24 June 2023

 

I had a quick walk around the Green course this morning and played nine holes on the Red this evening.  I was pleased to see that Marsh Helleborine have colonised the damp area in from of the stream on the 4th Green.  I have not seen them here before and a good outcome for the conservation work carried out in this area.

Marsh Helleborine Epipactis palustris [4th Green]

The Chalk Fragrant Orchids nearby are nearly in flower and a few Pyrimidal Orchids are also appearing around the course.

Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis [6th Red]

Chalk Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea [16th Red]

The Tubney range contains a lot of flowers and insects at the moment.  Hares-foot Clover grows in prolific quantities.  The rather alien-looking Common Cudweed is also common here.

Common Cudweed Filago vulgaris [Tubney range]

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

In amongst the grass there were a lot of Silver-Y Moths - so called because of the inverted Y visible on its wings.

Silver Y moth Autographa gamma [Tubney range]

I was pleased to see a Common Sandpiper on the reservoir.  This is the first that I have seen here since the work on the reservoir last year.

Common Sandpiper [Reservoir]

11 June 2022

 

I had a walk around all three courses in the sunshine this morning.   The first Pyramidal Orchids are coming into flower.  They grow on all three courses, but this one was on the right of the 15th Red.

Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis [15th Red]

Lots of other plants are flowering now in the rough:

Opium Poppy Papaver somniferum [15th Red]

Ox-eye Daisies Leucanthemum vulgare [8th Blue]

Hare's-foot Clover is one of the characteristic plants of the short rough at Frilford and covers large areas of the Tubney driving range.

Hare's foot Clover Trifolium arvense [Tubney range]

The whole of a hare was stopped for a while in the woods behind the 6th Blue.

Brown Hare [6th Blue]

I had a quick wade through Boundary Fen this afternoon.  Lots of the Marsh Lousewort is in flower and quite a few Dragon and Damselflies were active.

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans [Boundary Fen]

White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes [Boundary Fen]

Now that I can better recognise the Garden Warbler's song I have realised that there are a few of them around the courses.  This one was singing on the left of the second fairway on the Blue and another was singing from the trees around the green.

Garden Warbler [2nd Blue]

16 June 2021

I was surprised to come across a Cormorant on the pond on the 3rd Blue early this morning.  I've see them flying over quite regularly but have not seen one stop by.  It was finding plenty to eat, catching 4 or 5 fish in the five minutes that I watched it.

Cormorant [3rd Blue]

There is lots of Hare's-foot Clover in the rough around the 11th on the Blue and also on the first red, growing among the Sheep's Sorrel

Hare's-foot Clover Trifolium arvense [1st Red]

A couple more plants in flower.  

Common Mallow Malva sylvestris [17th Blue]

Woody Nightshade Solanum dulcamara [4th Red]

This Scarlet Tiger moth was on the 9th Red.

Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula [9th Red]

As you would expect - while visiting the more remote parts of the courses I come across quite a few golf balls - in all sorts of places.  One of the most common species is the Titleist ProV1 - these are predominantly white, but occasionally you may come across a yellow one.  I found this one nestling in the rough to the left of the 17th fairway.

Titleist ProV1 (yellow) [17th Blue]