A Pipit Sunday


A pre-dawn start on Sunday 3 March 2013 and the Islbirder knee meant flatter walking surfaces today. This early morning found us on the eastern shoreline of Rawal Lake. No longer emulating Skegness with the tide out, Rawal Lake is nearly full of water and a changed landscape greeted us. As the sun began to peep up over the horizon a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON flew over us.

The day proved to be one of those days where birding skills were honed and past experiences came into play. There was an obvious change from our last visit, other than water levels. The calls of numerous Eurasian Skylark were absent and had been replaced by the songs and calls of ORIENTAL SKYLARK; many of which were performing their impressive display flights.

CITRINE WAGTAILS were there in good numbers with the odd WHITE WAGTAIL amongst them. However, today was a Pipit day. First up was a small group of over-wintering ROSY PIPIT. Then there were several WATER PIPIT. Some still in winter plumage but other adults adorning their breeding plumage.


Water Pipit Sams Photography
The best find of the day were two RED-THROATED PIPIT. Grimmet et al consider Red-throated Pipit a rare double-passage migrant through Pakistan. It is the first time I have encountered them here and it is number 334 on my Pakistan List. I managed to persuade Sams Photography away from artistic photographs of BLACK-HEADED GULL catching small fish and concentrate on the LBJs on the grassy lake edge. I think you’ll agree he did a great job in photographing these amazing birds.


Red-throated Pipits Sams Photography
A fourth species of Pipit was also present in the form of several PADDYFIELD PIPIT, a far more familiar site in Pakistan. It won’t be long before the spring passage of Tree Pipit takes place that will add another to the mix. 

Little Ringed Plover Sams Photography
Waders were not numerous but included COMMON GREENSHANK, TEMMINCK’S STINT, COMMON SANDPIPER, WOOD SANDPIPER and LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. The distant, relatively small, raft of duck on the far side of the lake consisted of EURASIAN TEAL, EURASIAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVELER and a few GADWALL. There was also one RUDDY SHELDUCK but the loud blast of a double-barrelled shotgun was, sadly, the prelude to its disappearance.

Arty Photograph of Black-headed Gull Sams Photography
In the diminishing reedbed were a few ZITTING CISTICOLA and a singing PLAIN PRINIA, whilst overhead BARN SWALLOW and PALE MARTIN hawked insects.

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