24 April 2022

 

Another sunny spring day.  A few familiar summer migrants are starting to reappear.  I have seen Swallows around the reservoir and the ponds on the Blue and House Martins over the clubhouse.  Whitethroats are singing around the course - I have heard them on the 4th Blue and two or three at the Doghouse Range.

Swallow (Reservoir)

Whitethroat (Doghouse range)

There are also plenty of colourful resident birds about too. I saw this Green Woodpecker and Robin on the Doghouse range and a Kingfisher which was perched just beyond the 4th tee on the Blue.

Green Woodpecker (Doghouse range)

Robin (Doghouse range)

Kingfisher (4th Blue)

Equally colourful are these Marsh Marigolds which offer consolation to those going in the hazard on the 9th Blue and the first Orchid of the year in Two-Pine Fen.

Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris [9th Blue]

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

Stoats are quite evident at the moment I have seen them sprinting across the fairways 2 or 3 times in the last couple of weeks.

21 April 2022

 

Glorious day today.  Went out for a walk this morning and played the back nine of the Red this evening. 

The highlight was watching a Water Vole beside the stream at the back of the 3rd Blue first thing.  Water Voles have declined by 95% in the UK since the 1970s, due to habitat loss and predation by Mink.  They need slow-flowing streams like the one on the Blue course and typically range over a stretch of about 120 metres.  I have seen one a couple of times before, but only very briefly.  This one seemed oblivious to my presence.

Water Vole [3rd Blue]

Here are the video highlights.  These mostly contain eating - not surprising given that a Water Vole needs to consume 80% of its body weight each day.  I've tried this a few times myself, and it's not easy to do - certainly not day after day eating grass.

On the 18th of the Red I came across this flower. Whilst it looks like the Primroses nearby - Primrose flowers only grow singly.  It is either an Oxlip, which is a very scarce plant, or a False Oxlip, which is a cross between a Cowslip and a Primrose and the more likely.  

False Oxlip Primula vulgaris x veris [18th Red]

Easier to identify are the Fairy Foxgloves which brighten up the car park.

Fairy Foxglove Erinus alpinus [Car park]

15 April 2022

 

Beautiful morning on Good Friday.  I took the chance to walk the perimeter of the Red and Blue courses in particular to have a look at the spring flowers.  It was apt that one of the flowers in evidence, for those prepared to search, is Moschatel, which is also known as the Good Friday Plant.  It grows in most of the shady wooded areas on the course, but its green flowers are hard to spot.

Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina [18th Green]

More conspicuous in the wood behind the 6th Blue is Wood Sorrel, which is a delicate white flower with distinctive clover-like leaves.

Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella [6th Blue]

The wood to the left of the 13th Red is full of Yellow Archangel which has distinctive variagated foliage and yellow flowers.

Yellow Archangel Lamium galeobdolon [13th Red]

Other flowers include Honesty a colourful roadside weed and Greater Periwinkle on the left of the 17th Green.

Honesty [Doghouse range]

Greater Periwinkle Vinca major [17th Green]

Brimstones  are usually the first butterfly to appear in spring.  This one had settled on a Dandelion at the back of the 9th on the Blue.

Common Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni [9th Blue]

In the long grass to the left of the 3rd Blue I came across this Ruby Tiger moth.

Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa [3rd Blue]

A Little Grebe was on the pond nearby.  I watched it briefly before it dived under the water and must have swum to the undergrowth as I couldn't spot it again.

Little Grebe [3rd Blue]

This Blackcap was singing in the trees above the bridge between the Red and Blue courses.

Blackcap [1st Red]

14 April 2022

Played the front nine of the Blue this evening.  There was a pair of Gadwalls on the pond on the 1st. Presumably the same birds that I saw on the reservoir at the weekend.  This one is the drake.

Gadwall [1st Blue]

This rabbit was feeding on the patch of grass by the practice net.

Rabbit [practice area]

10 April 2022

 

Lots of spring sunshine this morning and lots of birdsong around the course.  I heard Willow Warblers and Blackcaps for the first time this year.  Spring flowers are also much more in evidence.  The woods on the left of the first Blue are full of Lesser Celandines.

Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna [1st Blue]

I had a quick walk around Boundary Fen to the left of the 13th on the Red, where a few flowers are starting to come up.

Field Forget-me-not Mysotis arvensis [Boundary Fen]

Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara [13th Red]

There are also a few interesting fungi growing on the rotting wood in the fen.  These black things about the size of a golf ball grow on dead ash trees and are known as King Alfred's Cakes due to their resemblance to burnt buns.

King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica [13th Red]

Nearby this Turkeytail fungus was also growing on a dead log.

Turkeytail Trametes versicolor [Boundary Fen]

All over the Doghouse range and the Red course Field Mouse Ear is flowering.  This is one of the most abundant and characteristic plants of the short rough at Frilford.

Field Mouse-ear Cerastium arvense [15th Red]

On the reservoir there were a couple of Gadwall.

Gadwall [Reservoir]

Coal Tits, Blue tits and Great tits are quite vocal all over the estate.

Coal Tit [15th Red]

2 April 2022

 

Some sunny weather over the last couple of weeks and a definite shift towards spring.  The Redwings seem to have disappeared by now, although I did see some late Fieldfares flying over earlier this morning.  The resident thrushes are in good voice though.  This Song Thrush sings regularly from near the 3rd tee on the Blue and Mistle Thrushes are abundant on the fairways.

Song Thrush [3rd Blue]

Mistle Thush [4th Blue]

It is good to see some water birds returning to the reservoir.  These Tufted Duck were part of a flock on 5 this morning.  There have also been a pair of Coot quite regularly.

Tufted Ducks [Reservoir]

A few different geese are around the pond on the 3rd Blue.  These Greylag Geese were near the water's edge earlier in the week.

Greylag Geese [3rd Blue]

But these Canada Geese were clearly more experienced and knew the safest place to be whilst I lined up my tee shot.

Canada Geese [3rd Blue]

The large flock of visiting Chaffinches and Bramblings has moved on, but elsewhere on the course there are large flocks of Linnets along with other residents such as Greenfinches and Goldfinches - particularly around the 14th and 15th on the Red.

Greenfinch [15th Red]

Magpies are fairly frequent around the estate, but around the 4th and 5th on the Blue some quite large gatherings appear.  I have seen 8 or 9 together.  This morning there was a flock of 4 around the 4th green.

Magpies [4th Blue]

Whilst playing the 18th on the Green earlier in the week I had a very brief glimpse through my binoculars of a Firecrest high in the trees to the left of the tee.  It's the first time that I've seen one on the course although I know that other people have spotted them.

There were a couple of Kingfishers around the 1st on the Blue this morning - by the pond and the stream behind.

Kingfisher [1st Blue]

.. and numerous Treecreepers on all three courses.

Treecreeper [3rd Blue]

Lots of flowers are starting to appear.  Wavy Bittercress is one that I didn't spot last year and which is growing in great quantities in Boundary Fen.

Wavy Bittercress Cardamine flexuosa [13th Red]

Various violets are also brightening shady areas.

Common Dog Violet Viola riviniana [13th Red]