29 June 2025

 

Scorching weather at the weekend, so I ventured out in the early morning and late evening.  There are several pairs of Green Woodpeckers nesting around the course at the moment and both juveniles and adults are easy to spot.  This one gave some nice views around the 2nd green and provided some consolation to the seven shots I had taken to play the hole.

Green Woodpecker [2nd Blue]

Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria [3rd Blue]

In the the back of the 8th green and around the 10th tee there were a lot of birds enjoying the multitudes of flies, including Blackcaps, Blue Tits and Chiffchaffs.  This Nuthatch was searching for grubs and beetles on the tree trunks.

Nuthatch [8th Blue]

There are plenty of flowers out at the moment.  Meadowsweet grows in various areas of the estate, including on the left of the 18th.  It has an almond scent and it was once widely used as a sweetener in food and mead - hence the name.

Cinnabar moth caterpillars are easy to spot with their black and yellow colouring, which is also a warning to potential predators that they are toxic. This one was near the footpath on the 4th Red.

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae [4th Red]

14 July 2024

 I had a walk in the sunshine this morning.  In July and August there are usually a lot of juvenile birds around the estate.  They have typically fledged by now and are learning to feed, often in a family party.  The noisiest family parties are definitely Green Woodpeckers.  There are lots of them around the courses at the moment.  This juvenile was one of several calling very loudly for several minutes to the left of the 3rd Blue.

Green Woodpecker [3rd Blue]

When I took a detour from the 3rd tee to investigate the reason for the commotion became clear - you can see a nearby Buzzard in the background of the next picture.

Not far away, this juvenile Grey Heron was behind the 4th tee and the juvenile Blackcap was one of several to the left of the 5th Red.

Grey Heron [4th Blue]

Blackcap [5th Red]

23 July 2022

 

Had a quick walk around the front nine of the Blue first thing this morning.  On the 6th you can find Pennyroyal, which is a type of mint and grows just behind the pond.  It is a rare plant in Britain, although it is quite widespread in Europe and Asia.

Pennyroyal Mentha Pulegium [6th Blue]

There are lots of Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers with young around the course at the moment.  These two Green Woodpeckers were part of a family group on the 8th.

Green Woodpeckers [8th Blue]

This juvenile Great Spotted was on the back tee on the 8th.

Great Spotted Woodpecker [8th Blue]

High above the 8th I could just about make out the characteristic silhouette of a Peregrine.   I see them from time to time, usually high on the thermals

Peregrine [8th Blue]

There are quite a lot of birds around the reservoir at the moment.  Swallows, Sand Martins and Swifts all hunting flies and a flock of Linnets and Greenfinches are feeding on the seeds.

Sand Martin [Reservoir]

24 April 2022

 

Another sunny spring day.  A few familiar summer migrants are starting to reappear.  I have seen Swallows around the reservoir and the ponds on the Blue and House Martins over the clubhouse.  Whitethroats are singing around the course - I have heard them on the 4th Blue and two or three at the Doghouse Range.

Swallow (Reservoir)

Whitethroat (Doghouse range)

There are also plenty of colourful resident birds about too. I saw this Green Woodpecker and Robin on the Doghouse range and a Kingfisher which was perched just beyond the 4th tee on the Blue.

Green Woodpecker (Doghouse range)

Robin (Doghouse range)

Kingfisher (4th Blue)

Equally colourful are these Marsh Marigolds which offer consolation to those going in the hazard on the 9th Blue and the first Orchid of the year in Two-Pine Fen.

Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris [9th Blue]

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

Stoats are quite evident at the moment I have seen them sprinting across the fairways 2 or 3 times in the last couple of weeks.

15 August 2021

Fairly quiet on the course at the moment with the latest flowering plants still out, but a bit early for the autumn passage of migrants.  I managed to spot a couple of new flowers.  Bristly Ox Tongue is another in the Dandelion family and is named after the stiff hairs on its leaves and stem.  There are a few around the courses - this one was on the waste ground by the 17th Blue.

Bristly Oxtongue Helminthotheca echioides [17th Blue]

On the 15th Red I found this small shrub which I think is Duke of Argyll's Teaplant - an introduced plant that is a native of China.

Duke of Argyll's Teaplant Lycium barbarum [15th Red]

The most productive place for birds is still the small wood behind the 16th Blue and around the reservoir.  At least one Spotted Flycatcher is always there.  Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers were also both vocal this morning.

Green Woodpecker [Reservoir]

Great spotted Woodpecker [16th Blue]

Spotted Flycatcher [16th Blue]

There is also a family of Grey Wagtails.  I saw six in the car park behind the Greenkeepers' hut.   There is usually one feeding on flies in the area where the mowers are cleaned.

Grey Wagtail [3rd Red]

Not far away, this Muntjac Deer was on the 17th tee.

Muntjac Deer [17th Blue]

There are also still lots of Butterflies enjoying the flowers.

Peacock Aglais io [3rd Red]

Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus [17th Blue]

2 March 2021

 

Sunny yesterday, but somewhat greyer today.  A few White Dead-Nettles are starting to flower around the 12th tee on the Red:

White Dead-Nettle Lamium album [12th Red]

A large flock of Fieldfares on the 11th fairway (Blue) with some Starlings and Redwings mixed in.

Fieldfares, Starlings and Redwings [11th Blue]

I had a brief view of a Kingfisher on the 2nd Blue - sadly too brief to get a photo, but this Treecreeper and Green Woodpecker were a little more helpful.

Treecreeper [3rd Blue]

Green Woodpecker [2nd Red]

20 February 2021

 

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.

Green Woodpecker [2nd Blue]

Mallard [4th Blue]

8 November 2020

Rather murky today.  A few mammals about:

Muntjac Deer between the 14th and 15th on the Red.

Muntjac Deer [14th Red]

Lots of squirrels around as always. 

Grey Squirrel [18th Blue]

I managed to spot a weasel in the hedge on the left of the 2nd on the Blue, but wasn't quick enough to get a photo.

Crossbills seem to be all over the course, even where there are no pine trees.  Saw a male behind the 5th tee on the Blue.  This one was at the top of one of the tall pines to the left of the 12th on the Red.

Crossbill [12th Red]

Other birds included:

Great Tit [3rd Blue]

Green Woodpecker [3rd Blue]

Hedge Sparrow [3rd Blue]

Robin [3rd Blue]

Goldfinch [4th Blue]

Red-legged Partridge - 15th Red

Not much in flower at the moment. I found this Musk Mallow on the footpath by the 5th on the Red - thanks to Gareth Clay for the identification.

Musk Mallow Malva moschata [5th Red]

Quite a lot of fungi about still.  I believe that this is a Parasol.

Parasol - Macrolepiota procera [5th Red]