18 May 2022

 

I had a quick walk around the front nine of the Blue this morning.  The highlight was spotting a Hobby near to the green on the second.  You can see these small falcons from time to time at Frilford, they are summer visitors and hunt small birds and large insects.  They have narrower wings than a Kestrel and have distinctive red undertail coverts.  I usually see them only briefly, flying fast and low, but this one was perched in the tree, feeding on the unfortunate small bird that it had captured.

Hobby [2nd Blue]

You can regularly see Brown Hares around all three courses at the moment, particularly on the front nine of the Blue.  This one was wandering around the 5th.

Brown Hare [5th Blue]

This Roe Deer wandered past in the field next to the 6th.

Roe Deer [6th Blue]

A few dragon/damselflies are starting to appear on the courses now.  There were a few Azure Damselfly was on the 9th -

Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [9th Blue]

near to where this Ragged Robin was growing.  You can also find a few of these in Two Pine Fen on the 16th Red.

Ragged Robin Silene flos-cuculi [9th Blue]

12 June 2021

Baking hot day today.  Lots of dragonflies around today - I was able to spot 5 species:

Beautiful Demoiselle - The ones with dark wings that are common on the first few holes of Blue.

Azure Damselfly - Small blue Damselfly.  Lots around the water on the Blue.

Black-tailed Skimmer - The males have a blue body and the females are brown.  These are common in the area to the left of the 15th Red.

Emporer Dragonfly - Britain's bulkiest Dragonfly, with a blue and green body.  On the pond to the left of the 4th Blue and in the rough on the Red.

Four-spotted Chaser - Brown Dragonfly with spots on its wings - lots of them around the pond on the 4th Blue.

Black-tailed Skimmer (male) Orthetrum cancellatum [15th Red]

Black-tailed Skimmer (female) Orthetrum cancellatum [15th Red]

Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator [15th Red]

Four spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata [4th Blue]

Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [1st Blue]

Beautiful Demoiselle (male) Calopteryx virgo [1st Blue]

I visited the water a couple of times on the first few holes of the Blue, allowing me to spot some new flowers for the year:

White Waterlily Nymphaea alba [1st Blue]

Water Forget-me-not Myosotit scorpioides [1st Blue]

Celery-leaved Buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus [1st Blue]

Brooklime Veronica Beccabunga [4th Blue]

A group of baby warblers, this time Blackcaps - to the left of the 13th Red. Here is one of them..

Blackcap [13th Red]

There were a couple of Kestrels hunting over the 9th Blue.

Kestrel [9th Blue]

On the 15th Red was another black and crimson day-flying moth, the Cinnabar.

Cinnabar Tyria Jacobaeae [15th Red]