11 December 2021

 

Nothing much of note for the past couple of weeks.  There is still a bit of colour around if you look hard enough, such as this Greater Periwinkle on the Doghouse range.

Greater Periwinkle Vinca major [Doghouse range]

The very pale Buzzard is also still around on the Green course - this is the first time that I have seen it for a couple of months.

Common Buzzard [9th Green]

26 November 2021

 

I had to battle through the detritus of Storm Arwen first thing this morning to reach the Blue course.  It was ultimately worthwhile though as I got a good view of the otters that frequent the ponds on the first few holes.  Whilst I have picked up occasional footage on my trail camera, I'm not sure how often they come out in the daylight, but this is the first time that I have seen them.  There was a family of three relaxing on the edge of the pond to the left of the first fairway.

Otters [1st Blue]

Elsewhere there was a flock of 30-40 Redpolls behind the 3rd Green and I'm pretty sure that I saw a Woodcock take off from the wood to the right of the 13th on the Blue.

Lots of wagtails trotting around the fairways - Pied Wagtails are most common and roost in large numbers (100+) around the clubhouse and car park.  Grey Wagtails are also quite frequent - particularly around the greenkeepers' huts.

Pied Wagtail [18th Blue]

Grey Wagtail [Greenkeepers' car park]

13 November 2021

 

Looking very autumnal around the estate at the moment.  Much of the wood around the reservoir is made up of Larch trees, which are unusual among coniferous trees in that they change colour in autumn before shedding their needles over the winter.

European Larch Larix decidua [16th Blue]

Similarly colourful are the Maple trees to the left of the 3rd tee on the Red.

Maple - Acer sp [3rd Red]

There are numerous fungi about.  These Yellow Fieldcaps were growing on some of the compost in the wood behind the 6th Blue.

Yellow Fieldcap Bolbitius titubans [6th Blue]

This cluster of Brick Tufts were growing on some wood on the path beside the 3rd Red.

Brick Tuft Hypholoma lateritium [3rd Red]

I have seen a few finches this winter, in particular Siskins and Redpolls, but no sign of the Crossbills that were here in numbers this time last year.   There are plenty of Goldcrests though.  This one was in the wood behind the 16th Blue.

Goldcrest [16th Blue]

7 November 2021

 

This week has been the first proper cold spell of the winter and it has coincided with the arrival of the first winter visitors - I have seen Redwings, Siskins and Redpolls flying over various parts of the courses this week.

The scale of the work on the irrigation system is very impressive.  The reservoir is completely drained at the moment as the silt is removed and should create a significantly more efficient watering system once completed, although duck photos may be at a premium this winter.

If you have been perplexed recently after a shot into the 4th green on the Blue has seemed further away than expected or disappeared entirely, I may have the answer.  I played the hole this evening and watched a Carrion Crow roll and then fly off with my playing partner's ball, dropping it in the field behind the 5th tee (much to my amusement).  I then left a ball on the green and watched as same crow returned to the oak tree behind the 4th green and, once we had left the green, did exactly the same thing with this ball.  It is quite a feat to open its beak wide enough to grab the ball.

If this happens and you see a crow or other animal take your ball, then this is covered under rule 18-1 (Outside agency).  You are able to replace it at the spot where the ball was originally resting without penalty.  I am a country member at Perranporth Golf Club in Cornwall and they have the same problem on the 11th fairway, but with Herring Gulls rather than crows.  The birds think that they have found a rather round egg.

A few other, less troublesome birds in the sunshine.

Kestrel [4th Blue]

Blue Tit [5th Red]

Red Kite [13th Blue]

Redpoll [3rd Blue]

24 October 2021

It is really fungi season at this time of year - the flowers are mostly over and it is a bit early for wintering birds.  I had a walk around the Doghouse range yesterday and came across a few different types. Blackening Waxcaps are quite distinctive.  They start off bright yellow but quickly turn black:

Blackening Waxcap Hyrocybe conica [Doghouse range]

I think that this clump are Clustered Brittlestems.

Clustered Brittlestems Psathyrella multipedata [Doghouse range]

Shaggy Inkcaps are distinctive and are all over the estate at the moment.  This patch on the Doghouse range was in various states of decay:

Shaggy Inkcaps Coprinus comatus [Doghouse range]

Common puffballs are abundant at the moment, on the courses and the ranges in the short grass.

Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum [Doghouse range]

Mosaic Puffballs are more impressive.  This one on the left of the 5th Green was one of the largest that I have seen.

Mosaic Puffball Lycoperdon utriformis [5th Green]

10 October 2021

Lots of interesting fungi around the courses at the moment.  I'm no expert, so struggle to identify most of what I find, but some are quite obvious. The most colourful and distinctive is probably the Fly Agaric, which grows in some numbers between the 4th green and 5th tee on the Red.

Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria [4th Red]

Also distinctive is the Shaggy Inkcap, this patch was growing behind the 11th tee on the Blue.

Shaggy Inkcap Coprinus comatus [11th Blue]

This looks like a Field Mushroom or possibly a Horse Mushroom, growing on the 5th Red.

Field Mushroom Agaricus campestris [5th Red]

Mosaic Puffballs are also quite common on the Red course.  These two specimens, in different stages of growth were also on the 5th.

Mosaic Puffballs Lycoperdon utriforme [5th Red]

I haven't seen any unusual birds recently, but it is interesting how many Lesser Black-backed Gulls fly over in the late evening in a V-formation - all heading in the same direction to roost at Farmoor reservoir.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls [13th Red]

26 September 2021

 

Plenty of sunshine in the last few days.  At the back of the 5th Blue I spotted the distinctive berries of the Spindle - a small shrub.  The berries turn bright pink when ripe and have an orange seed inside.  They are also very poisonous.

Spindle Euonymus europaeus [5th Blue]

Kestrels and Buzzards are quite active on the course at the moment.  This Kestrel was hunting in the long grass besides the reservoir, periodically dropping down in search of a small rodent.

Kestrel [Reservoir]

Buzzard [2nd Green]

18 September 2021

One more new plant today - Black Nightshade growing in the wood on the Blue.  I can't believe that I will come across many more this year, but have managed to identify around 250 wild flowers in total around the estate in 2021, and I'm sure that there are plenty more that I have missed.

Black Nightshade Solanum nigrum [6th Blue]

In the hedge on the left of the 2nd on the Blue you can see the Bedeguar Gall - commonly known as Robin's pincushion.  This is a fibrous growth that occurs on roses caused by the larvae of a tiny gall wasp, Dipoloepis rosae. 

Dipoloepis rosae [2nd Blue]

Brimstones are usually the first butterflies that I see in spring.  They are yellow with a distinctive wing shape.  There are still some around now - this one was on a reed in Boundary Fen.

Common Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni  [Boundary Fen]

Nothing new bird-wise, I haven't come across any passage migrants yet.  This Kestrel is usually on the overhead cables at the Doghouse range scanning for small animals to predate.

Kestrel [Doghouse range]

This Kingfisher was doing likewise, scanning for fish in the pond from the bushes by the 4th tee Blue.

Kingfisher [4th Blue]

12 September 2021

 

I have played on each of the courses over the last few days.  All are looking good, particularly with the heather in full bloom on the Green and Red course.

Common Heather Calluna vulgaris [15th Red]

A few more trees fruiting, including this crab apple at the back of the 6th Green.

Crab Apple Malus sylvestris [6th Green]

There are lots of Black-headed Gulls on the fairways at the moment - earthworms are an important food source for them, hence their attraction to the short grass.  Earlier in the week there were large numbers of gulls above the reservoir feeding on a flock of flying ants that had taken to flight in the hot weather.

Black-headed Gull [2nd Red]

Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls [Reservoir]

Butterflies and dragonflies are still around in good numbers.  There were a couple of Brimstone butterflies on the Doghouse range earlier in the week and plenty of Common Darters.

Common Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni [Doghouse range]

Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum [Doghouse range]

5 September 2021

As well as the constant surprises as to what you see around the golf course, it is also interesting to note from time to time what you don't see.  Some birds that are common elsewhere are only occasional visitors to the golf course.  House Sparrows are a good example.  The only place that I have seen them on the estate this year is around the edge of the reservoir and in the hedge next to the driving range.  These two females were part of a flock of half a dozen birds in the bushes on the far left of the driving range.

House Sparrows [Driving range]

A male Blackcap also passed through this area.

Blackcap [Driving range]

In somewhat better light, this Treecreeper was next to the path between the 16th and 17th on the Blue.

Treecreeper [17th Blue]