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Kazakhstan
22
May-7 June 2004
Leaders:
Svetlana Annenkova, Algirdas Knystautus and Vaughan
Ashby
Participants:
Nick Baker
Mike Carr
Alistair McClee
Rob Poot
Cliff Ross
Peter & Rosemary Royle
Terry Thomas
Martin Tribe
Picture: Mongolian Finch |
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A personal account by Martin Tribe
Day 1:
The group arrived in Almaty early morning and were greeted
by Sveta, Vaughan and rain! The rain did not dampen our enthusiasm for birding
however, but we had to wait a short while until we had driven to the foothills
of the Tien Shan Mountains, currently mostly hidden by low cloud. Our first
stop was a village with plenty of trees. We soon found three Azure Tits, Hume's
Warbler and a fine male Common Rosefinch plus noisy Common Mynas and as we
were about to leave, a pair of Brown Dippers on the nearby stream. Further
up the mountain road we added a singing male Blue Whistling-thrush, Greenish
Warbler, Grey Wagtail and heard the more familiar sound of Eurasian Blackbird
echoing from the wooded mountainside. Higher up, the mountains had disappeared
into the mist but we still added the tianschanica subspecies of Eurasian
Treecreeper and the bactriana subspecies of Eurasian Magpie, the latter
having noticeably more white in the wings. The familiar sound of Common Cuckoo
came through the mist, not a bird one normally associates with mountains.
Our resting place for the night was an astronomical observatory at about 2800m.
The mist was thick now so we took our time settling in but still birded around
the observatory getting brief views of Water Pipit and Carrion Crow. Vaughan
found a sleeping female Common Crossbill huddled against a tree trunk and
we had brief views of Sulphur-bellied Warbler and Severtsov's Tit-warbler.
Later the mist cleared and the sun shone so we headed outside to check out
the juniper and spruce enjoying a good view of a singing male Himalayan Rubythroat
before the mist returned. Determined to carry on birding we followed the sound
of finch-like calls and began to realise there were a lot of birds about,
albeit hard to see. The finally cleared and we were soon watching groups of
the rather plain-looking Hodgson's Mountain-finches feeding and flying around
us. Amongst them were at least ten Brandt's Mountain-finches (a bird normally
found much higher up and one we were glad to see as they are normally hard
to find) and Red-fronted Serins. As we watched these birds we found a singing
male Brown Accentor, soon followed by a second and had brief views of an Altai
Accentor. Back amongst the bushes and trees we saw two more Sulphur-bellied
Warblers and a Greenish Warbler. In the distance a curlew-like call indicated
the presence of male Himalayan Snowcocks - a bird to hunt for tomorrow.
Day 2:
We were delighted to awake to a clear sky, superb views
of the mountains all around us and snowcocks calling. After breakfast, we
drove up to another observatory situated 3300m up in the mountains. On the
way up, we had good views of an Altai Accentor and a few Water Pipits. At
the observatory we immediately picked up a fine male Güldenstädt's Redstart,
which was quickly followed by both Red-billed & Yellow-billed Choughs.
Altai Accentors were again seen and we were a bit surprised to find a female
Black Redstart. We moved to a site that overlooked three mountain ridges where
we could hear a snowcock calling. Soon three were seen briefly in flight but
unfortunately not by the entire group. A male however, could still be heard
and wasn't that far away. After a few tense minutes the bird decided to sit
up on a boulder and showed superbly. As we hunted for the snowcock, we had
picked up more Hodgson's Mountain-finches, at least ten more Brandt's Mountain-finches
and a pair of White-winged Grosbeaks. Back down at the lower observatory,
the weather was still good so we set about thoroughly exploring the spruce
trees and juniper bushes. A male Himalayan Rubythroat sang from the top of
a spruce tree whilst a Black-throated Accentor sang from another closeby.
