27 May 2024

 

 I visited a good proportion of the estate this weekend.  I started at the Doghouse practice ground on Saturday.  I was pleased to see that the Skylarks were still around and look to be nesting.   There were a lot of these Garden Chafer beatles on the grass.  They are generally unpopular with the greenkeepers as the birds dig up the fairways looking for their grubs along with those of their larger cousin the Cock Chafter.

Garden Chafer Phyllopertha horticola [Doghouse practice ground]

This Whitethroat was one of many singing around the estate - in the far corner of the practice area.

Whitethroat [Doghouse practice ground]

Whilst watching the Whitethroat, I briefly saw a Common Lizard in the long grass, the first that I have seen at Frilford, but it was too quick for me to photograph.  Fortunately I came across another today basking on a tree stump to the right of the 15th on the Red.

Common Lizard [15th Red]

In the morning the front nine of the Blue was very quiet, so I waited for one of the Kingfishers by the 2nd Blue.  This pale female Mallard came along and was very tame.

Mallard [2nd Blue]

The Kingfishers made several visits, regularly catching fish in the stream and gave some nice views sitting on one of the yellow posts.

Kingfisher [2nd Blue]

In the afternoon I visited the Tubney range.  This Muntjac was enjoying the long grass.

Muntjac [Tubney range]

I also explored the waste area next to the reservoir and came across three new plants for the Frilford list.  Henbit Dead-nettle is rather inconspicuous and very similar to the Red Dead-nettle but is a little larger and has less nettle-like leaves.

Henbit Dead-nettle Lamium amplexicaule [Reservoir]

Marsh Spurge is a garden escape.  Its large size and bright yellow bracts make it more conspicuous.

Marsh Spurge Euphorbia palustris [Reservoir]

Field Pennywort has distinctive seed-heads that resemble pennies.

Field Penny-cress Thlaspi arvense [Reservoir]

11 May 2024

Had a walk in the sunshine this morning.  Lots of birdsong, with most of the summer migrants now arrived.  Blackcaps can be heard all over the course with plenty of Whitethroats as well in the scrub.  It was nice to see and hear a pair of Garden Warblers in the same place as the last couple of years on the right of the 13th Red.

Chaffinch [3rd Blue]

Garden Warbler [13th Red]

I also came across this Greater Celandine growing near the 1st Red.  It is actually a member of the Poppy family and can be found in a few places around the estate, usually close to gardens.

Greater Celandine Chelidonium majus [1st Red]

5 May 2024

I started off at the Doghouse practice ground this morning and was pleased to see that a pair of Skylarks seem to be nesting in the overground area between the two hitting areas.  I have seem them in a similar spot on a few visits.  You tend to hear Skylarks a lot on, particularly on the first few holes of the Blue course.  In fact they used to nest all around the Blue course, but have gradually moved on due to disturbance from errant golfers.  

Skylark [Doghouse practice range]

Also on the Doghouse practice ground I came across this Green Hairstreak - a butterfly that is found on natural, grassland but which has drastically reduced in the last few years.

Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi [Doghouse practice ground]

I then  decided to make the most of the combination of the sunny weather and the front nine of the Blue course being very quiet to settle down in the nettles beside the 2nd to see what appeared.  After about 15 minutes I was rewarded by some nice views of two different Little Egrets fishing in the stream. Notice how the Egret stirs up the silt at the bottom of the stream with its feet to disturb any fish.

Little Egret [2nd Blue]

Then 15 minutes later one of the Kingfishers appeared.  At one point perching on the post 20 feet away to eat a fish that it had just caught.

