This page is devoted to recording wildlife snippets and sightings at Stoke Rochford Golf Club.

(Click on the name for a picture - then use the "Back" button to return to this page.  The dark blue names have a sound file attached.  More will be added as information is found).

This is a new page starting in the Spring of 2008.  Stoke Rochford Golf course is a wildlife haven and we have all seen loads of things over the years, and what might we see in the future, there are always surprises in store.  Last year my highlight was seeing the twice on the little canal between the eighth tee and the brook bridge.  We thought we saw an but didn't get a clear view.  There were   on the lake dam and in the winter we saw Stoats in their ermine coats.  Black rabbits were common in the field to the right of the 18th tee.  There are orchids in the valley on the seventh hole - Southern Marsh Orchids.  A pair of nested about 15 feet up on the stump of a broken tree behind the ninth green.  There is much more and from now on we will try to record it as we see it.

 Feb 2008 - Two deer in the valley to the right of the 14th fairway, ran back down towards the water when they saw us.  JW

Feb 2008 - Stoat chased and attacked a rabbit onto the 15th green whilst the four ball in front of us were still putting out on the  green.  The stoat ran away, the rabbit froze and was still there nearly ten minutes later when we arrived at the green then lollopped away towards the wood on the 2nd.  JW

Feb 2008 - Yellow Wagtail flying across the 7th green from the lake. Later re-identified to be a  Grey Wagtail - which is also yellow!  Apparently the Yellow Wagtail is only a summer visitor.  are more numerous although their call is indistinct. PS

March 2008 - Frogs active in the pond on the 7th and first signs of frogspawn.

March 2008 - Greater Spotted Woodpecker seen crossing the 4th fairway.  A  is occasionally seen but its raucous call can be heard daily.

April 2008   are an everyday sight but now on almost every visit the is over the course, possibly building a nest in the wood next to the 9th green.  On this occasion he was hassling one of the buzzards.  PS

April 5th 2008 - making a fuss about something in a tree near the 17th green turned out to be a Stoat which they chased away.  RS

April 6th 2008 - Years ago cattle were common on the course and the greens were wired off but that was twenty-five  or more years ago.  However exceptionally today there were definite signs of Cattle on the course. TH

April 7th 2008 - is busy in various parts of the course and seen carrying nesting materials to the wood on the right of the 9th hole.  JW

April 7th 2008.  seen over the lake from 12th hole and photographed by Charles Donnison. 

April 9th 2008 - Seven circling round together over the Ponton end of the course.  A Treecreeper on a tree on the 8th. A    busy building its nest in a tree on the 11th. Charles Donnison active again with his camera has taken the following  photo of a  which will remain until someone takes a better one.

June 13th 2008 - Charles Donnison excelled himself with shots of the   soaring over the 10th fairway.  The   orbited for five minutes gaining height all the time.

There is still no sign of Barn Owls visiting the five nest boxes very kindly provided by Sue Bellinghall.  The does not have the distinctive sound of the    During the winter John Williamson and his son met an at dusk by the large beech trees to the right of the 2nd fairway. Although no longer native to UK a number have escaped from captivity and started breeding.

June 20th 2008 - a persistently hassling a over the 8th. This continued lazily for 5 minutes until the lost interest. PS

June 24th - a  with two goslings saying to Charles Donnison, "Get back!"

June 30th - a pair of flying lazily across the 1st to the 16th green.  The browny-orange of the  upper wings could be seen quite clearly.

July 4th - a deer seen on the road below the 9th tee. It was later seen again behind the 9th green.

August 15th - seen and heard in the trees near the bunker on the 4th.

August 22nd   - heard calling then seen over the wood west of 11th "T". seen  hovering over the river to the west of the 14th green.

October 12th 2008 - A caterpillar photographed on the first green by Trevor Harvey.  He says it's a PaleTussock Calliteara pudibunda moth larva.  Unfortunately it's silent!

November 1st 2008 - A was seen on the 8th and the 13th fairways.

November 10th - A seen crossing the 14th fairway.

2009

February 25th - return of the .  A pair seen over the 10th - challenged vocally by from the wood to the west of the 10th - and later just one, very low and gracefully flying over the 18th .  Hopefully these uncommon and graceful birds will nest in our woods.  We will all be grateful if they reduce the rabbit and mole population, Perhaps the introduction of barn owl chicks - suggested but not funded,  to the 5 barn owl boxes provided by Sue Bellingall, will improve our war against moles.

March 2nd - Unusually, a was seen hassling a over the 2nd.  The larger size of the Red Kite compared with the Buzzard was very apparent. 

Friday 27th - standing on the 13th "T" we were amazed to see a walk down the buggy path, right to left, quite slowly. At the bottom of the track he walked off left as if to go to the 8th "T".

Monday 30th - a pair of     over the wood to the west of the 10th fairway. For 5 minutes they chased each other. Hopefully they will nest in one of the woods away from the farmer's bird-scarers bangers.

Weds 1st April - glorious weather and the pair of    circled over the 4th . Charles' pic of one of them shows  the vibrant colours.  On the 10th a pair of  were nesting in Sue Bellingall's Tawny Owls' nest box.  Apparently owls will not adopt an owl box in the first 2 years that it is there.

Thurs 21st March - a photographed by Trevor Harvey near the 9th-13th bridge.

Sat 6th June - an  seen on its own over the lake to the west of the 14th fairway.

Wednesday 10th May - 3  seen soaring over the 10th and 11th fairways.  This would suggest a family group, perhaps new this year.

Sat 20th June - Trevor Harvey was walking by the ladies 13th tee and saw these Stoats  coming out of the wood and running/jumping
and generally going crazy. Possibly youngsters. Trevor apologises for the poor quality of the pic.

Whilst this webpage has been popular amongst members, the webmaster and his deputy have agreed that it has nearly run its course.  We might manage to see a fox, we might manage to see a real deer escaped from Belton Park - as opposed to the 4 that I have seen.  I would really like to see a live badger - I have seen many dead badgers on the roadside, but never a live one.  Terry Garland's theory is that farmers kill them (which is illegal) and then place them on the road side to appear as road kills.  He could well be right. There are certainly far more road kills than in previous years.

There are few birds that will visit us that we have not already seen.

So, unless new sightings are reported - hopefully with photographs, we will withdraw this page in the near future. It can always be accessed from www.stokeseniors.co.uk/naturewatch.htm  - but it won't figure on the homepage.

No copyrights have been infringed in the production of this page. Many thanks are due to Charles Donnison for his hard work and excellent camera and to the numerous websites that have provided back-up pictures and sound files.