14 May 2025

 Had a walk around the estate today.  This year I have heard a Lesser Whitethroat on the course for the first time in a few years.  Its territory seems to be centred around the footpath to the left of the 5th on the Red course.  They are easy to hear, but virtually impossible to see or photograph as they generally stay hidden in bushes.  In several hours of trying, this is the best picture that I managed to get.

Lesser Whitethroat [5th Red]

There also Linnets nesting in the gorse in this area.  They are a little less secretive and there are lots of them.

Linnet [5th Red]

A little lower down the footpath you can find a patch of Heath Dog Violets, one of Frilford's speciality flowers.  They are a bit bluer than the more common violets and have a yellow spur.

Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [4th Red]

Cinnabar moths are quite common on the courses at this time of year.  They have distinctive red colouring and fly during the day.  Later in the year, look out for their black and yellow caterpillars.  This one was on the grass on the 1st Blue.

Cinnabar  Tyria jacobaeae [1st Blue]

Also on the 1st Blue I came across this freshwater mussel shell.  I suspect that this may have been eaten by an otter and left on the fairway.

Freshwater Mussel [1st Blue]

14 May 2023

 

Spent some time at the weekend looking at some of the flowers around the courses.  Two-pine Fen is probably the best floral habitat around the course and at the momtent there are three or four Early Purple Orchids adding a splash of colour - similar numbers to previous years.

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

There are a few Heath Dog Violets around.  In particular on the 7th on the Green and quite a few on the footpath between the 4th and 5th on the Red.  They are a bit bluer than the Common Dog Violets with a distinctive yellow spur.

Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [7th Green]

The Doghouse practice ground is covered in flowers at the moment.  Two of the smallest and rarest of these are Subterranean Clover and Annual Knawel.  The latter of these is quite abundant, but very hard to spot as its flowers are green.  Subterranean Clover is also small (tee included in photo for scale) but is white and covers almost all of the practice ground.

Annual Knawel Scleranthus annuus [Doghouse Practice Ground]

Subterranean Clover Trifolium subterraneum [Doghouse Practice Ground]

There are quite a few birds nest around the Greenkeepers shed behind the 16th Blue.  This pair of Stock Doves nests in one of the trees and are often on the roof.  Similarly a pair of Grey Wagtails which nest in the shed.  The male has the dark throat.

Stock Doves [Greenkeepers Shed]

Grey Wagtails [[Greenkeepers Shed]

30 April 2022

The sunshine meant that butterflies were out in good numbers today.  One of the most noticeable at this time of year is the Orange Tip.  The male is easy to identify with orange patches at the end of its wing.  The female is less obvious. 

Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines  [Tubney range]

I saw lots of other butterflies about today including Brimstones, Peacocks, Speckled Wood and Holly Blue.

Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria [6th Blue]

Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus [14th Red]

Several Whitethroats were singing on the Doghouse range.  This Whitethroat was singing in the same spot as last weekend.  

Whitethroat [Doghouse range]

Subterraneum clover is one of the specialist species of Frilford.  You can see it on the Doghouse range and on the short rough on the Green course. It is very abundant, but tiny - in this photo I have included a tee for scale.

Subterranean Clover Trifolium subterraneum [Doghouse range]

Another rarity is Heath Dog Violet which is a bit smaller than Common Dog Violet and has a yellow spur.  You can find this between the 7th and 10th on the Gree course and on the footpath alongside the 4th on the Red.

Heath Dog Violet [4th Red]

21 May 2021

Had a quick look around the front nine of the Red yesterday to see if I could spot any new flowers.   There were a few around.

Goatsbeard is in the Dandelion family and has distinctive grass-like leaves.  It is also know by the name of Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon as it tends to open in the morning sunshine and close up again by midday.  No surprise, given the recent weather, that this one is closed up

Goatsbeard Tragopogon pratensis (2nd Red)

There are a couple of nice patches of Heath Dog Violets on the footpath by the 4th.  These are uncommon nationally, but they are fairly frequent on our courses.  The flowers in this patch are fairly small, probably as an adaption to the mowing - I have found some larger ones by the heather on the Green.

Heath Dog Violets Viola canina [4th Red]

One of the least glamorous plants on the course is Lesser Chickweed, which is very common and often has no petals.  This one was by the relic green to the right of the 1st.

Lesser Chickweed Stellaria pallida [1st Red]

A rather more colourful weed is Wintercress, found short right of the 1st green.

Wintercress Barbarea vulgaris [1st Red]

Similar, but with smaller flowers is Hedge Mustard.  There is quite a lot between the 3rd Red and the reservoir.

Hedge Mustard Sisymbrium officinale [3rd Red]

A few fungi are starting to appear on the course at the moment.  These two Yellow Fieldcaps were at the back of the 2nd Green.

Yellow Fieldcap Bolbitius titubans [2nd Red]

21 April 2021

Headed out this morning for a walk around the Blue.  Was hoping to see some migrant birds, but settled for some interesting flowers instead.  

Field Pansies are delicate little flowers - it is well worth topping your drive short left off the 7th to have an excuse to look at them.

Field Pansy Viola arvensis [7th Blue]

Not too far away in the wood there is lots of Wood Sorrell.  Just outside is Bugloss - A less spectacular relative of Viper's Bugloss that is common on the courses. 

Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella [behind 6th Blue]

Bugloss Anchusa arvensis [6th Blue]

There is quite a lot of Cuckoo Flower (also known as Lady's Smock) around the damp areas of the Blue and Green at the moment.  This patch was in the rough between the 8th and 11th on the Blue.

Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis [8th Blue]

There is lots of Springbeauty all over the waste areas of the course.  It is actually an alien species introduced from North America in 1794.  Apparently it is quite good in salads. Look out for the fleshy leaves anywhere that is sandy.  This patch was on the 7th Blue.

Springbeauty Claytonia perfoliata [7th Blue]

I managed to find a better specimen of Heath Dog Violet on the 4th of the Green.

Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [4th Blue]

There were a couple of calling Woodpigeons when I got back to the car - they nest in the Leylandii around the chipping area.  

20 April 2021

Had a quick walk this morning around the reservoir and the top of the Red course.  Most notable sighting was around 20 Sand Martins over the reservoir - sadly too fast for me to get a photo.  

Later on I walked along the footpath next to the first few of the Red to photograph the flowers.  Sticky Mouse-ear is very similar to Little Mouse-ear, but very close inspection shows that it has 10 styles rather than 5 for the latter, it also usually has a cluster of flowers.

Sticky Mouse-ear Cerastium glomeratum [5th Red]

There is a lot of Dove's foot Cranesbill all over the course, just now starting to come into flower.

Dove's-foot Cranesbill Geranium molle [3rd Red]

Same with Garlic Mustard - plenty of this on the 16th on the Green as well as around the first few holes of the Red and besides the practice net.

Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata [18th Blue]

This Summer Snowflake is presumably a garden escape and grows by the bridge on the way to the Blue course.

Summer Snowflake Leucojum aestivan [1st Red]

There is quite a lot of Moschatel on the footpath, particularly between the 1st and 2nd on the Red:

Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina [1st Red]

I've kept a look out for Heath Dog Violets which are found on the course.  They have a yellow spur and rather less heart-shaped leaves that the Common Dog Violet.  I think that this rather moth-eaten specimen is one from the footpath by the side of the 5th on the Red.  I think that there are also some by the fen on the 4th on the Green.

Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [5th Red]

Another butterfly, a Speckled Wood, also by the 5th on the Red.

Speckled Wood [5th Red]