Sunday 31 March 2013

Today I ran the basic 14.2km Heath Road route, I didn't want to endure the slippery mud of Teversham Fen again.  Conditions were much the same as Friday.

A Buzzard flew over the Newmarket Road at Bottisham.  Again several Yellowhammers and Chaffinches and 2 Hares seen in a different field. 3 Kestrels seen in various places.

Friday 29 March 2013

I tried a new route today, taking the Heath Road byway from just past Bottisham to Great Wilbraham.  This is a really good wide grassy track with some nice up and down hills.  The track was pretty dry.  The planned route was 14.2km but when I got to Little Wilbraham I decided to extend the run through Teversham Fen, making the total distance 16.4km (just over 10 miles).  This latter part of the run was very muddy and almost impassable in one place where the Little Wilbrham river had overflowed over the path.  Despite the mud this is a very scenic route along the meanders of this chalk stream.

Along Heath Road there were several Yellowhammers and Chaffinches.  2 Hares were seen just after the 6km mark.  At Teversham Fen 2 Teal flew up from the stream and a Kestrel and male Marsh Harrier were seen.

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 24 March 2013

A cold run along the Lode 10k route today.  The ground was covered in snow and very fine snow was still falling.  The paths/road very a little icy in places at the start, but the tracks were not too muddy due to the snow covering.  Despite the continual light snow, the roads/paths had cleared of snow by the time I returned the Quy.  The temperature must have been just high enough for a thaw.

2 Roe Deer were seen along Fen Road.  The deer bounded off across the Lodestar field as I approached.  There were 2 Grey Herons here too.

Thursday 21 March 2013

A road-based run to Bottisham this morning.  Weather was dry but cool.  A reasonable time of 44'05".

A Buzzard flew across the Newmarket Road.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

An 8-mile run to Horningsea this morning.  The weather was very misty but not too cold.  The tracks were quite muddy in places.

Not a lot of wildlife to be seen today due to the mist, but a Grey Heron was seen flying low passed Horningsea and a Green Woodpecker was seen along the bridleway.  Several Chaffinches around and a lot of Rooks in Quy.

Sunday 17 March 2013

A very muddy Lode 10k run this morning.  The weather was fry for the run (apart from 5 minutes or so towards the end , when there was a light drizzle), but the ground was very muddy following recent rain.  It was particularly hard work along Quy Water - very slippery.

Skylarks were seen and heard in the field after Lodestar.