Ayub Park is a great recreational place for the citizens of Rawalpindi. It has long been popular with the young and old of the garrison city and traces its history back to the British Raj days when it was known as Topi Rakh - Topi forest in the local Potohari language.

Renamed as Ayub National Park after Pakistan’s first military ruler, Gen. Ayub Khan in 1959, its sprawling lush green 313 acres were exquisitely developed, dotted by three lakes and providing gardens, scenic spots and a Baradari. What used to be a jungle picnic spot turned into a popular place for recreation, sports and cultural events.

Fortunately, despite these developments, the place has kept its age-old distinction of being a safe haven for the migratory birds. That enhances its attraction to nature lovers. Not many people though know that Topi Rakh has long been a breeding place for the migratory birds.

Cattle Egrets arrived at Ayub National Park every summer season to lay eggs and hatch it as per routine. Coming from deserts and warm places of the country, these birds stayed at park till September for breeding purposes.

Cattle Egrets (check name and spelling and better use local name of the bird along with this scientific one) is one of the species that arrive there every summer from deserts far and near to lay eggs and hatch them. This bird is known in Arabic as Abu Qarden, or ‘father of ticks’ as it usually eat ticks and herbs from farms.

Anyone entering the Ayub National Park from its main gate at the GT Road can see their nests on trees around the ponds in the park from June to September. Their nests on top of the trees and their cackle present quite a sight-and-sound spectacle to the visitors.

“The park served as breeding place for many birds, though the Cattle egrets are prominent among them,” said Col. (R) Shehzad Mehmood, Director Sports and Security of Ayub National Park while talking to Dawn.

Since the brids have the strange habit of nesting on the same tree they had raised their brood last year, “we don’t cut the trees around the ponds to keep their natural habitat intact,” he explained.

According to him the Army Heritage Foundation (AHF) makes sure that their environment remains undisturbed and does not allow any hunter to enter the park. Veterinary doctors of the AHF monitor the activities of these birds constantly.

“Though these birds usually build these nests around ponds, they never mind human movement in their breeding area. A few of them arrive in May to check their nests of the previous year and then follow whole flocks of 400 to 500 birds in groups.

Col (R) Mehmood informed the birds start departing toward the end of August and are gone within a month. Other birds, like parrots and local species however linger on.

Cattle egrets come from warm places and deserts and usually settle near animal farms for they feed on ticks and other insects, he said. Other birds start descending soon after, perhaps aroused by their cackle.

Muhammad Naeem, a regular visitor of Ayub National Park, finds jogging there on summer mornings “a treat”. He comes to the park for his exercise all year round but in the summer Nature and birds’ calls combine to enhance his joy. “The scenic beauty witnessed in summer is unique,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2016