Margalla Hills National Park Attracts Bird Photographers


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 Hills National Park and we located some new species. It was a nice drive from Makhnial Village where we found Crested Bunting but we could’nt manage to capture it with our cameras. We also located an Oriental Honey Buzzard flying high in the beautiful blue sky.

Later we walked a few miles around Kharian and found a nice place near the water of a stream. We saw some lovely birds that came to drink. The biggest surprise was a Verditer Flycatcher, which we have never found at such a low altitude at this time of the year.

It is exciting that the work we started in Islamabad in attracting people into bird photography is paying dividends and now our fellow bird enthusiasts based in Punjab and other regions regularly visit the Margalla Hills to photograph the wonderful birds. I believe that soon there will be more people coming our way. However, I have to add one word of caution in that the welfare of the bird must always come first and that is far more important than a good photograph.

My friends enjoy the superb wildlife our wonderful country has to offer but use a camera not a firearm or a trap.

From Islbirder: Gentlemem, these images are stunning and you are to be congratulated for your achievents. Not only photographically but for your continued hard work in spreading interest in Pakistan's wildlife and therefore assisting in its longterm conservation. 

Orange-headed Thrush ZR

 
Blue-tailed Bee-eaters RMK

Indian Roller RMK

Verditer Flycatcher RMK
 
Chestnut-shouldered Petronia ZR


Male Blue-capped Rock Thrush ZR

Female Blue-capped Rock Thrush ZR
 
Black-chinned Babbler ZR

Speckled Piculet RMK
Oriental White-eye RMK
Cinereous Tit ZR
 
Common Buzzard RMK

Adult Black Bulbul RMK

Juvenile Black Bulbul ZR

Popular posts from this blog

Rare Birds Found in Pakistan

Image
Islbirder was birding on the muddy perimeter of a West Midlands Industrial Estate in the centre of the England looking for a Hume’s Warbler, the first record for the Region and a British Tick. It was freezing cold with squally and heavy showers. He was thinking what on earth am I doing here? It was only a few short weeks ago that Hume’s Warbler was a regular visitor to his Islamabad garden. At the same time RMK had taken a week away from his office to undertake an expedition to photograph some of the resident species and exciting winter visitors to Pakistan. RMK takes up the story of his memorable birding holiday. It’s been a strange winter and I am very sorry to inform you that this year the numbers of birds visiting Islamabad and Punjab appear to be reduced. On Saturday 25 January 2014 I visited Trail 5 within the Margalla Hills National Park. This was the famous Trail 5 that we had visited on many occasions and seen such wonderful species. However, birds were few. The C
Read more

The Breeding Season in the Margalla Hills & a Trip to Shogran

Image
The changing season in Islamabad has pushed the overwintering visitors to higher altitudes and the breeding season is in full swing within the Margalla Hills National Park. Verditer Flycatcher   During weekend of 27 & 28 March 2021, I excitedly anticipated two full days of birding. On 27 March me,  SWABI BIRDER  along with  Mrs.  SWABI BIRDER   visited an area of woodland within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, to check on how the birds are preparing for their breeding season. The dry branches have their leaves and birds were extremely active. Speckled Piculet (Male) We sat quietly near to a water source and after few moments birds started coming to drink. Firstly, a Verditer Flycatcher that was quickly followed by a superb Speckled Piculet. Also in branches was a Grey-hooded Warbler in full breeding plumage. Grey-hooded Warbler   A female Common Rosefinch alighted nearby on a branch. On the edge of the stream area was a beautiful Grey Wagtail, in full breeding colours picking insect
Read more

Kalar Kahar 62 Species

Image
On Saturday 13 July 2013 we made our way to the Kalar Kahar area, Punjab to look for new species for our Pakistan List. We had decided to arrive early to give ourselves the chance of locating one, or more, of the famous population of Indian Peafowl. Whilst some would consider that these particular Indian Peafowl something of a plastic tick; they are countable and appear as number 353 on my list of species recorded in Pakistan. The first INDIAN PEAFOWL we saw was a stunning male perched on a fence. Not the best evidence of “wild” status. The local community looks after the birds so they show little fear. However, we saw about a dozen or so and some acted more like wild birds, those that stalked the woodland area. Whether these birds comprise a feral population, like the Monk Parakeets in Miami, Florida, or not these beautiful photographs portray this amazing species so dramatically. Once again the photographers have done a fantastic job.   Male Indian Peafowl Sarel van Zyl
Read more