I
want to tell you a story about a group of friends from different backgrounds,
cultures and continents who have been brought together by a love of Pakistan’s
wildlife. There is the most spectacular fauna on our doorsteps here in Islamabad
but last weekend we decided to travel further afield to add to the species of
birds we have already recorded both in our notebooks and on film (or more
correctly, SD cards). So, during the early hours of Saturday 6 April 2013 we
set off south along the GT Road towards Sialkot. The journey was long but
mostly uneventful except for the occasional interaction with the slow-moving,
highly decorated heavy goods vehicles. In addition to the heavily laden
coaches, the drivers of which clearly believe that by leaning on the horn their
vehicles will find extra speed. Our local friends appeared unaffected by the
blinding full-beam lights of the oncoming vehicles. But for those used to
driving in other lands where using a full-beam is considered highly inconsiderate
and dangerous, most of the trip was seen through an eye narrowing squint.
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The beautiful Marala Marshes Sarel van Zyl |
We
passed through towns like Kharian, Jehlum and Waziribad and as we tracked
further south early morning activity was beginning to stir. We entered Sialkot
and found the teashop where we had arranged to meet another friend and our
guide who was again going to show us the wonders of Marala on the Chenab River.
We drove the last ten miles to our destination with the photographers musing on
the potential for good light and the possibility of cloud and diminished light
conditions. They needn’t have worried as the day turned out to be perfect and
not only in a meteorological sense.
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Ruddy Shelduck Dawn Patrol Sams Photography |
When
we arrived at the marshes it was still dark and we carried our gear wading
through the swamp to where we would pitch our hides. And, once settled, we
waited. Even in the dark there was plenty of avian vocalisation. Within the
tall Phragmites reedbed there is a huge roost of BANK MYNA that numbers many
hundreds of birds. Their excited calls were the prelude to them dispersing
around the rich agricultural land surrounding the area. At this time of year,
the Bank Mynas are collocated with hundreds of CITRINE WAGTAIL that share their
roosting site. It was a wondrous spectacle to watch thousands of birds emerge
from the reedbed in, seemingly, coordinated waves.
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Glossy Ibis Sarel van Zyl |
As
it began to get light a distinctive bird circled over the marsh and landed
close to my position. I instinctively knew it was a GLOSSY IBIS. Later, after
the sun had lifted above the horizon the iridescence of the Glossy Ibis’s
plumage began to shine. It is that iridescence that has given this species its
common name. The Glossy Ibis was first bird of the day and an addition to my
Pakistan Bird List but not a Lifer. Another very familiar shape in the sky
indicated that the night shift was returning to its daytime roost as dozens of largely
nocturnal BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON made their weary way home.
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River Tern Sarel van Zyl |
As
the first light began crawl across the landscape the hardest choice was where
to point the ‘bins first. The first of the more active birds to appear were the
RIVER TERN, a hefty bird in tern-terms but seemingly manipulated in its
graceful flight by some unseen puppeteer in the heavens. It is so elegant as it
searches the water for signs of small fish in the lake and there were many. As
the River Terns plunged dived into the water they seldom emerged without a tiny
wriggling ingot of silver in their bills.
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Purple Swamphen Sarel van Zyl |
The
PURPLE SWAMPHEN emerged from the reeds, tentatively at first but soon more
boldly and uttering their strange contact calls. However, patrolling WESTERN
MARSH HARRIER quartering the marshes soon had them scurrying for cover. There
were dozens of these ungainly but beautifully coloured Gallinules. PURPLE HERON
too began to emerge their snake-like necks kinked in some very strange poses.
Again, this species was well represented in this beautiful place.
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Ferruginous Duck Sams Photography |
At
first glance duck species appeared not well represented but although not
numerous they were there. A few EURASIAN TEAL occupied the shallower areas of
the open water and a pair of FERRUGINOUS DUCK were spotted further out as were some TUFTED DUCK. The
familiar whistle of EURASIAN WIGEON gave away the presence of six birds and
fifty or so GARGANEY were at the far end of the lake; many of which were the
impressive males with the gleaming white extended supercilliums.
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Ruddy Shelduck Sarel van Zyl |
At
first light a flight of more than 100 RUDDY SHELDUCK traced across the orange
light of early morning that was so artistically captured in the photograph
below. The obvious silhouette of the male PINTAIL gave up their presence and we
saw about 20 birds. However, beyond any doubt ‘Duck of the Day’ had to be the
SPOT-BILLED DUCK. We saw two pairs of the stunningly beautiful and elegant
waterfowl and another singleton later in the day. Spot-billed Duck was a Lifer
for Islbirder and a species I really had hoped to see in Pakistan.
