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]

12 June 2021

Baking hot day today.  Lots of dragonflies around today - I was able to spot 5 species:

Beautiful Demoiselle - The ones with dark wings that are common on the first few holes of Blue.

Azure Damselfly - Small blue Damselfly.  Lots around the water on the Blue.

Black-tailed Skimmer - The males have a blue body and the females are brown.  These are common in the area to the left of the 15th Red.

Emporer Dragonfly - Britain's bulkiest Dragonfly, with a blue and green body.  On the pond to the left of the 4th Blue and in the rough on the Red.

Four-spotted Chaser - Brown Dragonfly with spots on its wings - lots of them around the pond on the 4th Blue.

Black-tailed Skimmer (male) Orthetrum cancellatum [15th Red]

Black-tailed Skimmer (female) Orthetrum cancellatum [15th Red]

Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator [15th Red]

Four spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata [4th Blue]

Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella [1st Blue]

Beautiful Demoiselle (male) Calopteryx virgo [1st Blue]

I visited the water a couple of times on the first few holes of the Blue, allowing me to spot some new flowers for the year:

White Waterlily Nymphaea alba [1st Blue]

Water Forget-me-not Myosotit scorpioides [1st Blue]

Celery-leaved Buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus [1st Blue]

Brooklime Veronica Beccabunga [4th Blue]

A group of baby warblers, this time Blackcaps - to the left of the 13th Red. Here is one of them..

Blackcap [13th Red]

There were a couple of Kestrels hunting over the 9th Blue.

Kestrel [9th Blue]

On the 15th Red was another black and crimson day-flying moth, the Cinnabar.

Cinnabar Tyria Jacobaeae [15th Red]