Nature Notes - February 2025
Sickleholme Nature Notes
Amongst the February contributions, came comments on last month’s spider photograph. Little did I know that the monthly notes reached Australia, but Jean Brock sends them winging that way and the response was pictures of a Crab Spider, an Antipodean species that has the ability to change colour to match the plant that it is resting on. Two non-members also let me know that they read the notes on Facebook and, of course, our biodiversity efforts created an article in Midlands Golfer magazine only last year. All splendid publicity for the club; does syndication of the notes come next!
Generally, the weather during the month did little to push us towards Spring but a few Daisies and Dandelions did appear, and more bird song was noted including at least three Nuthatches. Splashes of colour came from the winter heathers and these Ericas do attract insects including a variety of pollinators. Several early bees seen were believed to be White-tailed Bumble Bees.
On the course, we routinely talk of birdies, eagles and albatrosses and I was asked how avian names crept into golf. I believe that “birdie” came first, being then a slang word for what we might call “cool” today, and then improvements on a birdie were given other bird names with eagle being a big achievement and an albatross an even bigger one. In the absence of other photo images this month, you may like this shot (taken by a friend of mine) of a White-tailed Eagle which is the largest breeding bird in the UK. Sadly, not photographed at Sickleholme although one tracked through the county two years ago may well have passed over us, as it was seen in several adjacent areas. Also, I can hardly leave eagles without mentioning Chris Littlewood’s impressive brace (at the 1st and 17th) in mid-month. There is much golf left in the EGGS yet!
Hopefully, March will bring some dry and warm weather which would be much appreciated by golfers and our wildlife.
Bryan Barnacle