The locally carved wooden boat, powered by an improvised diesel engine, cruises swiftly through the calm waters of the lake creating waves along its trail. The only sound that can be heard is the one generated by this machine. The majestic view of the clear sky and hills surrounding the water body is mesmerising.
The boat’s owner, Khan Bhai, sitting on one side of the boat, tries to assume the role of a self-acclaimed guide. He talks about the Uchali Lake but fails to get his voice across.
He vaguely points in a direction and steers his boat towards a thick black line on the surface of the lake. As we get close, it gets thicker and at one point turns into a moving mass. When even closer, it turns out to be thousands of birds, nestled together away from the shore, mainly red-beaked and black-bodied common coot.
The revving boat makes the birds flutter; their movement creates ripples on the surface of water. They will stay there and do not fly away. They are familiar with the boat.
About four and a half hours away from Lahore, Uchali is a huge salt water lake situated in Soon Valley, which lies in the heart of Nowshera Tehsil of Khushab district in Punjab. The lake is a paradise for birdwatchers as it attracts thousands of migratory birds every year.
Around 45 species of migratory birds have been spotted here. These birds come from Siberia, Mongolia and other places with extreme winter temperatures and fly along the Indus Waterway. The species found here include grebes, ducks, geese, pelicans, herons, coots, flamingos, spoonbills, cranes, bustards and gulls. The globally endangered white-headed duck was also spotted some years ago.
Uchali Lake is one of the three lakes of the Uchali Complex which has been declared a protected site under the Ramsar Convention signed in Iran in 1971. The other two lakes are Khabeki and Jhallar -- both located at a close distance from Uchali.
The convention makes it binding on the signatories to ensure ecology of wetlands is not disturbed and development, if any, is sustainable and in sync with the nature.
The locals have developed a strong bond with the migratory birds over the years. They guard them like their children and on occasions have confronted those trying to catch or hunt them.
This year the government allowed hunting of partridges. The gunshots that echoed in the valley forced some birds to fly away before time.
There were flamingos at the start of the season but they are said to have disappeared suddenly, he says.
Here they come again. Within moments thousands of migratory birds appear in the sky, whirring from above and moving in different formations. They take a plunge in the water after making some rounds. They look joyful. We must not lose them. They must keep on returning.