Tuesday 29 November 2011

My route this morning was through Bottisham to Lode and then back across the Lodestar fields.  7.3 miles in 1 hour 1'41".  Weather was dark until Lode then dull and very windy, not cold though.

Blackbirds seen in the early gloom.  A Song Thrush heard in Lode.  Along Bottisham Lode there was a Kestrel and a Heron.  After the sugar beet fields 2 Roe Deer were seen across the next field.

A Jay was seen along the old railway line.  Over 100 Jackdaws and a few Rooks were flying along Bottisham Lode towards Lode, and another smaller group of about 40 Jackdaws and Rooks were in Station Road, Quy.

Sunday 27 November 2011

A gentle run around the Blue Cycle Route at Brandon Country Park.  Weather was dry.  It was quite warm in the sun but there was a strong cold wind blowing.

Redpolls and a Great Spotted Woodpecker seen at Mayday Farm.  At the Orchard Car Park there were lots of Chaffinches and a few Bramblings.

Another area has now been felled, just near the Country Park.

Saturday 26 November 2011

Cambridge Parkrun.  Weather was dry and cool.  A tiring run, probably shouldn't have run yesterday morning.  Finished in 21'40" again, 10 seconds off a PB.

A couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers heard.

Friday 25 November 2011

Lode 10k again this morning.  Weather was dry and cool.  The ground was wet as there had been quite a bit of overnight rain.  A gentle run today in 53'07".

11 Moorhens and the 5 Swans seen on Quy Water.  At least 50 Jackdaws in Mill Road. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard and then seen at the top of a tree along Bottisham Lode, opposite the cottages.

2 Herons seen just before the bridge over Bottisham Lode.

A large group of Fieldfares were seen just before the old railway line.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

A fairly tiring Lode 10k this morning - still recovering from Sunday's half marathon.  Weather was dry but cold, with a touch of frost in places.  Finish time was 51'25".

A female Sparrowhawk flew over the trees at the edge of Quy Park. Swan family and 8 Moorhens seen along Quy Water.

A Heron was again seen along Bottisham Lode and a Woodpecker flew past.  In a field to the right there was a single Roe Deer, 4 more were seen running across the sugar beet field.

2 Woodpeckers flew over the track leading to the old railway line.  At the end of the old railway line there were about 50 Lapwings in a field with Black-Headed Gulls.

On the way back along Station Road a Buzzard flew low over the rooftops.

Sunday 20 November 2011

St Neots Riverside half-marathon.  This was my second time at this event. Previous time in 2010 was 1 hour 47:15.  This year the weather was foggy and at the start it was rather cold.  With a target of 1 hour 45, I set out with the 1:45 pacers and kept alongside them for the first mile.  At this point I decided to push on a bit.  With the hill in Abbotsley between 2 and 4 miles out of the way, I used the downhill section towards Waresley to gain some momentum.  Last year I started to flag at 7 miles but this time I was till going strong and feeling comfortable.  The second time up the hill at Abbotsley was soon out of the way and I had enough energy to push on to the finish.  At 10 miles my time was just over 1 hour 17, well ahead of my 10 mile PB.  A surge down the hill from mile 12 led me to the finish in 1 hour 40:30. 

The fog lingered throughout the race so there was no wildlife to be seen.

Friday 18 November 2011

Another fairly steady Lode 10k.  Weather was fairly bright, after the sun came up, but with a cold wind.  Finished in a time of 52'41".

A Heron was seen at the start of Quy Water and another in the usual place along Bottisham Lode.  8 Moorhens were seen along Quy Water this morning and the 5 Swans were just before the Mill.  A Muntjac ran off across the field as I rounded the corner at the Mill.

Again several House Sparrows heard in Mill Road. 

A male Kestrel was perched on top of a telegraph pole along the track to the Lodestar fields.  5 Skylarks and 2 Roe Deer were seen in the sugar beet fields.  The Deer stayed with me for about half a mile, bounding off ahead each time I caught up with them. 

A Group of about 50 Black-Headed Gulls were in a field alongside the old railway line.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

A fairly gentle Lode 10k this morning in a time of 52'51".  Weather was dull and grey but not too cold.

