Red-necked Phalaropes at Rawal Lake


On Tuesday 11 September, before travelling away for a week, we took the opportunity to pay a morning visit to Lake View Park in an attempt to relocate the Red-headed Buntings seen and photographed a few days previously by our friend. Sadly, the Red-headed Buntings had gone but there was an exciting consolation in the form of a pair of RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. Normally, this dainty little wader passes by Pakistan in large flocks some 50 miles offshore over the ocean. Very occasionally Red-necked Phalaropes are seen in Pakistan near inland waters but this is an uncommon phenomenon. Red-necked Phalaropes spend a lot of their time swimming in a distinctive spinning motion as they pick insects of the surface of the water using their delicate bills. Phalaropes are one of a few families of birds where the female is more brightly coloured than the males. Our last encounter with Red-necked Phalaropes had been on the Outer Hebrides and it was great that we added it as species number 310 onto our Pakistan List. It was especially pleasing, as I had been searching in the hope of finding this species.

View Showing Water Levels at Rawal Lake Grimmo
Other waders seen were 27 COMMON GREENSHANK and a single WOOD SANDPIPER. Duck numbers were similar to our last visit to Rawal Lake with 29 EURASIAN TEAL and five NORTHERN PINTAIL.

Little Cormorants Herding Small Fish & Little Egrets Taking Advantage Grimmo
It was good to get really great views of a GREY-BELLIED CUCKOO and there were still many BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER and INDIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE around the arboretum area. GREENISH WARBLER had increased in number amongst the trees and overhead an ORIENTAL HONEY BUZZARD floated high above the lake. The most numerous species was STREAK-THROATED SWALLOW with at least 150 hawking insects low over the surface of the lake.

Female Pied Bushchat at Rawal Lake Grimmo
September and October are such exciting months from an ornithological perspective and whilst we were pleased to take a trip away we were anxious to return to Pakistan and increase out tally of species.

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