Flora and Fauna of the Rosendaelsche Golf Club

Jac. P. Thijsse once said, "Everything grows everywhere, provided the conditions are favorable." One could assume that there are no barriers for our winged friends; they can simply fly over them. Nevertheless, it also applies to them, that there must be optimal (food) conditions, if they want to settle in a certain area.

Birds

At the Rosendaelsche we take an annual inventory of the fauna. We count the number of occurring bird species, keep track of which breeding birds are using the nest boxes, and keep an eye on which other animal species populate our grounds. The number of bird species on the Rosendaelsche in recent years is estimated at 65. There are six different species of titmouse: great tit, blue tit, black tit, glossy head, crested tit and long-tailed tit. The great tit and blue tit make frequent use of our 60 nest boxes.

The carpenters among the birds are also well represented: the great and lesser spotted woodpecker, as well as the green woodpecker, can be heard almost daily. This also includes the nuthatch, which unlike the tree creeper can descend along a tree trunk with its head down. The nuthatch and the pied flycatcher also nest in our nest boxes. The pied flycatcher always sits on the nest box or on a branch on the lookout.

The larger singers are represented by the great thrush, the song thrush, the blackbird and the starling; but in winter the redwing and the fieldfare are also regularly seen. Of the finches, the chaffinch and the greenfinch are frequent, and the goldfinch is also present every year.

Our country's three smallest birds also populate our golf course: winter wren, goldcrest and fire goldcrest; but the latter two are more likely to be heard than seen. The white wagtail is always present in summer. Furthermore, in the summer months, especially at the 16th hole, we always find the tree pipit, tree lark and fitis, while the chiffchaff can also be heard. The birds of prey are especially well represented by the buzzard, but also hawk, sparrowhawk and kestrel sometimes show themselves.

Mammals

Of the mammals, we are, of course, most proud of our badgers, who inhabit a handsome lodge near the 8th but do search for food at night across the lane. In addition, roe deer, red and fallow deer, foxes and sometimes martens are frequent visitors. Even the wolf is said to have visited.

Other species

The reptiles and amphibians are represented by the hazelworm, grass snake, sand lizard, heath frog and brown frog.
At least three species of bats also inhabit the Rosendaelsche: the most common being the (common and rough) dwarf bat, but also the late-bird bat, the big-eared bat and the ruddy bat are spotted.

Butterflies and dragonflies can also be found, of course, including the lesser firefly, the heather blue, various whites, sometimes the swallowtail and, of course, lots of moths. More research will be done on these in the coming years. A lot of other insects, such as different species of grasshopper and cricket (moor grasshopper, blue-winged grasshopper), spiders, ants and even smaller insects, populate the track, often without our knowledge.