On a nearby bush we then found a singing male Eversmann's Redstart. What a
place this is and treetops seemed the place to look as a Common Cuckoo called
from one and a male White-winged Grosbeak from another. We again picked up
Sulphur-bellied and Greenish Warblers and Severtzov's Tit-warbler and added
Mistle Thrush. Suddenly the two Russian-speakers with us began shouting urgently
at each other; we looked around frantically and most saw at least one bird
fly quite low overhead. The excitement was because we had been overflown by
two or possibly more Red-breasted Rosefinches, a bird of high and inaccessible
mountains and one almost never seen. Immediately this was followed by a male
Red-mantled Rosefinch flying over for comparison! Next it was time to hunt
for one of the birds most people come here to see, Ibisbill. Yesterday was
had driven past Great Almaty Lake in the mist without seeing it but today
it was showing in all its glory. The lake held four pairs of Ruddy Shelduck,
(it is strange to watch these birds flying around rock-strewn mountainsides),
and, after a brief search, a superb Ibisbill. A falcon-like call drew our
attention to a Merlin of the race lymani and we also found Common Raven,
a female Red-mantled Rosefinch and the rufipectus race of Coal Tit.
It was now time to head down to the lowlands, of course birding en route.
Our first stop added a soaring Northern Goshawk and we heard Spotted Nutcracker,
Common Whitethroat and Western Grasshopper-warbler. Our fourth species of
redstart for the day was found in the form a superb male Blue-capped Redstart
whilst Brown Dippers showed well on the river and we heard the strange sound
of Corn Crakes calling from very steep grassy slopes. Three Oriental Turtle-doves
showed well by the side of the road and the male Blue Whistling-thrush sang
again for us.
Day 3:
Today we covered the Sorbulak Lake area, a place of scattered
lakes surrounded by arid semi-desert, in a very sturdy, high ground-clearance
vehicle. En route to the lake we picked up European Roller, European Bee-eater,
Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Wagtail and Mallard. At the lake we were treated
to the spectacular sight of a colony of approximately 10,000 Rose-colored
Starlings nesting amongst the boulders, with flocks constantly flying over
our heads. At various spots around the many lakes of the area we added Dalmatian
& Great White Pelicans, Garganey (a very common duck here), Red-crested
Pochard, Little Ringed Plover, 23 Terek Sandpipers, Temminck's Stint, Caspian
Gull, White-winged Tern, Oriental, Sky, Greater Short-toed, Lesser Short-toed,
Crested and Calandra Larks, Hoopoe and Red-headed Bunting. A search of a small
wood yielded Barred Warbler and Blyth's Reed-warbler and nearby we found a
male Red-backed Shrike. There were some areas of reedbed and although relatively
small, held singing Great Reed-warblers. We saw several perched up singing
on the reeds very well before a Western Marsh-harrier decided to drop in!
Our packed lunch was consumed at another large lake where we picked up some
more new species: Little Bittern, Great Egret, Little Tern, Common Kingfisher,
Black-headed Wagtail and Sykes's Warbler whilst the House Sparrows here were
of the bactrianus race. These birds are highly migratory and are a
potential split from House Sparrow. Next, we stopped at small woodland to
search for Shikra. First we picked up a circling Black Stork and then a Long-legged
Buzzard before the Shikra appeared and showed extremely well. Moving away
from the lakes, we continued our journey finding Pied & Isabelline Wheatears,
Spotted Flycatcher, Isabelline & Lesser Grey Shrikes, Tree Sparrow and
the halimodendri race of Lesser Whitethroat at a roadside stop. After
an excellent day, we headed for our camp from the main road across the Taukum
Desert. Shortly after leaving the road, we came across a group of 12 Greater
Sandplovers, the males in full summer plumage. At a small waterhole near the
camp we picked up Temminck's Stint, Lesser & Greater Short-toed Larks,
Isabelline Wheatear and two Ruddy Shelduck. Four Black-bellied Sandgrouse
flew past as did a single Greater Sandplover and we found a pair of Red-headed
Buntings. Finally, a pair of Demoiselle Cranes were 'scoped' in the fading
light. Our camp was amazing with everyone being assigned their own Yurt (traditional
Kazak nomads accommodation) complete with electric lights, power points, beds
and carpets! Outside each Yurt was a washbasin and the toilets and showers
were in little tents and we even had hot water in the showers! The dining
tent was huge and the food remarkably good, we were certainly not roughing
it!
Day 4:
Today we drove further into the desert, stopping and scanning.
