Margalla Hills Shine with Rain


Hello everyone, RMK here. After having some fabulous moments with islbirder and the wolves in Bishop’s Castle at Tony’s farm in Shropshire, UK, I am back in Pakistan with memories that will last a long time in my life.

Here in Islamabad, the weather still is hot and temperature stays around 35 degrees during the day. However, the temperature at night falls to 27 degrees and that means that winter birds are no longer away from the thick vegetation of Margalla Hills.

On the 10 September, I decided to visit the northern track at Makhnial village and find if any winter migrants have joined the resident birds. As always ZR, the motivation for me after islbirder, was ready for the trip and we were accompanied by Imran (the guy who has seen more birds than anyone else in Pakistan). We left Islamabad and driving over the zigzagged tracks of the national park reached Makhnial village. Along the way we found this beautiful Indian Roller.

Indian Roller
I was much relieved to see the vegetation across the park has increased and substantial rains had turned the Margalla Hills in to real “rain” forest. The streams, which had dried, were full with water and resident birds were enjoying the fruit trees and abundant water around them.

Adult Male Blue-capped Rock Thrush
Adult Female Blue-capped Rock Thrush
First-autumn Male Blue-capped Rock Thrush
The beautiful, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, a summer visitor to Margalla hills for breeding was done with breeding and I could see the young one in changing feather colours. Below are the images of a shining male, a female eating berries and a juvenile.

Adult Male Long-tailed Minivet
Not far from the areas where ZR and I normally visit, we spotted Long-tailed Minivet, Rusty-tailed flycatcher also.

Rusty-tailed Flycatcher (note the orange lower mandible)
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Verditer Flycatcher
I have formally marked the points, with no entry marks as an Ecologically Sensitive Area where the winter birds come and drink water, with the help of Dr Anees and his organization and want to welcome the birds “MY WAY”.  So that no one should disturb them and they should have some lovely winters memories with us in Islamabad, like I had with Tony’s wolves in the UK

Since the migration will be underway within a month’s time, I have arranged a get-together of all the birders and photographers of Islamabad and surrounding areas at the Information Centre on the start of trail 5 on the weekend falling on the 16 September 2017. The aim is to discuss a code of conduct whilst birding and photographing wildlife and the birds that fly every year from surrounding countries and from the Himalayas to the Margalla Hills National Park. I am all ready and I am looking forward to an amazing winter birding season.

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