St Andrews Links Blog

A blether over the heather

It’s always exciting exploring the wildlife and ecology here on the Links and this past week has been no different. Take this irregular shaped giant puffball which can be seen to the right of the 15th fairway on the Old Course. And it’s still growing…

Wildlife sightings

Staying with the Old Course, there have been a few interesting sightings over the past week. To the Eden Estuary end of the course lives a weasel but I have to say that it is quite elusive! If you keep your eyes peeled around the Swilcan Burn, there’s a grey wagtail which is probably in the process of making its way South for winter. There have also been numerous sightings of a kestrel in the area so fingers crossed that this raptor is here to stay.

Talking of raptors, take a look at this beauty! This sparrowhawk was perched on the paling fencing adjacent to the Jubilee Course. I got the feeling that the small bird population on the Jubilee Course may be missing a sparrow by now as it looked like it was on the prowl for good meal.

Heather

The environmental management of the courses is gaining a head of steam lately with heather seed collection taking centre stage. The heather plant’s seeds are being harvested by hand as heather won’t tolerate too much heavy machinery driving across it. This time consuming job gives us a chance to have a ‘wee blether’, which I’ve been told by my colleagues means a ‘small chat’. You learn something new every day! Huge thanks to the team for their graft.

Above: John and Natasha. Header image: Milan and James.

 

Words by James Hutchinson, Environmental Officer