30 November 2025

 Had a walk around the Blue course today.  I was pleased to see a pair of Stonechats around the gorse on the 8th/10th.  I saw some last winter, but not over the summer.  A male and female were there today.

Stonechats [10th Blue]

Not far away I had a good look at one of the bird-scaring kites.  Tough to identify a species.  The head looks to be Bald Eagle, the tail looks to be a hawk and the wings are shaped like a falcon.  Hopefully it is convincing the Rooks and Crows to keep off the fairways - although I have my doubts...

Kite sp.  [10th Blue]

I hear Ravens quite often around the estate.  Their cronking sound is quite distinctive but I only usually see the flying overhead.  This one perched atop one of the pine trees by the 13th Blue.  The can make out its large beak.

Raven [13th Blue]

Just a bit further along the path, behind the 16th green, I came across this Muntjac.

Muntjac [16th Blue]

6 October 2024

 

I haven't seen much of note around the estate for the past couple of months, so haven't posted for a while, but I played golf this weekend in the sunshine (Saturday) and the rain (Sunday) and came across a few things. I saw a stoat for the first time in a while on the 11th Blue, but it was too quick for me to get to my bag and get the camera.

On the next hole, this young Grey Heron was more obliging.  I suspect that it is the same one that I usually see on the 3rd and 4th holes.  This is the first time that I have seen it on the 12th - it was looking intently in the grass behind the green - presumably for frogs or mice - I'm not quite sure.

Grey Heron [12th Blue]

On the same hole the next day I came across a group of three Red-legged Partridges.  I see these occasionally on the Blue course - usually running away.

Red-Legged Partridges [12th Blue]

On the Red course I came across a Red Kite feeding on what looked like a rabbit.

Red Kite [15th Red]

The Stonechats still seem to be around the course.  I have seen them occasionally over the summer, but not with any regularity.  There was a pair near the reservoir.

Stonechat [Reservoir]

Plenty of Rooks around the course at the moment looking for grubs in the fairways. 

Rook [11th Blue]

I hit a great shot 5 wood onto the green close on the 11th and you can understand my distress seeing one of the Rooks take a liking to my ball, roll it off the green and carry it off into the rough.  

This is the second time that I have seen corvids do this.  Here is a similar occurrence with a Carrion Crow a couple of years ago..

https://youtu.be/lSL9wEph1Sk

1 December 2023

 

It is the first proper cold snap of the year so far and there have been a few heavy frosts on the courses.  I have seen a few winter migrants arriving, Redwings and Fieldfares have flown overhead but I haven't seen any on the fairways yet.

The pair of Stonechats have been pretty evident on the Red and Blue course, particularly on the 11th Blue.  Today they were on the waste ground to the left of the 3rd Red.

Stonechat [3rd Red]

I was interested to note that the tree holding the hornets nest on the 4th Blue had blown over.  You can see how much the hornets had hollowed out the trunk, leading to its weakening and ultimate demise..

Look out for this cluster of Puffballs next to the 10th tee on the Blue.  I think that they are Stump Puffballs.

Stump Puffballs Lycoperdon pyriforme [10th Blue]

 

17 November 2023

 

I have been up to Frilford a couple of times this week.  There have been a couple of crisp frosty mornings with some sunshine and nice conditions for photography.  Earlier in the week a Little Egret was in the usual spot in the stream in front of the 2nd on the Blue and gradually moved along the stream to the 3rd.

Little Egret [1st and 3rd Blue]

This morning I played the back nine of the Blue and came across a new species for the Frilford list.  Stonechats always seemed a good fit for Frilford as they like heathland habitat, particularly gorse which they often perch atop.  I suspect that they have bred on the estate in the past, but this is the first time that I can recall seeing them.  There was a family party of three birds, a male (top two photos) a femaile (bottom photo) and a juvenile. Hopefully they will stay around and breed.  Their name comes from their song, which sounds like two stones being rubbed together.

Stonechats [11th Blue]