Soon, we were watching a fine displaying male Macqueen's Bustard. During the
morning we saw seven of these magnificent birds, displaying, standing and
flying. Four Black-bellied Sandgrouse were watched as they sat on the ground
and we found migrants in the form of Spotted Flycatcher and Blyth's Reed-warbler.
Various stops to scan specific vegetation soon added a pair of superb Caspian
Plovers - a highlight of the trip for many. We next stopped at a ruined house
that had the only tree for literally miles around. In this tree were nesting
House (Bactrian) and Spanish Sparrows. The area also added our first Bimaculated
Larks and a Steppe Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis pallidirostris).
Lesser Whitethroats and Syke's Warblers were again seen as were three Horsefield's
Tortoises and a young Persian Gazelle (now very rare and hard to see). The
afternoon was spent at a rocky canyon with ancient petroglyphs. En route we
picked up the 'usual' common larks plus White-winged Lark which occasionally
breeds in the area and Hoopoe and Eurasian Hobby. Arriving at the canyon,
Red-headed Buntings showed well together with two male Grey-necked Buntings
whilst the rocky slopes were home to Chukars and Pied Wheatears. Our main
target bird was Eastern Rock Nuthatch and it didn't take too long to find
complete with its amazing nest. Both Isabelline & Red-backed Shrikes were
also seen together with a soaring Golden Eagle but the grand finale was saved
until just before we left with 2 Desert Finches coming down to drink. On the
way back to the camp we found more White-winged Larks, bringing our total
up to an incredible 8. After dinner at the camp, a few of the group were fortunate
to see a European Nightjar flying through the camp.
Day 5:
Sadly leaving camp, we drove to an area known as the Barkhans,
rolling scrub-covered sand dunes interspersed with small lakes closer to Lake
Balkhash. Mike's shout of 'Eagle Owl' had quickly stopped the bus and clambering
over the first hill where we admired two huge Eurasian Eagle-owls flying slowly
over the desert, mobbed by Brown-necked Ravens. They then perched on bushes
a few hundred yards away glaring at us for disturbing them! The first lakes
held Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck and Black-winged Stilt whilst the
bushes and reeds held the large-billed pyrrhuloides race Common Reed
Buntings looking very pale on the back, plus 'Caspian' Common Reed-warblers
and Cetti's Warbler. At our second stop, we added two Azure Tits, the Siberian
race of Common Starling, Grey Heron, Great Bittern in flight, Shikra and a
group of seven Eurasian Honey-buzzards soaring overhead. Our target here was
Black-headed Penduline-tit but we could only find White-crowned Penduline-tit,
albeit incredibly close views. This area used to be a good site for Black-headed
Penduline-tit but it seemed that the White-crowneds had pushed them out. Nearby
trees held at least eight Eurasian Golden Orioles, White-winged Woodpecker,
Common Nightingales and a pair of breeding Turkestan Tits. Rob suggested a
stop further on, at another reed bed. This proved an excellent idea as we
saw a close female Black-headed Penduline-tit here - a very nice looking bird.
Driving on, we stopped at a small patch of woodland comprising endemic turanga
trees. Here we again saw White-winged Woodpecker and Turkestan Tit whilst
we added the highly sought-after Eversmann's Dove to the list. After lunch
in the woods we drove over the Ile River, stooping on the bridge to admire
two Citrine Wagtails, and on to a Muslim cemetery situated in an area of bushes
and small trees in another part of the desert. Here we added European Turtle-dove
to the list as we walked to the cemetery where we were soon watching our target
species, Saxaul Sparrow, nesting in the mausoleums alongside Eurasian Tree
Sparrows. In the surrounding bushes we found several other good species: Pied
Wheatear, Sykes's & Asian Desert Warblers and singing in the open almost
together, Common Nightingale and Rufous Bush-robin. We arrived back to our
hotel in Almaty early evening and a few people saw European Scops-owl after
dinner. Much rarer however, a Tawny Owl was heard calling in the grounds.
