Sport
Birdie boxes to protect club’s greens Sherborne Golf Club has installed 12 bird boxes around the course in an unusual move to combat damage being done to its greens. The boxes are designed with a 45mm hole, apparently the perfect size to encourage starlings but discourage other birds. And it’s the starlings that head greenkeeper Scott Johnson wants nesting. “We have four or five greens that are getting torn apart on a daily basis by crows and rooks,” he said. The birds are after leatherjackets, the larvae of flies known as crane flies or daddy-longlegs. Scott said: “A crow tends to scavenge and tear the turf with its claws and beak to get to the leatherjackets, whereas a starling has a very short, sharp pointed beak so it tends to peck straight in and straight out. “A starling won't cause any notable damage to the turf, which is why we are encouraging them to set-up home.”
SPOT THE BIRDIE: Starlings are being encouraged to nest at Sherborne GC and eat leatherjackets
After six years as deputy course manager, Scott became head greenkeeper in
September. He says he is ‘ecstatic’ with how the course is looking, as lockdown gave his team time to improve presentation of the fairways and green. He has tried various methods to limit bird damage, including a bird scarer microphone and spinning CDs near the worst affected greens. Now a company called Agrovista Amenity is working with Scott to
explore a more long-term, controlled outlook. The firm supplied the bird boxes, and specialist David Bevan said “We’ve created a habitat for starlings to nest and breed: Now we have to let nature take its course. “It's certainly a long-term approach: the industry needs to start looking away from chemical controls as the sole answer. The more you can do to encourage the natural predator the better.”
Aim high! Rugby kids help Everest challenge A Tisbury couple who played in the highest game of rugby in history raised more than £18,000 for a children’s rugby charity. Vivienne Worrall and John Curtis, pictured centre, trekked to Advanced Base Camp on Mt Everest with 25 other players to play two games, full contact and touch rugby. But first they called in at North Dorset Rugby Football Club for some much-needed training. John had played rugby in the past but was quite rusty while Viv had not played
rugby before. They were invited to train with the under 10 and under 9 squads and Viv confessed it wasn’t as easy as watching it on the screen, and keeping behind the ball was quite
difficult. She had the utmost respect for her team members who played well despite having a total beginner on their team, while her team involved Viv very much in the game. “It was clear they had an understanding of the game and were committed to having fun as well as conducting themselves in a sporting manner. I am very grateful to them all for allowing me to join in and to give me tips along the way”. Vivienne and John were awarded Players of the Week and presented with club
beanies, which they wore with pride on Everest. NDRFC supported the pair as they raised funds for the charity Wooden Spoon, which helps help disabled children and young people facing disadvantage. John and Vivienne raised £18,073 towards a project total of £200,000, which helped the charity to donate £1.3m to projects in the financial year 2019/20. Since it was founded in 1983, the charity has distributed in excess of £26m to more than 700 projects. 79
