Birding Islamabad

Hi Blog Readers this is RMK reporting from Islamabad. The temperature here in Islamabad is somehow very different from last year. The monsoon rains have started early and it’s not very hot currently. The rainstorms have filled the streams and avian migration appears to have been affected. Species like the Yellow-billed Blue Magpie and Verditer Flycatcher that are normally associated with the Murree Hills have preferred to remain in the Margallas it seems. Whilst I was getting less time to move around in search of birds, my friends and the organisers of the Birds of Islamabad page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Birds.of.Islamabad/ ZR and RJS have busily been searching for birds around Islamabad. ZR has been regularly walking the trails and found some lovely birds. Some of his images are displayed here and exemplify ZR’s photographic skills and his love for birds. On Sunday 12 June 2016 ZR and I decided to travel to the village of Kharian, deep into the Margalla Hil...

Dear Readers, RMK has been spreading the birding word to wildlife photographers based in Pakistan and his efforts are paying off handsomely with some fantastic records. This time its a second record for Pakistan in the form of an Oriental Pied Hornbill. I'll let Muhammad Babar describe this exciting discovery in his own words: "I would like to share my experience of spotting/watching "Oriental Pied Hornbill" in Lahore with you. On 21 May 2016, 6:40 am, a typical warm day , we (Me and my couple of friends) were observing nesting behaviour of White-browed Fantail in my garden. While scanning the surroundings for more small birds, we were looking around. Suddenly we noticed a crow was chasing a bird, comparatively large with huge beak. We initially though this was another bird probably another Crow with something in his bill. But when i checked it from my Lens, i was surprisingly shocked to see a Hornbill , and not just a Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill. It was i...