The report of half-day birdwatching in Band Ali Khan Wetland

With the end of summer’s hot days and beginning of autumn’s colorful days, the big groups of migratory birds come to Iran, meanwhile some of the other migratory birds leave our vast country and we should wait until next year to observe them again. In the remaining time and to see off the Gray Hypocolius, we went to the Band Ali Khan Wetland with some of Iranian Birding Club’s members.

This event was held on Friday, September, 27^th with 12 people and the guide was Shahrzad Fattahi. This day was fairly hot in the semi-deserted area of Band Ali Khan and the below species were recorded:

1. Rock Dove (Columba livia)
2. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
3. Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis)
4. Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
5. Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)
6. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
7. Common Buzzard (Steppe) (Buteo buteo vulpinus/menetriesi)
8. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus)
9. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
10.  Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)
11. Great Gray Shrike (Steppe) (Lanius excubitor pallidirostris)
12. Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)
13. Lesser Short-toed Lark (Alaudala rufescens)
14. Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
15. Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
16. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
17. Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
18. Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
19. Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)
20. Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)
21. Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka)
22. Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus)
23. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
24. Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
25. Greater Hoopoe Lark (Alaemon alaudipes)

These kind of events have the shared purpose of interest in nature and birding and they can attract more people who care about the nature and the environment. Such gathering is beyond age and education limits and everyone enjoys the beauties of the nature.

In this event, 9-year-old Pouyan, a very young birder accompanied us who was very eager to learn about the birds and observe them. His enthusiast to find birds and their name made this trip much more pleasant for everyone. Educating children and teenagers about birding activities can ensure a better vision for the future of our environment.

One of the other members of the group who joined the birders recently, stated that they always go to ecotourism trips, but this trip was more joyful for them, because all the members of the group had a shared aim which was observing the birds. Birding can bring us peace and satisfaction.

The members of our group were:

Pouyan. Azsdeh Vaezi, Babak Valizadeh, Kaveh Naderi, Siamak Derafshi, Mahdi Darban, Ms. Rahmani. Amirreza Asgari, Salim Mohajer, Abbas Mahjoub, Saba Hamid Gorgani

Report by: Shahrzad Fattahi

Translated by: Mitra Danesshvar

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