Summary – The day dawned cold and bright but quickly warmed up as the sun rose and a short survey route was undertaken from the clubhouse down to the 8th hole plantation and along the 7th fairway before cutting back along the edge of the 9th fairway, via the pond. The route revealed that the first flora is now starting to emerge with the Daffodils planted around a number or tees in bloom while the Blackthorn and Alder are now in blossom.
Blackthorn blossom and Alder catkins
The team were greeted in the clubhouse car park by a flock of 10 Goldfinch and a pair of Collared Dove and a total of 27 species were then logged including six new additions to the course list. An early arrival saw the dawn chorus in full swing with many of the resident species such as Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Robin, Wren and Dunnock in fine voice as they competed for territories and small numbers of Meadow Pipit and Lesser Redpoll and a solitary Pink-footed Goose were moving overhead. A check of the field adjacent to the 8th fairway produced a large flock of gulls comprising 85 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 16 Herring Gull before we headed across towards the 8th hole plantation. The plantation provided a mixed flock of 20 Redwing and two Fieldfare that were disturbed by the green keeper on his rounds along with two Long-tailed Tit and three Goldcrest before a Chiffchaff burst into song. Heading back via the pond on the 9th fairway a pair of Mallard circled several times before continuing north while Blue, Great and Coal Tit were all prospecting the holes in the sandstone walls on the 9th tee for potential nesting sites. The final species of the day was a Lapwing that drifted over the car park perhaps heading for breeding grounds along Rakesmoor Lane.
Lapwing and Pink-footed Goose
Bird Species List
Blackbird 4
Blue Tit 3
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 5
Chiffchaff 1
Coal Tit 1
Collared Dove 2
Dunnock 2
Fieldfare
Goldcrest 3
Goldfinch 10
Great Tit 2
Herring Gull 16
Lapwing 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 85
Lesser Redpoll 4
Long-tailed Tit 2
Magpie 6
Mallard 2
Meadow Pipit 10
Pied Wagtail 1
Pink-footed Goose 1
Redwing 20
Reed Bunting 1
Robin 3
Woodpigeon 2
Wren 2
The primary reason for the visit was to check the moth trap that had been set overnight for the first early emerging species and these revealed 19 moths of seven species. Hebrew Character and Small Quaker were the dominant species but Common Quaker (2), Clouded Drab (2), Early Grey (2), Red Chestnut (1) and Twin-spotted Quaker (1) were also logged.
Common Quaker, Hebrew Character and Twin-spotted Quaker
