Green Zone Birding

[Lesser Spot Finder]

This is a two week update as during the previous week I had only seen seven Crested Lark, two Hoopoe Lark and fifteen Crowned Sandgrouse, all over Bastion 2.

This week has improved and I have been out into the Green Zone to visit both FOBs Shawquat and Pimon and thus have had the chance to bird from the top of an SV with a 360 degree viewpoint. The move to Shawquat, south east from Bastion, was monotonous with little on route until just before the Blue 22 Crossing Point when a Tawny Eagle, in all its glory, followed the convoy before thermalling up and southwards. The move was uneventful bar the show of force by a B1 Bomber and two Apaches over the Green Zone following an extended fire-fight and RPG fest east of our position

After crossing Blue 22 and moving into the Green Zone the birdlife improved. Unidentified ‘Tringa’ Sandpipers were seen at a distance in flooded Poppy Fields and a White-throated Kingfisher followed closely by the more familiar Common Kingfisher flew over the road in front of my vehicle. Common Mynas were much in evidence and I heard the call of Ring-necked Parakeet from within a compound. A flock of thirty plus Common Mynas greeted me at the FOB and having discussed birdlife with one of my LSgts, a newly recruited AOS member, I discovered that he had seen Rufous Bush-Chat, Little Owl and Common Babbler within the FOB in the previous two months.

Following another night under the stars we RV’d for the return to Bastion via FOB Pimon. Whilst waiting for the move I looked over the ruins of the old British Fort from the 2nd Afghan War and noticed a Redstart flitting around the top of the ruins. This bird looked like a Redstart but had a much darker head and not having my book to hand thoughts of Evermann’s Redstart came to the fore. The bird acted like a Black Redstart but looked like a Redstart and following my return to Bastion I found that it was indeed the former of the Central Asian race. The rufous outer tail feathers were obvious when it bobbed and flicked before flying off as the vehicles started up for the move. This is an exceptionally beautiful bird and an addition to my Afghan list.

As we left a Kestrel hovered nearby and hundreds of Common Mynas flew out of a roost. Water Pipits flitted in and out of the fields as we motored back to Blue 22.

FOB Pimon was quiet with the usual Crested Larks and Oriental Skylarks over and the odd ‘Flava’ Wagtail flying from the canal and on the return Hoopoe Lark flew across the path of the vehicles and several Grey Herons were seen in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason.

Birding continues to be a joy and relief from the monotony of Helmand life. I’ll continue to pick the odd new species until migration starts mid February and look forward to my break in the UK in early January.