2 June 2024

 I had a long walk around the Red and Blue course this morning.  I came across several Cinnabar moths between the 13th and 15th Red.  I often see them here - they are easy to spot with their bright red underwing, particularly as they are day-flying.

Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae [15th Red]

Dragonflies are much more evident on the course now that full summer is approaching.  This female Broad-bodied Chaser was between the 4th and 5th on the Red.  The first time that I have seen one of these at Frilford.  Notice the broad, flat abdomen, hence the name.

Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa [4th Red]

 The distinctive small blue flowers and fleshy leaves of Brooklime can be found in the stream on the 18th Red.  I've not seen this here before - it also grows in the ditches on the Blue course.

Brooklime Veronica beccabunga [18th Red]

A few of the orchid species are flowering now.  I have seen Pyramidal Orchids, various Marsh Orchids and Common Spotted.  This Common Spotted Orchid was growing on the right of the 18th Red.

Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii [18th Red]

14 June 2023

 

I had a walk in the glorious sunshine first thing this morning.  There were lots of birds on the fairways - mostly Jackdaws and Rooks, but also this Oystercatcher with them on the 8th.   

Oystercatcher [8th Blue]

You will probably be more used to seeing Oystercatchers at the seaside where they feed on the rocks, but they are also found inland where they feed in open area such as playing fields and golf courses.  Locally they turn up fairly regularly at Farmoor and Radley Lakes.

Nearby, in the rough between the 10th and the 8th I came across these orchids.  They look like Common Spotted, but are much larger than all of the others on the course.  I suspect that they are hybridised with Southern Marsh.  I found some similarly impressive specimens a couple of years ago about 30 yards away.

Common Spotted Orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii [10th Blue]

Elsewhere I came across this young Brown Hare sitting motionless to avoid detection and lots of Jackdaws on the 16th tee Blue

Brown Hare [7th Blue]

Jackdaw [16th Blue]

27 May 2023

 

Spent a fair amout of time at Frilford in the sunshine today.  There was plenty of birdsong.  I saw or heard five species of warbler - Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Garden Warbler.  Whitethroat and Garden Warbler were singing in the same tree on the right of the 13th Red.

Garden Warbler [13th Red]

Whitethroat [13th Red]

Chiffchaff [8th Blue]

The pond was busy with birds on the 3rd Blue.  Moorhen, Tufted Duck and Little Grebe were on the water, with a Grey Heron standing watch.

Grey Heron, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Moorhen [4th Blue]

It was good to see a pair of Spotted Flycatchers back on the 8th Blue and a Hobby flying past swiftly as well.

Spotted Flycatcher [8th Blue]

Near the 1st tee on the Red there were two Collard Doves on the telegraph wires.  They are common everywhere else, but I don't see them at Frilford very often.

Collard Dove [1st Red]

More species of Orchid are starting to appear.  There is a good patch of Common Twayblade to the left of the 3rd fairway on the Green and some Southern Marsh Orchids nearby.

Common Twayblade [3rd Green]

Southern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa [3rd Green]

In Two-pine Fen one Early Purple Orchid is still out and the Common Spotted Orchids are just coming into flower.  There are also a lot of Marsh Orchids.  These are very difficult to differentiate, but I think that this photo is a Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid.

Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza traunsteineri [16th Red]

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [16th Red]

Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii [16th Red]

There are also plenty of insects about at the moment.  Lots of Mayflies around the third on the Blue and a few beautiful Demoiselles near the stream.

Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo [3rd Blue]

27 May 2022

There was a bit of commotion as I approached the 3rd Blue this morning.  A juvenile Grey Heron was being mobbed by a couple of Black-headed Gulls.  It eventually gave up and flew off towards the 1st.

Grey Heron and Black-headed Gull [3rd Blue]

A pair of Greylag Geese is regularly feeding on the grass around the 4th and 8th on the Blue course at the moment.  This evening they were resting by the pond on the 4th, seemingly unconcerned by my presence.

Greylag Geese [4th Blue]

A few more dragonflies are emerging around the ponds.  This Four-spotted chaser was on reeds to the left of the 6th Blue.

Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata [6th Blue]

An army of Common Spotted Orchids has started to emerge in Two Pine fen.  These are the most commonly spotted orchids around the course and the lower petal has 3 fairly evenly sized lower petal lobes.

Common Spotted Orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii [16th Red]

15 June 2021

Played the front nine of the Red this evening.  I've not noticed the large patch of Marsh Orchids short of the pond on the 9th before - to be fair my tee shot does usually carry them.  These look like Southern Marsh (with a few Common Spotted mixed in - you can see a couple in the top left).

