Rare Woodpecker Spices Up Our Day

On Saturday 12 January 2013 dawn arrived with an accompaniment of heavy rain that persisted well into the afternoon. This curtailed our birding activity until the late afternoon when there was only time for a short visit to the Margalla Hills Trail 5. We remained in the vicinity of the spring opposite the interpretive centre to see what may be attracted to the area. A fine male GREY BUSHCHAT was the first bird as it showed off on top of small nearby bushes.

There were a few Warblers including three GREENISH WARBLER, three COMMON CHIFFCHAFF and a several vociferous GREY-HOODED WARBLER. A couple of ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE added some more colour. At this time of year we are always on the lookout for Buntings and we were not disappointed with a pair of ROCK BUNTING and a lone WHITE-CAPPED BUNTING (also known as CHESTNUT-BREASTED BUNTING). Both are, predominantly, winter visitors to the Islamabad area.

Himalayan Bulbul Sarel van Zyl

Other visitors to the streamside were some RUFOUS TREEPIE, a BLUE WHISTLING THRUSH and a group of eight JUNGLE BABBLER. The cause of a commotion amongst the HIMALAYAN BULBUL, WHITE-EARED BULBUL and RED-VENTED BULBUL flock was identified as a male EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK that flew through the valley.

Early on Sunday 13 January 2013 we met up with the photographers and we headed into the Margalla Hills. Our first stop was the Margalla Hills Ridge over which a cool breeze blew under a cloudless sky. The area was surprisingly quiet and only RED-VENTED BULBUL and HIMALAYAN BULBUL were seen. We decided to descend into the valley to find an area unaffected by the wind. Fortunately, Islbirder’s reputation remained intact (just), as Woodpeckers had been promised at this site. Not only did we find a Woodpecker but two of one of the rarest birds in Pakistan. A pair of GREY-CAPPED PYGMY WOODPECKER; superb and confiding birds that offered SvZ the chance to take these amazing photographs. Quoted by Grimmett et al as breeding summer visitor; our discovery suggests this species is a year-round resident that moves to lower altitudes during winter. Our sighting was made at 3,800 feet above sea level.

Male Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Sarel van Zyl

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Sarel van Zyl

The red on the side of the male’s head was only visible occasionally. The pair of GREY-CAPPED PYGMY WOODPECKER was amongst a group different species moving around this small area that included ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE, CINEREOUS TIT, two STRIATED PRINIA and a single RUFOUS-BREASTED ACCENTOR.

After the Woodpeckers moved on so did we and we headed further into the Margallas and to Khyber Paktunkhwa. We headed for the trek at Makhnial Village but on the way we stopped at various locations. We saw several BROWN-FRONTED WOODPECKER, a BAR-TAILED (or HIMALAYAN) TREECREEPER, a party of LONG-TAILED MINIVET and a female BLUE-CAPPED REDSTART.

On reaching the village STREAKED LAUGHINGTHRUSH were abundant in the small agricultural fields. There were ROCK BUNTING around the houses and along the trail both BLACK-THROATED ACCENTOR and RUFOUS-BREASTED ACCENTOR, in good numbers, maintained a distance in front of us; much to the frustration of the photographers.

Rufous-breasted Accentor Sarel van Zyl

 We walked along the trail until reaching a small stream with a marshy area within a clearing that contained a small pond. There were birds around us and eventually some came down to drink. Most numerous were LEMON-RUMPED WARBLER with a few GREENISH WARBLER and a large group of ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE.  We found a single PLAIN LEAF WARBLER and an ORANGE-FLANKED BUSH ROBIN (also known as ORANGE-FLANKED BLUETAIL). As we were in a clearing within the forest we had great views as a group of four GRIFFON VULTURES sailed overhead. Always exciting to see Vultures in Pakistan as they are becoming a scarce sight due to the drug diclofenac that is used to treat livestock but if ingested by Vultures scavenging on carcasses causes renal failure.

On the way back we looked for Owls but without success. However, whilst sitting on the roof of our favourite restaurant, the Isloo BBQ, an immature male STEPPE EAGLE circled over our heads; a great way to have concluded our latest birding trip. Again, many thanks to the photographers for allowing me to use the photographs taken during our latest expedition.

The Isloo Restaurant Cat does well on titbits fed to it by customers Sarel van Zyl

Monday 14 January 2013, being confined to home due to the “Long March” gave me the chance to study the HOUSE SPARROW flock that has been growing steadily in our garden since we started filling feeders with seed. We had hoped to attract a wintering Rosefinch but to no avail. However, today I checked through feeding birds and, as I suspected there might be, there is at least one male SIND SPARROW amongst them. HOUSE SPARROW is not represented everywhere in Islamabad and other than our garden there are only a couple of other places I see large numbers of them regularly. As I write this blog a LAUGHING DOVE, two SPOTTED DOVE and a pair of COLLARED DOVE have just descended to pick at the seed dropped from the feeders.