Day 6:
Today we headed east to a stakeout at an artesian well in
the desert. En-route, we saw a pair of Demoiselle Cranes, Montagu's Harrier
and four Alpine Swifts. At the waterhole we soon picked up at least 12 Desert
Finches, lots of Black-bellied Sandgrouse (some landed on the ground nearby
and walked to the water), Eurasian Hobby, Barred Warbler, Isabelline Wheatear
and Isabelline Shrike. Eventually, three of our target species, Pallas's Sandgrouse
were seen flying over. In flight they were noticeably different from the Black-bellieds
and when they called they sounded quite different. Because of late rains we
were very fortunate to see this species as they were not coming in to their
normal drinking places. Next, we drove up the Kokpek towards China, stopping
for lunch at a nest site of Egyptian Vulture where we found a clean-looking
adult on a nest plus Chuckars, Golden Eagle, Red-headed & Grey-necked
Buntings and two very sandy-coloured Little Owls. In the stunningly beautiful
Charyn Canyon area (geographically the centre of the Eurasian continent and
further from the ocean than any other place on earth) we picked up Monk Vulture,
Rock Petronia, Eurasian Crag-martin and Lammergeier and two very white-looking
Horned Larks. Two further (emergency!) stops added Booted Eagle and Steppe
Eagle. Our final scheduled stop of the day was at a waterhole in another part
of the desert. It's a good thing we were with people who knew where they were
going - we really were miles from anywhere! We settled down to watch the water
and were soon admiring Mongolian Finches (about 100 came to drink in the hour
or so we were there) together with Grey-necked Buntings, Rock Petronias, a
female Common Rosefinch, 'Bactrian' House Sparrows, Eurasian Linnets and the
highlight for all, Crimson-winged Finch, at least three males and a female.
Very classy birds and extremely rare in Kazakhstan. Returning to the bus a
Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush showed well on the rocky slope. Returning to our
small hotel in Chilik wasn't quite the end of the birding, as we went to dinner
we found two Grey-headed Goldfinches in a tree in the grounds and after dinner
a few of the group went for a walk and found a European Scops-owl.
Day 7:
The day started with Laughing Dove by the hotel plus the
Grey-headed Goldfinches again along with the turkestanicus race of
Common Greenfinch. Yesterday we stopped briefly at yet another waterhole but
had seen only Little Ringed Plover and a few Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Today
we were back at this waterhole to give it a proper look. We had excellent
views of Black-bellied Sandgrouse with at least 120 seen. Also in the area
were a male Montagu's Harrier, a few Long-legged Buzzards, Eurasian Hobby,
Lesser Kestrel, Greater Sandplover, Hoopoe, Tawny Pipit and Black-headed Wagtails.
Next stop was a village, on the outskirts of which there was a colony of Plain
Martins (variously thought to be a sub-species of Sand Martin or a species
in it's own right and noticeably different from Sand Martin). Eurasian Tree
Sparrows also seemed happy nesting in holes in the sandy banks. Then it was
back up the Kokpek Pass where we checked a couple of rocky gorges The first
gorge behind the cafes (which became affectionately known as Toilet Canyon
because of the toilets at it's base), yielded a superb soaring Saker, Himalayan
Griffon-vulture, four Chukars, Rock and White-capped Buntings and Hume's Whitethroat.
The second gorge higher up gave us a male Saker chasing Rose-coloured Starlings,
four Golden Eagles, an Eastern Imperial Eagle, a pair of each of Rufous-tailed
and Blue Rock-thrushes, a very pale Great Tit and both buntings again. Driving
down the Kokpek Pass again, we returned to Almaty for the night.
Day 8:
Today was the long drive to Alakol Lake, over 600 km, but
on a much-improved road. Roadside birds included European Bee-eaters, Eurasian
Rollers, Hoopoes, four Steppe Eagles, Long-legged and vulpinus Common
Buzzards, Lesser Grey Shrikes, Common Cuckoos and Red-headed Buntings. One
stop gave us nesting Eastern Rock Nuthatch, another added casiotis
Common Wood Pigeons and sommeringii Eurasian Jackdaws, both of which
we saw at various other places during the trip. At Alakol Lake after checking
into our comfortable lakeside resort, we searched the beach area where we
found a nice summer-plumaged Black-throated Diver together with lots of Common
and Little Terns and Caspian Gulls. Waders included Terek Sandpiper, Ruddy
Turnstone, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Little Ringed Plover whilst ducks included
Red-crested Pochard, Ruddy Shelduck and Common Goldeneye. There were also
Masked & Citrine Wagtails, lots of Common Nightingales and Eurasian Tree
Sparrows whilst Eurasian Swallows and Sand Martins were very common here,
feeding on the abundant flies and mosquitoes!
