Caged Bird sings

 Friday January 29

I turned on Radio 2 this afternoon in time to hear the diesel engine song from Starlight Express. Was it my now departed nephew, Nick, on lead guitar? If it was a recording from the show, yes it was. He spent a number of years playing lead guitar in Andrew Lloyd Weber's West End shows. Those were the days when after the show finished, he would change his black jeans and Tshirt for dinner jacket and bow tie, before doing the midnight cabaret at the Savoy.

Not an expected career for someone with a polymer science degree. 

I spent a little time watching the garden yesterday . The two Brambling did not re-appear for my camera. Nor did I catch the Grey Wagtail (year tick) visiting our pond. 

A Jackdaw landed on the weather vane, which was already showing evidence that it's a popular look-out perch.

 

We have been out birding to-day, the first time since the early two days of the month. It had become necessary for our mental wellbeing. Despite enjoying virtual birding, watching some very active bird table webcams in Pennsylvania and Alabama, identifying the birds as they appeared, nothing compares with the actual. 

Memory jogged by listening to the US's young poet laureate reading her impressive poem at Joe Biden's inauguration, I researched Maya Angelou's poem.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

 I'll write up to-day's outing to-morrow.

Missing Piece

 Sunday, January 24

Google shut me out for some unknown reason. I have been unable to access my Blog on either Firefox or Edge, using a previously reliable, saved link. Several hours later .....two changed passwords, and a new login, here I am. I use welsh bird names on which to base my passwords, why are they suddenly unsafe? A Welsh Hackers mafia trained by the Chinese?

We've been puzzled by trenches, holes, and orange plastic fencing appearing in a field half a mile up the Happisburgh road. 

A sign

water-logged trenches

and some hi-vis-clad men from a bogged down van gave a clue. An internet search delivered this. 

PROJECT SUMMARY

From October 2017 to March 2018 Headland undertook a magnetometer survey, covering approximately 600 hectares, along the proposed onshore cable corridor and associated onshore project area for the Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm, to provide further information about the archaeological potential of the cable route. This work was focused on areas identified in the Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (ADBA) as potentially containing buried archaeological remains, following preliminary analysis of aerial photographs, LiDAR, and Historic Environment Record (HER) data.

PROJECT DETAILS

The survey successfully evaluated 127 Priority Archaeological Geophysical Survey Areas, identifying twenty distinct areas of archaeological activity, ranging from isolated ring-ditches to extensive areas of settlement and enclosure.

Most of these areas were previously known, although some were less extensive than had been identified by the geophysical survey, whilst several others were not known at all. These areas have been assessed as being of high archaeological potential. Anomalies at numerous other locations have been interpreted as being of possible archaeological potential, including possible field systems, trackways, isolated ditches and pits.

All very interesting. Is this the real reason why the proposed route was redirected?

Next door neighbours have been occupying some of their time doing jigsaws, they have been grateful recipients of my store. To reciprocate, they lent us a jigsaw that they had been given for Christmas. A map of Norfolk, based on their home.  Their house address (ours too) is a house based jigsaw piece situated just under the one missing . They lost it, thank goodness, the dog might have eaten it

It was a challenge, we both did our bit..

I managed some iffy photos of the female Brambling this frosty morning, no frost left where the ground feeding birds have been trampling.

We also had a visit from our first Redwing of the winter, perched high in the Silver Birch.

V-Day

 Wednesday, January 20

At last, our turn for our first Covid vaccination. East Anglia is lagging behind the rest of the country - it is reported. We do know of someone older than us who has Parkinson's, lives in sheltered accommodation in Kent, and still hasn't even been notified of a date. Post 70 year olds are already being vaccinated in other parts of Norfolk, a Sprowston friend had hers at the beginning of December last year.

The vaccine administered to us in North Walsham is the Pfizer-BioNTech.

Based on evidence from clinical trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of previous infection.

We were able to park directly outside the entrance, in a disabled badge-holder space, walk up a ramp to where someone checked our registered surgery, and asked  to sanitise hands. Pam was first. When told that the sanitiser spray is foot pump operated, she checked it out whilst her hands were still elsewhere. Her feet did not need it. 

Another walk down a corridor where another assistant took our name and surgery. Pam went straight in, I had to wait three minutes until a jabber was free, instructed to bare my arm in readiness.  The large room I entered held at least ten tables which had one woman giving the vaccination and another doing the admin. Two minutes later, I was on my way to the waiting area, clutching a card containing details of the second vaccination jab in April, and a letter about possible after effects.

We all had to wait 15 minutes before leaving. Well spaced chairs, some in twos, Pam had chosen a twosome, I joined her. A very busy woman was kept occupied sanitising each chair as customers left. When asked if we'd come far, Pam reciprocated. Aldborough was the answer. Apparently patients from two surgeries were on to-day's list, Paston (us) and Attleborough. The patients at the other N Walsham surgery - Birchwood -still haven't been notified. Odd. One would have thought that they'd have paired up. A diabetic 86 year old, Birchwood surgery neighbour, has heard nothing.

All very pleasant and efficient.

We came home the pretty way, a celebration of the first time out of the house for some time. I'm not counting the postbox drive. The light couldn't have been worse. It was very dark all day with an extremely low, dark grey, cloud ceiling. The front at Walcott was as empty of cars as we have ever seen it. Seeing a couple of Sanderling amongst the Turnstones and gulls,  distantly, on the sea wall, jogged Pam's memory. The boot contained a bag of breadcrumbed, over ordered, Christmas stuffing bread. This was duly scattere along the wall, Pam soon enveloped in a swirling snowstorm of mostly Herring Gulls. They did not reward her with a deposit on her, nor the car. The penicillin will do them good.

I had to try....

 

We put a moth trap out last night, we opened it when we got home. Two Chestnuts. Better than nothing. Our first moths of 2021.

 

I'm writing this on Thursday morning. Pam put the trap out again in a sheltered corner,  last night . two hours later, it had to be taken in as the gusty wind had blown the lamp and its holder onto the ground. No harm done. No moths either.

Mini

 Tuesday, January 19

Tuesday is Carer's Day, when we usually vacate the premises for a couple of hours whilst Sam and Adrian are here. Our loitering is usually done somewhere local, like Bacton Woods. We decided to stay in to-day as it was only Sam. Pam put the heater on in the sun lounge, and we sat out there until she'd finished in the living room.

At last, the male Brambling put in an appearance, on the same feeder that it favours. The first this year for me. It made three very short feeding trips before disappearing again. It's a beauty, in virtually full breeding plumage.  Photos next time I hope.

The rain stopped, the sun came out, we drove to Walcott Post Office postbox, the first time we'd left the house in a week. Roll on our vaccination to-morrow. Not a license to roam, merely the start of two weeks continued isolation lockdown whilst it takes effect. Maybe the odd car excursion after that.

Towards the end of Bachelor's Lane. a small group of thrushes flew into a treetop. Our first 2021 Redwing.

 

Neighbours saw a small flock at the bottom of their garden a few days ago and were kind enough to alert us. Unfortunately, I didn't read the mail until the birds had gone. 

The last vestiges of the Saturday snowfall were washed away by heavy overnight rain. Bachelor Lane's usual flooded area was reasonable.The, often empty, pond at Mill Common, was both full, and had flooded extensively across the road. We came home via Reed Way, recently signposted. Known to us as the Loke.