A date with the Red- breasted Goose at Cley

On Monday 14th February, rather fortuitously I had the afternoon off (instead of Wednesday) due to a Webinar I have to attend on that day. So I collected John from Hemsby (our first birding trip together since the pandemic started), we had talked about going up for the RBG but the weather had dissuaded both of us until now. So we were both masked up in the car and driving along the A149 towards Cley, the weather had held off, but a pull in on the east side of the road with 3 birders cars and a field beyond with around 40 Brent Geese in the middle of the field looked promising and it was! No sooner had we leapt out than the excellent Red- breasted Goose was seen bang in the middle of the flock, moving right, I managed a few pictures before it poured with rain and we had to retreat to the dry sanctuary of the car. It has been many years since I saw my last wild RBG, this wonderful visitor from Siberia & my 4th after seeing 2 previously in Norfolk and 1 in suffolk at Falkenham. Within 20 minutes, the rain had relented and we got out and the flock was now sadly further away at the back of the field until, a helicopter was heard, the Geese became alert and the Red- breasted Goose which had been at the right of the flock was now in the middle again. At one point it was on the left, it was often at the back of the flock and often completely obscured. They settled down again, but 20 minutes later the flock suddenly flew up and flew over the road and settled in the field the other side. By now the light was fading (it was 4pm).