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Spot-billed Ducks Sams Photography |
There
was only one PAINTED STORK in attendance and it played a game that frustrated
our normally patient photographers by just remaining out of range; probably, a
very sensible ploy. Bird Photographers, just like Birders are never satisfied
and they are constantly striving to get that better shot. So, not only do they
want a perfectly framed image of a bird that is pin sharp, they want the bird
in action and against a background that augments the colours of the subjects
plumage. The Painted Stork began to hunt in the waters of the lake amongst the
water hyacinth. To reduce the glare from the sun on the surface of the water it
used one wing as an umbrella to help it see its prey. This behaviour is
beautifully captured in the photograph below.
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Painted Stork Sarel van Zyl (top) and Sams Photography |
As
it grew lighter more species of Waders were seen: The diminutive TEMMINCK’S
STINT with its sewing machine feeding action, a few COMMON REDSHANK, COMMON
GREENSHANK and a new bird for Islbirder’s Pakistan List, MARSH SANDPIPER. Other
than the latter species the most graceful of these birds was the WOOD SANDPIPER
of which there were several. The photographers managed to capture these super
birds really well and the shot of the WOOD SANDPIPER coming into land is
outstanding. Another superb bird is the LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and there were two of these.
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Little Ringed Plover Sams Photography |
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Wood Sandpipers Sarel van Zyl |
Of
course as Spring had just about arrived many of the waders and wildfowl had
moved on. Of the 3,000 BAR-HEADED GEESE that had been here in February only ten
remained along with six GREYLAG GEESE.
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Common Redshank Sarel van Zyl |
With
three Pakistan ticks UTB (Under the Belt – more birding parlance), Islbirder
had resigned himself to thinking that would be that. How wrong that that thought
proved to be. The next bird to be added was a SOLITARY SNIPE. This is a large
Snipe species with cold colouration for a Snipe and a really open-faced
appearance due to the lack of heavy facial marking normally associated with
this family of birds. We first picked up the bird in flight as it came into
land on the marsh. Needless to say there was only one but there must be
occasions when there are many more than one which then must make a mockery of
their common name. In Pakistan, this species has been recorded wintering in
Baluchistan and the Northern Areas but it is also a rare resident of the high
alpine areas of he Karakoram Mountains. This bird, presumably, was one that had
wintered in Northern India and was making its way to an area where the species
breeds in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Mongolia. Wherever it had spent the
days of the winter it was a good find. Actually, there were other Snipe on the
Marsh but these were COMMON SNIPE and there were nine of them probing deeply
into the mud with their long bills.
Having
emerged from their night-time roost, the CITRINE WAGTAIL were numerous and
feeding around the lake margins on the mud and Water Hyacinths.
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Citrine Wagtail Sarel van Zyl |
Now,
the problem with having friends with big lenses is that they occasionally use
them against you. Can I please reassure readers that Islbirder wasn’t caught
short in the field and, no, I’m not sitting in a porta-potty, this is one of
the one-person hides that we used at Marala.
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Islbirder Sams Photography |
Anyway,
sitting in my hide with only a bloodthirsty mosquito for company, I was aware
of the whoosh of wings just above me. A second later and only a few feet from
where I sat a WESTERN OSPREY plunged dived into the water and pulled out a very
unhappy looking fish. To be so close to this amazing bird as it did what
Ospreys do best was an exhilarating experience. SvZ’s incredible photographs of
the same incident chronicle it superbly.
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Western Osprey Sarel van Zyl |
Having
photographed as much as they could at the Marsh the photographers began to pack
up their hides. Whilst they did so my attention was drawn to the edge of the
lake where two ASIAN PIED STARLING fed. Just behind them was a BLUETHROAT, tail
cocked and wings drooped as it appeared from the marginal vegetation.
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Asian Pied Starling Sarel van Zyl |
In
the afternoon after a very pleasant lunch, we moved onto the other side of the
Chenab River amongst fields of wheat. It was quite late and we were beginning
to lose the light. However, the photographers altered their ISO settings.
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Green Bee-eater Sarel van Zyl |
Meanwhile
I had wondered off closer to the river where I found several RUFF on a mud bank
and some Eurasian Wigeon. However, I also added two more species to the
Pakistan Bird List. A flock of 24 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER flew over. They were
not displaying the black underwing of the more anticipated Grey Plover. They were
a good inland record and normally a winter visitor to Sind. Some were beginning
to show the black under body of their breeding plumage. Very quickly afterwards
whilst musing about the area being superb habitat for a Short-eared Owl, I saw
a distant ‘Ringtail’ Harrier. As it came closer and provided a spectacular
flying performance I could see it was a female or immature PALLID HARRIER. This
is the commonest of the Harrier species to occur in Pakistan.
As
the sun again dropped below the horizon we made our way back to Sialkot and our
hotel. We wondered what delights Marala would provide the next morning. The
fact that breakfast was to be at 0330 hours wasn’t quite so appealing. May I assure readers that no wildlife was harmed in any way during the creation this Blog; with the possible exception of that mosquito that had shared my hide!