6 October 2024

 

I haven't seen much of note around the estate for the past couple of months, so haven't posted for a while, but I played golf this weekend in the sunshine (Saturday) and the rain (Sunday) and came across a few things. I saw a stoat for the first time in a while on the 11th Blue, but it was too quick for me to get to my bag and get the camera.

On the next hole, this young Grey Heron was more obliging.  I suspect that it is the same one that I usually see on the 3rd and 4th holes.  This is the first time that I have seen it on the 12th - it was looking intently in the grass behind the green - presumably for frogs or mice - I'm not quite sure.

Grey Heron [12th Blue]

On the same hole the next day I came across a group of three Red-legged Partridges.  I see these occasionally on the Blue course - usually running away.

Red-Legged Partridges [12th Blue]

On the Red course I came across a Red Kite feeding on what looked like a rabbit.

Red Kite [15th Red]

The Stonechats still seem to be around the course.  I have seen them occasionally over the summer, but not with any regularity.  There was a pair near the reservoir.

Stonechat [Reservoir]

Plenty of Rooks around the course at the moment looking for grubs in the fairways. 

Rook [11th Blue]

I hit a great shot 5 wood onto the green close on the 11th and you can understand my distress seeing one of the Rooks take a liking to my ball, roll it off the green and carry it off into the rough.  

This is the second time that I have seen corvids do this.  Here is a similar occurrence with a Carrion Crow a couple of years ago..

https://youtu.be/lSL9wEph1Sk

11 September 2022

 

It has become noticeably crisper in the mornings as autumn approaches, but fairly quiet on the golf courses nature-wise.  The Spotted Flycatchers seem to have headed south along with the Swallows, House-Martins and the warblers.  There are still a few dragonflies and butterflies around.  There are also a few flowers still out, such as this Common Mallow and White Campion.

Common Mallow Malva sylvestris [7th Blue]

White Campion Silene latifolia [15th Blue]

The Badgers continue to torment the greenkeepers and their handiwork is in evidence on all three of the courses.  They dig for grubs such as Leatherjackets and Chafer grubs at night.  The ground that they disturb is often worked further by the Rooks and Crows during the day.

Rook [8th Blue]

You would think that the large quantity of fruit around the course at the moment would make a more appetising meal.  This Apple tree on the 15th Blue is particularly laden.

Apple Malus x dometica [15th Blue]

23 January 2021

 

The weather seems to have thawed out a bit by the end of the week.  I had a couple of loops 9 holes now the the course had defrosted.  There are a few Roe Deer at various places on the courses.  This one was in the woods next to the 13th on the Blue.  There were also some Muntjac Deer nearby.

Roe Deer [13th Blue]

Otherwise, mammal-wise there is plenty of evidence of Moles about, particularly on the Doghouse range.

Molehills [Doghouse range]

Another tunneler that I watched with some fascination at the driving range was the machine that is laying the pipes for the new irrigation system.  It carves a tunnel with a plough-like appendage, drags the pipe through and leaves almost no trace above ground - very impressive.

The reservoir looks almost ready to fill up - the lining has been put in place:

I am always impressed with the number of birds roosting in the trees on the yellow and green courses around the clubhouse.  There are many trees with 6 or 7 Red Kites in the topmost branches.  There is also a large and noisy Rook roost, with several trees containing 100+ birds at this time of year.

Rooks [Yellow course]

18 May 2021

 

Walked over to the Green course this morning and managed to avoid the showers to play a few holes this afternoon.  New flowers appearing everywhere.

In the fen on the 4th the Early Purple Orchids are fully in flower now.  A much less conspicuous orchid is also starting to flower - Common Twayblade. This has two large basal leaves and can grow a couple of feet tall, but is difficult to spot as it has green flowers.  You can see a couple of emerging plants behind in the photo.

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula [4th Green]

Common Twayblade Neottia ovata [4th Green]

The Lamiaceae family of plants have distinctive shaped flowers.  The most common on the course by far is Ground Ivy.  This one was on the south bank of the pond on the 14th Green.

Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea [14th Green]

Similar and on the north bank of the same pond is Bugle.  This has a denser spike of flowers and more triangular leaves.

Bugle Ajuga reptans [14th Green]

Part of the same family, but rather taller is Wild Clary.  This plant was on the left of the 14th Red.

Wild Clary Salvia verbenaca [14th Red]

If you get stuck behind a particularly slow four-ball you may wish to spend the time separating the three common buttercups that are on the course at the moment.

Bulbous Buttercup seems to be most common at the moment and has distinctive reflexed sepals.

Bulbous Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus [14th Red]

Meadow Buttercup is taller than the others and has finely cut leaves.  There are quite a lot on the edges of the fen on the 4th Green/16th Red.

Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris [16th Red]

Creeping Buttercup is the other common species and tends to be low-growing with different plants linked by runners.

Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens [13th Red]

On the edge of the 3rd fairway on the Green there are quite a few Pheasant's Eye Daffodils - likely a remnant of past cultivation or a garden escape.

Pheasant's Eye Daffodil Narcissus poeticus [3rd Green]

Star-of-Bethlehem is present in a few spots and has distinctive flowers - but always seems to look a bit of a mess. This one was on the 16th Red.

Star-of-Bethlehem Ornithogalum umbellatum [16th Red]

There are a few young birds around at the moment.  This baby Rook was by the side of the 16th green on the Green and looked to have made an ill-advised early exit from the nest.

Rook [16th Green]

I haven't seen any young Crossbills yet, but there were quite a few adults feeding on the trees on the 15th Green this morning.

Crossbills [15th Green]

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]

4 November 2020

 More good views of crossbills to the left of the 3rd on the red

Also a rook in the sunshine behind the 15th tee on the Blue