It's a good time for nature at Frilford at the moment. A high proportion of the flowering plants are in full bloom and the birds and animals are out in family groups. Vipers Bugloss is plentiful around all three of the courses and a vibrant blue and red colour. This one was growing near the 12th green on the Red.
Viper's Bugloss Echium vulgare [12th Red]
Fragrant Orchids and Marsh Helleborines are both coming into flower now in Two Pine Fen.
The family of Spotted Flycatchers is still quite visible on and around the 4th on the Blue.
Spotted Flycatcher [4th Blue]
I haven't heard many Willow Warblers this year, but there are quite a few young about, including this one that was part of family group of 5 or 6 next to the 15th on the Red.
Willow Warbler [15th Red]
Marbled Whites are the most obvious butterfly at the moment. This one was next to the footpath on the 5th Red.
Marbled White Melanargia galathea [5th Red]
Sulphur Cinquefoil is a garden escape and a new species for the Frilford list - This one was growing by the 10th tee on the Blue.
I had a walk around the reservoir this morning and came across a Redshank stopping by. It was rather distant, but you can see the orange legs that explain its name.
Redshank [Reservoir]
Somewhat closer were a few sparrows and finches feeding in the grass and occasionally perching on the barbed wire.
House Sparrow [Reservoir]
Greenfinch [Reservoir]
Goldfinches [Reservoir]
Whilst overhead House Martins, Swifts and a few Swallows were feeding on the flies.
House Martin [Reservoir]
Swift [Reservoir]
In the week I joined the Oxford Flora Group, who were surveying Two Pine Fen. I discovered that the orchids I had previously identified as Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid, were actually Common Spotted. We only managed to find this rather sorry specimen.
Virtually next to this were a couple of Early Marsh Orchids, which to me were pretty much indistinguishable, however, to those more expert have a slightly different flower shape. I suspect that the orchids that I identified as Southern Marsh on the 9th Red are also Early Marsh. It emphasised to me that the Dactylorhiza orchids require an expert to separate and are more of a continuum than a set of distinct species.
Early Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata [16th Red]
I played a few holes on the Green course this evening. It was good to see that the Maiden Pink was flowering well next to the 10th tee. The plant is virtually invisible until the flowers come out due to its grass like leaves. It is listed as a threatened species and I think that this is the only place in Oxfordshire that you can find it.
Maiden Pink Dianthus deltoides [10th Green]
On the 4th hole there were a row of Beautiful Demoiselles settled on the Alder leaves. All males, with the dark green wings and green body.
I had a walk around all three courses early this morning. This Roe Deer was feeding just off the path on the 3rd Blue, oblivious to my approach for a while and I managed to get quite close before it spotted me and sped off.
Roe Deer [3rd Blue]
The Spotted Flycatchers were on the left of the 4th today. They seemed to be a family party of 4 or 5 birds feeding in the trees and occasionally grabbing an insect from the ground.
Spotted Flycatcher [4th Blue]
They are not the most obvious birds to identify, but there are not many small other birds around the course that perch, fly and hover and then return to the same spot.
On the Green course there was also a family party of 7 or 8 Magpies on the 15th and a single Jay in the undergrowth behind the 6th Green.
Magpies [15th Green]
Jay [6th Green]
Lots of insects out and about this morning. Snipe Flies are carnivorous and live in shady damp areas. The male and female are very different in appearance - the male is the small dark one. These two were on the 9th Red.
Snipe Flies Chrysopilus cristatus [9th Red]
Small Tortoiseshell butterflies are easy to spot all over the course at the moment. This one was on the 14th Red.
I had a walk around all three courses in the sunshine this morning. The first Pyramidal Orchids are coming into flower. They grow on all three courses, but this one was on the right of the 15th Red.
Now that I can better recognise the Garden Warbler's song I have realised that there are a few of them around the courses. This one was singing on the left of the second fairway on the Blue and another was singing from the trees around the green.
Lots of bird after the fish on the ponds of the Blue today. A Heron and Cormorant were both beside the pond on the 1st first thing and the Cormorant was fishing on the 3rd this evening.
Cormorant [1st Blue]
Cormorant [3rd Blue]
Even this Little Grebe on the 6th seemed to have grabbed a sizable fish that it was struggling to swallow..
Little Grebe [6th Blue]
There was a Garden Warbler singing in one of the trees on the left of the 2nd Blue this morning. I presume that it is a different bird to the one that has been singing on the 13th Red. I think that there were actually a pair, so hopefully they will nest nearby.
The Southern Marsh Orchids on the 9th Red are now in flower, mixed in with large numbers of Common Spotted Orchids.
Plenty of sunshine over the last couple of days. I spotted a couple of Spotted Flycatchers on the ninth hole on the Blue. I have seen them a couple of times at the top of the trees on this hole earlier in the month, but this morning they were hunting insects just above the rough. There is at least one pair that nests on the course, probably between the ninth and the third, and possibly more.
Spotted Flycatchers [9th Blue]
Small Skippers are one of the most common butterflies around the estate, but are small, have a rather inelegant gait and look rather more like moths. This one was in the undergrowth to the right of the 16th tee on the Red.
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris [16th Red]
This Asparagus plant is most likely a garden escape and is growing between the 18th Green and the Yellow course.
