Fantastic, no other words! In a trip that fulfilled my lifetime ambition to photograph Brown Bears, I couldn't have asked for more on this short break.

June's undoubted highlight was in the third week, a lifetime's ambition finally fulfilled with superb views of Brown Bears in a remote forest in Finland, simply mindblowing. And, on top of that, also managed to connect with Europe's second ever Swinhoe's Snipe!!!

Prior to that though, plenty of time for action on the homefront. All started well on the 1st - at Labanoras, on a day of unbroken sun and soaring temperatures, an overdue guest had appeared! Just days after I had feared them no more, I arrived to see a familiar flash of vivid blue hurtling across the track, fantastic, my Rollers were back, or at least one of them! It was the female, she settled on nearby wires, the very same wires as favoured in past years, but no sign of the male, a most distinctive bird with a bill deformity, I can only hope he will be along in a day or so. Just beyond her, very nice indeed, two Lesser Spotted Eagles quartered the meadows, not the amusement of the Marsh Harriers. Plus, one Corncrake and, in very good numbers, Red-backed Shrikes popped up all over the place!