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Monday 7 February 2022

Weekend Update: Covid, EXAMPLE, Hayla & A Red-breasted Goose at Cley NWT!

RED-BREASTED GOOSE
Cley NWT

 

Lucy has managed to avoid Covid-19 so far, but sadly Vivien fell ill to this last week and living with her partner Ray on a narrow boat, meant it was inevitable that Ray was going to catch it too and he did. They have felt pretty rough, but seem to be through the worst of it now, hopefully anyway. Even though I work in a hospital, I continue to wear a mask in all indoor places, its not over yet and I don't fancy getting it a second time. I know several people that have succumbed to this again.

On the 4th March 2020, just before Covid kicked in properly, I went to watch EXAMPLE at the LCR, UEA, Norwich. EXAMPLE is here again now, touring in the UK and is playing the LCR in Norwich tomorrow (Tuesday) and I would really LOVE to go again, but I don't feel its safe enough yet to be in a crazy crowd, even though I have had both vaccinations and a booster. At his last concert, one of his support acts was Hayla an up and coming singer/songwriter from Manchester, who sang with EXAMPLE "Show Me How To Love" and her awesome release "NAKED" which should have gone straight to No.1. Her voice is incredible and I started following her on Instagram, she is so cool and dresses in funky gear with Dr Martin's boots etc without showing all her bits off, you know what I mean! If you're that brilliant, you don't need to expose yourself! I really hope she makes it big, she will do, she can't fail in my opinion. Anyway, I didn't think she was touring with EXAMPLE this time round, but I then noticed on her Instagram feed that she is! This could have swung it for me to book a last minute ticket, but then after messaging her, she told me that she isn't doing all the venues, because of the logistics of travelling and sadly doesn't think she will be doing Norwich, but said she would message me if she was – no message yet, so looks like I will be boringly sensible and stay at home! It also made my day and my week, that Hayla not only messaged me back, but we messaged several times, including me asking her what style her DM's were?! "Vegan Sinclair Platform Boots" How many stars would do that?! I did say to her, that she wouldn't be messaging fans when she starts her world tour, which she seemed very touched by and said "....... thank you so much aw that means more than you know aw thank you...."

I felt exhausted on Saturday, so didn't go and see the fabulous Red-breasted Goose at Cley and I was at work all day on Sunday, so today was my first chance to go. On route, I finally got the car washed at my favourite place – I was a little surprised to find out their basic car wash has gone up from £8 to £10. What isn't going up!

Parked up by the sluice at Cley and met a lovely lady who reads my blog. Started walking along the path at Blakeney Freshes. I passed a few familiar faces on route and could see the flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the marsh and as I got a little nearer, I scanned with my bins and could see the Red-breasted Goose among them, although too far from here for any photographs. A minute later, the entire flock got up and flew off west to what looked like the east side of Beach Road at Cley. About turn and speed walked back to my car!


RED-BREASTED GOOSE
 
Cley NWT

 

Managed to park the car just near the beginning of Beach Road and the strikingly beautiful Red-breasted Goose was in the field just by the footpath, with the flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese. It fed at the back of the flock mostly, but it was still no more than approximately 100 yards away! Several people here including Steve Cale, Marcus Nash, Chris Mills, Andy Johnson, Trevor Davis, James McCallum and Robin Chittenden amongst others. I put my hood up over my hair, as didn't want to stand out and spook the goose flock! I knelt down by the barbed wire fence and balanced my camera on the wire and I took FAR too many pictures!

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