Breeding Birds Preparing Around Islamabad

Hello readers, Swabi birder had a busy weekend with the birds in Margalla hills and Rawal Lake. Sunday 4 March 2018 was a lovely sunny day, with the onset of spring in the Capital. Flowers have carpeted the parks and the lakeside. The amazingly green Islamabad is blooming these days.

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher
I, along with Mrs Swabi birder, decided to walk in the woodland at Kharian village to avoid the crazy traffic that has started in this capital city over the past years. My wife an ideal life partner, who encourages my interest she has developed a liking for the birds and I am happy that I have added another birder to the list in Islamabad. I remember Islbirder used to go birding with Mrs Islbirder.  I am trying to keep the tradition of my best buddy going on. I hope the readers will appreciate that.

Citrine Wagtail

Migratory birds and waders are on the move and the lakeside is an interesting place to visit. Spring is in the air and birds are calling each other and l believe that soon breeding season will commence in earnest.  I have noticed birds collecting nesting material and activities have started already.

Little Ringed Plover
Besides the common birds at Kharian, a pair of Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers flew under the tree canopy and busily caught flies and sang to attract each other.

The lakeside at Rawal Lake was crossed by clean air from all sides and ripples upon the water reflected the sunlight like jewels. The Pied Kingfisher was busy hunting as usual and was enjoying a small fish it caught.




Pied Kingfisher
Additionally, my Team members from www.woodnotefilms had a wonderful time with the people from US Embassy and USAID in Islamabad, at the screening of our documentary the Pursuit of the Phantom. We had shared our experience of how the conflict between humans and natural world can be avoided.


With an aim to conserve the natural history and biodiversity of this amazing country, I and my team have so much on our agenda to go for and hopefully one day we will succeed in realising our dream.

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