The Lincolnshire Bird Club

A Roller at Aldborough in East Yorkshire is giving great views beside the public road at Alkborough in East Yorkshire. It is still present this morning, having been there several days.
Well worth seeing - and not too far away if you live in the North of Lincs.

Roy

Roy,
.......and not too far away if you live in central Lincs (Bracebridge Heath/Lincoln) : a worthwhile and reasonable return journey to see such a super bird.

Just after leaving the village of Aldbrough, I arrived in the stakeout area soon after 11.00 this morning (Tue) and, heading for the Bewick Hall Carpark, I was surprised to find a long row of cars parked safely on the wide, grassy verge on the left just before Bewick Hall with birders peering through their 'scopes on the opposite side of the B1242......so I parked safely and joined them. (Now that the original very large numbers of visiting birders has fallen to 15-20 - this morning- it means that the wide, grassy verge can be used safely, which would have been impossible with the scores of cars around a few days ago).

Within a minute of getting my 'scope out of the boot and crossing the road, I was watching the Roller perched on a white post c.100 yards from the road. It occasionally flew down onto the tilled field but inevitably returned to its white post perch. The sun came out and shone on its brilliant plumage as it flew : azure blue, black and blue wings and rich chestnut mantle.

It all reminded me of the days when Richard Gunn and I were near-neighbours in Cabrera, Andalusia with a pair of Rollers nesting under a bridge about 2 miles away and with not infrequent views of the bird perched on local telegraph wires.

Thanks, Roy, for your post and wake-up call. I hope the Roller will feature in your 2012 compilation tape.

Freddy
PS. (Wednesday 6th).....Thanks for your email, Roy. ......(Bird reported as still there today).

I also made the trip up North Tuesday with Matt Strahan & Eric Buckley.
We must have gone from the Roller by the time you arrived Freddy.
Had good views of it and then went on to Flamborough Head for the Red-backed Shrike which we got after a few minutes there. A hobby flew over which was a bonus.
We then went to Bempton for the usual sea birds but had the bonus of Great Skua, Corn Bunting and heard a Quail.

Russell

A few pics from the trip on my Blog

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http://birdmanbirds.blogspot.com/

Glad I took your advice Roy and went for this splendid bird. In view for all the two hours I was there but curiously enough it only spent about 15 seconds on the white post
Horrendous traffic problems in Hull on the way home and then when I eventually reached the bridge the heavens opened. Worth the difficult drive home though

Glad you had good views Chris.
Strange that the Roller spent so little time on the white post. It was there for about 50% of the time at our visit.I guess that the weather conditions might affect how it behaves.
Pity about the Hull traffic which can be awful at times, the alternative is to go Aldborough via Beverley but it adds a few miles to the trip.

Roy

Thanks Roy for the info. I went today and managed to see this stunner. Mostly it was on the distant ridge but for a while it came fairly close on the soil, chasing beetles.