1 March 2025

 

I haven't posted for a while as I haven't seen much to write about over the winter.  There seem to have been the normal flocks of Redpoll and Siskins and quite a few Redwing, such as the one below, but nothing too spectacular.

Redwing [1st Blue]

However, today I went for a walk around the front few holes of the Blue this morning and came across a pair of Teal on the pond by the 3rd.  These are small ducks and the male is quite spectacular when you see it in the sunlight.  The male has a red and green head, whilst the female is dressed for camouflage rather than show.  This is the first time that I have seen them on the estate and whilst they may be looking to nest, I suspect that the resumption of play on the opening holes of the Blue may put them off.

Teal - male [3rd Blue]

Teal - female [3rd Blue]

There were also plenty of Coot and Moorhen, as well as Mallard and Mute Swans on the ponds by the 3rd and 4th.

Coot [3rd Blue]

12 March 2023

 

Went for a walk around the Blue and Red courses this morning and came across a Barn Owl hunting around the 3rd and 9th.  I see them occasionally on the course, usually in this area and brief glimpses.  This is the first time that I have been able to enjoy their ghostly presence for a few minutes.

Barn Owl [9th and 3rd Blue]

Elsewhere on the course, there are still quite a few Redwings still about.  I expect that they will return north in the next couple of weeks.

Redwing [13th Red]

This tame pheasant seems to frequent the Red course around the clubhouse and today was on the 18th tee.

Pheasant [18th Red]

18 November 2022

Had a walk around the Red course early this morning.  There were one or two winter thrushes visible such as this Redwing on the 13th and a few fieldfares flying over.

Redwing [13th Red]

Not much else of interest.  I haven't seen many finches around yet other than Chaffinches.  One of the resident Jays was making a lot of noise near the 13th tee.

Jay [13th Red]

27 February 2022

 

Another glorious morning and I managed to spot a new species of bird for the Frilford list.  There were 100+ Chaffinches feeding in the woods around the 1st and 2nd holes on the Blue and in amongst the flock were a few Bramblings.  The birds were very flighty, so it was difficult to get a photo, but the upper of the two birds in this picture is a Brambling, feeding around the abandoned golf balls.

Brambling [2nd Blue]

A pair of Nuthatches look to be nesting in a hole on one of the old willow trees at the side of the first on the Blue.  If you pull your tee shot you are likely to hear their calls.

Nuthatches [1st Blue]

Redwings are very common around the course at the moment, with the largest concentrations around the first and second on the Blue.

Redwing [1st Red]

Dunnocks are also very evident and one of the most characteristic songs around the course at the moment.

Dunnock [1st Red]

I came across this fungus on fallen twig on the 5th Blue.  It has the apt name of Yellow Brain and is also the more sinister name of 'Witch's Butter'.  As the fungus ages and dries out, like this one it turns bright orange.  

Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica [5th Blue]

30 January 2022

 

Good to see the reservoir filling up this weekend, hopefully it won't be too long before the geese and ducks return.  Haven't seen anything unusual on the course, but it was nice to have a bit of sunshine to photograph the birds.

Kestrel [4th and 5th Red]

Long-tailed Tit [5th Red]

Goldcrest [13th Blue]

Redwings [driveway]

13 March 2021

 Had a walk around the range and the Blue course in the early evening sunshine.  A couple more flowers to add to the 2021 list from behind the driving range bays.  Grape Hyacinth is a garden escapee, Common Field Speedwell is a common native plant.

Garden Grape Hyacinth Muscari armeniacum [Driving Range]

Common Field Speedwell Veronica persica [Driving Range]

Also on the driving range was a flock of around 10-12 Greenfinches.  I don't see them on the course very often and they have declined nationally by over 60% in the last 15 years due to a disease called Trichomonosis which is caused by parasites and affects the birds' ability to feed.

Greenfinches [Driving range]

Goldfinches on the other hand have significantly increased in the same period.  Today there was a noisy flock of 30+ birds in the bushes on the left of the driving range.

Goldfinches [Driving Range]

On the Blue there was a flock of Linnets in the trees on the left of the 2nd fairway, 200+ Redwings on the 1st and 2nd fairways and a couple of Roe Deer.

Linnet [2nd Blue]

Redwing [2nd Blue]

Roe Deer [1st Blue]

9 March 2021

 

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.

Chiffchaff [13th Red]

Buzzard [14th Green]

Redwing [5th Red]

13 February 2021

 

Braved the arctic conditions to inspect all three courses this morning.  Didn't spot any new flowers, but plenty of birds around.

The main flock of Redwings seemed to be centred on the 3rd hole on the Blue when I walked past.  There were also a few Fieldfares mixed in.  Fieldfares are quite large thrushes, about the size of Mistle Thrush but rather more colourful, with a slate grey nape and rump.  Like the Redwings, they are winter visitors.  There were large numbers in early December, most likely migrating through, but I have not seen many since.  In the photo below they are the larger pair at the back

Fieldfares and Redwings [3rd Blue]

There are also flocks of Redwings on the 14th Red and 6th Green.  In the latter flock there were also some Mistle Thrushes mixed in.

Mistle Thrush [6th Green]

One of the characteristic sounds around the courses at the moment is woodpeckers drumming.  We have both Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers resident.  This one was near the bridge between the Red and Blue courses.

Great Spotted Woodpecker [1st Red]

They tend to find a hollow branch or trunk such as this one so that the sound resonates.  Woodpeckers have a pad of shock-absorbent tissue between the bill and skull to reduce the effect of the impact.

Elsewhere I managed to grab a photo of a wren on the 15th on the Green and a rather distant shot of some Lapwings flying over - there were actually several small flocks that flew across.

Wren [15th Green]

Lapwings [15th Red]

On the Blue course I had a nice view of a Redpoll in the ditch behind the 3rd green and saw four Roe Deer on the 5th fairway. A Stock Dove also took off near to the nest box on the 2nd.

Redpoll [3rd Blue]

Roe Deer [5th Blue]