Rollin' Rollin' On...

As you may have gathered, I went scuttling over to a fancy holiday park thing in cornwall on Friday in search of a Roller. Because gorgeous wonderful bird. Also a Lifer. O:)

I casually mentioned I'd be back the next day, as I'd agreed to drive The Teacher and No.1 Son down as soon as news of the Roller had broken.

Now, why did I go on Friday? Well, because I could.

[[And because if I didn't and the thing had pulled a Friday Night Special I'd be spitting teeth....]]

As it happened, the bird, while it did show well for a good 90 minutes for me, was never exactly close and there was a lot of heat haze [note my wonderful snaps]. Thing is, unlike say a Buff-bellied Pipit, a Roller is not only gorgeous, but full of character as well. They're like a cross between a shrike and a flycatcher!

So Better Views Desired.

Anyways, we had a much better trip down, and arrived to find that yes, the bird was still around, but hadn't been seen for more than two hours...

Four hours of nothing after that....

We were putting stuff back into my car when another chap who was also leaving wandered over to make sure we'd seen the bird*- Wait, WHAT???

Yes, maybe 5 minutes after I'd given up a 2.5 hour vigil at the spot where I'd been watching the bird the day before, it had naturally appeared.

Cue a brisk stroll.

Oh, hello there;

Scope-filling views!

[I should point out my camera's autofocus does not like digiscoping, and refuses to give a sharp image. Mutter Mutter]

Roller in Holly

Turquoise blur

Let's have a bit of scenery;

Over there.

This was standing atop a bank - laden with Bramble and Stingy Nettle, having jumped into and scrambled out of a drainage ditch to reach it - with a howling Northerly wind blowing into your face.

Proper birding! :D

More [minus the scope];

Flight!

Tail porn

On the lookout for Bees!

Hawking bees and dropping on unwary beetles was its main occupation; there were damselflies blown up high [which attracted 46 Jackdaws at one point] but the Roller seemed unwilling to get anywhere near the canopy, let alone above it. It was attacked by a Jackdaw at one point, and was generally very wary [the two things may be related...]; hiding under the overhanging Holly canopy and looking up as a Buzzard cruised over [at some height].

More fun on the way home, as we were treated to a flypast Red Kite over the A30 at Sourton.

A Good day!

:D

Be Seeing You...

[[* It is One Of Those Things You Do; making sure other birders have seen it. :) ]]