Day 9:
This morning we drove to an excellent nearby marsh in glorious
sunshine with the mountains reflecting in the lake. The red-spotted form of
Bluethroat sang, Paddyfield Warblers and Siberian Stonechats showed well and
Black-headed Wagtails were abundant. A walk through the grass gave us flight
views of four Common Quail. The marsh held Great Egret, Grey Heron, Greylag
Goose, Mute & Whooper Swans, Northern Pintail, Gadwall and Northern Shoveler,
the eastern race of Eurasian Curlew (orientalis), Common Redshank,
Kentish Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Little Stint in summer plumage,
Northern Lapwing, Collared Pratincole and White-winged Terns. Out over the
lake, another Black-throated Diver, Dalmatian Pelicans and Great & Common
Black-headed Gulls could be seen but by far the most unexpected bird was however,
an adult summer-plumaged Red-necked Stint. Another marshy area added Red-necked
& Black-necked Grebes, Common Snipe and Common Shelduck whilst Common
Swift of the pekinensis race flew overhead. In the afternoon we drove
up into the nearby Dzungharian Mountains and birded some gentle scrub-covered
slopes in the shadow of huge mountains. Red-billed Choughs were seen together
with Black (Black-eared) Kite, Monk Vulture, Eurasian Hobby and Common Kestrel
and our target species, Meadow Bunting was seen well alongside Rock Buntings
for comparison. An adult Eastern Imperial Eagle showed very well, gently soaring
closer and closer whilst Red-fronted Serins and Rose-coloured Starlings flew
overhead and we had a surprise in the form of a Black Stork soaring down the
valley and landing by the nearby stream.
Day 10:
A quite long drive to visit to another marsh added yet
more species. The already-seen species included Long-legged Buzzard, Isabelline
Shrike, at least six Siberian Stonechats, Sky Larks and Cetti's Warblers and
as well as Montagu's Harrier, we found our first Pallid Harrier, a fine male,
which obligingly landed on the path about fifty metres from us. We also found
a singing male Barred Warbler that was soon followed by our target species,
a singing Pallas's Grasshopper-warbler. Stock Dove and Richard's Pipit were
also added to the list here. In the afternoon we drove to the west end of
the lake but winter storms had radically changed the coastline and we saw
very little apart from billions of 'killer' mosquitoes. We were all very glad
that the itinerary had been changed and we no longer had to camp here but
had comfortable accommodation elsewhere!
Day 11:
After an early-morning lake-watch, it was time to leave
Alakol Lake and drive back to Almaty but Eurasian Sparrowhawk seen before
we left was new for the trip. On the way back to Almaty we again stopped at
the Eastern Rock Nuthatch site where we saw both adults and could see also
see young in the nest. Also here were two male Blue Rock-thrushes, a male
Pied Wheatear, Rose-coloured Starlings a Red-headed Bunting and Bactrianas
House Sparrows.
Day 12:
Today we were to flew north to Astana for the extension
to the main tour: an option no-one had declined. Before we left the hotel
in Almaty we had recorded two new species for the trip: Ring-necked Pheasant
and Hooded Crow, now it was time for the Steppe. We left Astana after a delay
caused by the Estonian Prime Minister and his entourage and headed for the
Kurgalgin Nature Reserve comprising lakes and steppe grassland. There really
aren't many natural trees in the steppe so at a roadside plantation, we were
pleased to see Red-footed Falcons. Carrying on, we soon began to see our first
Black Larks and of course, stopped for them. As we watched more male Black
Larks feeding by the roadside of this remarkably flat land, we checked an
adjacent green area and although we couldn't see any water, it was obviously
a marsh as White-winged Terns were abundant and nesting here together with
Black-tailed Godwits and Marsh Sandpipers. Garganey swam through what looked
like grass and our first Black-winged Pratincoles were seen together with
Sykes's Yellow Wagtails and Citrine Wagtails. The 'yellow-legged' type gulls
here were all Steppe Gulls (subtly different from the Caspian Gulls we had
been watching previously) and we found a vulpinus Steppe Buzzard. A
stop at a large lake was very productive with Twite of the steppe form being
a good bird to find and we also saw our first Northern Wheatears. The lakeshore
held numerous Common Black-headed and Steppe Gulls, a few Common Gulls and
five Slender-billed Gulls. Waders included Little Ringed Plover, four Little
Stints, two Curlew Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper, two Marsh Sandpipers, and
many (although only a few were close) Red-necked Phalaropes. A mile or so
on we stopped for a large raptor on a telegraph pole and added a magnificent
White-tailed Eagle to the list. That evening after checking into our pleasant
lakeside cottages, we saw reeling Savi's Warbler, a very pale race of Bearded
Parrotbill, Paddyfield Warblers and 'Caspian' Reed-warblers.
