New Birds in Ayubia National Park

On Saturday 1^st and Sunday 2^nd June 2013 we stayed in Ayubia, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We were out at 0500 hours on the wooded slopes and there were huge numbers of birds in the area. The dawn chorus had commenced with BLUE WHISTLING THRUSH singing before dawn. The familiar call of COMMON CUCKOO rang out over the valley with at least three calling males. On the lawn of our motel RUSSET SPARROW searched for insects. The males were very colourful in the early morning light.

Male Russet Sparrow Sam's Photography

Female Russet Sparrow Sam's Photography

There were literally hundreds of SPOT-WINGED TIT feverishly feeding fledged young on small green caterpillars. The activity was frenetic and non-stop. Some authorities believe that Spot-winged Tit is conspecific with Coal Tit whereas others have split the two into separate species. We also managed to pick out a few of the larger RUFOUS-NAPED TIT but they remained higher in the pines. Woodpeckers were going to figure in this alpine woodland at an altitude of around 8,500 feet above sea level. The first we saw were SCALY-BELLIED WOODPECKER but we also counted three BROWN-FRONTED WOODPECKER including the female pictured below.

Female Brown-fronted Woodpecker Sam's Photography

We also managed good views of WHITE-CHEEKED NUTHATCH another species associated with this type of habitat. Birds that possess a variety of calls are the Laughingthrushes and we saw both STREAKED LAUGHINGTHRUSH and the more impressive VARIEGATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH. The only crow seen at this altitude is LARGE-BILLED CROW and there were many of them.

Streaked Laughingthrush Sam's Photography

 A very colourful GREAT BARBET (or HIMALAYAN BARBET) flew down to feed on the flowers of a shrub. Although this was the only individual we saw we heard many others uttering their gull-like calls around the valley.

Great Barbet Sam's Photography

About twenty pairs of ASIAN HOUSE MARTIN were busily feeding their well-developed young that still occupied the mud nests that had been constructed by their parents under the eaves of the motel. From dawn until dusk the parents flew their sorties to catch flying insects for their voracious young. Other birds seen were WESTERN CROWNED WARBLER and a COMMON ROSEFINCH.

Young Asian House Martins Sam's Photography

The following day, Sunday 2 June 2013 found us again up early and we took the 30-minute drive to Nathia Gali a town within the Ayubia National Park that is located at 8,200 feet above sea level. We walked though a valley that has been very productive for us in the past. It was here in May 2011 that I recorded what will be, if accepted, the first record for BAR-WINGED FLYCATCHER SHRIKE in Pakistan. Consequently, I always have an air of expectation when arriving at this location. The habitat is again mostly pine but interspersed with grassy meadows and areas where there also many large deciduous trees like Oak and Walnut.

Male Indian Blue Robin Sam's Photography

Male Indian Blue Robin Sam's Photography

Male Indian Blue Robin Sam's Photography

Again the area provided new birds for my Pakistan List. My 350^th species in Pakistan was a bird I had been hoping to see for some time and today we found a beautiful singing male INDIAN BLUE ROBIN perched in the top of a small pine. As can be seen from RMK’s photographs it is a beautiful bird. The nomenclature here can be confusing and this bird should not be confused with Indian Robin that is common around Islamabad. There is only one record, in 1997, of Indian Blue Robin in the Islamabad area. And, whilst it is supposed to be more frequent in the Murree Hills it is scarce. This species is a summer visitor to the hills of northern Pakistan. It winters in Sri Lanka and peninsular India. We did not see a female and we hoped the male’s melodious singing was not in vain. I make no apologies for including a few of RMK’s great shots of the Indian Blue Robin.

We walked to a meadow where, in April 2011 when there was still snow on the ground I found four Orange Bullfinches. Whilst it was a forlorn hope that we should find some more, they would have moved up to higher altitudes, we tried anyway. We did find some raucous GOLD-BILLED BLUE MAGPIE and some beautiful VERDITER FLYCATCHER. We also found lots more SPOT-WINGED TIT, numerous WESTERN CROWNED WARBLER, a few CINEREOUS TIT and many SLATY-HEADED PARAKEET that flew at great speed amongst the giant pines and cedars. We had glimpses of a male ULTRAMARINE FLYCATCHER that proved very shy and unaccommodating. However, this Grey Bushchat was not so shy.

Male Grey Bushchat Sam's Photography

However, the best bird of the day was still to come, a KASHMIR NUTHATCH. I had studied many photos and paintings of this species and I knew the best way of differentiating this Kashmir Nuthatch from a female Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch is the plain, un-patterned undertail coverts and the lack of clearly defined white cheek patches and both were very obvious field marks on this bird. Sadly, we were unable to obtain a photograph. However, now we know the location we will be back there to look for that bird and hopefully, others.

A couple of Pashtun villagers were interested in the birds and they told us about a large day-roosting Owl that they had seen the previous day. Whilst I was doing alright finding the smaller Owl species in Pakistan all of the larger ones have so far eluded me. We thought it was either a Tawny Owl or a Long-eared Owl from their description. However, even with their help we could not relocate the bird. Instead we had to make do with LEMON-RUMPED WARBLER with its high-pitched trilling song and the obvious Cettia call of BROWNISH-FLANKED BUSH WARBLER that resonated around the forest.

Thanks Nathia Gali you delivered again and I now up to 351!