Birding through SUSAT

[chrisdickey]

Life in the Musa Qaleh AO has changed drastically with the temperature increasing every day but with the abundance of water from the winter thaw in the north, both wheat and poppy are already knee high. Swallows are very much present and the locals have taken to putting up nets although I'm not convinced they're into ringing?!

Under the late taliban rule, it was forbidden to keep caged birds, which I'm sure some of you would be favourable towards. However, because of this, I think that the ring-necked parakeets in the Hasi Rashid Gardens are escapees rather than native colonials.

With spring in the air, Kestrel and Saker Falcon are more obvious in their hunting and can be seen most days.

The bird that I could not PID due to not having my spotters guide can now be known as I have patrolled back to the DC for the sole purpose of collecting the book (dedication). Dad, you were right, it was an Eversmann's Redstart, of which there are plenty around the trees lining the wadi.

Owls are also present in the AO as I found out on the night ambushes of last week. Unfortunately my thermal imager which located the birds, could not give any definition. The MOD will have to update their TI's to give me a better chance!

I am off the ground on the 19th so will shortly be in Bastion. If anyone's about, give me a shout!

29 Cdo Extreme Birding.

[Lesser Spot Finder]

Chris, sorry I haven't been in touch and replied to your ID email - been stuck on a course and I guess you are now back in the UK. I never saw Evermann's Redstart on the last birdfest but know they are present in N Pakistan and I guess, by default, Afghanistan. The population in N Pakistan winters in the Indian sub-continent so I suppose the birds you saw were just returning. I look forward to bagging them later in the year. See you at the AGM. Richard