In 2023 I got the chance to work at Woodhall Spa Golf Club in Lincolnshire. It was an opportunity not to be missed for a variety of reasons. Woodhall has 2 18 hole courses, The Hotchkin and The Bracken covering a total area of approximately 430 acres and with all the experience and passion for wildlife I had gained from 32.5 years at John o' Gaunt in Bedfordshire, I felt I could be a real asset to the club in terms of promoting their Ecology and Conservation. With all the amazing habitats they have here, I could see a lot of potential and a chance to make Woodhall Spa a real example for others to follow.
This blog is about the 2 courses, the wildlife I have recorded here. and some of the conservation work that is being undertaken.
Hotchkin:
The Hotchkin Course is one of the best golf courses in the UK and is ranked 58th in the top 100 in the world. Most of the course has been designated a SSSI (site of special scientific interest) because of the rare and declining heathland habitat where it makes its home. It truly is a special place where a lot of specialist heathland flora & fauna can thrive. Some of the rare flora to be found on the Hotchkin include: Cladonia portentosa (Lichen) rare in Lincolnshire, Bog Pimpernel (Perennial plant) rare in Lincolnshire, Sphagnum moss – on a local level, the presence of Sphagnum moss is notable, Pleurozium schreberi and Polytrichum Juniperinum (Both Mosses) have a restricted distribution in Lincolnshire, Cetraria islandica (Lichen) which is common on Scottish heaths but is very rare in Lincolnshire & Ptilidium ciliare (a rare Liverwort). It is also home to the UK's only venomous snake the Adder.
Being a SSSI, we have to be mindful of our management of the course and working together with Natural England do our best to maintain this rare Heathland Habitat which often involves taking out trees and other shrubs to benefit the existing Heather. Check these links for details of a recent course restoration project:
More news and photos of wildlife I have recorded from both courses later in the blog.
Check out these 2 links for more info on Lichens and Mosses:
Below are some photos from around the course:
All the above photos were taken by myself.
Bracken
The Bracken Course is very different to its Heathland neighbour and is more of a traditional Parkland Course with tree-lined fairways, numerous small ponds, an irrigation lake, ditches and streams across the course. A lot of the course sits on clay and it can get quite wet in the winter which makes it difficult to get around. It offers a different variety of wildlife such as Kingfishers, Heron and rather a lot of Geese in the spring!
Below are a few photos of the course, including some wintry ones and some from the rather wet winter of 23/24:
The photos below show some of what we have to deal with during periods of very wet weather, such as flooded bunkers, flooded fairways, enlarged ponds, and other wet areas. Work is ongoing to help minimise flood problems in the future, Keeping ditches and streams clear, installing new drainage in problem areas and keeping existing drainage clear: The late Autumn /Winter of 23/24 was exceptional, In the 6 months from Oct 23 to March 24 we had 578.2 mm of rain. A huge 177.8 mm was recorded in Oct with December and February both recording over 100mm.
Wildlife of Woodhall
I am very passionate about wildlife and conservation on golf courses and I was excited at what I might be able to find at Woodhall. One thing that struck me when I first started here was the amount of Dragonflies I was seeing particularly on the Bracken Course, on the ponds, woodland edges and even just seeing them settle on paths. I also saw them on the Hotchkin course away from water, crossing fairways, flying amongst the heather and woodland edges. I started to make notes on what I was seeing and soon started to build up a list of wildlife I was seeing. This section of the blog is split into different species of wildlife, showing photos and lists of what I have recorded, starting with Dragon & Damselflies:
Dragon & Damselflies
Species recorded:
Southern Hawker Common Darter Emperor Brown Hawker Black Tailed Skimmer Four Spotted Chaser Broad Bodied Chaser Ruddy Darter | Large Red Damselfly Migrant Hawker Blue Tailed Damselfly Small red-eyed Damselfly Azure Damselfly Common Blue Damselfly Banded Demoiselle |
Butterflies
Butterflies are a common sight over the golf courses fluttering in the long grass and wildflowers on the Bracken or amongst the heather and long grass on the Hotchkin. They could also be seen in woodland on the course. I have recorded 16 species over the 2 courses, including the scarce Purple Hairstreak which landed next to me on a green while cutting it. Alas, I have not managed to get many photos of Butterflies so far but hopefully that will improve next year. Check out the list of species below and some photos:
Species recorded
Red Admiral Speckled Wood Common Blue Small White Meadow Brown Brimstone Ringlet Gatekeeper | Comma Small Heath Painted Lady Small Skipper Peacock Small Copper Green Veined White Purple Hairstreak |
Moths
I was excited to get going with moth trapping at Woodhall Spa, especially on the Heathland. I found out from the County Recorder that there was an existing list of species from trapping here done in the early to mid-2000's which stood at 235 species. Since I started mothing there the list is now at 404 species with the potential to be much more. I aim to get out on both courses a lot more in 2025 to increase the list and perhaps add a New for County to the site.
