Roller. Holt. Norfolk
Over the last couple of weekends Sarah and I had been holidaying in Cromer. The first weekend we slogged it to Blakeney Point, but that will be another blog entry as I still have many seal images to work on, but on the second weekend we stayed with my mum and dad. I had taken some smaller lens gear and bins just in case, but it was going to be a chilling out/shopping few days. On the 16th we returned from a day out and into the early evening I checked the pager and was immediately taken by the message *Norfolk Roller Holt*, 'I needed Roller', what to do what to do?, the light was fading and I had had a drink so couldn't drive, and my dad was getting fidgety whilst considering going now. We decided to get up early and make the short trip to Holt and hope to connect with the bird.
On arrival we joined a small group of birders scanning the open felled area, but no joy. The group split up and headed off further into Holt CP, my dad moved across the road whilst I stayed on the side it had last been seen with another birder. It wasn't long before my mobile rang and my dad happily informed me he had picked it out on the other side of the road perched on some felled trees. A quick sprint over and I had now added Roller to my life list, dad also. I managed a grab shot before it flew away to a tree line where it was mobbed persistently by a pair of Chaffinches. I then saw it fly away out of sight and after some time could not relocate it. It had actually worked its way unseen back to the original felled area and joining other birders continued to view it distantly along the pine belt/felled area before it took to the air and disappeared behind the wood and out of sight. We left happy as pigs in s--t!, how lucky for it to of been found whilst just along the coast, and it returned later the same day and a quick detour whilst in Holt shopping enabled Sarah to connect too, with the help of a birders Swarovski scope.