21 June 2026

 

With a sunny morning and no other commitments I walked for a couple of hours around the Blue and Red courses today.  Lots of insects around the courses, particularly butterflies and dragonflies.  Ringlet is a very dark Butterfly and is named because of the eye-like rings on its underwing.

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus [3rd Blue]

Pained Lady is more colourful and is a migratory butterfly.  They are quite common this year.  This one was on the 3rd Blue.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui [5th Blue]

There is plenty of long grass on the Blue course at the moment.  Bad for my golf, but good for the Small Skipper which you can see making short flights between stems.  

Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris [5th Blue]

The largest dragonflies on the estate are the Emperor Dragonflies.  They quite often settle on the gorse.  This was one of many on the 5th hole. This one is a male - you can tell by the bright blue abdomen.  Females have a green abdomen.

Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator [5th Red]

Another common dragonfly is the Black-tailed Skimmer.  There are always lots of these around the pond on the 3rd Blue.

Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum [3rd Blue]

Eating a dragonfly on the 3rd Blue was a Spotted Flycatcher.  This is the first time this year that I have seen them on the course.  I saw a pair this morning on the red course and this evening on the Blue.  Hopefully one or more pairs will next again this year.

Spotted Flycatcher [3rd Blue]

On the 2nd on the Blue there were a few Greenfinches.  These also nest on the estate - there is a small colony in the hedge behind the practice area.

Greenfinch [2nd Blue]

2 July 2023

 

I had a walk around the Blue first thing this morning and the Red early afternoon.  The highlight of the morning was some nice views of Spotted Flycatchers on the 4th.  I have seen them in the same spot in the tree to the left of the fairway for the past couple of years.  A family nest in the cluster of trees to the left of the stream.

Spotted Flycatcher [4th Blue]

On all of the courses there are large numbers of Small Skippers in the rough.  These two appeared to be squabbling over a patch of Common Centaury.

Small Skippers Thymelicus sylvestris on  Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea [4th Red]

There were a couple of Red Admirals on the bridge between the Red and Blue courses and this one helpfully settled on a sunny patch.

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta [1st Red]

The Small Heath is a rather inconspicuous butterfly that I have seen a bit over the last few weeks over the long grass, particularly on the Red course.

Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus [4th Red]

This Water Mint was flowering early near the 4th tee Red, a long way from water.  This plant is very common on the Blue course from late July onwards.

Water Mint Mentha aquatica [4th Red]

Closer to water, there was a large influx of Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the reservoir.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls [Reservoir]

1 July 2023

I put on my wellies on for a wade around Boundary Fen this afternoon.  Among the many insects there were large numbers of Large and Small Skippers.  I presume that Large Skippers are slightly the larger but it is not easy to tell.  More reliable distinguishing features are the patterning on their wings, whereas Small Skippers are a more uniform orange colour.

Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris [Boundary Fen]

Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus [Boundary Fen]

Other butterflies around included Marbled White, Ringlet, Red Admiral, Comma and Large White.

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus [Boundary Fen]

Comma Polygonia c-album [Boundary Fen]

The Marsh Lousewort has spread rapidly since being introduced four or five years ago and is an important plant in the ecosystem here.

Marsh Lousewort Pedicularis palustris [Boundary Fen]

Rather more delicate is Bog Pimpernel, which grows in large quantities in Boundary Fen and has tiny, but very ornate pink flowers.

Bog Pimpernel Anagallis tenella [Boundary Fen]

I played a few holes around the Green course afterwards and came across this Wild Onion, one of several in the long grass to the left of the path near the 16th tee.

Wild Onion Allium viniale [16th Green]

9 June 2022

 

Plenty of sunshine over the last couple of days.  I spotted a couple of Spotted Flycatchers on the ninth hole on the Blue.  I have seen them a couple of times at the top of the trees on this hole earlier in the month, but this morning they were hunting insects just above the rough. There is at least one pair that nests on the course, probably between the ninth and the third, and possibly more.

Spotted Flycatchers [9th Blue]

Small Skippers are one of the most common butterflies around the estate, but are small, have a rather inelegant gait and look rather more like moths.  This one was in the undergrowth to the right of the 16th tee on the Red.

Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris [16th Red]

This Asparagus plant is most likely a garden escape and is growing between the 18th Green and the Yellow course.

Garden Asparagus Asparagus officinalis [18th Green]

This Red Kite was looking critically down at the 17th green on the Red course earlier in the week.

Red Kite [17th Red]

27 June 2021

 Had a brief visit to the Doghouse range this afternoon and found a few more plants and butterflies for the year.  A Small Skipper was resting on some Yarrow.  It is very similar to Large Skipper, which I found behind the 14th tee on the Red, but has a plain underwing, whereas this is slightly patterned for the Large Skipper.

Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris [Doghouse range]

Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris [Doghouse range]

Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus [14th Red]

Otherwise there were a few new flowers.  Field Bindweed grows in the thicker rough and seems to look more attractive here than when I'm pulling it up out of my flower beds.

Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis [Doghouse range]

White Stonecrop is prevalent around the edge of the range and grows next to the Biting Stonecrop.

White Stonecrop Sedum album [Doghouse range]

Common Ragwort is also abundant in the long grass.

Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea [Doghouse range]