Kingfisher [2nd Blue]

20 April 2024

 

I went onto the estate this morning out to have a look at some of the spring flowers around the courses.  Some of the most striking are the March Marigolds which grow in the marshy areas near the 3rd and 9th on the Blue. There seems to be a particularly good display this year

Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris [9th Blue]

Between the 6th and 16th on the Green course I came across Meadow Saxifrage.  I can't believe how I have missed this in previous years and there are lots of obvious clusters of it here.  Saxifrages are more commonly known as mountain species, but Meadow Saxifrage grows on unimproved grassland in the UK.  There is one other Saxifrage that grows at Frilford in a more alpine environment on the main card park wall - Rue-leaved Saxifrage.  This is not so easy to spot as it is a lot smaller.

Meadow Saxifrage Saxifraga granulata [16th Green]

Rue-leaved Saxifrage Saxifraga tridactylites [Car Park]

A more conspicuous alpine plant, also growing of the wall of the car park is Fairy Foxgloves.

Fairy Foxglove Erinus alpinus [Car park]

One rather delicate flower that is all over the marshy areas of the course at this time of year is Cuckoo Flower, also known as Lady's Smock or Mayflower.  This patch was on the 18th on the Red.

Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis [18th Red]

24 March 2024

 

Had a couple of walks around the estate over the weekend.  Things are feeling a lot more springlike - the flowers are starting to come out and the birds are singing.  Always one of the earliest flowers are Coltsfoot - looking rather like dandelions but on short scaly stalks with the leaves appearing much later than the flowers.  These are growing on the left of the 3rd Blue.

Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara [3rd Blue]

Chiffchaffs are always amongst the first of the migrants and are easy to locate with their two-note song.   This bird was one of two or three in the hedge alongside the 2nd Blue.

Chiffchaff [2nd Blue]

There are quite a few Stock Doves around the greenkeepers'shed on the Blue course.  I think that they usually nest inside.  This one was up in the rafters.

Stock Dove [Greenkeepers' hut]

Lots of Mistle Thrushes on the fairways - more noticeable now the winter thrushes have flown north.  This one was on the 5th Green.

Mistle Thrush [5th Green]

25 February 2024

I had another walk around the Blue course to the reservoir today.  The water has subsided since the floods of last weekend, but the course is still pretty soggy.  There was no sign of the large Siskin flock today, although I was pleasantly surprised to come across a flock of 16 Meadow Pipits on the 10th fairway.  Meadow Pipits are quite common in open country, but I haven't seen them on the golf course very often.

Meadow Pipits [10th Blue]

Brown Hares are much more evident on the Blue course than of late, with a pair chasing each other around the 1st and 2nd.  I came across a Sparrowhawk hunting over the 7th fairway today and then a pair soaring on the thermals along with a number of Red Kites above the 1st on the Blue.

Sparrowhawk [7th Blue]

In the woods between the 16th and 17th there were a couple of Green Woodpeckers, Goldcrests and some Coal Tits feeding on the pine cones.

Coal Tit [17th Blue]

18 February 2024

 I had a walk around the Blue course this afternoon and found a fair amount of the front nine under water.  The stream through the 1st and 2nd had burst its banks and a fair chunk of the fairway was part of the flow.  The ditch to the left of the 3rd which is usually a  collection of puddles had become a fast-flowing channel.  Most of the fourth fairway was a water hazard.

1st Blue

2nd Blue

3rd Blue

4th Blue

Nothing too spectacular wildlife wise.  I have seen the Stonechats fairly regularly between the 4th and 10th on the Blue, otherwise mostly the familiar species.

Red Kite [10th Blue]

Brown Hare [7th Blue]

Sparrowhawk [9th Blue]

Pheasant [2nd Red]

11 February 2024

 

I had a walk around the Blue and Red course over the weekend.  The Blue was still very wet.  You can see that the stream has changed course to wash away much of the path around the 3rd tee.  Wildlife-wise, most notable was a huge flock of Siskins and Redpolls, numbering several hundred birds, in the woods between the 9th and 10th on the Blue course, making an incredible noise as they called out whilst feeding.

Siskins [9th Blue]

I haven't seen much on the reservoir recently, the Tufted Ducks and Gadwall seem to have gone, just a few Coots and Mallard visible today.

Coot [Reservoir]