Lynn

Your comment about a trip to Africa starting your "slow journey in birding" jumped out at me.  I went to Botswana last year and I remember two specific birds that really got my attention.  One was yours, the Lilac-breasted Roller, and the other was a Southern Carmine Bee-eater (two of which followed our vehicle at eye level, one on each side very close to us, for around 5 minutes).  Of course, the larger birds -- especially the Corey Bustards, Fish Eagles and vultures were also great.  As with you, I hadn't even thought about birds until that trip, and I recently started with a couple of "Beginner Birdwalks" with a local Audobon group (I'm in southern California).  Of course those group birdwalks stopped shortly afterwrds due to our shutdown in mid-March, but I am now really looking forward to learning more.