Just How Committed Are You?

[AndyB]

I enjoyed reading Pierre-Andre Crochet's account in January's Birding World searching for Algerian Nuthatch. Once you've passed customs (illegal to bring binoculars in to Algeria), you then have to navigate your way to Nuthatch habitat in terrorist countryside.

Made me wonder what's the most jeopardy (health and or personal safety) you've subjected yourself to for a bird?

[Brian S]

I went to Redcar for a Desert Lesser Whitethroat once. It rained soot and filth on me all day, the fumes have left me with a cough to this day, scariest place I've ever been! :wink:

Brian S

[Red-eyed Video]

I went to Redcar for a Desert Lesser Whitethroat once. It rained soot and filth on me all day, the fumes have left me with a cough to this day, scariest place I've ever been! :wink:

Brian S

I've never risked anything so dangerous before although I did see the Cleveland Great Knot while breathing in toxic fumes.

I did have a few hairy moments in Morocco when one of the owners of the auberge decided he would take us into the desert to look for Houbara despite our protestations that they had been hunted out. He wasn’t happy with my mate’s cautious driving and took over the wheel in rally driver fashion taking us beyond the Erg Chebbi dunes towards the Algerian border. We shared tea from filthy cups with the gaurdian d'oiseaux, locals kitted out with Toyota Landcruisers & mobile ‘phones paid for by rich Arabs to pin down Houbaras ready for their visits before venturing deep into the desert to continue our search. We came across a Bedouin settlement where the parents of a very sick child asked for a lift back to Merzouga to seek medical help. Me, Charlie, mother, father, child & Ali our volunteer guide set off back to civilisation with the sun sinking quickly below the horizon.
After what seemed like hours we arrived at an abandoned village with roofless houses in pitch darkness where we could make out figures moving ahead of us. Soldiers were based here to keep watch on the border and we were finally stopped by one of them wearing a gaudy track suit top. ‘Passport’ was the only word I could understand from the rapid exchange of words as the boot was opened & our driver questioned. What were we doing there with all our camera gear and binoculars? This was surreal. If we handed over our passports would we ever see them again? Would anyone ever see us again? Would we ever see Houbara Bustard? I really couldn’t care. The smell of the Bedouin crushed next to me in the back of the car was becoming overwhelming & the baby seemed lifeless. Sensing the desperation of the mother we were allowed to go on our way arriving back an hour or so later with Ali’s brothers giving him grief as we pulled up to the auberge. They were almost as worried as we had been and were not too happy with their brother’s exploits with their guests judging by the gesturing and raised voices.

A great experience nonetheless.

[Bobolink44]

Oh dear Dave.

One of my more hairy moments was allowing Hadoram Shirihai to spin a group of us around in circles in the desert next to the Jordanian border at night with headlights on hoping to find Nubian and Egyptian Nightjars. The army soon came and questioned us and moved us on and warned us there were mines in the field we had just been spinning around in!

[FayJ]

I have encountered a lot of hairy South American driving in my 2 visits to Ecuador last year. Ecuadorian drivers think nothing of overtaking at speed on blind bends, causing the passenger (me) to cover my eyes and wonder if I will get to see the birds I'm looking for...

[chris butterworth]

Apart from being 'spoken' to by the Turkish Army while watching Red-wattled Lapwing ( they used their rifle butts as exclamation marks!), Upsetting the Americans while watching Zapata Sparrow on the fence around Guantanamo and being shot at by bandits as I descended from the Ethiopian highlands the 'hairiest' thing I've encountered was boiled sheep in Mongolia!

[Bobolink44]

Well, so far you win Chris!

[Joe stockwell]

wached a hen harrier on salisbury plain right in the middle of an excersize! and it was supposed to be the safest walk on there