20th May 2012 – bright and sunny SE1

Summary

The dawn chorus walk around the course on 19th May 2012 was somewhat let down by Mother Nature who conspired to produce a cool morning combined with a fresh NE wind and rain. However an intrepid band turned up in the clubhouse car park at 0600hrs and undaunted headed out onto the course. Although many birds were keeping their heads down the group were treated to the sounds of Blackcap, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff – all summer visitors to the course along with resident species such as Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Pied Wagtail. A retreat to the clubhouse as the weather worsened was rewarded with the sight of and excellent breakfast spread and three Wheatear feeding on the edge of the 18th fairway just outside the window. Breakfast included yogurt, fruit salad, fruit juice, toast and croissants, but the bacon butties stole the show.

Typically, next day dawned fine and dry and an afternoon visit provided two further new species for the course with Spotted Flycatcher and Garden Warbler in the woodland along the northern edge where a Roe Deer was flushed from the scrub alongside the 13th hole. A check on the nest boxes erected earlier in the year revealed both Blue Tit and Great Tit busily feeding young while two pairs of Tree Sparrow were also in residence. Also Robin, Blackbird and Magpie all provided evidence of confirmed breeding on the course.

Spotted Flycatcher and Garden Warbler

Birds List

Blackbird (2)

Blackcap (2)

Blue Tit (4)

Carrion Crow (2)

Chaffinch (5)

Chiffchaff (1)

Dunnock (4)

Garden Warbler (1)

Goldfinch (4)

Great Tit (2)

Greylag Goose (1)

Herring Gull (7)

House Sparrow (5)

Jackdaw (12)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (3)

Lesser Redpoll (2)

Magpie (2)

Mallard (1)

Pied Wagtail (1)

Robin (2)

Rook (25)

Skylark (1)

Spotted Flycatcher (1)

Starling (100)

Swallow (1)

Tree Sparrow (4)

Wheatear (3)

Whitethroat (4)

Willow Warbler (1)

Woodpigeon (3)

Wren (2)

13th May 2012 – overcast SW3/4

Summary

Arrival at the clubhouse at 0645hrs was greeted by three Swallow hawking around the car park. A few Rabbits encroached onto the periphery of the course from the nearby farmland and the recently planted cherry trees are now in blossom. Great Stitchwort, Red Campion and Bluebell all remain in bloom while the newly formed banking surrounding the stadium hole held a good showing of Buttercups. In addition a rather bizarre looking plant is now to be found around the wet margins of the pond on the 9th fairway. The Western Skunk Cabbage (also sometimes known as Bog Arum) was introduced into cultivation in Britain in 1901 and has escaped to become naturalized in marshy areas; the yellow variety originates from the west coast of North America. The yellow shoots are not actually flowers - they are "spathes", a leaf-like, open ended tube, which has a spike inside. The insignificant flowers are laid out along this spike, which can grow to about a foot long.

Red Campion, Western Skunk Cabbage and Cherry.

A total of 34 species of bird were identified during the undertaking of a core transect survey with a further four species added to the course list which now moves on to 66 species. Summer migrants have continued to arrive on the course with 8 Whitethroat and 4 Blackcap now holding territory in the areas of scrub. Three Wheatear were found feeding along the edge of the 14th fairway and a single Sand Martin headed north over the 6th hole. Both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk hunted in the vicinity of the quarry hole and it is now noticeable that many of the course residents have now become less vocal as they turn their attentions to feeding young. Groups of Jackdaw, Starling and House Sparrow are collecting food from the fairways before flying back to their nest sites in the nearby housing estates while Rooks commute to the rookeries along Abbey Road. A skein of 5 Greylag Geese flighted over, presumably en route to Ormsgill Reservoir.

Wheatear

Birds List

Blackbird (6)

Blackcap (4)

Blue Tit (4)

Carrion Crow (2)

Chaffinch (5)

Coal Tit (1)

Collared Dove (3)

Dunnock (4)

Goldfinch (13)

Great Tit (1)

Greylag Goose (5)

Herring Gull (7)

House Sparrow (5)

Jackdaw (4)

Kestrel (1)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (3)

Lesser Redpoll (5)

Long-tailed Tit (2)

Magpie (4)

Mallard (2)

Pied Wagtail (5)

Robin (1)

Rook (11)

Sand Martin (1)

Skylark (1)

Song Thrush (2)

Sparrowhawk (1)

Starling (100)

Swallow (6)

Wheatear (3)

Whitethroat (8)

Willow Warbler (1)

Woodpigeon (3)

Wren (3)

22nd April 2012 – early showers then sunny spells NW2/3

Summary
Arrival at the clubhouse at 0700hrs was greeted by a heavy downpour which fortunately quickly cleared. The delay led to the discovery of a colony of Banded Snail near the car park, this is a polymorphic species which has individuals of notably different appearance living in the same area.

Banded Snails

At least one Roe Deer was still in the vicinity of the 8th hole plantation and a Pygmy Shrew was in the rough beside the 15th tee. Flowering plants that have recently come into bloom on the course include Daisy, Greater Stitchwort and Red Campion along the woodland fringe at the northern edge of the course, Purple Dead-nettle near the clubhouse and Cuckoo Flower (also known as Lady’s Smock) along the margins of the 6th pond.

Cuckoo Flower  and Greater Stitchwort

A total of 34 species of bird were identified during the undertaking of a core transect survey with a further five species added to the course list which now stands at 62 species. Many of the resident species are now turning their attentions to the breeding season and more summer migrants are now beginning to arrive from Africa. A Willow Warbler sang from the 8th plantation and a Swallow hawked in the lee of the wind over the 8th tee. Further Willow Warblers were heard along the edge of the 7th fairway and in the woodland behind the 5th tee where a Blackcap and Chiffchaff also sang. The freshly cut greens attracted several Pied Wagtails and two pairs of Moorhen are now on the course with birds frequenting the 6th and 9th ponds. A Jay was again in the woodland along the northern edge. Two Whimbrel flew east over the course heading to their breeding grounds across the North Sea while three Canada Geese were likely visitants from nearby Ormsgill Reservoir. A pair of Linnet was still prospecting the gorse in the vicinity of the 15th tee and a Kestrel hunted over the 9th tee.

Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Swallow

Birds Species List

Blackbird (8)

Blackcap (1)

Black-headed Gull (1)

Blue Tit (4)

Canada Goose (3)

Carrion Crow (2)

Chaffinch (10)

Chiffchaff (2)

Coal Tit (3)

Collared Dove (2)

Dunnock (3)

Goldcrest (1)

Goldfinch (8)

Great Tit (6)

Greenfinch (4)

Herring Gull (10)

House Sparrow (1)

Jackdaw (2)

Jay (1)

Kestrel (1)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (30)

Linnet (3)

Magpie (4)

Mallard (1)

Moorhen (3)

Pied Wagtail (5)

Robin (6)

Rook (17)

Starling (5)

Swallow (1)

Whimbrel (2)

Willow Warbler (4)

Woodpigeon (3)

Wren (4)

The moth trap was again set overnight but only attracted a handful of moths with Powdered Quaker the only addition to the list.

Moth Species List

Hebrew Character (6)

Powdered Quaker (1)

Water Carpet (1)