Thursday 7 October 2010

An 8 mile run this morning down White Fen Drove. A cold morning with mist over the fields near Quy Water. Still a bit dark when I set off as sun had not quite risen. I avoided the grassy section by returning along the road to Lode. Off-road the route was quite muddy in places. Finished in a time of 1 hour 7'30".

In the dim pre-dawn light several blackbirds were seen or heard. Mallards and Moorhens were flushed from Quy Water. A Grey Heron was in the field along Bottisham Lode, and in the lode itself on the return leg. Another Grey Heron was seen flying over Stow Road in Quy on the way back. 4 Roe Deer were in the field just before White Fen Drove, another was seen at the far end of the field next to the Crane farm and 2 more in a field along the railway track.

Over 300 corvids (mainly Jackdaws and several Rooks) flew towards Lode and several more were sitting on electricity cables along White Fen Drove.

A Green Woodpecker was seen along the bridleway and a Cormorant flew over. A Swallow flew over Vicarage Meadow.

Saturday 2 October 2010

Ran 10.2 miles this morning through Bottisham and Swaffham Bulbeck, then back along Swaffham Bulbeck Lode and through White Fen to White Fen Drove. The weather was fine and dry however the grass sections of the run were very wet and muddy in places. Finished in a decent time of 1 hour 32'41".

A late Swallow was seen in Bottisham. Along Swaffham Bulbeck Lode there was a Green Woodpecker and a pair of Mute Swans with 6 full-grown young. A Great-Spotted Woodpecker was heard in Quy Park.