Birding Angoori & Finding Rarities

Swabi Birder got lucky in the worst ever migration to Margalla Hills National Park


Hello everyone, this is Swabi Birder from Islamabad. When I look back at the time it’s about twelve years that I have been photographing birds in Pakistan and my ability to find birds in the Margala Hills is much recognised at every level. 

 

I can’t forget the golden time when Islbirder and I would witness birds everywhere in Islamabad. Water points and shrubs, trees and trails, everywhere you could listen to birds calling and see them flying around.

 

NOW I am terribly upset this year about the seeming lack of winter birdlife. I may not know the exact reason what might have done that. It might be change in migration pattern or the amount of people rushing on to trails in national park with BBQ stands and audio players.


Golden Bush Robin female (Swabi Birder)


Anyways amid all this, I decided to move to the place called Angoori. This place is famous for birds of prey and robins. Early in morning on 16 January, the roads were quiet and I managed to reach there in good time.  I didn’t see any bird on the treetops, but I was extremely lucky to find a lifer, the GOLDEN BUSH ROBIN. I waited long to photograph the male but I never found him. On the way back I found a EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK gliding over the top.  Rawal lake is my near my home, and I saw some birds and including PIED MYNA and CINEREOUS TIT.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Swabi Birder)
 

On 17th I decided to visit a trail, where less people walk. I waited to see some new birds and there it goes, one more lifer another day a YELOW-BELLIED FANTAIL flying around catching flies. A RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX also came around. 


Yellow-bellied Fantail (Swabi Birder)

Red-billed Leiothrix (Swabi Birder)

D-12 sector used to be amazing place to see raptors.  Unfortunately, with excessive construction, birds of prey have mostly moved away and their place is taken over by Black Kites and House Crows. However, I was lucky to see a STEPPE EAGLE and a BLACK-THROATED ACCENTOR there. 


Steppe Eagle (Swabi Birder)

Black-throated Accentor (Swabi Birder)

Overall, I am upset and unhappy. I feel like, with this number of people and construction activities, what will be the fate of those 450 birds species that used to migrate through Islamabad.  They probably have decided to go somewhere else. With these thoughts in mind I am signing off and wishing for everyone good health during the pandemic of Covid-19, and request please do not take over the places which belong to Wildlife.


Asian Pied Starling (Swabi Birder)

Thanks, Swabi Birder, please don’t feel too disappointed because, as you have proved, there are still some wonderful habitats in an around Islamabad that are havens for wildlife. You are at the forefront of finding and identifying these places and instigating measures to protect them. Your photographs are stunning and I am so envious of you sightings of Golden Bush Robin and Yellow-bellied Fantail; these are species I was never lucky enough to find in Pakistan. The Fantail is an extremely rare winter visitor and the Golden Bush Robin is an even rarer resident. To find two such rare species in two days is an outstanding effort my friend!


Cinereous Tit (Swabi Birder)

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