I returned to the UK on 16th Nov

For my current UK adventures please see

www.surfbirds.com/blog/amigo

all the best

Mark C

The last couple of days have seen some activity, the day before yesterday I was greeted by two Magpies outside my building with a RN Parakeet atop one of the aerial masts.  Yesterday 6 parakeets flew over my head as I walked through the compound and last night I heard an unfamiliar contact call in one of the few trees.  I stood listening and the bird repeatedly called, finally I had a short view without optics, enough to see an LBJ, moving around warbler like, giving the occassional wing flick. First impressionswere off a bird on the larger size for warblers and a medium shade of brown, no other features stood out, like wingbars etc. I dashed to work, grabbed my binoculars but on return there was no sign of the bird, inevitable really as over 100 people were stadning around the tress in which I had seen it.  I listened to Collins "Warblers" but could find no sound similar, so it may be that this bird was a flycatcher, I will keep an eye out for its return. 

Last night I heard a Ring-necked Parakeet, not the one situated in a cage some 5 metres from my office but a wild bird.  This is the highlight of maybe 6 weeks in Kabul, not bery exciting i hear you say, but I have an explanation of sorts.  I have recently been reading Birders – Tales of a tribe by Mark Cocker, an excellent book about all aspects of our hobby. In it he makes a simple statement about bird diversity, species numbers decline as you rise in altitude and latitude.  Now to some more educated than I, this may seem obvious but to me this was something I already knew subconsciouly but became clear on reading his book,  and I am assuming that this applies to my current situation.
This is probably only one of the many factors involved but it is definately one that contributes to the lack of species.  I am most amazed that there are no birds, or seem to be no birds that feed on the carrion.  In the UK we have crows and raptors. in India they have Kites and Vultures. I ask myself what cleans up the streets of Kabul, in five months i have seen no corvids and just one Shikra/Peregrine.  If these birds were even less than common i would get flyovers but I haven’t.  Maybe an ornithologist cpould explain it to me, but from my layman’s point of view i can’t wait to get home and see an estuary full of waders or a gravel pit full of ducks. Good old blighty, Ecuadorian rain forest it may not be, but at least it keeps us guessing. 

The last two mornings I have been greeted in the morning by a familiar call from home.  My Brother-in-law lives in West london and every morning and evening large groups of Rose-ringed or Ring-necked Parakeets fly high overhead, announcing their presence with their distinctive call.  Here in Kabul one of the compounds near to my work has a couple in a cage and they become extremely vocal if any wild birds come near.  As I said the last few mornings a group of four birds have been present on the masts and trees adjacent to their compound. They do not appear to stay long and have moved off by 7am.  Unfortunately they have kept too far away for any decent photos but I will endeavour.

After a break in the UK I am now back in country.  On the way back we detoured for a short stay in Muscat, Oman, here I picked up two species, firstly a group of two White Storks, sitting on top of a building site crane and a fly through House Crow.

I also had a night in Kandahar, this proved to be rather interesting.  In the morning I spotted a wheatear type bird and after getting a better look managed to ID it as a Pied Bushchat.  Throughout the day I heard the bee-eaters in the air and as dusk approached I was amazed to see a movement of approx a 100 plus. I am still unsure as to the species, I had no optics and these could have been either European or Blue-cheeked. My only note is that the call didn’t sound quite right for European, I will have to research more, although I will say the amount of literature and information on the birds of this area is negligible.  From the same direction a small party of three waders, flew over my head, about the size of small sandpipers, I am unable to confirm the actual species.

This led me to wondering where the birds had originated and a short walk later, I came across a large pool of water. By this time the light was really low and the only birds I could ID were a Black-winged Stilt and a Green Sandpiper. Other species of waders were present but the light and lack of optics were against me. Hopefully I will be visiting this area again and should get a whole day at this site.

Walking back to my accommodation I was delighted to see the unmistakable sight of a Nightjar. Once again the few books I have indicate one of three possible species, I would welcome any comments on this. Always a wonderful sight I watched the bird for a few minutes as it hunted amongst the buildings before moving beyond the rooftops.

I am now back in Kabul and back to the usual fare.  

I walked out of my building this morning and heard a familiar sound, sure enough two Rose-ringed Parakeets Psittacula krameri passed overhead, I knew this species could be found in Kabul but this was the first time I had seen any.  Yesterday I looked on Doris’ nest and once again there was a dove sitting, a closer look and present were two small white eggs.  Now I know that doves are frequent layers but I have no way of knowing if this is Doris or another dove utilising this nest site. How I wish I had taken those ringing courses many years ago.  The only other birds of interest were two bee-eaters last night and two more two nights before that.

Yesterday I attended a meeting in a different area.  This was a larger space with a lot more greenery.  Birdlife was much more apparent but unfortunately I was still working and had little time to bird but I did see a Magpie which i haven’t seen for a while and on top of a shed, as I walked past a Brahminy Starling, only my third, was singing quite contendedly.  Hopefully I will visit this area again and get a little more time.

Today I noticed a Palm Dove on Doris’ nest. I initially thought that maybe it was Doris planning on a third brood but it struck me that this was a particularly clean bird.  I checked the nest which was found to be empty.  Later two doves were present. I am wondering if these could be Doris’ young which see the nest as a "safe haven" and use it to rest during the day, any thoughts anyone ?

Yesterday morning I got up at 06:00 and took part in a 5km fun run (not really relevant but I just had to tell someone)  whilst I was running the hoopoe that I mentioned earlier in the week flew over my head, it was heading in the same general direction so I am sure that it is nesting somewhere in that location. I will keep looking.

This week (a bit more than that to be honest) has been all about swallows. Each night, just before dusk there is a large movement in a generally North to South direction, unfortunately I can find only Barn swallows, although I have looked intensively.  Other than that I saw a brief glimpse of a small broad winged raptor, this could have been either a Sparrowhawk or a Shikra, I didnt get enough of a view to clinch the ID.  Earlier in the week I saw a Hoopoe with what appeared to be nesting material or food in its beak, I have looked in the general area that it was headed but to no avail.  Finally last night whilst looking once again at the resident Collared Dove, I heard, then saw, a party of eight Bee-eaters fly over, a brilliant sight where ever you are in the world.