There were rare sights to enjoy for the ship’s company of HMS Enterprise as they continued their survey work in the Red Sea.
A lanner falcon has made its home (temporarily) on board, and the ship also caught up with frigate HMS Monmouth for the first time since 2011.
WHAT are you looking at?
You can never have too many exotic birds of prey perching on your ship.
This is a lanner falcon – a temporary member of the ship’s company of HMS Enterprise as the survey ships works in the Red Sea.
The bird was snapped by twitchers on the ‘star ship’ of the hydrographic squadron as he’s becoming a regular sight aboard – not least because he’s not a sea bird.
It was assumed that the bird originally stopped to rest its wings and shelter from the intense 40ºC heat, but far from flying on – land is never more than 50 miles away – the creature has made Enterprise its temporary home, in particular the vertical replenishment deck and a perch on the bridge wings.
You ain't seen me, right?
It also appears to have developed a peculiar interest for inspecting life rafts and watching machinery breakdown drills, never being far from the bridge for when the crew practice their responses and always casting a beady eye on their progress.
“One of the perks of the job in the RN is being able to see different birds – albatrosses and penguins in the South Atlantic, frigate birds in the Caribbean and the varied northern African birds we’re seeing at the moment,” said AB Simon Bownass, one of the bridge team and also a member of the RN Bird Watching Society.
“On our previous deployment to the Red Sea there were nightjars resting on the Vertrep deck. They’re normally incredibly rare, incredibly well-camouflaged, and only live in scrub. It was such a unique experience to see them not only out of their natural scrubland habitat, but together on board Enterprise.”
A salute for HMS Enterprise as she passes HMS Monmouth. Pictures: LA(Phot) Will Haigh, HMS Monmouth
During her nine-month deployment, Enterprise has observed scores of dolphins, whales and numerous other seabirds whilst conducting her data gathering duties in the Red Sea – including finding a ‘mini Grand Canyon’ beneath the surface.
An equally-rare sight in the Red Sea was HMS Monmouth. Although both ships are native to Devonport, their respective deployments meant they had not seen each other since Muscat in Oman in 2011.
The Black Duke was homeward bound as her seven-month Gulf deployment drew to a close.
Both ships briefly exchanged personnel to give sailors an idea of ‘how the other half life’. Although both vessels displace 3,500 tonnes, Enterprise is home to just 48 souls, Monmouth around 200 with her Royal Marines boarding team and Lynx flight.
She’s due back in Plymouth mid-day, while Enterprise should be home – with or without her stowaway – at the end of the month.
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