About 50 Jackdaws were in the trees in Station Road near the pond.  Swan family (+3) were on Quy Water in the woods at Angelsey Abbey.  8 Moorhens seen along this stretch today.  A Green Woodpecker was heard in the woods.

In Mill Road a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard.

A Heron and a male Kestrel were seen along Bottisham Lode.

Sunday 13 November 2011

My longest run ever today of 14.7 miles. I started out towards Lode Mill with the intention of doing the 10 mile loop past Oily Hall and the polo club. When I got to the end of White Fen Drove I decided to extend the run through White Fen and down Swaffham Bulbeck Lode to the River Cam. When I got to the Cam I was still feeling good so decided to carry on down to Clayhithe and then on to Baits Bite Lock to come back through Honey Hill.

The weather was dry and bright and quite warm. It was a very enjoyable run in around 2 and quarter hours.

The Swan family (with 3 young) were on Quy Water. 2 Jays seen just before Anglesey Abbey. As I turned into White Fen Drove a Heron was seen in the middle of the field off to the left.

Along Swaffham Bulbeck Lode a Merlin darted across the lode just in front of me and a bit further on a female Marsh Harrier was seen hunting along a ditch in the field to my right. The Harrier swooped down into the ditch so I stopped for a minute or so but she didn't reappear. Obviously a successful catch.

Several Swans seen on the Cam and at just before Clayhithe there were a several Coots. Having crossed the bridge to the towpath to Baits Bite Lock 3 Little Grebes were seen diving for food.

A Green Woodpecker and a Kestrel were also seen. Several Goldfinches again just before the A14 bridge.

Saturday 12 November 2011

Cambridge Parkrun this morning. Weather was dry and bright and a good running temperature. The ground was a little slippery in laces especially on the first lap where there were a lot of fallen leaves on the track. A rather tiring run in my second best time of 21'38".

Thursday 10 November 2011

A rather tiring Lode 10k this morning. Weather was dull with grey skies, but not cold. A Reasonable time of 51'58".

13 Moorhens along Quy Water, with 2 more just after the mill. The Swan family (2 adults, 3 young) were on Quy Water just after the bridge at the back entrance to Anglesey Abbey.

House Sparrows were again heard from bushes on both sides of Mill Road.

A Kestrel and Heron were seen along Fen Road. A Skylark was at the sugar beet fields. Surprised to note that the left-hand field has still not been completely harvested, just a strip near the road.

Along the track to the old railway line there was a Song Thrush, Jay and Green Woodpecker.

Sunday 6 November 2011

Impington Bonfire Burn 10k. A great run on a nice flat course, starting along the Guided Busway to the Cambridge Science Park, then back along the Mere Way track and Butt Lane to Impington. Weather was cool, dry and rather windy.

Got off to a quick start with the first 2km in 8'01". At 5km I was at a new PB for that distance of 21'25" (let's see if I can beat that at Parkrun on Saturday). Head wind and tiredness slowed me up for the second half, but still finished in a good new PB of 44'32".

Wednesday 2 November 2011

An 8 mile run this morning to the end of White Fen Drove. Weather was dry and bright. Mornings are lighter again now that the clocks have gone back. Although the run didn't seem particular fast, and was relatively effortless, I managed a new PB for this course of 1 hour 3'44".

The adult Swans and 3 young were o Quy Water feeding with the domestic white geese from the village pond. This is the second time now that I've only seen 3 young with the adults. I presume the other 4 have "left home" rather than died or been attacked. This view could be true as I saw a youngster (1 of the 4 missing?) on Bottisham Lode.

11 Moorhens counted today on Quy Water, 3 more on Bottisham Lode and 3 at the start of the track to the Lodestar fields. A Kestrel and a Jay were also seen and a Heron was on Bottisham Lode.

Several House Sparrows were heard in Mill Road, Lode and there were several Jackdaws and Starlings here.

5 Skylarks seen just before the bridleway. Here a Cormorant flew over. A Barn Owl was perched at the entrance to its barn in Station Road.