Spot the frippet: roller.

There's been a bit of excitement round here over the last day or two: a roller has turned up in Hampshire. (That's the English Hampshire.)

No, not one of these:




or one of these:



Photo by Bulldozer D11

or even one of these:


Photo by Erik bij de Vaate

No.

One of these:


Photo by Gouldingken

Rollers are quite unusual in England, so every bird-watcher who possibly can will be getting his skates on: 


Photo by The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

and hoping the roller is still there when he (or she, but it's generally a he) arrives.

In short, their journey, dodging through the Bank Holiday traffic and hoping not to get news that the bird has flown, is bound to be a bit of a roller coaster.


Photo by Chris Hagerman from New Port Richey Fl US

Ah well. If they miss it, there's always a good chance of seeing a pigeon. One like this:



is a roller, too, so-called because it does acrobatics as it flies.

And in Australia a roller is a man who packs sheep fleeces.

But I doubt it'll be the same.

Spot the frippet: roller. This word comes from the Old French roler, from the Latin rotulus, little wheel.