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8 Jun 2012

'I'm tired and I'm fed up, I wanna go home'

News of an adult Roller at Aldbrough, Yorkshire broke over the Bank Holiday weekend. I've seen Roller in the UK before so was quite chilled about it - until I saw the photo's being loaded on the Internet! When Steve rang and asked if I fancied a trip Thursday afternoon I buckled.
Unfortunately the weather was dire. We left Cheshire in pouring rain and it got heavier as we crossed the Pennines. The initial forecast for the Hull area was sunshine and showers but that changed en-route to heavy rain. For once the forecasters were spot on.

We arrived at the designated spot to find we were the only idiots there. Scanning the fields briefly I picked up a hazy water-blurred outline sat on the mud that could only be the Roller so we wandered down only to find the turquoise blob had disappeared. Despondently we wandered back to the car. Deciding to check the wires and trees on the opposite side of the road I suddenly noticed Steve flashing the headlights frantically - the Roller had suddenly appeared on a wooden post about 50 m from us.




We watched it in the torrent as it coughed up a pellet and eventually flew into the trees on the opposite side of the road from where it appeared to drop into the hedge to roost. A stunning bird in flight but the poor light meant I couldn't get a focus lock.

It looked thoroughly miserable and I couldn't help thinking of the Beach Boys song ' The sloop John B'.

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