20 June 2023

 

Viper's Bugloss Echium vulgare [15th Blue]

I have had a few visits to the course over the last week or so.  One of the most spectacular sights at the moment is the Viper's Bugloss which has colonised the area between the 13th and 15th on the Red, which was cleared last year.  Other than Bluebells carpeting a spring wood I can't think of many comparable displays of floral blue.

Cinnabar  Tyria jacobaeae [15th Red]

Not far away on the 15th Red was this Cinnabar moth.  It is a day-flying moth that can often be found in this area.

Common Broomrape Orobanche minor [18th Blue]

At the back of the 18th on the Blue was this rather odd-looking brown plant - a Common Broomrape which is parasitic on members of the pea family.  

Whitethroat [7th Blue]

After the excitement of the Oystercatcher and Egyptian Goose over the last couple of weeks, it was back to more familiar birds.  Whitethroats are very common on the course but can be difficult to spot.  Sometimes their calls give them away - this one is giving an alarm call.

House Sparrow [Reservoir]

This House Sparrow was one of two or three that breed around the reservoir.

17 June 2021

 First day for a while that it has not been bright sunshine first thing.  On a quick walk around the Green course I came across this Common Broomrape.  It is one of the few UK flowering plants without chlorophyll that provides most plants with green colouration.  It does not require this as it is non-photosynthetic and gets its nutrients from a host plant on which it is a parasite - typically these are members of the pea family such as Gorse or Broom.  This one was growing to the left of the 7th.

Common Broomrape Orobanche minor [7th Green]

Yarrow is abundant in the rough on all of the courses.  It is a member of the daisy family with an umbrella of flowers.

Yarrow Achillea millefolium [9th Green]

In the ditch between the 9th and 13th I came across Brookweed, a small white flower that usually grows by the sea and is on Oxfordshire's rare plant register

Brookweed Samolus valerandi [11th Green]

On the 1st of the red I managed to identify another clover.  This one is Alsike Clover - which is a common feed plant.  It is very similar to White Clover, but is more pinkish in colour, lacks the chevrons on the leaves and has pointed stipules.  There was some white clover close by for comparison.

Alsike Clover Trifolium hybridum [1st Red]

White Clover Trifolium repens [1st Red]

The Cormorant was moving between the ponds on the blue this morning emptying fish stocks.  I also came across this female Mallard with her brood of ducklings.

Cormorant [3rd Blue]

Mallards [1st Blue]

I also saw a Barn Owl this morning fly out from the next box besides the 3rd on the Blue - the first that I have seen on the course for a couple of years.