I had a quick walk around the front nine of the Blue while it was quiet this morning. There were lots of finches around again. The main flock was on the 9th fairway in front of the green, consisting of Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Bramblings and Redpolls. All of these are on the photo below.
Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Bramblings and Redpoll [9th Blue]
In the trees around there are also lots of Siskins. I came across this one having a bath in the ditch alongside the 4th.
There was a large flock of finches again today, this time feeding on the 1st, 2nd and 9th on the Blue. These were made up of Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Bramblings. You can see all three more easily in the photo below - Chaffinches the front two, Goldfinch on the left middle and Bramblings the back right two.
Bramblings, Chaffinches and Goldfinch [1st Blue]
Bramblings are the rarest of the finches around Frilford. They are distinguishable by their orange shoulders. I reckon that there were between 15 and 20 on the fairway and in the trees around. The one in the middle here is a female:
Brambling [1st Blue]
Bramblings, Chaffinches and Goldfinches [1st Blue]
I saw a Merlin for the second time on the Blue course, high above the trees to the right of the 2nd - scattering the small birds that it was hunting. There were plenty of Wrens, Robins and Blackbirds around the same area.
Wren [1st Blue]
The plant growing on the wall of the car park is Garden Arabis - a garden escape that is often found on old walls close to habitation.
Another glorious morning and I managed to spot a new species of bird for the Frilford list. There were 100+ Chaffinches feeding in the woods around the 1st and 2nd holes on the Blue and in amongst the flock were a few Bramblings. The birds were very flighty, so it was difficult to get a photo, but the upper of the two birds in this picture is a Brambling, feeding around the abandoned golf balls.
Brambling [2nd Blue]
A pair of Nuthatches look to be nesting in a hole on one of the old willow trees at the side of the first on the Blue. If you pull your tee shot you are likely to hear their calls.
Nuthatches [1st Blue]
Redwings are very common around the course at the moment, with the largest concentrations around the first and second on the Blue.
Redwing [1st Red]
Dunnocks are also very evident and one of the most characteristic songs around the course at the moment.
Dunnock [1st Red]
I came across this fungus on fallen twig on the 5th Blue. It has the apt name of Yellow Brain and is also the more sinister name of 'Witch's Butter'. As the fungus ages and dries out, like this one it turns bright orange.
