Birding Islamabad

I am honoured to announce a new addition to the Pakistan List of Birds. This amazing discovery was made and recorded on the 4 December 2015 by a skilful observer and photographer named Ahmad Kamal who is a new recruit to the growing band of Pakistani Birder/Photographers inspired by our own Swabi Birder RMK. Ahmad describes how he made this wonderful discovery below:   I have recently completed BE Mechatronics from EME NUST. I have a very strong passion for motorbikes and nature. To get a dose from nature I planned to travel from Lahore to Rawalpindi via Kashmir on a motorbike. It was an epic eight-day trip. I met my guardians in Bhimber and with them I left to visit Baghsar. We stopped for Zuhr Prayer and Lunch in Baghsar. "I had noticed earlier that this area has attracted high concentrations of birds. Luckily I had my telephoto lens with me. I observed White-throated Fantail, Rufous Treepies, Oriental White-eyes, Crimson Sunbird, Great Barbet ...

There is nothing more exciting than receiving an email from my close friend RMK that has attachments as I know they will contain outstanding photographs of the beautiful birds he has seen in Pakistan. It is now two years since we left Pakistan following our three-year residence and I miss my birding friends from Pakistan, South Africa, The Netherlands, Australia, France and the US. We shared many great times discovering the delights of birding in a country that has been in recent years, very under-watched, in ornithological terms. This makes birding in Pakistan both exciting and challenging. Exciting because of the discoveries that are being and can be made and challenging because of the security situation. RMK is forging ahead with ambitious but achievable plans to help protect Pakistan’s wildlife and one hopes with an improving situation eco-tourism might offer the people of Pakistan opportunities that will improve their livelihoods but...