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]

30 August 2023

I walked a loop from the 1st Blue around to the 16th Red this morning.  There are a few characteristic plants that provide a last gasp of summer in late August.  The Heather provides some autumnal colour, particularly around the 15th hole on the Red.

Common Heather Calluna vulgaris [15th Red]

In Two-Pine Fen, Grass of Parnassus is a rare flower in southern England and grows just in front of the stream on the 4th Green.  Devil's Bit Scabious has characteristic globular flowers and grows in quite large quantities.

Grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris [4th Green]

Devil's-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis [4th Green]

I stopped for a while behind the 10th green on the Blue course where a large wave of Blue Tits (40-50 birds) passed through, with a Nuthatch and a couple of Spotted Flycatchers mixed in.

Nuthatch [10th Blue]

Spotted Flycatcher [10th Blue]

27 February 2022

 

Another glorious morning and I managed to spot a new species of bird for the Frilford list.  There were 100+ Chaffinches feeding in the woods around the 1st and 2nd holes on the Blue and in amongst the flock were a few Bramblings.  The birds were very flighty, so it was difficult to get a photo, but the upper of the two birds in this picture is a Brambling, feeding around the abandoned golf balls.

Brambling [2nd Blue]

A pair of Nuthatches look to be nesting in a hole on one of the old willow trees at the side of the first on the Blue.  If you pull your tee shot you are likely to hear their calls.

Nuthatches [1st Blue]

Redwings are very common around the course at the moment, with the largest concentrations around the first and second on the Blue.

Redwing [1st Red]

Dunnocks are also very evident and one of the most characteristic songs around the course at the moment.

Dunnock [1st Red]

I came across this fungus on fallen twig on the 5th Blue.  It has the apt name of Yellow Brain and is also the more sinister name of 'Witch's Butter'.  As the fungus ages and dries out, like this one it turns bright orange.  

Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica [5th Blue]

15 July 2021

With a bit of patience I had some nice views of the Spotted Flycatchers on the left of the 4th Blue early this morning.  They are not the most colourful birds, but are quite easy to spot through their behaviour.  They tend to sit on a perch, fly to catch an insect, often hovering, and then return to the same spot.

Spotted Flycatchers [4th Blue]

There was also a noisy family of Nuthatches in the same area.

Nuthatch [4th Blue]

Flixweed is not the most glamorous plant.  It is more common in East Anglia, but is on the Oxfordshire rare plants register.  This one is on the 16th Red.

Flixweed Descurania sophia [16th Red]

11 May 2021

 I put up the trail camera to film the bird feeders for a couple of days.  There were plenty of clips of Blue Tits and Great Tits as you would expect, but I was quite surprised to see how often Great-spotted Woodpeckers visited the peanuts.  There is a pair on the video below - the male is the one with the red patch on the back of its head.

 A Nuthatch also visits regularly, which is also a bit of a surprise as I haven't seen or heard one in this corner of the course.

A week or so ago I also put it near the wood behind the 6th on the Blue.  This mostly recorded Rabbits and Grey Squirrels, but this badger also popped by to have a good look at the contraption.

2 January 2021

 First trip out in 2021. Had a very pleasant walk around the Blue course in the sunshine.  Stood by the 4th tee as a waves of birds came through the oak trees between the 4th and 9th tees.  First a flock of Long-tailed tits with blue tits, great tits and a treecreeper mixed in...

Long-tailed Tit [4th Blue]

Treecreeper [4th Blue]

A flock of Siskins then arrived...

Siskin [4th Blue]

Then a mixed flock of finches arrived, including Goldfinches and four or five Crossbills.

Crossbill [4th Blue]

Crossbill [4th Blue]

Walking further down the 4th and 5th I had nice views of a Kestrel.

Kestrel [5th Blue]

There were also large numbers of Siskins in the trees to the left of the 9th and a Grey Wagtail alongside a Pied Wagtail on the 2nd.

Grey Wagtail [2nd Blue]

Finally, back past the 1st tee there were more Siskins and a Nuthatch.

Siskin [1st Blue]

Nuthatch [1st Blue]