UNMISSABLE

The weather has been atrocious lately, and as it's breeding season, birds are struggling, so I generally leave them alone to get on with it without being "harassed" by a big lens. It's time to earn some "Brownie Points" on jobs such as re-tiling the front porch, painting the garden furniture and pressure-washing the patio. But there are some things you just can't ignore, like the stunning European Roller (Coracias garrulus) that turned up recently just south of Cowden (only a stones throw away from the famed Blue-cheeked Bee-eater {Merops supercilliosus} site). As I was invited to survey the local bombing range (no public access!), it was too good an opportunity to miss. The bird was distant, feeding on a bare field, but eventually settled on a post about 100 yards away. I got some half decent photos. I guess others a little more persistent would have done better - but I'm not a "twitch photographer". The bird was buzzed by a Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis).