STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris)

Social songsters with shiny feathers and common visitors to North Wales Golf Club. These gregarious birds are probably most famed for their stunning murmuration displays

Their diet is made up of invertebrates, including spiders, moths, leatherjackets and earthworms, as well as fruit. They often feed on the greens and help the green keepers by eating the leatherjackets that appear on the course their probing beaks are small enough not to cause damage and a small flock can help clear areas very quickly of nasty grubs.

HERRING GULL

The stereotypical gull. Adults are told from most gulls by their large size, pale grey upperparts and pink legs. In summer they have a white head, which develops dark streaking in winter.

Gorse & Blackthorn

Gorse and Blackthorn flower early in the year followed by Celandines and Alexanders which smell of curry. There is an abundance of Meadowsweet in the wetter parts of the course.

Orchids

Where the rough has bee left uncut, early Marsh Orchids and common spotted Orchids flourish.

The rare Green winged Orchid has been sighted in the past, but may have succumbed to tractor wheels and new pathways.

Grasses

Because the course is based on old farmland pasture, the predominant grass on the  fairways is Perennial  Ryegrass. The rough contains Brown Top, Rough stalked Meadow grass Yorkshire Fog Timothy Cocksfoot, various fescues, crested Dogs tail ,sweet Vernal grass and Quaking grass ,which proved impossible to photograph, except as a blur. Annual Meadow grass colonises paths, gateways and disturbed muddy areas.

Marram grass is extremely important in the dunes and dune slack areas, because the roots prevent the sand from blowing. Also appare

not on the fairways are white and red clover, beloved of farmers because they fix nitrogen, but not so popular with greenkeepers. There are also several varieties of sedges particularly in the wet areas. The all important greens are sown with specially bred grasses and are mostly mixed fescues, brown top bents, annual meadow grass and some perennial ryegrass.

Mushrooms & Fungi

This fungus is the tasty Parasol Mushroom. But WAIT, it is also a good example of how much detective work is needed before you even think of eating any of the nu

merous fungi to be found on the golf course. When young the parasol looks like an egg on a stick with a prominent white ‘veil’ underneath the close cap. This protects the millions of spores as it grows. The veil stays in situ as the mushroom matures, leaving a characteristic which ring which c

an be easily moved up and down the small stem .The cap expands into a familiar flat mushroom shape, and the

crowded creamy white gills are revealed. If you look closely you can see that the gills are free and don’t meet the stem. Unfortunately there are other fungi that are similar to the parasol, so how can we make sure? One feature that identifies the Parasol Mushroom is the snakeskin markings on its stem.

LIZARDS (viviparous lizard)

The common lizard is the UK’s most common and widespread reptile, It is found across many habitats, including heathland, moorland, woodland and grassland, where it can be seen basking in sunny spots.

Also known as the ‘viviparous lizard’, the common lizard is unusual among reptiles as it incubates its eggs inside its body and ‘gives birth’ to live young rather than laying eggs. Adults emerge from hibernation in spring, mating in April and May, and producing three to eleven young in July.

Flowers

Violets and Cowslips thrive in some areas and to a lesser extent Star of Bethlehem in the spring. The ditches contain a mixture of Water cress Water Forget me not, Common Water crowfoot, Water Mint and rare Water violets.

More familiar to the observant golfer is the Duke of Argylls  teaplant and Burnet Rose which is everywhere.