Birding Deep into the Margalla Hills National Park

Early on Sunday 14 October 2012 we visited a  village that consisted of a few houses, some small and cultivated fields set in a wooded valley with a small stream coursing its way through the area. This was deep into the Margalla Hills National Park and a most picturesque setting for our group of five to spend a morning’s birding.

Two weeks ago these tiny fields had hosted a Spotted Forktail but this bird must have been passing through, as there was no sign of it today. The weather was beautiful and the chance of altitudinal migrants was high. The first bird was a GREY WAGTAIL on a wire. We made our way to the stream and spaced ourselves out to provide more coverage. There we waited for the birds to come to us. It was slow at first but as the sun’s rays warmed up the far bank more birds appeared. A bird on another wire attracted our attention. It was a typical Muscicapa Flycatcher but was dark on the mantle with a long primary projection. The throat was white with contrastingly dark upper and sides of the breast. The pale orbital ring again contrasted with the facial marking; enough to identify this active little bird as a DARK-SIDED FLYCATCHER.

Not long afterwards another Flycatcher landed in the bushes very close to us. This time it was a female RED-THROATED FLYCATCHER. The distinctive white flashes on the upper tail gave this one away. A largish flock of ORIENTAL WHITEYE brought with them a GREY-HOODED WARBLER and a couple of GREENISH WARBLER. Other Warblers noted were HUME’S LEAF WARBLER and COMMON CHIFFCHAFF.

A juvenile JACOBIN CUCKOO (sometimes referred to as PIED CUCKOO) warmed up in the sunshine. This species is a Monsoon visitor using both Common and Jungle Babblers as foster parents. A large flock of 20+ BLACK-THROATED BUSHTIT came down to the stream to drink. This is a beautifully plumaged little bird and the photographers had fun with them; as they did with a group of SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA that included both adults and juveniles. BLACK BULBUL, STREAKED LAUGHINGTHRUSH, SCALY-BELLIED WOODPECKER and a pair of RUSTY-CHEEKED SCIMITAR BABBLER represented the larger birds.

A BLUE-THROATED BARBET was lured close enough for photographs by responding to a recording of its own call. The most surprising aspect of this trip was the representation of relatives of the crow and in such good numbers. Most numerous were the GREY TREEPIE that outnumbered the RUFOUS TREEPIE by about three to one. There were really good numbers of YELLOW-BILLED BLUE MAGPIE and most astonishing of all the numbers of BLACK-HEADED JAY all showing off which was surprising for this normally shy species.

With a COMMON KESTREL finishing off the morning we had notched up 32 species with a couple of our group managing to find and photograph a SPECKLED PICULET and a BLACK-CHINNED BABBLER. I knew I should have followed them! However, stars of the show were the two female and one LONG-TAILED MINIVET; they were just a riot of colour and most beautiful.

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