Army Birding

wot-no-birds wrote:A selection of Lesser Spot Finder's photographs are now available to view on Flickr (see http://www.flickr.com/photos/armybirdin ... 058039992/).

Andy,

would you believe that the Fun Police have banned Flikr over here! I'll access in the internet cabins

Rich

loops wrote:good job another bird appeared, I was concerned that you are now adding locust spotting to your list of activities!!!

Don't go there. It was almost considered an option!

Just when I thought I'd see nothing else of significance for a couple of months I found a ♂ Bay-backed Shrike this morning in between Camps 508 and Camp Darwin, part of Bastion 2. Good photos of it perching on a barbed wire fence to add to my collection 'Birds on Barbed Wire Fences'.

I could wax lyrical about a massive movement of birds through Bastion/Leatherneck this week but if I did I’d be deluded. There as been little at all this week worthy of note indeed I have found little worthy of discussion hence my ramblings below. Little Stint Only 2 birds this week, both singletons...

SA 80 Rifle 150 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition Mark 7 Combat Helmet First Aid Kit (in two pouches) Webbing Osprey Body Armour Pelvic Protection Day sack (incl sleeping bag, 24 hour rations, spare kit) Old Bausch and Lomb Binoculars Birds of the Middle East Field Guide Note Book 3 armoured vehicles wit...

The centre of gravity switched this week to Camp Leatherneck. There had been little all week with only the Omni-present Crested Larks and Tree Sparrows along with the pair of Common Myna near the 25m range. Laughing Dove numbers had increased with upwards of 10 flying around Bastion 2. Laughing Dove...

Having written off both wader passage and Runway's End Marsh (now a smelly trickle) I stopped off there this monring (Sunday) to see what was about and quickly encountered 5 Little Stints and a single Spotted Flycatcher . Following the destruction of a couple of weeks back nature has already started...

There has been little movement around Bastion/Leatherneck with wader passage at the latter almost ground to a halt. I guess the next couple of months are going to be quiet and having looked at my notes from the Summer of 2007 and Op HERRICK XI; quiet times are ahead. Great Hoopoe Larks are very much...

I visited PB Rahim for two days; an excellent location on the edge of the green zone. I didn't get out onto the ground as one Check Point I was due to visit came into see me so I missed some possible new birds - I would have patrolled through the Helmand River Flood Plain with the chance of various ...

The loss of Runway’s End Marsh has led to a week of nomad birding around camp in order to find migrants that are still moving through. In some cases the best bet has been to just walk out of the back of the Ops Room and view over the US vehicle park and find birds hiding in the shade. Leatherneck Gr...

Kev,

PM me your mobile number please. Rich H is trying to get hold of you.

Kev,

sorry I didn't reply to your last text. I was at the Army/Navy game then left that evening and the text was picked up by my son after I left. Great to catch up on R&R. Hoping to do Norfolk in July if you are interested; hopefully the weather will be a little kinder.

Rich

The joys of horizontal rain at Cley Marshes and Portland Bill are now well and truly in the past. I had an excellent R&R with a loving family and a couple of trips out. By the end of it my UK year list was at 188 (my best total ever at this point) with 133 seen over the 14 days of R&R. If there is n...

I didn't run this afternoon; t was too hot so I decided to pop down to Runway's End Marsh for a quick look-see. The male Turkestan Shrikes have arrived after a passage of 1st winters and females early in March. I managed a couple of good photos which I hope to post in the gallery. A Green Sandpiper ...

Monday started with much promise. I was about to depart on a Combat Logistic Patrol (CLP) to Patrol Base (PB) Clifton, a day long patrol which would take me across the desert and to the edge of the Green Zone. As I headed to the start line a Green Sandpiper flew over in the dark and that was were in...