Thursday 25 April 2013

Due to overnight rain I avoided the potentially muddy areas and ran the 9km route through Bottisham to Lode Mill and back along the old railway line.

A Collared Dove was seen sitting on a nest on the side of a house in Lode at the same spot as last year.  Several firsts for the year today:
- Several Whitethroats heard (1 seen);
- Blackcap heard, where the track from Lodestar joins the old railway line;
- A male Bullfinch seen along the old railway line;
- 2 House Martins in Vicarage Meadow.

I also saw or heard, a Kestrel, 2 Swallows, several Yellowhammers, Chaffinches, Long-Tailed Tit, Geat Tits, Robins, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, House Sparrows, Chiffchaffs and Skylarks.

Saturday 16 June 2012

Cambridge parkrun this morning.  Weather was dry and fairly warm.  Some stiffness this morning before the run, so fairly pleased with my time of 22'12".

A couple of Chiffchaffs heard and at least 3 Blackcaps.

Sunday 22 April 2012

I ran the Lode 10k route in a good time of 48'37".  I set a new PB to Lode Mill of 15'19".  Weather was dry and cool.

A Swan was on the riverbank at the start of Quy Water.  A Blackcap was heard at the start of Anglesey Abbey woods. 2 Bullfinches were seen in the bushes along Bottisham Lode.

A Green Woodpecker flew out from the trees along the track to the Lodestar fields and another was feeding on the grass towards Quy Fen.  2 Reed Buntings, 2 Skylarks and 2 Lapwings were seen in the field after Lodestar.  The Lapwing were seeing off a couple of Crows.

A Jay was seen along the old railway line.  A Swallow was seen over Bush Farm in Station Road.

A few Chiffchaffs heard. 

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Lode 10k this morning. Weather was dry and bright but rather windy. Felling a bit stiff after long run at the weekend, so not a quick run (54'20").

Family of Swans were in the same place on the bank of Quy Water. Several Swifts were feeding along here. A little further on there was a family of fledged Blue Tits and in the woods at Anglesey Abbey a Blackcap was singing.

A Mallard with very small ducklings was on the bank of Bottisham Lode. At the bridge 6 Swallows, including young birds, were flying around. A Jay was seen again along the track to the Lodestar fields and at the end of the track there was a Hare.

No sightings of Lapwings since the large flock seen a week or so ago. They must have moved on now after breeding. A male Yellowhammer was almost camouflaged as it sat on a falling tree along the railway line.

A Chiffchaff was singing at Quy Hall, and a Coot with a chick was on the pond. The highlight of the day was a lovely Barn Owl in Station Road. This was a very pale, ghostly white bird.

Thursday 9 June 2011

The same 8 mile route as Tuesday. Weather was cool, dry but mostly cloudy. A better time today of 1 hour 6'53".

On Quy Water there was a Mallard with 6 small ducklings and another one with 6 almost fully grown. A Cormorant flew over. A Blackcap was singing in the woods at Angelsey Abbey. A little further on a Heron flew up from Quy Water.

At the Lodestar fields there was a Lapwing and in the fields beyond a pair of Reed Buntings and a Skylark.

Thursday 26 May 2011

Same 10k route again, marginally quicker than Tuesday at 54'32". Weather was dry, slightly cloudy and still windy. (A welcome light shower started shortly after I got back).

House Martins in Vicarage Meadow and several in Station Road. More House Martins and a few Swifts in Lode. A Heron seen again this morning along Quy Water. Chiffchaffs heard singing in Station Road and Anglesey Abbey. A Blackcap was singing just before the railway track. A few skylarks and a single (male) Reed Bunting. A Green Woodpecker flew along the track to the Lodestar fields.

At the end of the bridleway 2 Buzzards were soaring low over the fields.