Wednesday 5 October 2011

10k Lode route again this morning. Weather was dry, overcast and windy. Mornings are getting noticeably darker now. I did some speed work in the first half of the run and achieved my best time to Lode Mill of 15'29". I was tired for the second half and had a head wind, but managed to finish in a good time of 50'08".

A Heron flew up from the bank of Quy Water. 11 Moorhens seen along Quy Water this morning and another 3 on Bottisham Lode and 3 in the field at the start of the track to the Lodestar fields. 2 Roe Deer were seen in a field towards White Fen.

4 Swallows flew over at the end of the sugar beet fields, making slow progress in the wind. A Jay and a Kestrel were seen along the old railway line.

A Cormorant flew over Main Street in Quy.

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Lode 10k run this morning, I did 3 fartlek sessions during the run. Weather was cool,cloudy and slightly windy. A better time today of 53'00".

House Martins and Swifts in Quy and Lode. A flock of around 20 Goldfinches were feeding on thistles along Quy Water. One moorhen with chick along Bottisham Lode. A Green Woodpecker was seen along the track to the Lodestar fields and also a Roe Deer. 2 more Roe Deer were sitting down in a field to the left of the railway track. 2 Reed Buntings, 5 Skylarks and 7 Partridges were seen in the sugar beet fields.

Thursday 23 June 2011

The same 10k route today. Weather was cloudy but dry and still windy. I included 3 Fartlek sessions today. Finished in a good time of 53'23".

A Flock of about 40 Starlings flew over Main Street. A Heron flew low over Station Road towards the park. Another Heron was along Quy Water. The Swan family were in the same place as Tuesday. A Chiffchaff was singing at the start of Anglesey Abbey Woods and another heard on the way back at Quy Hall.

2 Green Woodpeckers seen by the bridge on Fen Road and then another 2 along the Lodestar track. 2 Swallows again at the bridge.

Several Skylarks in the field today and a male Reed Bunting, no sign of any Lapwings. A Song Thrush was singing at the top of a dead tree along the track to the old railway line.

In Station Road there were 6 Swallows flying around the cottage (fledged birds?). Just before the crossroads 2 Kestrels flew over Station Road towards the park.

Song Thrush at the top of a dead tree

Thursday 16 June 2011

The same route as Tuesday. Weather was similarly dry and bright (perhaps a bit warmer). Today I included 4 sessions of Fartlek and achieved a PB for the course of 1 hour 4'53".

The Swan family was seen along Quy Water with, I'm pleased to note, all 7 cygnets. A young Moorhen was also seen a bit further along.

For the first time this year I saw a male Kestrel by the Jack of Clubs farm just before White Fen Drove (although I did see him there on Sunday when cycling). Here I also saw what could have been Roe Deer ears sticking out above the ears of wheat.

Along the track to the Lodestar fields a Great-Spotted Woodpecker was heard and further away to my right a Cuckoo was calling. 2 Lapwings, a Reed Bunting and a Skylark were in the next fields. Another Lapwing flew over just before the railway track.

Wednesday 7 July 2010

8 mile run to the end of White Fen Drove again today. Weather was pleasantly cool after some light rain (and a few more spots in Lode). A quick start to the mill. I decided to try adding a few 1 minute speed runs which I did at just after 4 miles, just after 6 miles and again in the last half mile. It took a little while for my breathing to recover after the first speed run but the next 2 were easier. This resulted in my best ever time for this course by more than 2 minutes with a finish time of 1 hour 04'55".

House Martins in Vicarage Meadow (with 3 confirmed nests - all but 1 are hard to locate under the eaves) and in Station Road. Up to 20 Swifts in Mill Road, Lode. A Heron was seen along Bottisham Lode. The verges along Bottisham Lode (with the cow parsley having now finished flowering) have been cut, unfortunately no kingfishers seen today. 3 Yellowhammers heard singing along the grassy section of White Fen Drove.

Between the barley fields were 2 Reed Buntings and at least 4 Skylarks. A Greenfinch in Station Road, Quy.


A lot of wild flowers along the railway line and bridleway.