Khar in Heat Wave
There have been many missing posts and updates that I need to get out of the system. Keeping myself in check, I am hoping I get a lot of important logs out and postes by the end of July. Here we go,
First up of missing posts: Khar center visit, Kirthar National Park, Karachi district.
Date: 23rd June 2024. Time 0930 hrs to 0400hrs.
Temp: As my Scottish host sister who came to visit from Scotland during my exchange would say, roastin!
I reached Zohaib Ahmed (ZA)'s place by 0845hrs. As usual, I sat on the cot in his verandah while he fixed the feed for his birds in the aviary. He has quite a mix: Orange-cheeked waxbills, Gouldians, Bengalese, Zebra, Orange-breasted, Senegal reds, Zebra doves, and some Chickens and Lovebirds. Once done with that, he packed up his stuff and we began our ride from Nazimabad onwards to Surjani Rd, Northern Bypass, and crossed through Usman Takri road which is the most difficult stretch since these areas are rife with muggers, looters, and basically, shooters. I tell myself every time Khar visits the bike that this is not safe and that I must not do it again, yet, my love for Aves and other biodiversity keeps me going. I hope I can save enough for a decent 4x4 in 2 years, a personnel target of mine.
We made a few pitstops along the way as the heat was just crazy, the hot winds were hitting Sir Zohaib in the front way more than they were hitting me. I was doing fine for the most part, he was just getting smacked by the Looh (Urdu/Sindhi for hot wind). We stopped for tea at the dhaba on the road divider that forms two paths, one to Khar and one to Hub dam main. We paused at my favorite freshwater stream and it still had some water left and with water came the activity.
At least 5 Woodshrikes were drinking and hopping around the pool, along with several Rufous-fronted Prinias. A few frogs (E. cynophlyctus) and Tilapias abound. Soon came a rather parched Desert lark shaking and shivering while sipping water merely 3 meters from me. The poor guy was the definition of thirsty. This was my first June sighting of this species, it must be breeding nearby.
The man, the myth, the legend
We reached Khar directly and waited for Sir Qalandar Burfat (QB) to meet us at the dhaba on the right side of the road if you were headed towards Khar. The heat was unbearable even the Chickens were resting below the Clay pot water coolers in the patch where the ground was wet. Sir Qalander joined us and off we left for Lashkari goth side of Hub dam. These are small agricultural settlements on the edge of Hub Dam and are very productive in peak Winters. I tried to search for Fishing cat pugmarks that QB had seen a week earlier, but no luck. A river tern was on an islet on the other side of the inward water body. A Kentish as well. Here, although hesitant at first, we dipped ourselves in the cool water of the dam, a blessing in the scorching temperatures. I got out early because of the fear of Muggers. There have not been sightings in these waters but no reason why they can not enter here: there have been some attacks on the goats in the waters South of here.
Then we entered the backside of Khar near the Chikoo and Mango groves. Here, Peafowls were aplenty; Indian Silverbills and Parakeets as well. We freshened up at the tubewell with some tasty ah water and reached the hillock of Khar center itself. Here we overlooked the Chinkara and Blackbuck pen while Rufous treepies and Parakeets did flyovers. Small Cupids Chilades parrhasius here were my lifer. A little walk Northwards towards the Mungthar revealed some freshly-dropped Porcupine quills, some Tree sap from Acacia senegal that tasted like nothing, a Rock martin, and a Shikra male.
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