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Birdwatching in Iraq is not the simple, peaceful pursuit it is usually known to be - in Iraq it is complicated by the need for a police or military escort.

Omar Fadil is an ornithologist whose research is aimed at finding out how Iraq's birds have fared after the destruction of the recent war.

On his most recent field trip, he set off in pursuit of the elusive Sociable Lapwing - along with 15 heavily armed companions.

Omar works for Nature Iraq - an organisation which is keen to update information on the state of wildlife in the country and to find out how much damage has been caused by war.

But each time Omar sets out on a field trip, he has to negotiate with the local police and army to organise armed protection.

However Omar says the problems of birdwatching with such a large group are partly offset by the extra pairs of eyes.

He says that after their initial surprise, the police and soldiers often become just as keen as he is to try to spot rare birds.

When Roger Hearing spoke to Omar about his work, he described his most recent field trip.