29 June 2025

 

Scorching weather at the weekend, so I ventured out in the early morning and late evening.  There are several pairs of Green Woodpeckers nesting around the course at the moment and both juveniles and adults are easy to spot.  This one gave some nice views around the 2nd green and provided some consolation to the seven shots I had taken to play the hole.

Green Woodpecker [2nd Blue]

Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria [3rd Blue]

In the the back of the 8th green and around the 10th tee there were a lot of birds enjoying the multitudes of flies, including Blackcaps, Blue Tits and Chiffchaffs.  This Nuthatch was searching for grubs and beetles on the tree trunks.

Nuthatch [8th Blue]

There are plenty of flowers out at the moment.  Meadowsweet grows in various areas of the estate, including on the left of the 18th.  It has an almond scent and it was once widely used as a sweetener in food and mead - hence the name.

Cinnabar moth caterpillars are easy to spot with their black and yellow colouring, which is also a warning to potential predators that they are toxic. This one was near the footpath on the 4th Red.

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae [4th Red]

29 June 2021

 I played the front nine of the Blue this evening - pretty much on my own with everyone watching the football.  One of the more spectacular plant species starting to flower around now is Himalayan Balsam.  This is actually a problematic invasive species that originates in the Himalayas and is very efficient at attracting pollinators and distributing seeds, thriving at the expense of native plants.  It is particularly frequent along the stream that marks the boundary of the Blue course.

Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera [3rd Blue]

Another large plant, this time native, that is characteristic of the marshy areas of the courses is Meadowsweet.  This was part of a patch growing on the 3rd.

Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria [3rd Blue]

Scrambling alongside this is Large Bindweed, which is common in the thick rough.

Large Bindweed Calystegia sylvatica [3rd Blue]

Growing next to the pond on the 4th and common around the course is Selfheal.

Selfheal Prunella vulgaris [4th Blue]

I often see a Grey Heron moving between the ponds on the Blue in the evening, hunting for fish and frogs.

Grey Heron [4th Blue]