Apparently I'm here to work

[Lesser Spot Finder]

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. That said, things had quietened down by the weekend and I managed to detour twice to Runway’s End Marsh for a secret look around.

My first Citrine Wagtails flew over on Friday and soon after I found a Desert (Little) Whitethroat and two Daurian Shrikes behind the toilet block. Sadly it is not the done thing to hang around the loos with a pair of binoculars so I only had a fleeting glimpse. Still, it would appear that there is some kind over migration passing through Bastion and 100+ Crowned Sandgrouse low over the cookhouse at last light highlighted this.

Yesterday I managed a quick trip down to the marsh and quickly found three Citrine Wagtails, including a stunning male, two Spanish Sparrows, a (Red spotted) Bluethroat and an unidentified white capped Wheatear. Things were looking up.

Encouraged by yesterday’s success I managed another trip to Runway’s End this morning following a trip to the Forces Cashier. I immediately flushed a Paddyfield Warbler, two Blyth’s Reed Warblers, a fall of ten or so Hume’s Whitethroat, a Desert Warbler close by, a lone Hoopoe and possibly the same Bluethroat from yesterday. All sadly were flushed as a USMC Helicopter flew off the runway and low over.

I'm off to the Green Zone next week and will hopefully add to my list. Watch this space.

[loops]

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

[Lesser Spot Finder]

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!!