Friday 31 May 2013

It's been 10 days since my last run, so I really need to get back into the habit.

A 10k run to Lode today.  The weather was cool for May and a bit misty.  The course was rather muddy in places due to the recent rain.

A Grey Wagtail was seen at the pond in Quy.  A Heron and the Swan family with 5 cygnets were along Quy Water.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen flying along Fen Road.  Otherwise several Whitethroats seen/heard and a few House Martins, Swifts and Swallows.

Monday 18 June 2012

An evening run after work along the Lode 10k route.  Weather was dry and warm.  The grass was dry but there were big puddles or mud in places.  Stopwatch battery packed up - so no time available.

Several House Martins in Vicarage Meadow and Station Road.  A Mistle Thrush and a Heron were seen at the start of Quy Water.  The Moorhen was seen on its nest again, with a least 1 chick.

A few Swifts over Lode.  A couple of Skylarks were seen at the Barley fields.  A Green Woodpecker was on the grass along the track to Quy Fen.

A Spotted Flycatcher was seen in Station Road.  A juvenile Goldfinch was calling to its parents from a TV aerial in Vicarage Meadow.

Wednesday 30 May 2012

A tiring 8 mile run to Lode this morning, coming back via Quy Fen and Allicky Farm.  Weather was dry and bright, but the grass was dewy.

The Moorhen was again seen sitting on a nest along Quy Water.  2 Great-Spotted Woodpeckers heard at Anglesey Abbey.  Several Swifts seen over Lode.

A few Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats heard.  In the fields after Lodestar a couple of Skylarks were seen, and in the ditch were a pair of Reed Buntings and a pair of Corn Buntings.

A Roe Deer and a Muntjac were seen.

Saturday 5 May 2012

Fen Drayton Lakes 10k.  A revised route due to flooding, however a part of the course alongside the guided busway was flooded.

I started well but was out of energy by 3k.  This is after a kettlebell class and a boxercise class in the week.  Having slowed down at this stage a number of runners came passed me, including the 50 minutesd pacer at around the 7K mark (but he was running ahead of that time).  A decent final 2k saw me finish up with a time of 48'03", well down on my planned sub-45 time.

Not much opportunity to spot many birds, but a few Swifts seen flying around.

Friday 22 July 2011

A short run this morning to Lode and back along the old railway line. Weather was dry, bright but quite cool and the grass was dewy. 4.8 miles in 37'59".

A Green Woodpecker was seen along Quy Water. The Swan family were on the bank in the usual place. A Moorhen was seen with a chick at Lode Mill. A flock of about 8 Goldfinches feeding along the old railway line. A good sized flock (about 50) of House Martins were flying around Station Road and a few Swifts.

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.

Monday 18 July 2011

A dull windy morning with light rain for 5-10 minutes. I ran passed Allicky Farm to Horningsea and back along the byway around the edge of Fen Ditton. 7.9 miles in 1 hour 7'57".

A flock of about 40 Swifts seen over Main Street in Quy. 2 Roe Deer along the track to Allicky Farm and a Buzzard here too.

Friday 15 July 2011

Another slow run along the Lode 10k route, around 56 minutes (I must get my stopwatch sorted before the next run!), Weather was dry, bright, quite warm and quite windy.

Barn Owl again seen in Station Road - what a lovely sight. Several House Martins and a few Swifts in Quy and Lode. Family of Swallows sitting on telegraph cables by the cottages along Fen Road.

Moorhen with young chicks on Quy Water and 2 with young chicks along Bottisham Lode plus 3-4 single adults along the lode. A Jay was seen just before Lode Mill.

Reed Buntings and Skylarks again just after the Lodestar fields and another Skylark singing over the barley field along the railway line. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen along Bottisham Lode and a very vocal Green Woodpecker along the bridleway. Also along the bridleway a covey of 12 Red-Legged Partridges flew away into the field.

Along the track parallel to the old railway line there were lots of small birds, including: Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Blue Tits and 2 Long-Tailed Tits.




Lode Mill

Monday 4 July 2011

Lode 10k this morning. Weather was warm and sunny. Time was 53'19".

A Barn Owl flew across Station Road. Several House Martins and Swifts in Station Road and lots more in Lode. A Swallow family were flying around at the cottages in Fen Road. A male Kestrel was sitting on a telegraph post just before the Jack of Clubs farm.

A pair of Reed Buntings and a few Skylarks seen in the usual field and 2 more Skylarks at the end of the old railway track. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen along the track to Quy Fen and a Green Woodpecker was at the end of the old railway track.

Friday 1 July 2011

A short run this morning to Lode and back along the old railway line. Weather was dry, bright but quite cool. 4.8 miles in 39'29".

The swan family were feeding along Quy Water. Whitethroat seen along the railway line. A few Swifts about. Otherwise not much to report.

More flowers along the railway line now.