Armed Forces Day shared Royal Navy's post.

8 hours ago

Feeling rather sorry for itself on the upper deck of HMS Ledbury is a rare – and wounded – bird, nursed back to health by one of the minehunter’s crew.

This is a Socotra Cormorant (phalacrocorax nigrogularis) – a threatened species which is endemic to the Gulf and the coast of the southeast Arabian Peninsula.

The injured creature landed on the forecastle of the Bahrain-based warship while the latter was honing the skills of its sonar operators by hunting for dummy mines.

AB(MW) David Kelly noticed the cormorant when on watch on Ledbury’s bridge – it didn’t move…and was still in the same place the next day when the junior rating was next on duty.

“So I went down to have a look and discovered it had an injury just above its right leg.

“When I saw that I got it some food and water and a day later it had regained its energy and flew off.”

Ledbury is one of four Royal Navy minehunters, plus their mothership RFA Cardigan Bay, stationed in the Gulf for three years at a time, keeping sea lanes open and working with our allies in the region. ... See MoreSee Less

Photo