A frequent sight during the month of March was the striking colour of the early morning sun as it broke out over the horizon. This photo was taken from the 18th Medal tee as the sun climbed above the gorse bushes.
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The last few weeks have still been quite cold with strong winds not helping. However on days when the wind has died down and the sun has been shining there is a definite warmth in the air. With the lengthening daylight the first signs of Spring are slowly appearing.
Snowdrops.
One of the first flowers to emerge.This clump was found in the shelter of the gully at the 3rd hole on the Medal course.
Crocus.
This small clump of Crocus could be seen to the left of the 17th Broomfield fairway.
Daffodils.
Goat Willow.
There are a few clumps of these well known flowers around the 2 courses. They only started to come into full flower towards the end of the month.
The catkins on the willow trees are only now starting to show. We have a few Willow trees around the Links, the largest grouping being to the right of the 14th Medal green, where this photo was taken.
Common Toads.
March is mating season for both Toads and Frogs, these 2 toads were seen close to the 15th Medal tees. There are good populations of both species on the links and good places to spot them are around the Curlie pond and the burn that crosses the Broomfield course.
Frog spawn.
A few clumps of frog spawn can be seen in the burn, where this photo was taken. As in the photo, frog spawn is found in clumps while Toad spawn is laid in long single lines. I have not seen any Toad spawn either in the burn or the Curlie this year yet..
Carrion Crow.
A carrion crow has been guarding this nest site for a couple of months now. Probably because of a lack of trees on the links the crow has decided to get in early and lay claim to last years nest. This nest can be seen to the right of the 15th Medal fairway and a pair of Carrion Crows have nested here for as long as I can remember.
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I have taken a few other photographs this month which for different reasons are quite interesting.
Roe Deer.
Roe Deer can still be seen almost on a daily basis on the courses. As you can see in the photo above this one has started to grow a set of antlers. Male Roe deer normally start to grow antlers around November, shedding the velvet from them in Spring. You can quite clearly see the velvet on this set.
Magpie.
This is a first for me. In the 25 years that I have lived in Montrose this is the first time that I have seen Magpies around the vicinity of the town, let alone the golf course. I first spotted a pair a few months ago near the 13th hole on the Medal course. Since then I have occasionally seen them in the same area and eventually managed to get a photo of one. I have yet to see any others close to Montrose and I'm not sure if they are here to stay..
Dead Blackbird.
Not nice to see but part of the cycle of life and death on the links. We picked up this Blackbird on the Broomfield course on the 5th March. The interesting thing is the ring on it's leg.
Bird ring.
This ring has the Museum of London stamped on it and has an unique identification number. I sent the details away to EURING who hold all the details regarding ringed birds. Their records showed that it was a juvenile male bird and it was ringed 248 days beforehand on the 30th June 2014. It was ringed by a member of the Tay ringing group in Wellington Park, Montrose.
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I have now written a monthly 'A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE' report for a full year now and feel its a good time to stop, otherwise I would probably start repeating myself. I will continue to post anything of interest that I come across, under the same title, as and when I see it.
I hope those of you who have taken the time to read my wildlife blog have enjoyed it, and it gives you an insight into to just how good a wildlife haven a golf course can be, and just how lucky we are to have such an abundance of wildlife on our Links Courses at Montrose.
Les Rae,
First Assistant,
Montrose Golf Links Limited.
As homeowners just like you who know what you are expecting in a rooftop gardener, landscaper and landscape contractor. We provide service and quality of design as if your property were ours.
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