HOW would you unwind if you found yourself in a warship engaged in conflict?
Perhaps you might listen to music to transport yourself away from the defence watches, the threat of missiles, the constant vigilance on duty?
How about a spot of birdwatching?
Yes, birdwatching – it is not confined to the back garden or nature reserves.
CPO Mark Cutts found time to pursue his passion for ornithology while destroyer HMS Liverpool spent six months cruising the seas of North Africa, supporting the campaign to protect the Libyan people from Muammar Gaddafi’s military forces.
Picture above: A barn swallow rests on a light fitting on the flight deck of HMS Liverpool during its migratory flight between Africa and Europe
The senior rate, who first started birdwatching as a boy in North London, was able to study the migration of birds between Europe and Africa in the spring and autumn.
And although most flew straight past the veteran warship, many stopped for shelter from poor weather or to rest before continuing their epic journeys.
Picture above: The ‘bird with the pink Mohican’ – a hoopoe, with its distinctive crown of feathers, clings to some rope aboard HMS Liverpool
And as the weeks went by, more and more of Mark’s shipmates took an interest in these visitors, trying to identify them and caring for those which needed a breather.
From turtle doves to hoopoes – the bird with the ‘pink mohican’ – Liverpool’s sailors helped compile a record which adds to an impressive collection of data gathered by warships the world over through the RN Birdwatching Society, which started just after World War 2, and has been of great value in identifying trends and problems with particular species.
For more on this story see the February edition of Navy News.
