Tuesday 26 March 2013

This morning's run was again along the Lode 10k route but with the addition of White Fen Drove.  Just under 8 miles in 1 hour 6 minutes.  The weather was cold and windy.  The tracks were not too muddy as the ground was frozen.  The wind appears to be drying out the tracks a bit.

2 Mute Swans, 2 small ducks (probably Teal) and several Moorhens and Mallards were seen along Quy Water.  3 Green Woodpeckers were seen or heard (in the horse field at Quy Water, at Lode Mill and along White Fen Drove).

Several Reed Buntings seen along Quy Water and White Fen Drove.  There were 2 Grey Wagtails at Lode Mill and 2 Kestrels at the Jack of Clubs.  It's good to see the birds pairing up for Spring.  A Grey Heron was seen along Bottisham Lode and a Buzzard flew over the railway track.

Several Tits, Yellowhammers, Blackbirds, Chaffinches and Dunnocks seen too as well as a Song Thrush and Fieldfare.

Sunday 5 August 2012

In preparation for next month's Half Marathon I did a longer run today.  I ran through Bottisham, Swaffham Bulbeck and White Fen - 10.5 miles.  A reasonable time of 1 hour 33'.

Sunday 11 September 2011

A 12 mile run this morning to Swaffham Prior. Weather was dry and warm but very windy. A good time of 1 hour 39'40".

Several House Martins over Vicarage Meadow and a lot in Main Street, including around 25 on telephone wires. 2 Green Woodpeckers in Swaffham Bulbeck. A Kestrel was seen as I entered Swaffham Prior and another as I left the village near the football ground on Station Road.

A Corn Bunting was perched on telephone wires along the road to Upware. Another Green Woodpecker was seen along the track to the Lodestar fields. 1 or 2 Swallows seen too.

Wednesday 7 September

An 8 mile run this morning to the end of White Fen Drove. Weather was dry but cool with a strong South-Westerly wind. My time was a reasonable 1 hour 7'30".

A few House Martins and Swallows around. The Swan family were on Quy Water as well as 6 Moorhens, including 1 juvenile. 2 Jays flew across the track just before Lode Mill. A Kestrel was seen at the Jack of Clubs and another at the Crane farm.

Along the track to the Lodestar fields a Jay was heard and a Green Woodpecker seen. There were 4 Reed Buntings in the ditch between the sugar beet fields.

It was a very good morning for mammals. A Muntjac was seen in the woods at Anglesey Abbey. A total of 8 Roe Deer - 5 in a field to the North of Fen Road and another 3 in the field just before White Fen. Here at the the end of the track there were 2 Hares. On the way back down White Fen Drove a Stoat came out of the undergrowth and promptly ran back in again when it saw me. And of course there were the usual dozens of Rabbits.

Friday 11 March 2011

Having found on Wednesday that the path along Quy Water is fairly dry, I reverted back to my summer route this morning. Along Quy Water to Lode Mill out to the end of White Fen Drove and then back via the Lodestar fields. Just under 8 miles in 1 hour 10'59". Weather was cool but bright. Quite windy though, with headwind coming back.

Great-Spotted Woodpecker drumming in Station Road, a Green Woodpecker seen just before the mill and another heard just before White Fen Drove. A Lapwing was displaying in the field just before Anglesey Abbey. A female Grey Wagtail was sitting on the fence at Lode Mill. 4-5 Roe Deer were in the field to the North of Fen Road. A Jay was seen along the grassy stretch of White Fen Drove.

Several gulls on the Lodestar fields including Lesser Black-Backed, Common and Black-Headed. 2 Skylarks were singing over the fields just passed Lodestar and about 6 Lapwings were displaying. Reed Bunting seen here too.

Just before the railway track there were several Yellowhammers.

Wednesday 9 March 2011

An 11 mile afternoon run to Swaffham Bulbeck and White Fen. Surprising the river bank was quite dry. Weather was warm and bright. Time was 1 hour 40'49".

Not many birds seen, but 5 Roe Deer in the field alongside White Fen and another ran across White Fen.

Sunday 28 November 2010

A 10.5 mile run this morning to Bottisham, Swaffham Bulbeck and White Fen. I added a extra bit in Swaffham Bulbeck up Quarry Lane. Weather was bright but cold and frosty. Time was OK at 1hour 33'04".

A pair of Swans on Swaffham Bulbeck Lode. A Roe Deer near White Fen. Otherwise not much seen today.

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.

Friday 2 April 2010

A morning run to Swaffham Bulbeck, along Swaffham Bulbeck Lode and back through White Fen to Lode and Lode Mill. Weather conditions were fine, dry not too cold and only a light wind. Total distance run of 10.6 miles (17.1km) in 1hr 31".

Not a great deal of wildlife seen, but there were a couple of Roe Deer on White Fen and another 2 at the top end of White Fen Drove.

Swaffham Bulbeck Lode - Looking back towards Swaffham Bulbeck. Ran along the right hand bank .

Swaffham Bulbeck Lode - Looking towards the River Cam.

