Nature Notes - March 2025
Sickleholme Nature Notes
As hoped, March brought a lot more colour to the course and some spells of fine weather encouraged both golfers and our wildlife. Dogs Mercury is an early wildflower, as well as being an indicator species of very old woodland and hedgerows, and by the 8th of the month was in flower below the boundary hedge to the first hole. The same hedge along the second hole held a superb example of Goat (Pussy) Willow at its best, and more Daisies and Lesser Celendines began to appear, before the first Wood Anemones were reported flowering during the last few days of the month. In Greek mythology, anemone translates as “daughter of the wind” and the Wood Anemone is also referred to as the Windflower. The path down from the 13th tee is a good area to see this wildflower and slightly later Wood Sorrel appears there too, albeit at lower density. This shaded habitat obviously suits both species.
Also of note were the newly planted Sorbus trees around the course, such as those below the 4th green. They should do well and, apart from the aesthetics, will attract both birds and pollinators.
The birdlife included some interesting species. Greenfinches occasionally appear at the clubhouse feeders but more widely have reduced in numbers due to a disease called finch trichomoniasis. It was encouraging, therefore, to see three on the 13th of the month which included a male in song. Another surprise was a female Bullfinch in mid-month, not a rare species but strangely my first Sickleholme record.
March 20th was the “official” first day of Spring this year and celebrated its arrival by also being the warmest day of 2025 so far. I was lucky enough to be playing on that day and our four-ball enjoyed a lot of avian activity. Up to four Buzzards were in the air together (interesting to think that the species only recolonised Derbyshire in the late 1980s) and at least four Chiffchaff were singing. I still find it incredible that these tiny birds would have been in Africa just a few days earlier. A flavour of that day is in my photo for this month, taken from the car park looking towards the 18th tee.
Trevor Hoyland recorded another Red Kite on 25th and by the 27th, the number of singing Chiffchaff had risen to eight. Less welcome were the released Pheasants, that like scratching at the fairways, and a notable increase in the number of Grey Squirrels. Despite all attempts to control numbers of the latter, which in fairness can provide visual entertainment as well as causing much damage, I have been known to speculate that Padley Gorge must be their UK headquarters!
With more to come in April, let’s hope for more nice weather too.
Bryan Barnacle
