Mesmorising Marala

I want to tell you a story about a group of friends from different backgrounds, cultures and continents who have been brought together by a love of Pakistan’s wildlife. There is the most spectacular fauna on our doorsteps here in Islamabad but last weekend we decided to travel further afield to add to the species of birds we have already recorded both in our notebooks and on film (or more correctly, SD cards). So, during the early hours of Saturday 6 April 2013 we set off south along the GT Road towards Sialkot. The journey was long but mostly uneventful except for the occasional interaction with the slow-moving, highly decorated heavy goods vehicles. In addition to the heavily laden coaches, the drivers of which clearly believe that by leaning on the horn their vehicles will find extra speed. Our local friends appeared unaffected by the blinding full-beam lights of the oncoming vehicles. But for those used to driving in other lands where using a full-beam is considered highly inconsiderate and dangerous, most of the trip was seen through an eye narrowing squint.

The beautiful Marala Marshes Sarel van Zyl

We passed through towns like Kharian, Jehlum and Waziribad and as we tracked further south early morning activity was beginning to stir. We entered Sialkot and found the teashop where we had arranged to meet another friend and our guide who was again going to show us the wonders of Marala on the Chenab River. We drove the last ten miles to our destination with the photographers musing on the potential for good light and the possibility of cloud and diminished light conditions. They needn’t have worried as the day turned out to be perfect and not only in a meteorological sense.

Ruddy Shelduck Dawn Patrol Sams Photography

When we arrived at the marshes it was still dark and we carried our gear wading through the swamp to where we would pitch our hides. And, once settled, we waited. Even in the dark there was plenty of avian vocalisation. Within the tall Phragmites reedbed there is a huge roost of BANK MYNA that numbers many hundreds of birds. Their excited calls were the prelude to them dispersing around the rich agricultural land surrounding the area. At this time of year, the Bank Mynas are collocated with hundreds of CITRINE WAGTAIL that share their roosting site. It was a wondrous spectacle to watch thousands of birds emerge from the reedbed in, seemingly, coordinated waves.

Glossy Ibis Sarel van Zyl

As it began to get light a distinctive bird circled over the marsh and landed close to my position. I instinctively knew it was a GLOSSY IBIS. Later, after the sun had lifted above the horizon the iridescence of the Glossy Ibis’s plumage began to shine. It is that iridescence that has given this species its common name. The Glossy Ibis was first bird of the day and an addition to my Pakistan Bird List but not a Lifer. Another very familiar shape in the sky indicated that the night shift was returning to its daytime roost as dozens of largely nocturnal BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON made their weary way home.

River Tern Sarel van Zyl

 As the first light began crawl across the landscape the hardest choice was where to point the ‘bins first. The first of the more active birds to appear were the RIVER TERN, a hefty bird in tern-terms but seemingly manipulated in its graceful flight by some unseen puppeteer in the heavens. It is so elegant as it searches the water for signs of small fish in the lake and there were many. As the River Terns plunged dived into the water they seldom emerged without a tiny wriggling ingot of silver in their bills.

Purple Swamphen Sarel van Zyl

The PURPLE SWAMPHEN emerged from the reeds, tentatively at first but soon more boldly and uttering their strange contact calls. However, patrolling WESTERN MARSH HARRIER quartering the marshes soon had them scurrying for cover. There were dozens of these ungainly but beautifully coloured Gallinules. PURPLE HERON too began to emerge their snake-like necks kinked in some very strange poses. Again, this species was well represented in this beautiful place.

Ferruginous Duck Sams Photography

At first glance duck species appeared not well represented but although not numerous they were there. A few EURASIAN TEAL occupied the shallower areas of the open water and a pair of FERRUGINOUS DUCK were spotted further out as were some TUFTED DUCK. The familiar whistle of EURASIAN WIGEON gave away the presence of six birds and fifty or so GARGANEY were at the far end of the lake; many of which were the impressive males with the gleaming white extended supercilliums.

Ruddy Shelduck Sarel van Zyl

At first light a flight of more than 100 RUDDY SHELDUCK traced across the orange light of early morning that was so artistically captured in the photograph below. The obvious silhouette of the male PINTAIL gave up their presence and we saw about 20 birds. However, beyond any doubt ‘Duck of the Day’ had to be the SPOT-BILLED DUCK. We saw two pairs of the stunningly beautiful and elegant waterfowl and another singleton later in the day. Spot-billed Duck was a Lifer for Islbirder and a species I really had hoped to see in Pakistan.

