A Roller at Icklingham

24th June 2021

The European Roller is a vagrant to the UK, normally to be found in Spain, Morocco and south and east Europe. I remember in or around 1967, long before the internet and Birdguides, hearing about a Roller in Thorpe-le-Soken in Essex and driving there to try and see it but to no avail. So hearing about a Roller at Icklingham on the 23rd June was too good an opportunity to miss.

The bird spent most of its time perched on some power lines running across a sheep field and was using the wires as a vantage point to spot insects in the grass below. 

Unfortunately, the grass was a little too long, so the best way to appreciate the bird and get the full benefit of its amazing array of colours was to get some flight shots.

It soon became apparent that it was not only after insects, but was also partial to a fat juicy worm.

Well, what an amazing bird with all those colours...........and in the UK!!!