Army Birding

I snuck down to Runway's End Marsh today; I needed to see something after a disasterous CLP to PB Clifton when I saw the square root of nothing! I arrived armed with binoculars and almost immediately saw a bird which didn't look quite right. I walked over in the general direction and the bird flew t...

loops wrote:Hi, I'm assuming the topic heading is an April Fool's joke???

I was assuming that you were out there solely for the birding!

Keep up the reports.

L

Lynne,

many thanks. I thought I was here to bird as well!!

I thought I’d deployed with the Battalion to watch the birds of Central Asia. Clearly the Battalion had other ideas and had rather hoped that I would provide J1 support to Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (North) and thus the tempo of operations has dictated my week and there has been a paucity of birds....

Having taken advice from regional experts it would appear that the Gulls I saw over Leatherneck were Heuglin's Gull - a lifer for me, a full species to some and a sub-species to others.

It's 1000hrs and already I have had 5 Hoopoes over my head. We currently have high northerly winds which may be holding them back in situ. Makes life worthwhile here when you get migrants of such a high calibre.

Really pleased you found a Paddyfield Warbler, makes up for the one that wintered at Pagham whilst you have been away. There has to be a God! Just heard some unwanted AGC news, hope you and the team are OK!! His name has just been released. Not one of ours but a lesson that no-one is safe in theatr...

The week had started off on a sombre note with a vigil for the six Yorkshire soldiers killed in the incident with the Warrior AFV. The vigil coincided with a massive sandstorm which minimised patrols, grounded helicopters and put much of the Middle East and Central Asia under a cloud of sand. I had ...

We were allowed to run again today following a week of no PT during to the ongoing security measures. I ran my usual 6 mile circuit, picked up a female Kestrel whilst I headed south and on the northern leg back towards Bastion 2 I heard the distinct song of a male Greater Hoopoe Lark and caught it a...

The week was marred by a suicide bomber on the runway of Bastion which subsequently increased the security levels which, in turn, limited movement around the base; my birding was mostly then within the confines of Camp 508. Rumours of further roving suicide bombers proved unfounded although one poor...

Have you considered Blackstart? It would, I think be a little further east than normal, seems the closest known breeding range is eastern Iraq. Many of the illustrations show the Blackstart to be much more blue/grey but a google of some images shows this to be variable. Just a thought! Neil It's a ...

This has been a quiet week, largely due to the fact that I have been unable to get out of the JOC (ops room). Monday started with a female Variable Wheatear flushed (not literally) at the Portaloos –effectively now a bird on my garden list. Tuesday and, in fact, most of the rest of the week saw sand...

This week has been a great week. Birds have started to arrive and in the case of Hoopoe in good numbers. Swallows have arrived on the scene with the first on the 26th February. The first three Bastion Common Mynas appeared on the same day with two a couple of days later. I moved to MOB Price on the...

This week has been a great week. Birds have started to arrive and in the case of Hoopoe , in good numbers. Swallows have arrived on the scene with the first on the 26th February. The first three Bastion Common Mynas appeared on the same day with two a couple of days later. I moved to MOB Price on th...

A fall of Turkestan Shrikes this morning. More to follow on Sunday's Blog.

Hoopoe migration appears to be in full swing with several around the Bastions. I never tire of this bird and it is great to see it alight from the ground and fly over. Usually I see Crested Lark first thing this morning but today I was treated to a lone Hoopoe over the QMs Block. The first Swallow a...