Spot-billed Ducks Sams Photography

There was only one PAINTED STORK in attendance and it played a game that frustrated our normally patient photographers by just remaining out of range; probably, a very sensible ploy. Bird Photographers, just like Birders are never satisfied and they are constantly striving to get that better shot. So, not only do they want a perfectly framed image of a bird that is pin sharp, they want the bird in action and against a background that augments the colours of the subjects plumage. The Painted Stork began to hunt in the waters of the lake amongst the water hyacinth. To reduce the glare from the sun on the surface of the water it used one wing as an umbrella to help it see its prey. This behaviour is beautifully captured in the photograph below.

Painted Stork Sarel van Zyl (top) and Sams Photography

As it grew lighter more species of Waders were seen: The diminutive TEMMINCK’S STINT with its sewing machine feeding action, a few COMMON REDSHANK, COMMON GREENSHANK and a new bird for Islbirder’s Pakistan List, MARSH SANDPIPER. Other than the latter species the most graceful of these birds was the WOOD SANDPIPER of which there were several. The photographers managed to capture these super birds really well and the shot of the WOOD SANDPIPER coming into land is outstanding. Another superb bird is the LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and there were two of these.

Little Ringed Plover Sams Photography

Wood Sandpipers Sarel van Zyl

Of course as Spring had just about arrived many of the waders and wildfowl had moved on. Of the 3,000 BAR-HEADED GEESE that had been here in February only ten remained along with six GREYLAG GEESE.

Common Redshank Sarel van Zyl

With three Pakistan ticks UTB (Under the Belt – more birding parlance), Islbirder had resigned himself to thinking that would be that. How wrong that that thought proved to be. The next bird to be added was a SOLITARY SNIPE. This is a large Snipe species with cold colouration for a Snipe and a really open-faced appearance due to the lack of heavy facial marking normally associated with this family of birds. We first picked up the bird in flight as it came into land on the marsh. Needless to say there was only one but there must be occasions when there are many more than one which then must make a mockery of their common name. In Pakistan, this species has been recorded wintering in Baluchistan and the Northern Areas but it is also a rare resident of the high alpine areas of he Karakoram Mountains. This bird, presumably, was one that had wintered in Northern India and was making its way to an area where the species breeds in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Mongolia. Wherever it had spent the days of the winter it was a good find. Actually, there were other Snipe on the Marsh but these were COMMON SNIPE and there were nine of them probing deeply into the mud with their long bills.

Having emerged from their night-time roost, the CITRINE WAGTAIL were numerous and feeding around the lake margins on the mud and Water Hyacinths.

Citrine Wagtail Sarel van Zyl

Now, the problem with having friends with big lenses is that they occasionally use them against you. Can I please reassure readers that Islbirder wasn’t caught short in the field and, no, I’m not sitting in a porta-potty, this is one of the one-person hides that we used at Marala.

Islbirder Sams Photography

Anyway, sitting in my hide with only a bloodthirsty mosquito for company, I was aware of the whoosh of wings just above me. A second later and only a few feet from where I sat a WESTERN OSPREY plunged dived into the water and pulled out a very unhappy looking fish. To be so close to this amazing bird as it did what Ospreys do best was an exhilarating experience. SvZ’s incredible photographs of the same incident chronicle it superbly.

   

Western Osprey Sarel van Zyl

Having photographed as much as they could at the Marsh the photographers began to pack up their hides. Whilst they did so my attention was drawn to the edge of the lake where two ASIAN PIED STARLING fed. Just behind them was a BLUETHROAT, tail cocked and wings drooped as it appeared from the marginal vegetation.

Asian Pied Starling Sarel van Zyl

In the afternoon after a very pleasant lunch, we moved onto the other side of the Chenab River amongst fields of wheat. It was quite late and we were beginning to lose the light. However, the photographers altered their ISO settings.

Green Bee-eater Sarel van Zyl

Meanwhile I had wondered off closer to the river where I found several RUFF on a mud bank and some Eurasian Wigeon. However, I also added two more species to the Pakistan Bird List. A flock of 24 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER flew over. They were not displaying the black underwing of the more anticipated Grey Plover. They were a good inland record and normally a winter visitor to Sind. Some were beginning to show the black under body of their breeding plumage. Very quickly afterwards whilst musing about the area being superb habitat for a Short-eared Owl, I saw a distant ‘Ringtail’ Harrier. As it came closer and provided a spectacular flying performance I could see it was a female or immature PALLID HARRIER. This is the commonest of the Harrier species to occur in Pakistan.

As the sun again dropped below the horizon we made our way back to Sialkot and our hotel. We wondered what delights Marala would provide the next morning. The fact that breakfast was to be at 0330 hours wasn’t quite so appealing. May I assure readers that no wildlife was harmed in any way during the creation this Blog; with the possible exception of that mosquito that had shared my hide!