aquatica [3rd Blue]

Harebells Campanula rotundifolia [4th Red]

Purple Loosetrife Lythrum salicaria [9th Blue]

Square-stalked St. John's-wort Hypericum tetrapterum [18th Red]

There are also numerous small birds around the course at the moment, enjoying the large numbers of flies. I spent some time around the 3rd on the Blue with the course closed for maintenance and the area behind the green was teeming with Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Chaffinches, Treecreepers, various warblers and at least 4 Spotted Flycatchers.

Spotted Flycatcher [3rd Blue]

Chiffchaff [3rd Blue]

Whitethroat [15th Red]

17 July 2021

It was baking hot today, which was good for butterflies and dragonflies.  There are a few whites about at the moment.  Small Whites seem to be the most common and are everywhere.  Green-veined Whites are also fairly common, particularly around the wood on the Blue.

Small White Pieris rapi [16th Red]

Green-veined White Pieris napi [14th Blue]

Great Mullein has the tallest spike of flowers on the course and is particularly common on the Red and Green course.

Great Mullein Verbascum thapsus [5th Green]

Wood Sage isn't quite as obvious, but grows in the shade to the left of the 14th Red.

Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia [14th Red]

A few birds out in the sunshine, but nothing unusual.

Grey Wagtail [Reservoir]

Red Kite [18th Red]

16 July 2021

 Lots of warblers flitting through the leaves of the small trees and shrubs of the Blue course this morning.

Blackcap [4th Blue]

Chiffchaff [3rd Blue]

Willow Warbler [4th Blue]

This Red Admiral was warming up on the left of the 5th Blue.

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta [5th Blue]

Whilst this Ringlet was drying out from the early morning due on the 3rd Blue.  With their underwing visible, you can see where the name comes from.

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus [3rd Blue]

A good crop of Wild Raspberries are starting to ripen on the left of the 14th Blue - tasted very sweet.

Raspberry Rubus idaeus [14th Blue]

In the wood on the Blue I found some Marsh Cudweed, which is actually a lot more common nationally than the Common Cudweed that grows in much of the rough around the estate and which, despite its name, is on the Oxfordshire Rare Plants Register.

Marsh Cudweed Gnaphalium uliginosum [6th Blue]

Common Cudweed Filago vulgaris [15th Blue]

15 July 2021

With a bit of patience I had some nice views of the Spotted Flycatchers on the left of the 4th Blue early this morning.  They are not the most colourful birds, but are quite easy to spot through their behaviour.  They tend to sit on a perch, fly to catch an insect, often hovering, and then return to the same spot.

Spotted Flycatchers [4th Blue]

There was also a noisy family of Nuthatches in the same area.

Nuthatch [4th Blue]

Flixweed is not the most glamorous plant.  It is more common in East Anglia, but is on the Oxfordshire rare plants register.  This one is on the 16th Red.

Flixweed Descurania sophia [16th Red]

14 July 2021

There were lots of Swallows and House Martins skimming around the car park this morning.  The House Martins were settling just by the car - they seemed to be stopping at puddles to drink and picking up dried grass from the tarmac - although it seems rather late to be building nests - maybe just a bit of DIY.

House Martins [Car park]

In the trees on the left of the 4th Blue there was a family of 4 Spotted Flycatchers, all too quick for me to photograph.  More static, but better camouflaged was this Treecreeper nearby.

Treecreeper [4th Blue]

There were lots of butterflies around this morning:

 

Comma [1st Blue]

Small Tortoiseshell [17th Blue]

.. and plenty of flowers still.  These were in the woodland clearing behind the 6th Blue.

Scentless Mayweed Tripleurospermum inodorum [6th Blue]

Greater Plantain Plantago major [6th Blue]

Pineappleweed Matricaria discoidea [6th Blue]

and these in the rough..

Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium [8th Blue]

Pale Persicaria Persicaria lapathifolia [16th Red]

12 July 2021

The rough around the course is a fantastic natural habitat this year, particularly for flowers - but more challenging for golfers.  There are lots of pink flowers out at the moment, quite a few of which are members of the thistle family:

Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare [Doghouse range]

Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra [Doghouse range]

Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa [6th Red]

Teasel Dipsacus fulonum [3rd Blue]

Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea [5th Red]

Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum [3rd Blue]

There are also various types of umbellifers in various places.  Two very similar ones growing in water are Lesser Water Parsnip, which grows in the stream on the 4th Green and Fool's Watercress, which grows in the ditch on the 2nd Blue

Lesser Water Parsnip Berula erecta [4th Green]

Fool's Watercress Apium nodiflorum [2nd Blue]

Rather yellow and growing on the 7th Green is Wild Parsnip.

Wild Parsnip Pastinaca sativa [7th Green]

The most common butterflies this weekend were Marbled White, this one has settled on a Musk Thistle.

Marbled White Melanargia galathea  [Doghouse range]

Ringlets were also very common in the rough.  Their dark colouring means that they warm up more quickly than most butterflies and can fly in cloudier conditions.

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus [12th Green]

There were a couple of Cormorants on the reservoir.  Cormorants feathers are less water-repellent than most birds so that their buoyancy is reduced, enabling them to swim more easily - hence the need to hold them out to dry in this characteristic posture.

Cormorant [Reservoir]

Also beside the reservoir was this large gaggle of Greylag Geese.

Greylag Geese [Reservoir]