Sandstorms

[Lesser Spot Finder]

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 sandstorms which limited Support Helicopter (SH) Movement and any chance of a bird passage. Subsequently that day I only saw a lone Laughing Dove over the JOC.

On Wednesday I found what I suspect was another Variable Wheatear but this bird had a whole black tail – any ideas? The remainder of the week was rather repetitive with Crested Larks and Tree Sparrows omni-present. A male Pied Bushchat brightened things up on Friday and a Swallow south on Saturday was the only bird of note.

As I type we are in the middle of another sandstorm with SH grounded and we were mortored last night; I remained in bed. The jury is out as to whether there was a false reading on the detection systems or whether there was in fact an explosion adjacent to the airfield. Either way it wasn’t enough to get me out of my scratcher.

[Larus]

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

[Lesser Spot Finder]

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 Wheater (black and white) but the tail just doesn't fit. I suppose that's why it's called Variable.

[Larus]

My bad,

I assumed the mystery was a female. A male, as you say, would be nothing like blackstart.

Neil