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May
and June were not the
best of months for breeding due to the cold wet weather conditions for
the young birds. |
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In early May we saw three pairs of breeding Mallard. The first were to the left of the ninth green in the fork of a tree, which is slightly unusual but not unknown. When the young move out of the nest they cannot fly so they just fall, bounce on the ground and seem to be unharmed. Most men will have seen the nest to the left of the path leading from the back twelfth tee. |
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Second in an occasional series by Brian Ankers detailing the wildlife to be found on the Golf course Lymm
Golf Club Bird Life (2005)
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This
nest was built before the tee was in use after the winter, but as soon
as the tee was in play there was a lot of disturbance and although the
female persevered for a while we don’t know if the eggs hatched or if
the nest was abandoned or predated. Another female nested on top of the boulder in the heather that is situated on the left at the start of the path to the first tee. Eight young fledged, and are probably the ones that could later be seen feeding well in the Sow Brook alongside the 13th green. However they then suddenly disappeared, which could have been natural dispersion, but as they were still so young this is not likely. A more obvious explanation would be that they were taken by wild mink which are very good swimmers and quite prevalent in the area; this could also explain why the rare water voles that inhabit the ditches across the 15th, 16th. and 18th fairways appear to be reduced in numbers. Many years ago there was a mink farm in Lymm and presumably some escaped or were released. They are very difficult to eradicate but it is desirable, because unlike most animals that kill to eat, mink kill just for the sake of it and have no natural predators. |
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There were also a further six Sparrow nest boxes put up on the Greenkeeping sheds. Alas! No Sparrows yet, but a Blue Tit decided one of the boxes was ideal. It was not possible to look inside this box but I assume there was a successful brood. A Robin built a nest in the rafters of the sheds and was busily feeding young well into May.
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Blue Tit |
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An unusual find was a Coal Tit which had nested in a hole in the bank of the drainage ditch at the back of the practice ground; this was pointed out to me by the observant Johnny Johnson. |
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The
Great Spotted Woodpeckers
were ever present and had excavated a hole in a tree in the middle of
the copse between the 6th and 7th fairways; two
noisy young flew in early June. Another Great Spotted Woodpecker nested
in a tree in the wood alongside the ninth green. |
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Dunnock |
The
two conifers on the practice putting green provided nesting habitat for two broods of Greenfinch
and a brood of Dunnock.
Each year these two trees provide good cover from the squirrels which
once again have taken young birds out of two nests that I know of. |
Greenfinch |
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A
Blackbird took advantage of the Clematis on the wall outside the
lounge at the back of the toilets, but had a most frustrating time
trying to feed young when there were a lot a people gathered around the
putting green. |
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The
Clubhouse also offered an ideal nesting place for a pair of Great Tits by way of the ventilation bricks outside the Stewards
flat. That particular vent has been used for at least the last five
years. |
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Moorhens have as always nested on the pond in front of the twelfth tee but again the broods have been very small compared to other years when they have had up to three broods in a season. |
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A
possible first for Lymm Golf Club this year was a Reed
Warbler heard singing at the side of Sow Brook adjacent to the 17th
Tee. |
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Somebody
mentioned that they thought we may have badgers around the course, so I
invited an expert from the North Cheshire Badger Group to accompany me
and we surveyed the boundaries of the course but found no evidence of
any badger activity. If
anyone has any interesting wildlife sightings please let me know. Brian Ankers July
2005 |
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