Plumbeous Redstart A Life Tick


Saturday 1 December 2012 found us deep into the Margalla Hills National Park on a cold and frosty morning. We visited three beautiful and different valleys and thereby guaranteed ourselves a greater variety of birds. As you will note from this and previous blogs Islbirder is extremely fortunate to have as friends and companions some very talented wildlife photographers who, very kindly, allow me to use their photographs to illustrate our recorded birding adventures.

When we arrived at our first valley the ground was very icy and it had to be Islbirder who slipped and landed heavily on his backside. Fortunately, natural padding sustained most of the impact but a huge black bruise covering one buttock bears testimony to the combination of an overweight birder and a very hard rock.

The sight of the fast-flowing crystal clear stream with mist above the water indicated that it was warmer that the surrounding air soon dispelled the pain in the bum and we began looking for birds. The first was a showy WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER but as the sunlight had not penetrated the deep valley photography was not an option. However, a little later we found a pair of WHITE-CAPPED WATER REDSTART and my associates, from inside their portable hides, photographed them.
White-capped Water Redstart Sarel van Zyl

We had been hoping for another altitudinal migrant found near fast-flowing streams and it was not long before we had located a fabulous PLUMBEOUS REDSTART, a life tick for Islbirder. Dear readers the light was not ideal but the photographer did a fantastic job, as you will see below.
Plumbeous Redstart Sarel van Zyl
As the sun was taking a long time to brighten up the valley we decided to move on to a location than we knew would be bathed in sunlight. Before doing so we tarried to watch the village boys playing cricket and overhead flew 14, most unexpected, RUDDY SHELDUCK. A familiar call directed us to a COMMON KINGFISHER that stayed long enough to have its photograph taken. Islbirder checked out some Buntings that included some ROCK BUNTING and at least two WHITE-CAPPED BUNTING.
Common Kingfisher Sarel van Zyl
At our next location, warmed by the sun’s rays, the birdlife was far more active and numerous. At times it was difficult to know where to look. There were two species of Accentor; the scarce RUFOUS-BREASTED ACCENTOR and the more common BLACK-THROATED ACCENTOR. There were Warblers in the form of COMMON CHIFFCHAFF and GREENISH WARBLER. A common species at this location but a very attractive one is the STREAKED LAUGHINGTHRUSH with its collection of calls and songs.
Streaked Laughingthrush Sarel van Zyl
When one stayed still the birds approached very close and it was great to have such good views of YELLOW-BILLED BLUE MAGPIE and BLACK-THROATED JAY. Overhead were seen several BLACK BULBUL. We obtained spectacular views of two characteristically skulking species, the RUSTY-CHEEKED SCIMITAR BABBLER and BLACK-CHINNED BABBLER. The difference in size is ridiculous but both are classed as Babblers.
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler Sarel van Zyl
On the way to our final destination, a beautiful and wide valley surrounded by forest we noticed a Woodpecker feeding on the last piece of fruit hanging from a tree. When it did move it spent some time on the ground. It was an impressive SCALY-BELLIED WOODPECKER.
Scaly-bellied Woodpecker Sarel van Zyl
In a riverside tree a WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER sat watching the fish below. Unfortunately, we could not locate its bigger cousin the Crested Kingfisher. In the woodland on one side of the valley we counted about 20 COMMON WOODPIGEON, a scarce species in Pakistan and only the second time I had seen it. As a LITTLE EGRET fished in the river we found another WHITE-CAPPED WATER REDSTART and a second PLUMBEOUS REDSTART. However, on this occasion it was a female. A completely different bird with its grey plumage and black and white tail and spotting on its grey underparts. In all we recorded 36 species on what was a magical day of birding in Pakistan. 

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