26th March 2012 - bright and sunny ESE1

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

18th March 2012 - bright and sunny/calm with heavy early morning dew

Summary – The day dawned bright and sunny and following earlier visits to sections of the course the first transect route was undertaken. A transect is a route that is followed on a regular basis and allows direct comparison of observations between visits, the route begins at the 5th tee and then follows the track that runs behind the 4th and 11th greens, across the 13th fairway and along the edge of the 14th fairway to the 15th tee before cutting across the 3rd to the quarry. The route then heads down through the 8th hole plantation to the pond on the 9th fairway before cutting across the 7th fairway to view the pond on the 6th and then back along the edge of the 5th fairway back to the start.

A total of 26 species were logged including nine additions to the course list and it was quickly noticeable that spring was in the air. Many of the resident species such as Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Robin, Wren and Dunnock in fine voice as they competed for territories while Tree Sparrow, Siskin, Meadow Pipit, Collared Dove and Jackdaw were all new additions as they passed overhead. The plantation near the 8th hole proved productive holding a good number of Chaffinches while Coal Tit and Goldcrest, both new for the course, were also seen here. The pond on the 6th fairway provided a territorial Reed Bunting while a group of gulls loafing in the 11th fairway included a few Lesser Black-backed Gull that were newly arrived from their wintering grounds in Spain and Portugal. These birds nest with Herring Gulls on the roofs of the nearby industrial estate and will now remain with us until after the breeding season.

Coal Tit

Goldcrest

Siskin

Species List

Blackbird 3

Blue Tit 2

Carrion Crow 4

Chaffinch 11

Coal Tit 2

Collared Dove 2

Dunnock 1

Goldcrest 3

Goldfinch 2

Great Tit 5

Greenfinch 2

Herring Gull 21

Jackdaw 1

Lesser Black-backed Gull 6

Long-tailed Tit 5

Magpie 5

Meadow Pipit 1

Pied Wagtail 1

Reed Bunting 1

Robin 4

Siskin 3

Song Thrush 1

Starling 2

Tree Sparrow 1

Woodpigeon 11

Wren 3