European Roller in west Suffolk in 2021: Peter Lack

European Roller Coracias garrulus in West Suffolk, June 23rd to July 1st 2021

Peter Lack and Diane Ridgley

if you are going to find a rare bird, and have it readily accepted by the British Birds Rarity committee, it is certainly best to have one that is simple to identify and deal with. one that is blue and orangey chestnut and about the size of a Jay Garrulus glandarius fits the bill nearly perfectly, and the morning of June 23rd 2021 produced exactly that. We were driving along the Lackford to cavenham road at around 09:00hr when we drove under such a bird (it was on the electricity wires) and turned to each other saying “that was a Roller”. there was a car close behind so we had to go on to turn round rather than stop immediately. Having done so we were able to confirm that it was indeed a european Roller Coracias garrulus. Luckily it quite quickly moved 100m or so along the road to the vicinity of Bunker’s Barn where there was a bit more room for cars to stop safely and look. A couple of other birders arrived quickly and saw the bird following a mention on the local news group but it then flew over on to private land behind the house. Having obtained a couple of record photos we had to leave – but some observers stayed and were joined by others and after about half an hour the bird was relocated, but only for a few minutes before it flew off again, this time apparently for good.

However, at about lunchtime it was again relocated about one and a half kilometres away in a field adjacent to the A1101 between Lackford and icklingham where it was easily visible from the roadside. By then, a fair number of other people who had come to the area in the hope of seeing it. it stayed there until July 1st during which time it was seen and photographed by many observers. the field it stayed in was ideal for a Roller with quite short grass being grazed by sheep and this allowed the bird to easily spot any potential prey from its preferred perches on fence posts or

the electricity wires from which it would sweep down to the ground to pick up large insects or, in at least one case, a Slow Worm Anguis fragilis. on one notable occasion it was harassed by a eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo. unfortunately, the A1101 next to the field was busy and not very wide for an A-class road which meant that parking was something of a nightmare. the best place to park was up the road at Ramparts field which involved an 800 metres walk along the road and most observers used this route. However, sadly, a few decided that they had to park along the A1101 (there was a small layby quite close by but this could only hold five or six cars) and some even decided to use the farmer’s private drive. Needless to say, this annoyed him and we are told that the police had to be called at least once to sort out the traffic. We hope that none of these latter groups included Suffolk-based birders.

Philip Murphy

this is Suffolk’s second 21st-century record of a european Roller, the first having been on upper Hollesley common on June 13th 2011. there have now been 29 Suffolk records involving 17 in the 20th century (if we include the Rushford bird below) and two in the 21st century. the only other west Suffolk records that we can trace are from Raydon, near Hadleigh, June 1876 and Newmarket, June 1884. Both ticehurst and Payn accepted, as a Suffolk record, a Roller at Rushford in September 1902. However, Rushford is a Norfolk parish just across the Little ouse from euston – although Rushford Hall is in Suffolk!