9 December 2022

 

Had a walk around the Blue and Red courses over the last couple of days.  The weather has been good for photography with lots of sunshine, but freezing cold.  Yesterday was the first time that I have seen a large finch flock on the estate this winter.  There were around 100 birds, moving between the 3rd and 9th on the Blue course.  The flock seemed to consist mostly of Siskins, but with some Goldfinches and Chaffinches mixed in.

Siskin [3rd Blue]

Goldfinch [3rd Blue]

This group of Roe Deer also wandered past as I was watching the Siskins.

Roe Deer [3rd Blue]

I always check out the gulls that I see on the reservoir or on the fairways.  This is usually a tedious and unproductive task, but today I found a single bird that looked slightly different from the norm.  I'm pretty sure that this is a Yellow-legged Gull.  It is a species that is common around the Mediterranean and North Africa, but has expanded range recently.  It is very similar to a Herring Gull.  Its main identifying feature is its yellow legs - Herring Gulls usually have pink legs.  The Yellow-legged Gull used to be considered a sub-species of the Herring Gull, but has recently been separated into a separate species.

Yellow-legged Gull [Reservoir]

 

18 November 2022

Had a walk around the Red course early this morning.  There were one or two winter thrushes visible such as this Redwing on the 13th and a few fieldfares flying over.

Redwing [13th Red]

Not much else of interest.  I haven't seen many finches around yet other than Chaffinches.  One of the resident Jays was making a lot of noise near the 13th tee.

Jay [13th Red]

6 November 2022

 

I had a walk around the Blue and Red courses this evening once the rain had subsided and came across a new bird for the Frilford list, with two young Mute Swans on the pond of the 3rd Blue.  I don't recall seeing swans on the estate before. They swam up to me - presumably expecting to be fed, but were left disappointed.

Mute Swans [3rd Blue]

There are large numbers of Red Kites roosting on the course.  There were 20 or so over the 1st Blue and plenty more in the trees between the 5th and 6th on the Red.

Red Kites [1st Blue]

Red Kite [5th Red]

There were also a few Muntjacs around in the evening with the course quiet.

Muntjac [6th Blue]

This Oak Bracket is one of the larger fungus specimens around the coarse and is growing on the Oak Tree between the 4th and 8th tees on the Blue.

Oak Bracket Pseudoinonotus dryadeus [4th Blue]

29 October 2022

I have been away during most of October and there was a big change in the courses since my last visit.  Everything seems a lot damper and greener, but also a lot chillier.  Whilst practice at the Doghouse range I photographed a few of the fungi.

Field Mushroom Agaricus campestris [Doghouse practice ground]

Common Earthball Scleroderma citrinum [Doghouse practice ground]

Yellow Fieldcap Bolbitius titubans [Doghouse practice ground]

Blackening Waxcap Hygrocybe conica [Doghouse practice ground]

Shaggy Inkcap Coprinus comatus [Doghouse practice ground]

There is also the odd flower still clinging on.  This Musk Mallow was by the reservoir.

Musk Mallow Malva moschata [Reservoir]

24 September 2022

 

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.

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]

21 August 2022

 

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.

Muntjac [8th Blue]

Linnet [Reservoir]

10 August 2022

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.

Grass-of-Parnassus Parnassia palustris [4th Green]

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.

Footballer Fly Helophilus pendulus on Devil's-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis [4th Green]

Some of the other plants nearby include:

Purple Loosetrife  Lythrum salicaria [4th Green]

Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris [4th Green]

7 August 2022

 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.

Willow Warbler [5th Red]

Familiar birds otherwise.

Blue Tit [5th Red]

Spotted Flycatcher [4th Blue]

6 August 2022

 

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.

Black-tailed Skimmer  Orthetrum cancellatum [3rd Blue]

Brown Argus is a fairly common butterfly found on calcareous grassland, so it was no surprise to find several on the Doghouse practice area.  

Brown Argus Aricia agestis [Doghouse practice ground]

On the 5th Blue I came across this Common Wave moth feeding on a Creeping Thistle.

Common Wave Cabera exanthemata [5th Blue]

There are also plenty of late-flowering plants around the courses - providing splashes of colour among the brown grass.

Common Restharrow Ononis repens [Doghouse practice ground]

Soapwort Saponaria officinalis [14th Red]

Harebell Campanula rotundifolia [15th Red]