Tuesday 30 March 2010

An evening run today. I decided to try out an extension to the route that takes me to White Fen. At the end of White Fen Drove a track leads off to the left which then cuts diagonally across a grassy field (after crossing a narrow wooden bridge over a ditch). The track then passes Oily Hall, another National trust piece of land, which is currently being grazed by some sheep to keep the scrub down. The track then rejoins Fen Road which passes a polo club before returning to Lode on my usual route. The total length of this run is 9.9 miles and I managed a time of 1 hr 31'15". The second half of the run was into a strong head wind with driving rain, so the time was not too bad.

Total distance for March 2010 of 103.3 miles (165.7 km).

The windy and rainy conditions were not good for birds but between White Fen and Oily Hall I saw a Grey Heron, 2 Meadow Pipits and a flock of 18 Snipe flew low over the field. There was also a single Roe Deer just out of Lode.

The narrow wooden bridge

Friday 26 March 2010

The same run today as Monday. Weather was fairly mild but rather windy - a head wind coming back. A bit muddier than recently due to heavy rain Thursday evening. A slight improvement on Monday's time at 1hr 14'15".

A few Partridges seen in various places. A Grey Heron along Quy Water and a Chiffchaff singing in the woods at Anglesey Abbey, my first of the year. Song Thrushes singing in the usual places at Lode Station and Station Road, Quy. Also 2 signing on either side of the road at the start of White Fen Drove, one in the hedgerow along the Drove and the other the other side of Bottisham Lode. A few Yellowhammers seen and a few singing Wrens. Great-Spotted Woodpecker again drumming at Lode Mill. A flock of about 10-12 Redwings at the end of the bridleway, presumably a pre-migration gathering. A Sparrowhawk flew over Quy Park. A Squirrel was in the bushes along Bottisham Lode.

Monday 22 March 2010

I ran on my own this morning. Went along Quy Water to Lode Mill then out along Fen Road and White Fen Drove, then retraced my steps to the mill where I came back along the old railway line. Fairly warm this morning. Still not over my weekend stiffness hence a slower time than previously. 7.8 miles in 1hr 15'30".

Male Bullfinch and a Heron seen along Quy Water. A Green Woodpecker heard in the woods at Anglesey Abbey and another one seen just before Lode Mill. Lots of wrens singing and several Yellowhammers. A few singing Song Thrushes too, including one in its usual spot along Station Road, Quy. Another Heron seen along Bottisham Lode and a single Roe Deer, also a Lapwing flew over. A Kingfisher between the old station in Lode and the mill. A small flock of Goldfinches seen in White Fen Drove.





The rear entrance to Anglesey Abbey along Quy Water (no public access)

Thursday 11 March 2010

An evening run today as I was home early from a training seminar. A change of time and a change of route. After a couple of weeks of very little rain, I decided to try along Quy Water to Lode Mill (this has been far too muddy recently). The riverbank was much better the only really muddy area was at the gateway just as you enter the woods at Anglesey Abbey. Form the Mill I ran down Fen Road (along Bottisham Lode) the down White Fen Drove. At the end of the Drove I came back via the grassy droveway and retraced my steps to the Mill. I then took the usual route back along the old railway line. Total distance of 7.8miles in a time of 1'09"55. I seemed to make particularly good time over the last mile.

3 Moorhens on Quy Water and 4 on Bottisham Lode. A Green Woodpecker in Station Road, Quy, a Wren at Lode Mill and a Kestrel seen along Fen Road in Lode. Also 2 Partridges seen. At the end of White Fen Drove there were 6 Roe Deer. Along Quy Water there was a strong smell of Foxes.

Saturday 27 February 2010

My longest run so far. 10.5 miles to Bottisham, Swaffham Bulbeck, along Swaffham Bulbeck Lode to White Fen, then across White Fen , along Bottisham Lode to Lode Mill and back to Quy along the old railway line. A nice scenic run , whether was quite warm but rather windy. The head wind was noticeable when I turned for home at White Fen. Rather muddy on the off-road stretches, particularly along Swaffham Bulbeck Lode. I think next time I will try the other bank as the north side where I ran today was not only muddy, but had a 6-foot high bank so I had no views of the lode. My time was a respectable 1'39:30, slightly behind my target time for 10 miles.

Not a great deal of wildlife seen. 2 Kestrels a few Red-Legged Partridges and several Tits (including a couple of long-tailed), Chaffinches and Blackbirds. A Jay was seen just before Swaffham Bulbeck also a couple of Mistle Thrushes. 2 Grey Squirrels seen.

http://gb.mapometer.com/en/running/route_419164.html

Monday 15 February 2010

An early start this morning (6:37). Very cold at first but warmed up once the sun came up. Ran to Bottisham and Lode and then out through Lode to White Fen. Then back to Quy via Lode Mill. Most of the route was on road. The grassy stretch along White Fen Drove and the old railway line back to Quy were not muddy this morning as the ground was frozen. Total distance was 9 miles in a time of 1'24:50.

Plenty of wildlife seen this morning. At least 7 Song Thrushes heard signing at various points around the route. Also 3 pairs of Red-Legged Partridges. Kingfisher, Grey Heron, Kestrel and 2 Moorhens along Bottisham Lode. 2 Yellowhammers and a Kestrel along White Fen Drove. 6 Roe Deer on White Fen and another couple at the other end of the adjacent field. Grey Wagtail at Lode Mill. 4 Grey Squirrels along the old railway line. A lot of snowdrops in the old moat round Quy Hall.

http://gb.mapometer.com/en/running/route_401415.html