Paddyfield Warbler & Common Cranes


On Sunday 30 September 2012 we were a little lazy following the previous early rise and did not hit Trail 5 of the Margalla Hills National Park until mid-morning. Not the greatest time to go birding but at this time of year migration can throw up surprises. The first few birds of note were all resident: STRIATED PRINIA and RUFOUS-FRONTED PRINIA and both Treepies, RUFOUS TREEPIE and GREY TREEPIE.

The sound of rustling leaves on the ground walking this trail usually means RUSTY-CHEEKED SCIMITAR BABBLER and this was no exception as a pair of these normally crepuscular birds showed well.

Whilst watching a large group of ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE, I noticed a bird with a bright blue mantle shoot across the trail into cover and back again. I could hear the giveaway call of a Flycatcher and soon located a beautiful male BLUE-THROATED FLYCATCHER Cyornis rubeculoides. It is a stunningly attractive species.

Male Blue-throated Flycatcher Zill Niazi
Even though I later saw a new species for my Pakistan List, the highlight of the day was meeting four Pakistani bird photographers. They later showed me some of their work and I was stunned by the magnificence of their photographs. I really hope I can persuade these guys to let me help them find subjects for their artistry.

I did find two migrant species. The first was an adult GREY WAGTAIL that has probably identified its winter quarters and even more exciting was a superb PADDYFIELD WARBLER that fed in the streamside vegetation. It showed well enough to establish the main identification criteria: the straw-coloured black-tipped bill, the prominent pale supercilium that flared behind the eye and the contrastingly dark stripe above. It was clearly a short-winged warbler and the contrasting tertials were obvious as was its whitish throat. The call sounded like someone running their thumb along a few of the teeth on a stiff comb interspersed with softer tack note. Paddyfield Warbler is a species I had expected to see on migration in Pakistan even though their winter stronghold in the country is in Sind.

Later in the day at about 5.10pm we noticed a large flock of birds circling and trying to gain height over Islamabad. I instinctively knew they were Cranes and a check with the bins confirmed it to be a flock of around 200 COMMON CRANE. They had first appeared from the east following the line of the Margalla Hills but it appeared they needed to find a thermal over the city, which they did, and the birds drifted off towards Rawal Lake. It is unlikely the flock chose that as a site to roost as they appeared too high for that. Excellent; two additions to our Pakistan List in one day.

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