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]

18 September 2021

One more new plant today - Black Nightshade growing in the wood on the Blue.  I can't believe that I will come across many more this year, but have managed to identify around 250 wild flowers in total around the estate in 2021, and I'm sure that there are plenty more that I have missed.

Black Nightshade Solanum nigrum [6th Blue]

In the hedge on the left of the 2nd on the Blue you can see the Bedeguar Gall - commonly known as Robin's pincushion.  This is a fibrous growth that occurs on roses caused by the larvae of a tiny gall wasp, Dipoloepis rosae. 

Dipoloepis rosae [2nd Blue]

Brimstones are usually the first butterflies that I see in spring.  They are yellow with a distinctive wing shape.  There are still some around now - this one was on a reed in Boundary Fen.

Common Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni  [Boundary Fen]

Nothing new bird-wise, I haven't come across any passage migrants yet.  This Kestrel is usually on the overhead cables at the Doghouse range scanning for small animals to predate.

Kestrel [Doghouse range]

This Kingfisher was doing likewise, scanning for fish in the pond from the bushes by the 4th tee Blue.

Kingfisher [4th Blue]

12 September 2021

 

I have played on each of the courses over the last few days.  All are looking good, particularly with the heather in full bloom on the Green and Red course.

Common Heather Calluna vulgaris [15th Red]

A few more trees fruiting, including this crab apple at the back of the 6th Green.

Crab Apple Malus sylvestris [6th Green]

There are lots of Black-headed Gulls on the fairways at the moment - earthworms are an important food source for them, hence their attraction to the short grass.  Earlier in the week there were large numbers of gulls above the reservoir feeding on a flock of flying ants that had taken to flight in the hot weather.

Black-headed Gull [2nd Red]

Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls [Reservoir]

Butterflies and dragonflies are still around in good numbers.  There were a couple of Brimstone butterflies on the Doghouse range earlier in the week and plenty of Common Darters.

Common Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni [Doghouse range]

Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum [Doghouse range]