Southern Marsh Orchids Dactylorhiza praetermissa [9th Red]

The Southern Marsh Orchids are not as large as the ones on the 11th Blue, but you can distinguish them from the Common Spotted as they are generally darker purple - but more reliably by the shape of the flower.  Common Spotted Orchids have three distinct parts to the lower lobe, fairly evenly proportioned, whereas Southern Marsh tend to have more of a one-part lower lobe.  Pyramidal Orchids have 3 evenly proportioned parts to the lower lobe without patterns on the flowers.

Common Spotted

Southern Marsh

Pyramidal

Away from Orchids I found a Hedge Woundwort in a couple of places - this one beside the path on the 4th Green.

Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica [4th Green]

11 June 2021

 

Prime time of year for flowers.  Some of the most spectacular on the course at the moment are the Southern Marsh Orchids between the 8th and 11th on the Blue.  These are around 50cm tall and very visible from the fairway on the 11th - there are actually a couple of clusters.  It is unusual for them to have spotted leaves - possibly due to hybridising with Common Spotted.

Southern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa [11th Blue]

There is another type of orchid nearby, the Pyramidal Orchid.  Somewhat smaller and just coming into flower.  You will see lots of these if you visit Goring and Streatley Golf Club.

Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis [11th Blue]

On the third Blue there are lots of Common Spotted Orchid, including this unusual pure white one.

Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii [3rd Blue]

Also on the 3rd Blue there is a lot of Tufted Vetch.

Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca [3rd Blue]

Here's a close up of the moth in the background of the previous photo, which I think is a Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet.

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Zygaena Ionicerae [3rd Blue]

A couple of quite similar flowers growing near the 1st green on the Red.  Weld is a tall plant growing up to 6 feet high if it can avoid the mower. Wild Mignonette is shorter and bushier.

Weld Reseda luteola [1st Red]

Wild Mignonette Reseda lutea [1st Red]

We are also nearing peak clover season.   White Clover is the most common and is the one that conceals your golf ball even when it's only just off the fairway.

White Clover Trifolium repens [15th Blue]

Red Clover is also fairly common in wet areas. This one was in the fen on the 3rd Blue.

Red Clover Trifolium pratense [3rd Blue]

 If you look closely, you may also spot Knotted clover, which grows on the 12th on the Blue.

Knotted Clover Trifolium striatum [12th Blue]

Hare's-foot Clover is also common on the 11th of the Blue and the Doghouse range in particular.

Hare's-foot Clover Trifolium arvense [Doghouse range]

From hare's foot to the animal itself.  This one was on the 2nd Blue.

Brown Hare [2nd Blue]

The Great-crested Grebe is still on the reservoir.  A Lesser Black-backed Gull also stopped by earlier in the week.

Lesser Black-backed Gull [Reservoir]

A Buzzard also flew over this evening.

Buzzard [Reservoir]

6 June 2021

Found a new bird on the reservoir today - it's the first time that I've seen a Great-crested Grebe here.  There are a lot of them on Farmoor reservoir, so I suspect that they call in from time to time.

Great-crested Grebe [Reservoir]

A pair Tufted Ducks were on the pond on the 3rd Blue first thing this morning.  There were also several more on the reservoir along with Gadwall and Mallard.

 

Tufted Ducks [3rd Blue]

There are also plenty of young birds around.  This Chiffchaff was part of a family group of 5 or 6 birds behind the 14th Blue.

Chiffchaff [14th Blue]

There were a lot of Beautiful Demoiselle's on the left of the 4th on the Blue, centred around the small pond. The males have darker wings and are a more vibrant blue/green than the females.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Male) Calopteryx virgo [4th Blue]

Beautiful Demoiselle (Female) Calopteryx virgo [4th Blue]

There are also a few of the much smaller Common Blue Damselflies around.  This one was at the bottom of the Tubney range to the left of the 3rd Red.

Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum [Tubney range]

Nearby in the long grass was this Cardinal Beetle.

Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis [3rd Red]

As I visited different areas of the courses, I saw lots of Common Spotted Orchids - anywhere with water nearby.  This was one of the patch in the fen on the 3rd Blue.

Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii [3rd Blue]

There are also a few different species of Speedwell in the rough.  This is Slender Speedwell from the 13th Red. There is a nice display of Germander Speedwell along the hedge on the Doghouse range.  

Slender Speedwell Veronica filiformis [13th Red]

Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys [Doghouse range]

In the shorter grass you may also come across Thyme-leaved Speedwell, which has smaller, paler flowers.  This photo is from early May, but there are still plenty in flower.

Thyme-leaved Speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia [15th Blue]