Lodes Way – Misty Fens and Bird Watchers galore–part 2

Sunday, 20^th November: A quick recap ride – a ride on the more solid paths on Lodes Way and NCN51 with a trip round Wicken Fen. Here is the route and here is the Bike Route Toaster Link. Just of 50Km/30miles in round numbers.

By the time I got up to Burwell Lode it was starting to get darker and mistier. As it happened I also bumped into MikeC who I haven’t bumped into for quite a while cycling around these parts. I think that the extra routes now available around and about Lodes Way and the fact I’ve not been cycling quite as much recently have both combined to reduce the probability. We used to cross paths more frequently.

So we stopped for a while and caught up and Mike educated me on the ways of the bird-watchers. We also discussed the design of the proposed Burwell Lode bridge whilst I was also trying, but failing to take pictures of birds. 

Wherever we looked there seemed to be watchers in the mist with there big bits of glass. These were over on Newnham drove by the Burwell Fen Farm buildings.

There were people along various of the hedge fencerows.  As you can see the mist had started filling up the low-lying bits of fen and was rolling in. It was also a grey day so the sun was more a red glow than a sun.

It also seemed that every cluster of people had at least one tripod between them. These were up the right-hand bank of the Lode (looking towards Upware).

A setting sun and rolling mists and dedicated bird-watchers.

The same picture but at a slightly wider angle.

Although the mist was rolling in, some areas remained clear for some time – this is the Lode Way path as it approaches Burwell Lode.

As I mentioned, people everywhere, these were standing on the left bank of Burwell Lode. They’d just spotted something, but I wasn’t quick enough with my lens – I couldn’t focus in time to scan around.

The same view as a few picture back – but that mist has rolled in some more, if this were sea we’d have to send out for the lifeboats to rescue those people.

The mist was also gathering on the Lode.

As we stood it got darker and mistier – I kept taking pictures although my camera required slower and slower shutter speeds to take the picture.

All but the dog seem interested in something over on the fen.

As the sun set there were red patches dotted around and even the people seemed to have moved on.

At this point it was getting colder, so Mike and I both set off, me to finish my loop of Wicken Fen and Mike headed down Lodes Way – and here he is. Just after I took this he stopped and looked off to the right with his binoculars having spotted something.

There was time for a couple of pictures after heaving my bike up onto the footbridge. The mists still hadn’t quite reached us.

This mist was heading down the Lode and the path along side though.

By now taking pictures was tricky as it was reasonably dark so I cycled around Wicken Fen and then stopped on the Maltings path to take a picture with my camera on a fence post to steady it. Priory Farm is in the clump of trees. The mist looks a bit more solid in the picture than in real life I think.

From the same spot a picture of one of the trees along a track – I have taken pictures of these trees quite a few times.

After that it was head down and build up a bit of warmth. Mind you although misty bits were cold there were also warm patches of air as I cycled through the villages – you notice things like that when wearing shorts.