Birds of many a feather seem to flock to Sind in summer to add colour to its rich wildlife
The terrible hot days of mid-summer make people wish to escape from the exhausting routine of life of the humid city of Karachi to a cool, breathtakingly pleasant place to relax. Many prefer to refresh themselves wading at a beach, some like to go for a dip in the lakes and rivers and some spend hours bathing in a swimming pool. People who love wildlife and birdwatching, like myself, can be found, yet again, along the wetlands and swamps of interior Sindh carrying their conventional gear, binoculars and camera. Those, who know little about wildlife, may be startled to think of birdwatching in summer. Because the apex of the time for birdsporting is supposed to be during the winters when million and millions of birds come in from the colder regions. They all return to their breeding grounds at the onset of summer. All right, but nature has an obscure set of rules. There are many other birds that migrate in summer, in fact there is a wide variety of birds and animals in the local wildlife that flourishes here in summer.
The wildlife of Sindh is so rich that one can enjoy birdwatching and photography all year round from the fertile lakes and water reserves of the upper province to the coastal areas. Various species of birds and animals can be seen throughout the year irrespective of weather, season and environmental changes. The preferred sites for birdwatching and wildlife photography during summer are those of the upland lakes, ponds and other water spreads that abound in a large number of waterbirds.
During summer, rice is cultivated on most of the agricultural lands. A reasonable level of water is maintained in the rice fields as well as in the irrigational channels as it is essential for the rice crop. Consequently a number of waterbirds from ducks, the rail and wader tribes gather in and around the rice fields and other water spreads seeking food.
A member of the duck family that immigrates in summer from Siberia and Russia is the Lesser Whistling Teal. Many small flocks of 5 to 8 birds can be seen flying at a low altitude during the daytime near the rice fields. Unlike the other ducks, the Whistling Teal nests mostly on trees. Very shy and nervous it prefers hiding in the thick vegetation during feeding. The Whistling Teal eats water plants, nibbling on their seeds and shoots. It also snacks on insects and aquatic invertebrates by dabbling on the water surface in shallow water.
The Whistling Teal is apparently different from other ducks as it has longer legs and a squarish head. It has an erect goose-like stance on the ground. Its wings are also rounder and broader like a goose. The upperparts are mostly brown and buff with pale edgings to the feathers. The rump and tail are blackish while the underpart is light brown with black spots. Unlike the other ducks, the male and female have an identical plumage. At a distance it resembles a Ruddy Shelduck.
The Spotbill Duck, a stunning member of the duck family is a common sight around the various wetlands located along the Indus River. Thousand of birds migrate in during the summer, joining the resident population. Most of the inhabitants settle along the typical wetlands sites in Thatta and prefer spending the day in shallow waters, lagoons and seepage ponds. Fewer birds also breed here in April.
The Spotbill Duck is easily distinguished from the other dabbling ducks because of its size and distinctive plumage. It has speckled brown and buff feathering with a dark strip on its head and a marked eyestripe. The bill is black with a clear yellow spot like a band across the tip for which it is named.
The Spotbill Duck is primarily herbivorous, feeding on the seeds and shoots of waterweeds. It also feeds on rice, the rhizome of water lillies and sometimes on snails and other insect larvae etc.
Another fascinating waterbird is the Glossy Ibis that is found in abundance during the monsoons. A unique shaped bird that has a down-curved long bill, a slender neck and long legs. It reveals normally a black plumage all over its body, but if looked at closely in the sunlight, it has a maroon tinge to the feathers at the neck and on the breast with glossy bronze-green wings. The sexes are alike, though females are slightly smaller in size. A large number of birds breed in swamps around Haleji Lake and live there all year round. A remarkable population has also been observed on the other wetlands of Thatta, Badin and Ladiun.
The Glossy Ibis is a largely resident bird specie that moves intermittently from one place to another due to change in waterways and feeding conditions but prefers large lakes and extensive rice growing tracts. It tends to fly in small flocks, usually in a V formation even when wandering at short distances. Normally, the waterfowls form a V pattern when flying for outlying destinations. The Glossy Ibis eats worms, molluses, tadpoles, water beetles, larvae and small insects etc. When feeding, it does not seem very watchful to the presence of men, and gives them, sometimes, a good oppurtunity to shoot close-snaps.
Among the various waterfowls that are summer visitors, a wonderful guest is the Watercock. This oriental bird that is widely distributed belongs to China. In Pakistan it is only a breeding visitor in the rainy season and is largely confined to lower Sindh. The earliest arrival of the breeding pairs has been observed to be in May. In the early days of its arrival , the presence of the breeding birds is restricted to the reedy margins of riversides and its seepage zones until the rice is grown. By the end of July, they end with their breeding process and scatter all over the paddy fields.
The Watercock is apparently a beautiful bird to watch. It’s a hen-like bird with large legs specially designed to hold and move along the reeds. The male has a bright blue and purple plumage and a round backward sloping horn on the top of its head. The female is duller in colour: a brown and buffed plumage with black spots.
The Watercock feeds mainly on tadpoles, pupae, larvae of aquatic insects as well as on the seeds of aquatic sedges and rice seeds etc. One can capture magnificent snapshots of the male birds when they are fighting in the grassy fields. They show a high level of aggressiveness jumping into the air and striking at each other with their large feet and they often try to grab their opponent’s neck in their bill. The Watercock are usually found accompanied by their close cousins, the Purple Gallinule and the Moorhen who share in their habitat and breeding biology.
Egrets, Grey Heron and Purple Herons are also found commonly all over Sindh during summer. These birds nest high in the trees during their breeding season. They are usually found wading most of the day in the large wetlands and marshes in search for fish. However, during the monsoon they also congregate in and around the rice fields to catch small fish from the water spread in the farm-acres. Egrets and Herons are too very photogenic birds. Other waterbirds that are commonly photographed in the paddy fields and the wetlands are the Stilts, Jacanas, Plovers, Terns, Lapwings and Cormorants etc.
After the rice is harvested, the fields and tracks around contain leftover grains and seeds which invite a large number of terrestrial birds like the Dove, Pigeon, Plover and many others to feed. These birds found busy in gobbling them sometimes ignore the presence of humans nearby. One can take advantage and get excellent snaps even through ordinary cameras without using a zoom lens.
Birdwatchers should always carry a notebook to record a sighted species, their location, or to note the interesting or unusual activities of birds in the wild. If anyone catches sight of an infrequent or rare species, he is advised to report it to the regional wildlife department. This is helpful in making the count factual and in the maintainance of a list of local and visiting birds. The best time to experience excellent birdwatching and take photographs during the summer is in mid-June till the end of August. Presently, the season is at hand. Do make a plan to go for a wild-watch. I am sure you will return there again and again.
Birds of many a feather seem to flock to Sind in summer to add colour to its rich wildlife 
