Sirkeer Malkoha is Bird of the Day
Out at Sunrise on Sunday 7 October 2012 and birding on the
eastern shoreline of Rawal Lake. A lone GREY HERON stood motionless on a small
island created by the, still, low water levels. A flight of duck circled the
lake before daring to land on its waters. The flock consisted of eight NORTHERN
PINTAIL and a, tiny by comparison, EURASIAN TEAL. These birds had peeled of
from the main flight that had decided not to land and most of these had been
TUFTED DUCK. The call of a distant REDSHANK was heard but we did not see the
bird. For the time of year we were disappointed not to have seen more waders. A
lone WHITE-BROWED WAGTAIL landed on one of the beached boats and began singing
loudly and melodious it was too, for a wagtail.
We ventured closer to the reeds and vegetation at the lake’s
former high water mark to look for passerines; a Bluethroat high on agenda. It
was not to be as we flushed a PADDYFIELD PIPIT and found one of its more interesting cousins in the form of
two migratory TREE PIPIT.
With Rawal Lake being so quiet we moved on to Jinnah Road
Marsh. A WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER called loudly from its vantage point and a
WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN scurried across the path. A really good find was a
SIRKEER MALKOHA, a rare and sedentary resident in Pakistan and this was only
the third sighting I have experienced, all on the south side of Rawal Lake. My
companion photographed the bird at a good distance, beyond the normal reach of
the lens. However, the photograph below does show this unusual species’
identifying features. If you look very carefully you might just make out the
bright red bill. It was a shame this coy bird looked the other way at just the
wrong moment!
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| Sirkeer Malkoha Riaz Muhammad |
A GREY BUSHCHAT, a male, was the first of this species for
the forthcoming winter season. At a small pool close to the irrigation channel
a number of birds had accumulated to drink and bathe; amongst them were several
COMMON CHIFFCHAFF, a couple of GREENISH WARBLER and at least one HUME’S
WARBLER. Also thirsty were a number of ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE and a group of BLACK-THROATED
TIT fed in the surrounding bushes. These are smart little birds that look like
they are wearing a highwayman’s mask. As we walked back to the car we spotted a
pair of RED AVADAVAT and a group of first-winter SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA. Although
now abandoned following the breeding season the Weavers’ nests were still in
evidence and we did spot one male BAYA WEAVER. We had visited two locations
where there had been many Bee-eaters, as late as last weekend, but today there
were none.
Finally, we visited the north-western area around Rawal Lake
where a nullah empties into it. Here amongst the reeds were a few PLAIN PRINIA
and at least one STRIATED PRINIA. A first-winter SIBERIAN STONECHAT also put in
an appearance, as did a pair of CINEREOUS TIT. A group of about 12 COMMON
MOORHEN fed in the nullah, a mixture of adult and juvenile birds. However,
still no Brown Crake! Are we ever to find this mythical bird? Just as were
about to leave a BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER put in a wonderful flyby, was it the
last to leave Islamabad before heading south to catch up with the earlier departees?
