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]

20 June 2023

 

Viper's Bugloss Echium vulgare [15th Blue]

I have had a few visits to the course over the last week or so.  One of the most spectacular sights at the moment is the Viper's Bugloss which has colonised the area between the 13th and 15th on the Red, which was cleared last year.  Other than Bluebells carpeting a spring wood I can't think of many comparable displays of floral blue.

Cinnabar  Tyria jacobaeae [15th Red]

Not far away on the 15th Red was this Cinnabar moth.  It is a day-flying moth that can often be found in this area.

Common Broomrape Orobanche minor [18th Blue]

At the back of the 18th on the Blue was this rather odd-looking brown plant - a Common Broomrape which is parasitic on members of the pea family.  

Whitethroat [7th Blue]

After the excitement of the Oystercatcher and Egyptian Goose over the last couple of weeks, it was back to more familiar birds.  Whitethroats are very common on the course but can be difficult to spot.  Sometimes their calls give them away - this one is giving an alarm call.

House Sparrow [Reservoir]

This House Sparrow was one of two or three that breed around the reservoir.