Rolling on - slowly

Took a family day trip up the coast to Sewerby Hall and decided to take a slight detour on the way home for this little beauty...

Roller - Aldbrough, East Yorkshire

Was slightly tempted when this bird was at Spurn last Tuesday but then we had the slight distraction of a certain Sylvia warbler in Hartlepool. Anyway, not having seen one since the slightly bedraggled bird at Badicaul, Highland back in 1996 which managed to help me salvage something from a disappointing dip for the Ivory Gull in Inverness, I couldn't turn this oppurtunity down. It also finally provided me with a Yorkshire tick, haven't had too many of those this year, must try harder!!! 

Next year's hols booked!!!

Nothing fancy or exotic, just a week covering the last few days of May and the first few of June, in the sunny resort of Hartlepool!! It would be nice to be a little closer when the news breaks of the latest MEGA to be pulled out of the net by Chris Brown. Two years running he has managed to deliver a real unblocker, last year it was the infamous White Throated Robin which made the headlines and national press, this year it was the turn of a Western Orphean Warbler to create panic in our house!!

29th May 2012
8.20am - Happily feeding Toby his breakfast as Amy is getting ready for school and leaves a few minutes later with Mummy. Planning a few things around the house and a trip to the accountants followed by an appointment with Amy after lunch.
8.35am - Finished feeding Toby and checked my phone for emails and realise that it was switched onto silent - whoops!! Also notice that there is a couple of missed calls and a text message from Rare Bird Alert. Expecting the usual dross or worse still one of my blockers which are rapidly diminishing quickly, my mood was changed somewhat when it turned out to be a Western Orphean Warbler at Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland, a real MEGA by anyone's standards and less than 2 hours from my house.

Phone calls were made and plans were changed fairly quickly and by 9am I was on the way to the petrol station. Had a call from Jonnybirder on the way saying he was stuck at work until this afternoon so I offered to pick him up enroute. An hour later and we were heading north and another hour later and we arrived at the bowling green to a crowd of about 100. The bird was still present but was sitting motionless in a bush on the opposite side of the bowling green. Views weren't fantastic but by moving positions we were able to piece together the bird.

Bottom photo: Chris Bell

The bird continued to sit almost motionless for the next few hours before perking up and giving a few latecomers the runaround for a while late afternoon. Happily though, I had long departed and was back in Hull by early afternoon.

Roll on next year, what will it be? White Crowned Black Wheatear anyone?!?!