15 November 2020

Sunny day, so had a long walk around all 3 courses.  I started on the green course where I had some nice views of an unusually pale buzzard:

Buzzard [9th Green]

Buzzard [9th Green]

Elsewhere, there were a few birds about, but mostly flying over in the blustery conditions.  Including a Cormorant flying over the 15th on the Red and 3 Ravens at various points on the Red and the usual large flocks of Rooks and Jackdaws on the Blue and Red.

Raven [8th Red]

Jackdaw [3rd Red]

It the trees to the left of the 4th and 5th fairways on the Blue course I counted 45 Red Kites.  An impressive number given that in 1990 this figure was about the same as the UK population.

Red Kite [4th Blue]

There were a few birds on the reservoir.  A group of Tufted Ducks, a couple of Mallard, a flock of Black-headed Gulls and two Little Grebes.

Little Grebe [reservoir]

Good numbers of Redwings, Blackbirds, Mistle Thrushes and the odd Song Thrush feeding on berries at various parts of the course, in particular on the Red course on the 14th, 15th. 

Song Thrush [16th Red]

Pied Wagtail [14th Red]

I have added set up a couple of feeders behind the 13th/14th on the Red, so keep an eye open for small birds on these.

There are also quite a few fungi about.  Small clusters of Shaggy Inkcaps are visible about the course including by the practice net.  I found another on the 6th on the Red.  

Shaggy Inkcap Coprinus comatus [6th Red]

Shaggy Inkcap Coprinus comatus [6th Red]

Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria [6th Red]

Horse Mushroom Agaricus arvensis [14th Red]

12 November 2020

Had a quick walk round the Blue course in the sunshine this morning.  The highlight was definitely the seed-eating birds around the 3rd green and 4th tee.  Saw a flock of around 30 Redpolls, 25 Siskin, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Greenfinches.

I usually only see Siskin in the high branches on the 9th Blue and 1st Red, so it was nice to see a few a bit closer:

Siskin [4th Blue]

Siskin [4th Blue]

Siskin [4th Blue]

There were also some nice views of Red Kite in the sunshine:

Red Kite [9th Blue]

Red Kite [3rd Blue]

Red Kite [4th Blue]

Red Kite [3rd Blue]

Mixed flock of Rooks and Jackdaws on the 2nd and 3rd of the Red.

Rook [3rd Red]

10 November 2020

Large numbers of Mistle Thrush and Redwing behind the 13th green on the Red.

Not much else of note bird-wise.  No sign of the Crossbills today.

A couple of rather lonely plants in flower:

Harebell Campanula rotundifolia [5th Red]

Musk Thistle  Carduus nutans [4th Red]

White Dead-Nettle Lamium album [12th Red]

I found what I thought was a rather interesting looking fungus growing on nettles on the footpath between the 4th and 5th on the Red.  On submitting to the UK fungi forum, it turns out that it is actually a type of mould rather than a fungus.   

Mucilago crustacea [5th Red]

Thanks to Mike for replying

'... your find isn't actually a fungus, it's a myxomycete (slime mould), and in this case, it's one of the few myxo's which are readily and easily identifiable without microscopy - from "macro" characteristics alone.

Your find is absolutely typical of Mucilago crustacea, a myxo which always grows on living herbaceous material -primarily grasses, but also on nettles, rushes, etc. etc. - where it will always be found like this, quite low to the ground.'

There is also plenty of genuine fungi about.

Common Puffball - Lycoperdon perlatum [5th Red]

Snowy waxcap -  Cuphophyllus virgineus [5th 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]

7 November 2020

 Crossbills still showing well on the side of the 3th fairway on the red.

6 or 7 Redpolls on the path to the left of the 3rd hole on the blue.  

Redpoll [3rd Blue]

Nearby there was also a Treecreeper.

Long tailed tits in various vocal flocks about the course.  Often with other birds including Goldcrests and blue tits.

Long-tailed tit [13th Blue]

Long-tailed tit [3rd Blue]

Blue tit [13th Red]

Goldcrest [13th Blue]

A pair of jays on the left of the 12th on the Red.

Jay [12th Red]

Quite a few early redwings feeding on berries around the course.  This one was on the right of the 16th on the Red:

Redwing [16th Red]

A couple of roe deer on the 6th tee on the Blue.

5 November 2020

 Crossbills are still the highlight of the on course wildlife at the moment.  There is a flock of around 50 that seem to centre around the greenkeeping sheds on the blue course.  They are quite noisy and are not particularly wary allowing me to get some nice views.  They can also be seen on the left of the 3rd fairway on the Red course and on the 16th on the Blue.

Males are vibrant red and females are a more subtle green.  They are unusual in that they have overlapping mandibles - hence the name.  Click on the images to zoom in.

Crossbill - male [3rd Red]

Crossbill - female [3rd Red]

I even managed to capture some video:

Elsewhere the first redwings and fieldfares are arriving.  

Pied wagtail on the hollow-cored green:

Pied Wagtail [5th Red]

Grey Heron flying over the 5th fairway on the Green:

Grey Heron [5th 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