Red-necked Phalaropes at Rawal Lake


On Tuesday 11 September, before travelling away for a week, we took the opportunity to pay a morning visit to Lake View Park in an attempt to relocate the Red-headed Buntings seen and photographed a few days previously by our friend. Sadly, the Red-headed Buntings had gone but there was an exciting consolation in the form of a pair of RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. Normally, this dainty little wader passes by Pakistan in large flocks some 50 miles offshore over the ocean. Very occasionally Red-necked Phalaropes are seen in Pakistan near inland waters but this is an uncommon phenomenon. Red-necked Phalaropes spend a lot of their time swimming in a distinctive spinning motion as they pick insects of the surface of the water using their delicate bills. Phalaropes are one of a few families of birds where the female is more brightly coloured than the males. Our last encounter with Red-necked Phalaropes had been on the Outer Hebrides and it was great that we added it as species number 310 onto our Pakistan List. It was especially pleasing, as I had been searching in the hope of finding this species.

View Showing Water Levels at Rawal Lake Grimmo
Other waders seen were 27 COMMON GREENSHANK and a single WOOD SANDPIPER. Duck numbers were similar to our last visit to Rawal Lake with 29 EURASIAN TEAL and five NORTHERN PINTAIL.

Little Cormorants Herding Small Fish & Little Egrets Taking Advantage Grimmo
It was good to get really great views of a GREY-BELLIED CUCKOO and there were still many BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER and INDIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE around the arboretum area. GREENISH WARBLER had increased in number amongst the trees and overhead an ORIENTAL HONEY BUZZARD floated high above the lake. The most numerous species was STREAK-THROATED SWALLOW with at least 150 hawking insects low over the surface of the lake.

Female Pied Bushchat at Rawal Lake Grimmo
September and October are such exciting months from an ornithological perspective and whilst we were pleased to take a trip away we were anxious to return to Pakistan and increase out tally of species.

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