Went out in shorts this morning and quickly regretted my decision - the weather has become a lot more Autumnal over the last couple of weeks. The main thing of note was a flock of about a dozen or so Meadow Pipits, centred around the reservoir. I see them occasionally on the estate, but this is the first time that I have seen more than a couple. They are well camouflaged when feeding on the short grass or waste ground. They also have a remarkably long hind claw..
Meadow Pipits [Reservoir]
Nearby was a female Reed Bunting and at the other end of the reservoir, on the feeder pool, was one of the family of Grey Wagtails that is usually in that area.
Reed Bunting [Reservoir]
Grey Wagtail [Reservoir]
I also spotted a Snipe flying high overhead the same area.
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.
Popped out a few times over the week for nine holes and a stroll. It is fairly quiet nature-wise. I did come across this tiny frog hopping across the 3rd fairway on the Green course - one of the few areas that generally stays fairly moist.
Common Frog [3rd Green]
There was a Little Egret on the 1st Blue yesterday evening and a Kingfisher on the 3rd. There are still lots of Spotted Flycatchers about. There were at least 6 around the 10th tee on the Blue course and unusually they were mostly feeding on the ground.
Spotted Flycatcher [10th Blue]
Otherwise nothing too spectacular. This Muntjac was on the 8th Blue and the Linnet was one of the flock that is resident around the reservoir.
As we move through August, the last of the flowering plants are blossoming around the course. One of the latest to flower is Grass-of-Parnassus. This is a Frilford speciality and grows just before the stream on the 4th on the Green. This clump is actually the most southerly location of this plant in the UK. It is actually a little early, most are still in bud, and will flower in the next week or so.
Nearby and flowering at the same time is Devil's-Bit Scabious. This one has a Footballer Fly on it - the name being due to the black and yellow stripes on its thorax resembling a football jersey.
I hear foxes at Frilford from time to time in the woods on the Blue and Green courses, but I haven't seen one since starting to log the wildlife around the course. There was one early this morning in the field behind the 1st Blue.
Red Fox [1st Blue]
It was hunting for rodents in the cut grass and seemed to be finding quite a few from the video - by the size it looks like they are rats that it is feasting on.
Muntjac and Roe Deer were also in the field while this was happening.
Roe Deer [1st Blue]
I didn't hear many Willow Warblers singing this year, but there seem to be plenty of young birds about in late summer. This one was feeding near the footpath to the 5th Red.
I had a walk around the courses first thing this morning. Wherever the grass hadn't been watered it was a rather crispy brown. Nothing too unusual bird-wise, other than a Hobby which I saw very briefly behind the sixth green on the Blue course. The family of Spotted Flycatchers were in their usual spot on the left of the 4th Blue. Another family of 5 or 6 birds was on the 13th Red.
Spotted Flycatcher [4th Blue]
Spotted Flycatcher (juvenile) [13th Red]
Lots of other common birds about, particularly Long-tailed Tits, which seem to appear in waves of 20 or 30 birds, often interspersed with Treecreepers, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and Blue Tits.
Long-tailed Tit [4th Blue]
There also a few species of dragonflies and butterflies about. This Black-tailed Skimmer was on the 3rd Blue.
I played the front nine of the Blue this evening. Other than the poor quality of my golf, the most notable things were the influx of flies which, in turn, brought an influx of gulls. Looking closely, there were actually four species of gull on the fairways:
The most numerous are Black-headed Gulls. There is a resident flock that is usually on the Blue and Red course fairways at this time of year. There was a mixture of ages and plumages with young birds accompanying the adults and sub-adults.
Black-headed Gulls [8th Blue]
Lesser Black-backed Gulls are much larger and have dark wings. They fly over in large numbers going to and from Farmoor where several thousand roost, but I only see them occasionally on the fairways at Frilford. Today there were twenty or so feeding with the Black-headed Gulls.
Lesser Black-backed Gull [4th and 8th Blue]
Likewise Herring Gulls often fly over. Today one was feeding with the other gulls near the 4th green. These are large gulls - they are the one most likely to steal your ice-cream at the beach - and have light grey wings with a black wingtip.
Herring Gull [4th Blue]
Most unusual was a Common Gull which was in amongst the Black-headed Gulls. These are slightly larger than a Black-headed gull but daintier than Herring Gulls which they resemble. They are not as common as their name suggests, but do call in occasionally - there was one on the reservoir in January 2021.
Had a quick walk around the front nine of the Blue first thing this morning. On the 6th you can find Pennyroyal, which is a type of mint and grows just behind the pond. It is a rare plant in Britain, although it is quite widespread in Europe and Asia.
Pennyroyal Mentha Pulegium [6th Blue]
There are lots of Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers with young around the course at the moment. These two Green Woodpeckers were part of a family group on the 8th.
Green Woodpeckers [8th Blue]
This juvenile Great Spotted was on the back tee on the 8th.
Great Spotted Woodpecker [8th Blue]
High above the 8th I could just about make out the characteristic silhouette of a Peregrine. I see them from time to time, usually high on the thermals
Peregrine [8th Blue]
There are quite a lot of birds around the reservoir at the moment. Swallows, Sand Martins and Swifts all hunting flies and a flock of Linnets and Greenfinches are feeding on the seeds.
I have been away for a couple of weeks and was it is noticeable how much the course has dried out in that time. The watered areas around the tees and greens stand out rather like oases against the brown fairways and rough.
It was nice to see that on both the 3rd and 6th on the Blue, the nesting Little Grebes have both successfully raised chicks. I think that this fish was donated to the youngster by its more proficient fishing parent.
Little Grebes, juvenile and adult [6th Blue]
I have seen Spotted Flycatchers on the Blue, Red and Green courses. The family nesting by the 4th Blue look to have raised a second brood.
The badgers seem to be quite active on the Blue course and are causing the Greenkeepers a headache by digging for grubs on the fairways. The electric fence and night patrols are likely to be restarting soon to limit the damage.
Badger damage on the 18th Blue
This Grey Heron took up a rather bizarre posture by the 1st on the Blue - most likely trying to keep cool by opening its wings and puffing out its neck feathers.
Grey Heron [1st Blue]
The big fish in the ponds on the 1st and 3rd Blue are likely to be attracting the attention of the Otters again soon. This Carp must have been at least a couple of pounds.
