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]

8 May 2022

 

A lovely May morning - I had a quick walk around the estate.  There was nothing of particular note today, although I did find a new flower for the Frilford list - this Bush Vetch was growing in the woods to the left of the 1st Blue.

Bush Vetch Vicia sepium [1st Blue]

The Early Purple Orchids are properly in flower in Two Pine Fen.  There are 5 or 6 plants in total.

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

I counted 25 Tufted Duck on the reservoir this afternoon as well as a pair of Coot, some Little Grebes and a family of Mallard.  Otherwise just the usual birds and animals around the courses.

Peacock Butterfly Aglais io [Tubney range]

Roe Deer and Brown Hare [2nd Blue]

Long-tailed Tit [3rd Blue]

Stock Dove [Reservoir]

24 April 2022

 

Another sunny spring day.  A few familiar summer migrants are starting to reappear.  I have seen Swallows around the reservoir and the ponds on the Blue and House Martins over the clubhouse.  Whitethroats are singing around the course - I have heard them on the 4th Blue and two or three at the Doghouse Range.

Swallow (Reservoir)

Whitethroat (Doghouse range)

There are also plenty of colourful resident birds about too. I saw this Green Woodpecker and Robin on the Doghouse range and a Kingfisher which was perched just beyond the 4th tee on the Blue.

Green Woodpecker (Doghouse range)

Robin (Doghouse range)

Kingfisher (4th Blue)

Equally colourful are these Marsh Marigolds which offer consolation to those going in the hazard on the 9th Blue and the first Orchid of the year in Two-Pine Fen.

Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris [9th Blue]

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

Stoats are quite evident at the moment I have seen them sprinting across the fairways 2 or 3 times in the last couple of weeks.

18 May 2021

 

Walked over to the Green course this morning and managed to avoid the showers to play a few holes this afternoon.  New flowers appearing everywhere.

In the fen on the 4th the Early Purple Orchids are fully in flower now.  A much less conspicuous orchid is also starting to flower - Common Twayblade. This has two large basal leaves and can grow a couple of feet tall, but is difficult to spot as it has green flowers.  You can see a couple of emerging plants behind in the photo.

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

Common Twayblade Neottia ovata [4th Green]

The Lamiaceae family of plants have distinctive shaped flowers.  The most common on the course by far is Ground Ivy.  This one was on the south bank of the pond on the 14th Green.

Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea [14th Green]

Similar and on the north bank of the same pond is Bugle.  This has a denser spike of flowers and more triangular leaves.

Bugle Ajuga reptans [14th Green]

Part of the same family, but rather taller is Wild Clary.  This plant was on the left of the 14th Red.

Wild Clary Salvia verbenaca [14th Red]

If you get stuck behind a particularly slow four-ball you may wish to spend the time separating the three common buttercups that are on the course at the moment.

Bulbous Buttercup seems to be most common at the moment and has distinctive reflexed sepals.

Bulbous Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus [14th Red]

Meadow Buttercup is taller than the others and has finely cut leaves.  There are quite a lot on the edges of the fen on the 4th Green/16th Red.

Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris [16th Red]

Creeping Buttercup is the other common species and tends to be low-growing with different plants linked by runners.

Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens [13th Red]

On the edge of the 3rd fairway on the Green there are quite a few Pheasant's Eye Daffodils - likely a remnant of past cultivation or a garden escape.

Pheasant's Eye Daffodil Narcissus poeticus [3rd Green]

Star-of-Bethlehem is present in a few spots and has distinctive flowers - but always seems to look a bit of a mess. This one was on the 16th Red.

Star-of-Bethlehem Ornithogalum umbellatum [16th Red]

There are a few young birds around at the moment.  This baby Rook was by the side of the 16th green on the Green and looked to have made an ill-advised early exit from the nest.

Rook [16th Green]

I haven't seen any young Crossbills yet, but there were quite a few adults feeding on the trees on the 15th Green this morning.

Crossbills [15th Green]

10 May 2021

The first orchids are just about in flower in the fen, between the 16th Red and 4th Green.  There are two or three Early Purple Orchids, which are usually the first to flower.  They have loose spikes of large flowers and dark blotches on their leaves.

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [16th Red]

Various shades of Bluebells are in bloom around the courses.  As well as the prevalent blues, there are white native Bluebells at the back of the 3rd Green on the Blue and these pink Spanish Bluebells are on the 15th Red.

Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta [3rd Blue]

Spanish Bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica [15th Red]

Other new flowers include:

Red Campion Silene dioica [13th Red]

Broom Cytisus scoparius [15th Green]

Ivy-leaved Speedwell Veronica hederifolia [9th Blue]

Lots of these flies about at the moment.  They are St. Mark's fly, so-called because they appear around St. Mark's day (25th April).  You can see them flying around fairly slowly with their hind legs dangling behind.

St. Mark's Fly Bibio marci [6th Green]