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:
Headed out this morning for a walk around the Blue. Was hoping to see some migrant birds, but settled for some interesting flowers instead.
Field Pansies are delicate little flowers - it is well worth topping your drive short left off the 7th to have an excuse to look at them.
Field Pansy Viola arvensis [7th Blue]
Not too far away in the wood there is lots of Wood Sorrell. Just outside is Bugloss - A less spectacular relative of Viper's Bugloss that is common on the courses.
Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella [behind 6th Blue]
Bugloss Anchusa arvensis [6th Blue]
There is quite a lot of Cuckoo Flower (also known as Lady's Smock) around the damp areas of the Blue and Green at the moment. This patch was in the rough between the 8th and 11th on the Blue.
Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis [8th Blue]
There is lots of Springbeauty all over the waste areas of the course. It is actually an alien species introduced from North America in 1794. Apparently it is quite good in salads. Look out for the fleshy leaves anywhere that is sandy. This patch was on the 7th Blue.
Springbeauty Claytonia perfoliata [7th Blue]
I managed to find a better specimen of Heath Dog Violet on the 4th of the Green.
Heath Dog Violet Viola canina [4th Blue]
There were a couple of calling Woodpigeons when I got back to the car - they nest in the Leylandii around the chipping area.
Last weekend of lockdown, so had a long walk around all of the courses. A couple more flowers to add to the list. Field Mouse-ear is starting to flower on the edge of the 15th fairway on the Red.
Field Mouse-ear [15th Red]
Thale cress is a rather inconspicuous weed, but it is notable for being the first plant species to have its genome sequenced.
Thale Cress [5th Red]
I notice that the area to the right of the 10th tee on the Green is taped off. I would imagine that this is to protect the Maiden Pink which grows there and which is one of the rarest plants on the course. Look out for it from mid-June.
There were 4 species of birds of prey on a thermal above the 17th Blue - Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Peregrine. The Peregrine was a long way up, but is just about identifiable from this heavily cropped image:
Peregrine [17th Blue]
Lots of Crossbills about still. I think that they must be nesting somewhere nearby as they are usually very early breeders. This male was by the greenkeeper's hut on the Blue.
Crossbill [16th Blue]
When feeding on pine cones they use their unusually shaped beak to prize apart to the cone and extract the seeds with their tongue.
4 Greylag Geese flew over the 4th on the Blue, including a white one at the back.
Otherwise I had distant views of the Kingfisher on the 1st/2nd/3rd of the Blue and the normal selection of common birds.
Lovely morning. A few interesting birds about. Starlings have been surprisingly uncommon on the course this winter, there is a small flock that I sometimes see on the Blue course. Today they were feeding with the Redwings on the 9th.
Starlings [9th Blue]
A male pheasant was close by.
Pheasant [9th Red]
Much more common are Woodpigeons, this group were feeding on the ivy at the side of the 12th on the Red.
Woodpigeons [12th Red]
A Little Egret and Kingfisher brought a touch of the exotic to the first two holes on the Blue.
Little Egret [2nd Blue]
Kingfisher [1st Blue]
The Crossbills were centred around the 13th on the Red this morning, along with a Chiffchaff and a small flock of Siskins. I could also see across to a Buzzard sitting in the sunshine on the 14th Green.
Have walked various bits of the course over the last couple of days. There are definitely signs of spring with flowers starting to appear, birds singing and nesting and even butterflies starting to appear.
Plenty of Crossbills still around on the course. This flock was in the small pine tree to the right of the 11th tee on the Blue, flying down to drink from the large puddle that persists there - not far from where my sliced drive usually ends up.
Crossbills [11th Blue]
They also frequent the pine trees by the greenkeepers shed, such as this male and female.
Crossbills [16th Blue]
Elsewhere, there are Song Thrushes are still very vocal. This is the usual one nesting near the 3rd green on the Blue.
This Mistle Thrush looked to have found a potential nest site behind the 6th Green. I also heard a Skylark for the first time this year to the left of the 2nd on the Blue.
Mistle Thrush [6th Blue]
There are plenty of Hedge Sparrows singing. Their song always sounds very upbeat and cheerful.
and other resident birds.
Woodpigeon [4th Blue]
It is a little early for the main spring migrants, but I did spot this Chiffchaff at the side of the 4th fairway and another singing behind the 6th on the Blue. These are generally summer visitors, although a few do overwinter.
Chiffchaff [4th Blue]
A few flowers are starting to appear. Some are vary obvious, such as the Snowdrops, which are now very visible on the course:
Rather overcast today as I walked around different sections of the 3 courses. A few more flowers starting to appear.
Daffodil Nacissus pseudonarcissus [12th Red]
Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis [1st Blue]
Daisy Bellis perennis [1st Blue]
Elsewhere this was one of two pairs of Canada Geese noisily disputing ownership of the pond on the 3rd of the Blue.
Canada Geese [3rd Blue]
I also spotted a pair of Stock Doves on the Greenkeepers' hut behind the 16th on the Blue. They are easy birds to overlook as they are similar in size and appearance to Woodpigeons. On close inspection however you can see that they slightly darker, lack the Woodpigeon's white neck patch and have a thin black wing-bar rather than a broad white wing bar.
Stock Dove [16th Blue]
Compared to some Woodpigeons that I photographed behind the 3rd on the Blue in November:
Woodpigeon [3rd Blue]
I also regularly see a Green Woodpecker in one of the oak trees along the hedge on the 2nd on the Blue, where I suspect they may be nesting and a pair of Mallard around the pond by the 4th tee.
