European Bee-eaters found in Islamabad



Hello everyone. This is RMK sharing the most pleasant news of the year from Islamabad.  Its been a long time that I didn’t pick up the camera, as it was pretty hot in Islamabad and then the Holy Month of Ramadan was further restricting my activities.

Whilst I was relaxing in the hot humid weather, my friends ZR and RS were searching for new birds in Islamabad and surrounding areas. ZR is an amazing birder and photographer; he spent the whole month looking for Indian Pitta in the Margalla Hills, as it was reported about 20 pairs breed in the ravines. He was also pushing me to travel with him to northern areas Gilgit to photograph European Bee-eaters and I promised him next year!

During the weekend of 3 July 2015 when I was packing for a trip to Nathia Gali, ZR called me and with a jubilant voice, he reported that he and RS had seen European Bee-eaters in Sector D-12 of Islamabad. It was the best news I had heard in my birding time, so far.

I rushed to the site and by the time I was there, they flew into the mountains. With a heavy heart I left for Nathia Gali with my family and asked my friends to keep a close watch over the area. After that RS saw a group of 8 birds on 18 July 15 in the same area. I been missing the show and was thinking about my buddy Islbirder that he must be missing it to when I will pass on the news.

On 26 July 15,  I was determined to look for this beautiful bird. At 1800hrs ZR and I continued our search and luckily I saw two birds sitting on the branch next to each other. I saw them with my binoculars and quickly photographed this gorgeous bird. The bird is extremely shy and probably doesn’t like the human presence. They flew immediately in to the Margalla Hills. With this shot I completed the four type of Bee-eaters that migrate to Pakistan.

The credit goes to my fellow photographers and birders ZR and RS for finding these beautiful birds. Thank You Guys you two have done a great job! 

From Islbirder

That's brilliant well done guys. I was forever trying to persuade RMK to leave the cool of his house in the summer months to find special birds. I was lucky enough to find two European Bee-eaters in Islamabad during the Spring of 2011. I saw them from Trail 3a in the Margalla Hills. However, these were the only representatives of this species I did see in Pakistan in three years.

Also may I say well done to ZR for searching for Indian Pitta. I spent many hours before dawn searching the ravines for this species without success. Indian Pitta was first discovered in Pakistan in the Daman-i-Koh Ravine, in the Margalla Hills in 1978. They arrive from Sri Lanka and India during May and breed in dense vegetation between about 1,500 and 2,500 feet. They breed during Monsoon and leave Pakistan during October. The species was last definitively recorded in Pakistan during surveys of the Margalla Hills during May 1982 and May 1983. May would be the best time to find them through the males' distinctive call.



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