Below are 2 photos of the set-up where I usually set the traps by our tractor sheds. A Robinson Style 125w Mercury Vapour and a homemade trap with a 50w Mercury Vapour.
Below is a list of species recorded that you can download and some photos
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Species List:
In my new role as a committee member on the Lincolnshire Branch of Butterfly Conservation, I helped organise a Moth Night on 27th July at the club, running 4 traps around the area of the driving range car park and short game area. It was very well attended as you can see from the photos below and we added 2 new species for the site, Mere Wainscot and Mottled Beauty.
Other Insects:
There are plenty of other species of insects around the courses amongst the heather and long grass, especially grasshopper-type species. Below is just a selection of what I have discovered.
A little video below of some ants that I found under a tee disc, I found it quite fascinating watching them trying to hide their eggs after being exposed:
Birds
I have been interested in birds from an early age and I was looking forward to finding out just what Woodhall had to offer with its diverse range of habitat. I wasn't quite sure what to expect so eyes were peeled to the skies and ears open to any strange calls and songs. I was off to a good start with the sight of a Great White Egret flying over the Bracken in October 2023, a bird I had not seen at my previous course in Bedfordshire. Other Highlights in my first year include Common Tern (flying over Hotchkin), Woodcock (seen on Bracken), Hobby (seen flying on Bracken) and Red Kite (seen on both courses). A full list of species seen is below, Most of which I have seen except for a few that others have reported to me such as Jack Snipe and Barn Owl.
Species recorded:
Common Tern Common Buzzard Willow Warbler Chiffchaff Cuckoo Carrion Crow Swallow House Martin Blackcap Oystercatcher Swift Grey Heron Great White Egret Hobby Linnet Great Spotted Woodpecker Pied Wagtail Tawny Owl Green Woodpecker Mallard Moorhen Whitethroat Wren Tree Pipit Jay Blackbird Egyptian Goose | Canada Goose Greylag Goose Siskin Long Tailed Tit Blue Tit Great Tit Goldfinch Red Kite Woodcock Redwing Kestrel Skylark Chaffinch Starling Kingfisher Fieldfare Pink Footed Goose Raven Carrion Crow Meadow Pipit Reed Bunting Cormorant Barn Owl Treecreeper Jack Snipe |
The Oystercatcher is a regular on the Bracken during the spring and early summer and is also often seen flying over the Hotchkin. Below is a video of one. They bred in 2023:
Here at Woodhall Spa we are not that far from the coast and during the winter months huge flocks of Pin Footed Geese can be seen flying over the courses on their way to the coast or on their way to the open lincolnshire fields to feed. Check out this video below:
Nestbox Project:
One of the things I wanted to get stuck in with at Woodhall was the Nestbox project. This had been a huge success at my previous club and I was eager to get this project off the ground here in Lincs. We decided to start the project on the Bracken Course given that there were a lot more trees. It involved a walk round to plot roughly how many we could put up and where. During the winter of 23/24 the club purchased the wood and I made 32 boxes, mostly for Blue & Great Tits but a few also for Robins. It was a huge success in the first year with 199 chicks fledged from 27 boxes with chicks in. Below are some pics of the boxes and a Summary of their success.
Total number of Blue Tits on the Bracken Course - 156
Total number of Great Tits on the Bracken Course - 43
Total number of Dead Chicks = 24
Total Number of unhatched eggs = 10
Total Number of boxes used = 30 (27 with chicks)
Total Number of Chicks presumed fledged 199
Mammals:
One of the most common mammals I have spotted at Woodhall Spa is the Muntjac Deer which can be seen on either course (particularly the Bracken) at all times of the day and you can get fairly close to them. Other than the Muntjac, I am delighted see Hares on a regular basis and I have managed to get some good pics/videos of them. The total number of mammal species seen here is not too big at the moment but I expect that list to grow when I start looking more closely at which of the small voles & mice we have here.
A list of species seen below and some photos/video:
List of species recorded:
Badger Fox Hare Rabbit Grey Squirrel | Stoat Muntjac Roe Deer Mole |
Bats
I had seen a few Bats about early mornings on the Bracken but I wanted to do a proper survey for them. In Sept 2024 I organised a Bat walk (with some members and volunteers from the local Bat Group) on the Bracken with the intention of finishing up by the lake on the 3rd to hopefully see it swarming with Bats and that is exactly what we got as you can see from the video below. We recorded 5 species in total: Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Noctule, Daubenton's and a possible Whiskered Bat.
Summary
There is always something new waiting to be discovered at Woodhall Spa Golf. I was particularly excited to discover that the rare and protected Great Crested Newt had made its home on the Bracken Course, a testament to the quality of the water and the habitat and the way it is all managed. I am just waiting now to find my first Adder, a new moth for Lincolnshire or maybe even a rare bird. There is so much potential here on both courses for something else special to be discovered.
Check the Golf Club website here: https://www.woodhallspagolf.com/
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