Saturday 8 September 2012 again saw us at Lake View Park, Islamabad due to it being a
bit of a migrant magnet with the possibility of migrating passerines, wildfowl
and waders. Again, we managed a couple of hours birding before torrential
rainfall curtailed activity. It seemed that the very large aviary that had been
under construction for at least a couple of years is nearing completion and the
remaining open area had been closed off. In doing so wild birds had been
trapped. We saw a few Bulbuls inside and a pair of BLUE-THROATED BARBET that
were frantically trying to escape. We fear for whatever unfortunate captive birds
are introduced and hope they do not end up in the conditions experienced by
birds, particularly, the raptors, inside Islamabad zoo or in the poor state of
the wing-clipped Demoiselle Cranes that wander listlessly around Lake View Park.
Interestingly,
Dawn News ran an article about the Demoiselle Cranes recently or Koonj as they
are known locally. It mentions that this beautiful species is on the verge of
extinction in Pakistan because of the activities of illegal hunters. Hunting of
the Demoiselle crane is illegal under Punjab Wildlife Act 1974. Dawn reports
that there are currently 12 hunting parties active in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in
areas frequented by this migratory species. The reporter described the
technique involved placing two Demoiselle Cranes in cages a distance apart.
When the birds begin to call to each other migrating birds are lured down to
the area. As they land hunters throw thread tied to coins to entangle their
legs to make the capture. Birds that escape are shot and eaten the report goes
on to say. Crane hunting, both Demoiselle and Common Crane, is popular in both
Pakistan and Afghanistan because the presence of Cranes is considered a
blessing and there is a profitable trade involving the unfortunate birds. Full
marks to the Dawn newspaper for highlighting this matter under the sub-heading “No
Protection for Protected Bird”.
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| Eurasian Hoopoe Zill Niazi |
Compared
to last weekend not a COMMON ROSEFINCH or TREE PIPIT was present; all had moved
through. There were still some summer visitors that had not departed in the
form of INDIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE of which there were about a dozen and a similar
number of BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER and EURASIAN HOOPOE. A flight of EURASIAN TEAL landed amongst the
now flooded vegetation and with them were four larger duck that turned out to
be NORTHERN PINTAIL. Teal numbers had not increased from last week. Feeding around
the large number of EASTERN CATTLE EGRET in an area muddied by the hooves of
the Water Buffalo were two COMMON SNIPE that used their long bills to probe for
invertebrates. Whilst scanning the nearby area we came across passage migrants;
they were six RUFF with their strikingly edged upperparts.
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| White-browed Wagtail Grimmo |
More
Wagtail species were in evidence and we saw WHITE WAGTAIL, CITRINE WAGTAIL a
lone WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL and a pair of WHITE-BROWED WAGTAIL. In Pakistan-terms
only the Grey Wagtail was missing. Hirundine numbers over the water were
impressive with about 200 STREAK-THROATED SWALLOW, many of them juveniles,
hunting flies low over the surface. Within the flock were at least 6 BARN
SWALLOW and four RED-RUMPED SWALLOW and with a couple of WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW
that flew low over the grass nearby; that was the whole set of Swallows in
Pakistan. The only Martin species we saw was PLAIN MARTIN that is also referred
to as BROWN-THROATED MARTIN in other parts of the world.
Just
before the rain began we had notched up 41 species but having later heard that
our good friend had seen and photographed an impressive Red-headed Bunting
nearby; we had to admit to being slightly envious!
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| Red-headed Bunting Zill Niazi |
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| Red-headed Bunting Zill Niazi |
