St Andrews Links Blog

Hares, orchids & nesting birds

Our specially positioned infra-red camera caught this inquisitive hare on the Castle Course at dusk last week. Hare’s are fascinating creatures and their quick movements make them difficult to photograph – unless you have a wildlife camera!

Elsewhere on The Castle the orchids are just beginning to bloom with most being seen across the wetlands. There are two different varieties showing (Northern marsh and a hybrid type) and both are a welcome sight to the UK’s nectar loving invertebrates. The New and Strathtyrum Courses’ orchids should be in bloom soon enough so keep an eye out when hunting for your golf balls.

Whilst I’m on the subject of flora, we noted cotton grass growing near to the Strathtyrum pond this past week. Whilst this flora is named ‘grass’ it is actually a type of sedge and historically it was used to line pillows when times were hard! Unfortunately we only have the one at the moment but hopefully it’ll drop its seeds and spread out by next year so we’ll have enough to make a pillow.

The Tay Ringing Group spent a little time with us here at the Home of Golf recently and the outcome is that we have plenty of nesting bird’s onsite including pipits, whitethroats and skylarks. The photo below shows a few days old skylark chick which was carefully ringed and returned back to its nest safely. The nest had four chicks in and mum and dad returned to carry on feeding their young minutes after we left – a great result!

The Eden estuary has produced a number of interesting sightings of late with 6 goosanders, 6 scaups, 1 whimbrel and a spotted redshank showing up with the sea eagles and osprey being regular sightings just off the Eden and Old Courses.

Words by James Hutchinson, Environmental Officer