Army Birding

This has been an outstanding week with migration appearing to be on the move. The first part of the week was spent in Bastion and the latter half in Shazad, a Company PB, in Cha-en Anjir, the heart of the Green Zone in Nad-E-Ali district. Saturday started with a visit to the waste water site, my onl...

All my birding in the last two weeks has been at the Airfield Waste Water Site. It is obvious that this place will improve over the next few weeks and bird numbers have been steadily building up. Daily species include Water Pipit, Masked Wagtail, Crested Lark and most recently Citrine Wagtail, which...

First three Trumpeter Finches at the Waste Water Site today - stunning birds, on the ground and at close range. Citrine Wagtails have increased to four.

Tim,

Rosy Pipit last week - see previous post. Tawny Pipit yesterday. The place is gradually getting better and worth more than a passing look. I might have to get up early in the mornings soon!

Rich

Little at the Waste Water Site at the beginning of the week with twenty Spanish Sparrows on the 31st January and the usual suspects - Water Pipits, Masked Wagtails and Crested Larks present throughout the week. Two Graceful Prinia were seen on the 1st February with one singing with more Spanish Spar...

Camp Bastion has just got better. Despite the prolonged rain and colder temperatures birds have started arriving, albeit in small numbers, and there is some sign of migration and resident birds have started to hold territory and have started singing with vigour and gusto. A new running route around ...

OK I'll go public and confess that I do not actually know what a swingmoor is. I, for one, would be most grateful for an explanation! (Woodcock over the town in broad daylight is my only weather induced 'oddity' to date). Roger Roger, Swingmoor. There is one on the Hogs Back between Guildford and F...

For anyone about to deploy to Afghanistan there is now no requirement to bring either the Birds of the Middle East or the Birds of Pakistan. Edition 2 of the Collins Guide is now the only reading material you require! Taiga Flycatcher and Syke's Warbler are both included and I've recently received a...

Tim,

thanks. Saw this last week. I'll keep a look out.

Rich

Arrived back from R&R this morning following two wonderful weeks back in a snowy Blighty. I had some cracking birding whilst I was back home with 105 species in two weeks; 85 in Surrey and 66 in Cornwall. Travelled back via Kandahar with little seen in the few hours I was sat awaiting for the RAF to...

Keep it there until Thursday!!!

Tony,

thanks. I'll be there on Thursday!

Happy New Year to you all. Four species on camp today with one Masked Wagtail, one Crested Lark, numerous Tree Sparrows and a late surprise, a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling drinking at a puddle adjacent to the main drag in Bastion 1. I'll be in Kandahar in the next few days and hope to pick up a c...

As a type the only addition to December's Bastion Avi-fauna has been the one Palm (Mourning) Dove which has just flown over the JOC and spurred me to add something to the blog. Again it has been a disappointing week birding wise. Christmas passed with little incident and even less workload and I hav...

Black Kite north over Bastion 2 yesterday and 3 Palm Doves at Lashkar Gar this morning. Little else around bar Tree Sparrows and Crested Larks. Have a great Christmas and enjoy the Norfolk Trip on the 3rd.