Conservation & Ecology
believe otherwise. In truth, golf courses are ‘Avian Havens’, and that’s a fact. This is due to the principle management regime of all greenkeepers up and down the British Isles and across the world, which is establishment and maintenance of fineturf on our greens, tees and fairways. This management, in turn, provides an unlikely niche for some of our feathered friends, something I’m sure all greenkeepers will be familiar with, and which I will discuss later. Out-of-play areas, too, such as wooded plantations (coniferous, deciduous or mixed), rough grassland, heath, water features - basically all facets of the modern golf course - will attract a varying diversity of birds. It is true that a more diverse array of
G
bird species can be attracted using an assorted selection of tried and tested methods in your out-of-play areas, but this article will explore some of the opportunistic species commonly encountered on every golf course, and demonstrate that you don’t have to be an eco-minded individual to encourage wild birds onto your course; you just need to maintain the turf that all golfers enjoy. However, with the golf environmental movement now appearing to be gathering real pace, and many UK greenkeepers practising good environmental stewardship, we can no longer be deemed irresponsible within
olf courses are often considered by many to be of detrimental value to the British landscape but, after over ten years within the greenkeeping industry, I
our industry. Greenkeeping is the perfect job for me as I can carry out my daily tasks on the course whilst enjoying my favourite pastime - birdwatching - also known as birding, twitching, bird spotting and a whole host of names commonly given to the hobby. Birds are also excellent indicators of the state of the environment due to their visibility to us, and I have managed to record a total of ninety-four species at Turton Golf Club in the six years I have worked there, some that may be familiar to you and others less so, and I hope to reach the magical one hundred before the year is out.
A few of the highlights during my time
here include Merlin, Europe’s smallest bird of prey, hunting along the moorland edge one morning as I raked the bunkers; Peregrine Falcon, the world’s fastest member of the animal kingdom, regularly spotted as I casually scan the skies whilst cutting grass; Common Crossbills, which is in no way common anymore, seen prising open pine cones with their specialised crossed bill, allowing them to get at the seed before the cone opens its larder to other more common seed eaters; and Whimbrels, a migratory bird that has a long decurved bill for probing into the mud, recently seen flying over the course on their way to their Siberian breeding grounds from North Africa. These are to name just a few, but there are more common birds that regularly grace every golf course that most greenkeepers are familiar with, and some that have the most interesting
habits and benefits to us. One such bird is the Pied Wagtail, one that I’m sure will be familiar to all greenkeepers throughout mainland Britain; in fact, I would put money on them being present on all golf courses on the mainland. It is a common resident within the UK and has striking black and white plumage and a long wagging tail, from which it gets its name. It is usually spotted around the greens or fairways in perpetual motion as it searches for its insect prey, which includes the dreaded adult Crane Flies that can cause so much damage to our turf. Usually, these birds are present around wetland habitats, but have adapted to the presence of man remarkably well and can now be found in a broad range of habitats, including the apparently sterile environment of fineturf on golf courses. They are attracted here by the intensive management carried out on these fineturf spots by the greenkeeper, which means they can easily locate their insect prey due to the short turf allowing them to better see any invertebrates lurking on the surface.
Emphasis is put on ‘seeing their prey’
here, because this is a bird that relies entirely on sight to locate food; in which the short cropped turf of greens and fairways provide the ideal environment. You may find it peculiar that I mention ‘seeing their prey’ as, surely, all birds have to be capable of sight to be able to feed, but apparently not. Blackbirds, for example, a common garden bird to us all, can be seen to tilt their heads when searching for earthworms on the lawn.
“With the golf environmental movement now appearing to be gathering real pace, and many UK greenkeepers practising good environmental stewardship, we can no longer be deemed irresponsible within our industry”
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