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)
