Roller at Icklingham, Ibis and suncream at Lackford!!!

On Saturday 26th June after waiting since Wednesday to go for the gorgeous Roller that had turned up near Lackford and extreme west Suffolk. I did have the chance to go on Wednesday (my afternoon off) but I was unsure of exactly where to go and where to park until 6pm that day which would have left me with viewing of just 1 hour- 1 hour 30 mins). So on saturday I rose about 6pm and was already to go when news was updated on Bird Guides which I had to keep logging in and see Roller- Suffolk. Just under 2 hours time I pulled into the already 3/4 full Rampart's Field picnic site car (now practically full up with birders cars) and an easy half mile walk (hope my foot is finally getting better?) along the very busy and treacherous A road. I arrived safely along the southern edge of a vast field. The fantastic Roller was spotted immediately as soon I put my bins up and I could see it perched on the far field posts, very distant and definitely a scope job. Like a bloated "Jay" in shape, it had a wonderful blue turqouise body colour with warm russet brown in the wings and was a riot of coloutr when it flew. Again making short flights in to the air to catch insects and return to its fence piost at the back and promptly gulp down the unfortunate prey. This colourful southern Mediterranean visitor (my 10th this week, counting the 9 Bee-eaters at Great Yarmouth), eventually flew much closer to overhead power lines making it within range of the camera foa few shots. Craig S just appeared before it come closer (perfect timing Craig) and the Fergusons arrived and indeed the Roller was giving almost Ferguson views for us all. Really great to catch up with Craig S (we miss his company locally around Corton/ Lowestoft) and of Paul & Jane. The fine Roller had several sorties from the power lines often returning with prey (dragonflies, butterflies, bees) and devouring them promptly. It even landed on the ground several times often this was brief but one time it settled on the ground for several minutes although a little too far away for mu set up sadly. After about 2 hours at marvelling at this beauty, Paul & Jane F kindly allowed me to accompany them to Lackford Lakes SWT reserve, where at one hide, an erroneous sighting was made by someone in the hide where we saw a dark shape disappear behind a clump of flowering Yellow Flag iris. We all agreed we thought it was the Carrion Crow that was wandering around this area. Paul's hide we saw the fine but drab looking Glossy Ibis walking around the edge of the pool along a grassy spit where we eventually lost it behind a sprig of non- flowering Yellow Flag iris. We also saw a Common Tern flying around, Oystercatcher and 2 Grey Herons and heard several Cuckoos too. I had brought a container full of suncream with me but Jane spotted a great dollop of white stuff on the floor of the hide, thinking it was spilt ice cream looking at the contents of my left coat pocket revealed the true culprit, a burst suncream container which also messed up my lower left trouser leg and left walking boot. We all had a good laugh about this and we quickly left the hide. Apologies to the Lackford SWT staff who would have to clean that dollop up, I had literally had nothing with me to clear this up myself. At least I am fully paid up member of the SWT. On the walk back near reception, 2 single sightings of buzzing Hornets wheezed right past our faces, just in front of us.