Had a day off today, so had a good walk around all of the courses and the Doghouse range. The courses are looking good and it will be good to have the camera back in the golf bag again in a couple of weeks.
I had a good look for flowers today. Most notable were the Violets which I found next to the 18th tee on the Green and in the Doghouse range. Three different patches of plants with three very different colours - all seemed to be the same species - Sweet Violet.
Sweet Violets Viola odorata [18th Green]
Sweet Violet Viola odorata [Doghouse range]
A couple of attractive garden escapees were also flowering. Siberian Squill, on the edge of the 5th and 12th on the Red and Oregon-Grape around much of the boundary of the Red course.
Siberian Squill Scilla siberica [Doghouse range]
Oregon-Grape Mahonia aquifolium [12th Red]
More mundane, but perhaps more authentic, were the Ground Ivy and Dog's Mercury to the left of the 13th tee on the Red.
Ground-Ivy Glechoma hederacea [13th Red]
Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis [13th Red]
Other flowers visible included:
Green Alkanet Pentaglotis sempervirens [Doghouse range]
White Dead-nettle Lamium album [Doghouse range]
Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum [12th Red]
Common Whitlow-grass Erophila verna [Doghouse range]
Lesser Periwinkle Vinca minor [Doghouse range]
A few Bumblebees were around the gorse at the back of the 16th tee on the Red.
Have walked various bits of the course over the last couple of days. There are definitely signs of spring with flowers starting to appear, birds singing and nesting and even butterflies starting to appear.
Plenty of Crossbills still around on the course. This flock was in the small pine tree to the right of the 11th tee on the Blue, flying down to drink from the large puddle that persists there - not far from where my sliced drive usually ends up.
Crossbills [11th Blue]
They also frequent the pine trees by the greenkeepers shed, such as this male and female.
Crossbills [16th Blue]
Elsewhere, there are Song Thrushes are still very vocal. This is the usual one nesting near the 3rd green on the Blue.
This Mistle Thrush looked to have found a potential nest site behind the 6th Green. I also heard a Skylark for the first time this year to the left of the 2nd on the Blue.
Mistle Thrush [6th Blue]
There are plenty of Hedge Sparrows singing. Their song always sounds very upbeat and cheerful.
and other resident birds.
Woodpigeon [4th Blue]
It is a little early for the main spring migrants, but I did spot this Chiffchaff at the side of the 4th fairway and another singing behind the 6th on the Blue. These are generally summer visitors, although a few do overwinter.
Chiffchaff [4th Blue]
A few flowers are starting to appear. Some are vary obvious, such as the Snowdrops, which are now very visible on the course:
