5 April 2026

 

Had a walk around the Blue and red course in the sunshine this morning.  Whilst some of the winter finches are starting to depart the course the resident Goldfinches and Chaffinches are still around. This Goldfinch was between the 4th and 5th on the Red

Goldfinch (5th Red)

There seemed to be a lot more water in the reservoir than I have seen for a while.  There were also a couple of Stock Doves on the shoreline.  They nest near on inside the Greenkeepers hut on the Blue course.

Stock Doves (Reservoir)

There were a lot of birds in the gorse today - whilst much has been cleared, there is still plenty around.  Linnets in particular nest in the gorse - this one was on the 13th of the Blue

Linnet [12th Blue]

It was nice to see a pair of Reed Buntings as well.  These were on the 11th of the Blue.  They usually nest near the pond on the 3rd but are probably looking for a new spot now that the vegetation here has been cleared.  The bird below is a male, with a Dunnock perched nearby.

24 March 2024

 

Had a couple of walks around the estate over the weekend.  Things are feeling a lot more springlike - the flowers are starting to come out and the birds are singing.  Always one of the earliest flowers are Coltsfoot - looking rather like dandelions but on short scaly stalks with the leaves appearing much later than the flowers.  These are growing on the left of the 3rd Blue.

Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara [3rd Blue]

Chiffchaffs are always amongst the first of the migrants and are easy to locate with their two-note song.   This bird was one of two or three in the hedge alongside the 2nd Blue.

Chiffchaff [2nd Blue]

There are quite a few Stock Doves around the greenkeepers'shed on the Blue course.  I think that they usually nest inside.  This one was up in the rafters.

Stock Dove [Greenkeepers' hut]

Lots of Mistle Thrushes on the fairways - more noticeable now the winter thrushes have flown north.  This one was on the 5th Green.

Mistle Thrush [5th Green]

14 May 2023

 

Spent some time at the weekend looking at some of the flowers around the courses.  Two-pine Fen is probably the best floral habitat around the course and at the momtent there are three or four Early Purple Orchids adding a splash of colour - similar numbers to previous years.

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

There are a few Heath Dog Violets around.  In particular on the 7th on the Green and quite a few on the footpath between the 4th and 5th on the Red.  They are a bit bluer than the Common Dog Violets with a distinctive yellow spur.

Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [7th Green]

The Doghouse practice ground is covered in flowers at the moment.  Two of the smallest and rarest of these are Subterranean Clover and Annual Knawel.  The latter of these is quite abundant, but very hard to spot as its flowers are green.  Subterranean Clover is also small (tee included in photo for scale) but is white and covers almost all of the practice ground.

Annual Knawel Scleranthus annuus [Doghouse Practice Ground]

Subterranean Clover Trifolium subterraneum [Doghouse Practice Ground]

There are quite a few birds nest around the Greenkeepers shed behind the 16th Blue.  This pair of Stock Doves nests in one of the trees and are often on the roof.  Similarly a pair of Grey Wagtails which nest in the shed.  The male has the dark throat.

Stock Doves [Greenkeepers Shed]

Grey Wagtails [[Greenkeepers Shed]

8 May 2022

 

A lovely May morning - I had a quick walk around the estate.  There was nothing of particular note today, although I did find a new flower for the Frilford list - this Bush Vetch was growing in the woods to the left of the 1st Blue.

Bush Vetch Vicia sepium [1st Blue]

The Early Purple Orchids are properly in flower in Two Pine Fen.  There are 5 or 6 plants in total.

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

I counted 25 Tufted Duck on the reservoir this afternoon as well as a pair of Coot, some Little Grebes and a family of Mallard.  Otherwise just the usual birds and animals around the courses.

Peacock Butterfly Aglais io [Tubney range]

Roe Deer and Brown Hare [2nd Blue]

Long-tailed Tit [3rd Blue]

Stock Dove [Reservoir]

19 February 2022

 

Lots of fallen trees and debris for the Greenkeeping staff to clear up after storm Eunice.  Quite a few birds around first thing, including a new tick for me on the courses as a Water Rail scurried across the path as I walked along the 3rd on the Blue this morning.  They are very secretive water birds that live in thick vegetation around water - more often heard than seen.  I managed to get a couple of blurry  shots before it disappeared back into the undergrowth.

Water Rail [3rd Blue]

A few birds seemed to be returning to the courses ready to nest.  I saw a couple of Reed Buntings to the left of the 3rd Blue and a pair of Stock Doves in the wood between the 16th and 17th on the Blue.

Stock Dove [17th Blue]

On the 5th Blue the flock of Redpolls and Siskins was very active with 40-50 birds feeding.

Redpolls [5th Blue]

Siskin [5th Blue]

27 May 2021

 There have been pigeons of some type feeding on the 16th tee of the Blue for the last couple of mornings when I have parked in the Blue range car park.

Woodpigeon [16th Blue]

Stock Dove [16th Blue]

There are lots of martins, swallows and swifts feeding on the reservoir each morning.  Swifts are one of the most airborne species.  They eat, drink, sleep and even mate on the wing, only settling to nest.

Swift [Reservoir]

Sand Martin [Reservoir]

A few more clover-like plants are flowering.  On the 15th Blue you can find both Lesser Trefoil and Hop Trefoil.  The latter has a denser flowerhead that look like hops once they go over.

Lesser Trefoil Trifolium dubium [Doghouse range]

Hop Trefoil Trifolium campestre [15th Blue]

There are also a couple more species of geranium growing in the rough here, both fairly common:

Cut-leaved Crane's-bill Geranium dissectum [15th Blue]

Round-leaved Crane's-bill Geranium rotundifolium [15th Blue]

Common Storksbill is also prolific on the 15th.

Common Stork's-bill Erodium cicutarium [15th Blue]

Next to the car park I found this Scorpion Fly resting in the shade.  This is a female - the males have a scorpion-like tail.

Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis [16th Blue]

This is the first damselfly that I've seen this year.  It was on the 16th Red and I think that it's a Large Red Damselfly.

Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula [16th Red]

Also on the 16th Red you can find the two species of sorrel growing together, with the Common Sorrel towering above Sheep's Sorrel.

Common Sorrel Rumex acetosa [16th Red]

1 May 2021

 Lots of birds around the course today.  I had a long walk around the Blue and Red.  

There are still Crossbills around the Blue in particular.  I quite often see them in the mornings preening on the large willow tree to the left of the 5th.  Today there were 15 or so perched in the sunlight and dropping down to the stream to drink.

Crossbills [5th Blue]

The last two days are the first time that I've seen Whitethroats this year and there are suddenly lots of them.  I've seen or heard them on the 3rd Blue, 7th Blue, 15th Red and this one of a pair to the left of the 4th Red.

Whitethroat [4th Red]

They are scrub warblers that favour small bushes.  They can be difficult to separate from Lesser Whitethroats, but the brown wings are characteristic.   Lesser Whitethroats  have uniform slate grey upper-parts as you can see from the photo that I took by the 2nd Blue last weekend.  Whitethroats are also a bit larger with a proportionally larger head and light coloured legs.  Whitethroats tend to sing from a perch out in the open whereas Lesser Whitethroats are shyer.

Lesser Whitethroat [2nd Blue]

Bluebells are in full bloom around the course at the moment.  If you look closely there are actually two species, the native Bluebell and the introduced Spanish Bluebell.  Spanish Bluebells have shorter broader flowers that are slightly lighter and appear two-tone.  Native Bluebells have narrow flowers and the tips of the petals curve right back.  The two grow side by side at the back of the 18th green on the Green. They also hybridise readily and come in whites and pinks as well as blue.

Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta [18th Green]

Spanish Bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica [6th Red]

There were a lot of other birds around.  I had good views of a Peregrine on the 5th Blue and Kingfisher on 3rd Blue, but was not quick enough to get a photo.  I had some more success with the following:

Jay [1st Green]

Stock Doves [16th Blue]

Pheasant [6th Blue]

Lots more butterflies about.  This Orange tip landed on the fairway on the 13th Blue - only the males have orange tips to their wings.

Orange Tip [13th Blue]