9 June 2024

 

Lots of sunshine in the early morning this weekend.  It was nice to see that the Spotted Flycatchers have returned.  There are usually three or four pairs that nest on the estate.  Today I saw a pair behind the 10th tee on the Blue and to the right of the 9th fairway.

Spotted Flycatcher [10th Blue]

There was a Herring Gull on the 11th fairway on the Blue.  I don't see them very often at Frilford, more usual are Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls.  They are large gulls with a light grey back and black wingtips, more usually seen steeling your fish and chips at the seaside.

Herring Gull [11th Blue]

In Two Pine Fen, some of the rarer flowers are starting to appear.   These Meadow Thistles are dotted about but easy to see.   Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchids grow in the middle and stout footwear is required to visit.  I can also see a lot of Marsh Helleborine coming into bud.

Meadow Thistle Cirsium dissectum [16th Red]

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

Another of Frilford's rare flowers, the Maiden Pink, is in flower to the right of the 10th tee green.

Maiden Pink Dianthus deltoides [10th Green]

There is also a nice display of Southern March Orchids to the left of the 3rd fairway on the Green.

Southern Marsh Orchids Dactylorhiza praetermissa [3rd Green]

29 July 2022

I played the front nine of the Blue this evening.  Other than the poor quality of my golf, the most notable things were the influx of flies which, in turn, brought an influx of gulls.  Looking closely, there were actually four species of gull on the fairways:

The most numerous are Black-headed Gulls.  There is a resident flock that is usually on the Blue and Red course fairways at this time of year.  There was a mixture of ages and plumages with young birds accompanying the adults and sub-adults.

Black-headed Gulls [8th Blue]

Lesser Black-backed Gulls are much larger and have dark wings.  They fly over in large numbers going to and from Farmoor where several thousand roost, but I only see them occasionally on the fairways at Frilford.  Today there were twenty or so feeding with the Black-headed Gulls.

Lesser Black-backed Gull [4th and 8th Blue]

Likewise Herring Gulls often fly over.  Today one was feeding with the other gulls near the 4th green.  These are large gulls - they are the one most likely to steal your ice-cream at the beach - and have light grey wings with a black wingtip.

Herring Gull [4th Blue]

Most unusual was a Common Gull which was in amongst the Black-headed Gulls.  These are slightly larger than a Black-headed gull but daintier than Herring Gulls which they resemble.  They are not as common as their name suggests, but do call in occasionally - there was one on the reservoir in January 2021.  

Common Gull [4th Blue]