Nature Notes - June 2022

Sickleholme Nature Notes

As always, June provided a wide biodiversity with birds, wildflowers, butterflies, moths and insects all creating interest and comment. As with last month, much of the colour came from our flora and nowhere more so than the field to the east of the 9th fairway which was mainly a wonderful mix of Ox-eye Daisy and Meadow Buttercup, attributed by Matt to a change in cutting dates. It was only recently that I learned that this field belonged to the club, so with this display and the newly planted copse towards the bottom of the field, it will be worthy of much more study now. I propose to refer to as East Field.
Until 2020, a fine example of Greater Mullein (aka Aaron’s Rod) grew just below the 13th tees, but it then disappeared. This year, another is growing strongly against the upper bridge over the stream before the 9th green. Several ladies have also reported the regular orchid (said to be Common Spotted Orchid) near their tee on the 14th hole.

Butterflies have been less plentiful than normal so far this year, but later in the month two more species appeared in the form of Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper (see this month’s photo images). The former is the common butterfly of rough grassy places and can frequently be seen around the course in good numbers. There is little more than subtle shading between the males and females but in the smaller Gatekeeper, the males are a brighter shade of orange and with a broad sex brand across the forewings. Several species of grass moths were abundant away from the fairways.

There were plenty of bird reports which included another Red Kite sightings by four members on 23rd and several sightings of Buzzards leaving a wooded area to the left of the 14th tee. Since these observations were at different times of the day, then it strongly suggests the presence of a breeding pair. I tend to assess summer warblers by the number of singing males occupying territories and this would indicate about eight pairs of Blackcap, at least six Chiffchaff and two, possibly three, Willow Warbler pairs.

A report from Alan Kydd, who looks after our bird boxes and who has been assisted by Steve Clarke this year, reports that 29 of 32 small boxes have been utilised resulting in 114 fledglings (53 Great Tit and 51 Blue Tit). That is a higher figure than 2020 or 2021. Nothing still in the Little Owl box or the Barn Owl one, but Alan reports an excellent year locally for the latter species with high hopes that with the population growing rapidly then a pair may soon favour the nest fitted in our own barn.

How lucky we are to have all of this as well as a superb golf course.
Bryan Barnacle

Gatekeeper

Meadow Brown Female