21 June 2026

 

With a sunny morning and no other commitments I walked for a couple of hours around the Blue and Red courses today.  Lots of insects around the courses, particularly butterflies and dragonflies.  Ringlet is a very dark Butterfly and is named because of the eye-like rings on its underwing.

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus [3rd Blue]

Pained Lady is more colourful and is a migratory butterfly.  They are quite common this year.  This one was on the 3rd Blue.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui [5th Blue]

There is plenty of long grass on the Blue course at the moment.  Bad for my golf, but good for the Small Skipper which you can see making short flights between stems.  

Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris [5th Blue]

The largest dragonflies on the estate are the Emperor Dragonflies.  They quite often settle on the gorse.  This was one of many on the 5th hole. This one is a male - you can tell by the bright blue abdomen.  Females have a green abdomen.

Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator [5th Red]

Another common dragonfly is the Black-tailed Skimmer.  There are always lots of these around the pond on the 3rd Blue.

Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum [3rd Blue]

Eating a dragonfly on the 3rd Blue was a Spotted Flycatcher.  This is the first time this year that I have seen them on the course.  I saw a pair this morning on the red course and this evening on the Blue.  Hopefully one or more pairs will next again this year.

Spotted Flycatcher [3rd Blue]

On the 2nd on the Blue there were a few Greenfinches.  These also nest on the estate - there is a small colony in the hedge behind the practice area.

Greenfinch [2nd Blue]

19 June 2022

I had a walk around the reservoir this morning and came across a Redshank stopping by.  It was rather distant, but you can see the orange legs that explain its name.  

Redshank [Reservoir]

Somewhat closer were a few sparrows and finches feeding in the grass and occasionally perching on the barbed wire.

House Sparrow [Reservoir]

Greenfinch [Reservoir]

Goldfinches [Reservoir]

Whilst overhead House Martins, Swifts and a few Swallows were feeding on the flies.

House Martin [Reservoir]

Swift [Reservoir]

In the week I joined the Oxford Flora Group, who were surveying Two Pine Fen.  I discovered that the orchids I had previously identified as Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid, were actually Common Spotted.  We only managed to find this rather sorry specimen.

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

Virtually next to this were a couple of Early Marsh Orchids, which to me were pretty much indistinguishable, however, to those more expert have a slightly different flower shape.  I suspect that the orchids that I identified as Southern Marsh on the 9th Red are also Early Marsh.  It emphasised to me that the Dactylorhiza orchids require an expert to separate and are more of a continuum than a set of distinct species.

Early Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata [16th Red]

2 April 2022

 

Some sunny weather over the last couple of weeks and a definite shift towards spring.  The Redwings seem to have disappeared by now, although I did see some late Fieldfares flying over earlier this morning.  The resident thrushes are in good voice though.  This Song Thrush sings regularly from near the 3rd tee on the Blue and Mistle Thrushes are abundant on the fairways.

Song Thrush [3rd Blue]

Mistle Thush [4th Blue]

It is good to see some water birds returning to the reservoir.  These Tufted Duck were part of a flock on 5 this morning.  There have also been a pair of Coot quite regularly.

Tufted Ducks [Reservoir]

A few different geese are around the pond on the 3rd Blue.  These Greylag Geese were near the water's edge earlier in the week.

Greylag Geese [3rd Blue]

But these Canada Geese were clearly more experienced and knew the safest place to be whilst I lined up my tee shot.

Canada Geese [3rd Blue]

The large flock of visiting Chaffinches and Bramblings has moved on, but elsewhere on the course there are large flocks of Linnets along with other residents such as Greenfinches and Goldfinches - particularly around the 14th and 15th on the Red.

Greenfinch [15th Red]

Magpies are fairly frequent around the estate, but around the 4th and 5th on the Blue some quite large gatherings appear.  I have seen 8 or 9 together.  This morning there was a flock of 4 around the 4th green.

Magpies [4th Blue]

Whilst playing the 18th on the Green earlier in the week I had a very brief glimpse through my binoculars of a Firecrest high in the trees to the left of the tee.  It's the first time that I've seen one on the course although I know that other people have spotted them.

There were a couple of Kingfishers around the 1st on the Blue this morning - by the pond and the stream behind.

Kingfisher [1st Blue]

.. and numerous Treecreepers on all three courses.

Treecreeper [3rd Blue]

Lots of flowers are starting to appear.  Wavy Bittercress is one that I didn't spot last year and which is growing in great quantities in Boundary Fen.

Wavy Bittercress Cardamine flexuosa [13th Red]

Various violets are also brightening shady areas.

Common Dog Violet Viola riviniana [13th Red]

29 April 2021

 Another of the sunny frosty mornings that have characterised April this year.   The unmistakable flower of Cuckoo-pint is quite evident around all of the courses at the moment.  This one was beside the stream on the 2nd Blue

Cuckoo Pint Arum maculatum [2nd Blue]

At least one Kingfisher is quite active in the evenings at the moment, I've seen it quite often when having a quick nine holes on the Blue.  The Crossbills are still around as well, although the numbers are not as high as winter and they tend to be in the tops of the pines.  

Swallows are quite common all over the courses.  These two were on the wire around the reservoir:

Swallows [Reservoir]

There were a pair of Goldcrests in the pines next to the driving range.  They are the smallest bird in the UK (jointly with Firecrests, which are much rarer) and have a striking yellow stripe on their head when viewed from the right angle:

Goldcrest [Tubney driving range]

There was also a Greenfinch singing next to the car park:

Greenfinch [Tubney driving range]

and Roe Deer in the field next the 2nd Blue:

13 March 2021

 Had a walk around the range and the Blue course in the early evening sunshine.  A couple more flowers to add to the 2021 list from behind the driving range bays.  Grape Hyacinth is a garden escapee, Common Field Speedwell is a common native plant.

Garden Grape Hyacinth Muscari armeniacum [Driving Range]

Common Field Speedwell Veronica persica [Driving Range]

Also on the driving range was a flock of around 10-12 Greenfinches.  I don't see them on the course very often and they have declined nationally by over 60% in the last 15 years due to a disease called Trichomonosis which is caused by parasites and affects the birds' ability to feed.

Greenfinches [Driving range]

Goldfinches on the other hand have significantly increased in the same period.  Today there was a noisy flock of 30+ birds in the bushes on the left of the driving range.

Goldfinches [Driving Range]

On the Blue there was a flock of Linnets in the trees on the left of the 2nd fairway, 200+ Redwings on the 1st and 2nd fairways and a couple of Roe Deer.

Linnet [2nd Blue]

Redwing [2nd Blue]

Roe Deer [1st Blue]