We are extremely sorry
for not keeping you updated lately about the Birds of Islamabad particularly
and Pakistan in general. Sometimes it’s very difficult to fill in the gap, I am
sure you would know what I am referring to, Islbirder
J. On the other hand I (RMK) have been terribly
busy for the last few months. Anyway let’s
not make more excuses for not writing the Blog and I will write about my recent
visit to the Margalla Hills, Lake View Park and our favourite marshy area just
outside Islamabad.
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| Speckled Piculet Riaz |
After a long summer break
autumn is around the corner and on 26 October 2014, I picked up my gear early in
the morning and headed straight to the woodland in one of the beautiful valleys
of Margalla Hills. I believed that altitudinal migrants must have started
coming down from the northern mountains of Himalayas; birds must be in the Murre
hills area by now. The drive to the woodland was very similar to our previous
visits, a bit of excitement as it was after a long time that I came to this area.
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| A Margalla Hills Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Riaz |
I was welcomed by the lovely
sounds of birds, which was encouraging and my eyes were attracted by YELLOW-BILLED BLUE MAGPIE, GREY
TREEPIEs and BLACK-THROATED JAYs flying in the area. I had a short time with
them and moved straight to the point, where I believed I would see more birds.
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| Bar-tailed Treecreeper Riaz |
The migrants were not yet
in the area, perhaps not surprising as Islamabad and the Margalla Hills are
still experiencing warm daytime temperatures. The birds I noticed were, BLACK
BULBUL, HIMALAYAN BULBUL, BAR-TAILED TREECREEPER, a variety of warblers,
VARIEGATED LAUGHINGTHRUSH, WHITE-THROATED FANTAIL, STREAKED LAUGHINGTHRUSH, SPECKLED PICULET, WHITE
WAGTAIL, SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA and some local HOUSE SPARROWS. I believe that as
the temperature drops in the mountains, birds will start flying down. I stayed
there for two hours and then packed up and drove straight to Lake View Park and
our marsh area.
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| White-throated Fantail Riaz |
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| Grey Treepie Riaz |
It was almost 1030
hours by the time I reached Lake View Park and I roamed around the lake area
almost the whole day to establish the bird situation. Surprisingly I noticed
that some birds had started arriving. I noticed few MALLARD landing near by,
sorry I couldn’t get a clear shot of that, a few INDIAN SILVERBILL, a pair of RED
AVADAVAT. With the flock of COMMON MYNA I noticed a BRAHMINY STARLING.
BLACK-HEADED GULLs were flying over the water.
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| Male Red Avadavat Riaz |
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| Female Red Avadavat Riaz |
I also noticed a group
of SCALY-BREASTED MUNIAs, a BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE on a wire, some LITTLE
CORMORANT and a few gorgeous ZITTING CISTICOLA. There were several PADDYFIELD
PIPITs and three species of Kingfisher, Pied, White-throated and Common, were
busy hunting for fish.
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| Brahminy Starling Riaz |
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| Common Chiffchaff Riaz |
Late in the evening I
asked Mrs RMK to accompany me for a walk to Trail 5, to check on the birds
there. A friend, Derek, reported that he has seen some lovely birds there. I
started looking for birds during my climb, but was really sorry that Trial 5 was
flooded with people and chances of seeing birds are so rare, when you have so
many people, playing songs, making BBQs and taking baths in the Kalij Pheasant
waterfall.
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| A Little Cormorant chasing a Little Egret Riaz |
I was determined to
find something to write about. Mrs RMK has also been complaining about the huge
crowds and feeling sorry for the birds. All we could see were few RUFOUS
TREEPIEs, a RUSTY-CHEEKED SCIMITAR BABBLER, JUNGLE BABBLER, a BLACK-CHINNED
BABBLER and some warblers.
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| Indian Silverbill Riaz |
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| Rufous Treepie Riaz |
It was our first trip of
the season to almost all of the local places that we have been birding over the
years and have seen some lovely birds. I feel that now I have to expand my
search as there are people every year along these places. This does make me worry folks that humans don’t
share their places with animals and birds rather they are overtaking the places
which were for the wildlife.
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| Pied Kingfisher at Rawal Lake Riaz |
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| Zitting Cisticola Riaz |
With a smiling note, I
am wishing you happy birding and a bird photography season ahead and believe
that I will try my best to share some new birds around Islamabad particularly
and Pakistan in general.
From Islbirder: Thanks RMK a great write-up
of your first birding trip of the season. There are some lovely photographs
here but I am especially impressed with your shot of the Speckled Piculet.
These diminutive woodpeckers are usually hidden in the leaves or are at the end
of tiny twigs in the tree canopy. I am really looking forward to your shots of
winter birds. I saw Derek’s photos of the Thick-billed Flowerpecker. It was a
species I did not manage to catch up with during my three years in Pakistan, so
good work Derek!
RMK I am hoping that the
OBC will be publishing your latest ‘First for Pakistan’ in the next edition of
Forktail, that fantastic Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher highlighted in our previous
Blog entry.