Day 13:
Our base for three nights was on the shore of the largest
lake of the area. We were now deep in the reserve, a place no other tour company
visits, and we in the hands of a knowledgeable local guide, Alexei. We began
the day with Savi's Warblers reeling then headed to check some nearby smaller
lakes. The first one held at least two pairs of White-headed Ducks along with
Tufted Duck and Common Pochard. A pair of Red-necked Grebes was seen here
plus 31 Whooper Swans, two Great Black-headed Gulls, hundreds of Great Cormorants
(seen in large skeins throughout the days we were in the area) and Isabelline
Shrike. We also saw the incognita race of Common Reed Bunting, with
a smaller bill than the southern birds and a huge nape area. An area of bushes
with a few small trees was our next stop. Here a pair of pallidus Merlins
were nesting - very pale, small, sandy-coloured birds looking quite different
to the north European birds. Two Short-eared Owls also showed well here as
did a Western Grasshopper-warbler. A Black-winged Pratincole colony was our
next stop and we had excellent views of these birds, both on the ground and
in flight and nearby we added Caspian Tern to the list. Next was a key species
for any trip here, near a village we scanned the short grass and quickly located
a flock 11 Sociable Lapwings, a rare and declining species these days. We
were treated to wonderful views of these enigmatic birds and later found two
more bringing our total to an impressive 13. A stop at another area small
bushy area provided us with some nice birds: Bluethroat, Siberian Stonechat,
Paddyfield Warbler and our target species, Booted Warbler with two seen incredibly
closely. Other stops at various lakes during the day produced many of the
same birds but of particular note were 173 Whooper Swans, 200+ Greylag Geese,
93 Red-crested Pochards, 52 Garganey and 150 Caspian Terns.
Day 14:
Yesterday had been highly successful and as there was no
pressure today to find any target species, we just enjoyed our birding. We
firstly birded the local area enjoying the Bluethroats that were nesting around
the huts in which we were staying, finding more Savi's Warblers and Bearded
Parrotbills and admiring breeding-plumaged Black-throated Divers. After lunch,
we drove to a different lake in search of Greater Flamingo. Here we found
13 Pied Avocets, 115 Curlew Sandpipers, 300+ Slender-billed Gulls, 100+ Red-necked
Phalaropes and 27 Greater Flamingoes. Two stunning male Pallid Harriers and
a few Twite were seen en-route but the real excitement was a torrential thunderstorm
which nearly resulted in us becoming stuck in the mud!
Day 15:
Sadly, it was time to drive back to Astana for the flight
back to Almaty. We stopped at various sites seeing birds such as Merlin, Steppe
Eagle and Demoiselle Cranes for the last time and enjoying stunning views
of both Western Marsh-harrier and Pallid Harriers hunting and five Red-footed
Falcons - two adult males, two young males and a female. Near Astana we added
Yellowhammer to the list and saw our first European Bee-eater for a few days.
Arriving back in Almaty we transferred back to our hotel again
Day 16:
We left early to catch our flight back to the UK via Istanbul,
reaching London in the afternoon (UK time). It had been a superb trip, with,
as one person said, good views of everything. We had seen some birds normally
very hard if not almost impossible to see in Kazakhstan, or indeed anywhere
else, plus different races of birds we were more familiar with. The trip total
was 248, a new record for this tour, achieved thanks to excellent local knowledge
and great birding by all participants.
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