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.

5 July 2021

 

A Hobby is a small falcon that can be seen around the course in summer from time to time.  It feeds on small birds and insects, particularly dragonflies.   This one was flying over the 6th on the Blue.

Hobby [6th Blue]

Plenty more young birds around.  Robins are speckled brown in their first few months before acquiring a red breast and more familiar colouring.

Robin [6th Blue]

Juvenile Great-spotted Woodpeckers are similar to adults but have a red cap.  

Great-spotted Woodpecker [Tubney range]

Juvenile treecreepers are pretty much identical to adults.  This one was being fed by an adult.

Treecreeper [6th Blue]

A couple of new flowers in the rough by the 4th Red:

Perforate St John's-wort Hypericum perforatum [4th Red]

Field Scabious Knautia arvensis [4th Red]

Lots of Pyramidal Orchids out now over the course.  This one was on the 18th Blue.

Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis [18th Blue]

7 March 2021

 Another pleasant spring morning.  I walked the Red and Blue courses and took a quick trip across the road to the Doghouse range.  Couldn't see any new flower species, but there were a few birds and animals about.

This Roe Deer stag was resting in the small wood near the greenkeepers' huts on the Blue.  You can clearly see the velvet covering its new antler growth.

Roe Deer [16th Blue]

About 30 yards away from the deer was a pair of Stock Doves.  They must be nesting either in the greenkeepers' hut or very nearby as they are frequently in this vicinity.  I have seen them quite a lot around the Red and Blue courses in the last couple of weeks, which suggests that there may be a few different pairs.

Stock Dove [16th Blue]

Otherwise there were a pair of Skylarks displaying in the field next to the 2nd Blue, plenty of Rooks on the driving range and the usual mix of Siskins and Crossbills in the pines.

Rook [Driving Range]

Robin [3rd Red]

6 February 2021

Walked the perimeter of the Red and Blue this morning, but with limited visibility due to the fog.  I did, however, manage to find my first Snowdrops out on the course, there are actually quite a few patches on the Red course by the 5th, 12th and 1st holes.

Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis [12th Red]

Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis [1st Red]

I also noticed some more Hellebores in flower on the side of the 14th on the Red.

Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus [14th Red]

It was a day for hearing rather than seeing the birds.  This Robin was singing in the wild area to the right of the 15th fairway on the Red.  The Robin's song is quite distinctive and sounds very fluid and watery.  Elsewhere there were at least 8 Song Thrushes singing on different parts of the courses.

17 January 2021

 Had a walk round the Red and Blue courses this morning.  Most notable sighting was a couple of Common Gulls on the reservoir.  I haven't seen these at Frilford before:

Common Gull [Reservoir]

Common Gull with Black-headed Gulls [Reservoir]

Otherwise on the reservoir there was the usual pair of Mallards, a Coot and two or three Little Grebes:

Mallard [Reservoir]

Little Grebe [Reservoir]

I couldn't see any flowers out yet, but other birds of note include:

• Crossbills [5th Blue]
• Raven [13th Blue]
• Lots of Great-spotted Woodpeckers.

Raven [13th Blue]

Robin [16th Red]

Goldfinch [1st Red]

30 December 2020

 

Had a quick walk around the frosty Red and Blue courses this morning, followed by 9 holes on the Blue this afternoon.

Highlights included:

Large numbers of small finches feeding in the trees around the 1st on the Blue.  I estimate 100+ Siskins and 50+ Redpolls.  

Lots of Redwings feeding around the 1st and 2nd of the Blue.

Sparrowhawk on the 13th of the Blue.

Redwings [2nd Blue]

Redwing [5th Red]

Siskins [1st Blue]

Sparrowhawk [13th Blue]

Buzzard [13th Red]

Robin [clubhouse]

22 November 2020

 Misty morning that cleared to bright sunshine.  Had a walk round most of the three courses.

Plenty of small bird around.  Saw the flock of Crossbills (around 30) again flying around the 16th Green on the Blue and also flying across the 14th on the Red - but didn't manage to spot any settle.

Pair of Grey Wagtails on the boggy area to the left of the 14th on the Red.  Also on the 14th on the Red the bird feeders seem to be getting plenty of custom from Great Tits and Blue Tits.

Great Tit [14th Red]

Robin [15th Red]

Muntjac Deer [15th Red]

Blackbird [15th Green]

Raven [14th Red]

Redwing [15th Red]

Hedge Sparrow [1st Red]

Still the odd bit of colour as well:

Red Campion Silene Dioica [15th Red]

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]