4 August 2021

 There are three kinds of mint around the course at the moment.  The most common is Water Mint which grows around most of the ponds and wet areas of the courses.

Water Mint Mentha aquatica [Boundary Fen]

On the left of the 1st on the Blue you can find Corn Mint, which is similar, but lacks the flowers at the top of the stem.

Corn Mint Mentha arvensis [1st Blue]

By the side of the pond on the 6th Blue, this looks like Pennyroyal, which has well-separated spikes of small flowers.  This is a very rare native plant but more common as a garden escape, which I presume this patch is.

Pennyroyal Mentha pulegium [6th Blue]

Another lilac-flowered plant, Soapwort, grows in a pretty dense patch on the left of the 14th on the Red.

Soapwort Saponaria officinalis [14th Red]

A few butterflies were warming up first thing.  These Red Admirals were on a tree next to the 14th tee Red.

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta [14th Red]

This Painted Lady was on the 5th Blue.  These butterflies are unusual in that they migrate, starting out in the deserts of North Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East and spreading northwards as far a Britain.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui [5th Blue]

29 July 2021

First time that I have been up to the club for a week or so after travelling to various golf events with Luke.  There were a couple of new dragonflies about.  The first is a Common Darter, which is fairly common around the course at the moment.

Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum [12th Blue]

The second is a Banded Demoiselle, which has a characteristic dark patch in the middle of its wings.  There were quite a few in the stream along the 2nd on the Blue.

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens [2nd Blue]

In Boundary Fen I came across this enormous caterpillar.  If all goes well it will turn into an Elephant Hawk Moth.

Elephant Hawk Moth Deilephila elpenor [Boundary Fen]

The heather on the Red and Green courses is starting to flower.  If you look closely you will see two different types.  Common Heather is the most abundant, but mixed in with this there is some Bell Heather, with somewhat larger bell shaped flowers.

Common Heather Calluna vulgaris [15th Red]

Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus on Bell Heather Erica cineria [15th Red]

Other flowers around the course at the moment include:

Water Mint Mentha aquatica [3rd Blue]

Harebells Campanula rotundifolia [4th Red]

Purple Loosetrife Lythrum salicaria [9th Blue]

Square-stalked St. John's-wort Hypericum tetrapterum [18th Red]

There are also numerous small birds around the course at the moment, enjoying the large numbers of flies. I spent some time around the 3rd on the Blue with the course closed for maintenance and the area behind the green was teeming with Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Chaffinches, Treecreepers, various warblers and at least 4 Spotted Flycatchers.

Spotted Flycatcher [3rd Blue]

Chiffchaff [3rd Blue]

Whitethroat [15th Red]