During 20 minutes of birding before the work I saw in the Republic Square only Turkestan Shrike and Gennady Dyakin )). At lunch time I watched flying Black kite from the window (not first time by the way). Also after noon I took photos of Long-tailed Shrike much better than yesterday. Stonechats are not leave the Square yet, so if anyone want to shoot them, welcome to the Square, because Stonechats are the best models ever. [...... read more ]

At sunny morning I went to find Jynx. And didn’t find it. Again I saw the strange “Weatear”, I could watch the rather pale mantle, white outer tail feathers and black throat. The behavior of bird was strange in my opinion, it doesn’t fly off and perch on any elevation, but all time hid under the low branches of bushes. Also I saw Bluethroat and Swallows (in Samal, perhaps Red-rumped). After noon I again went to the Square, but weather was already overcast with little rain. I saw Stonechats, Long-tailed Shrike, and also heard the sound of bird which flew from the bush to spruce-tree. This sound I never heard before today. My first guess was of course Jynx. At home I found the sound of Jynx but I can’t be sure that I heard it’s sound in spite of unique of Jynx sound. [...... read more ]

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At 8.30am weather was sunny, I went to the work, crossed Republic Square and noticed the first in this year male Bluethroat, and also 6-7 Lesser Whitethroats flying one to another. After noon I visited the same place expecting to take photo of Bluethroat, but weather became overcast and there are many people in the Square. But I noticed new birds: Stonechats (about 15 birds), Jynx, Sparrowhawk, Black Kite, 2 Wood Pigeons, Greenfinches. Stonechats as usually easy perched on the tops of bushes regularly flying to ground to insects. Jynx was very shy, I saw it twice, but each time it hid to long time. I can say that we find it accidentally. Also I saw the strange Weatear which I couldn’t recognize. [...... read more ]

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Yesterday during the short-time trip to mountain I shot White-bellied Dipper. Also at lunch time I went to my common birding spot, the Republic Square and found female Bluethroat hidden under the spruce-tree. Bluethroat was very close but didn’t leave the shelter, so I not satisfied by the quality of photos though bird on photos is identified. Today I again visited Bluethroat but bird did not approach to me so close as yesterday. Also I saw female Black Redstart, Lesser Whitetroat, and heard Chiffchaffs in some places. I watched the Wood Pigeons eating last-year acorns too. Pigeons are very calm, I approached to them about to 2 meters, so Pigeon did not fit in frame. [...... read more ]

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A long long time I was not in Sorbulak. But now there is birds migration in this place. So when Sanzhar suggested to go to Sorbulak I gladly accepted. Weather is windy rainy and overcast in morning, but sunny and windless after noon. Firstly we observed lakes and channels of Little Sorbulak, but didn't see any interesting, only a lot of fishermans all around. In the island of 1st reservoir we saw white spots of Gulls, but Black Kites were the most significant birds here. In my opinion Big Sorbulak is much more interesting in this season, therefore we went there. In the southern coast of Big Sorbulak there is birds activity. In the sandy shore we saw Dalmatian Pelican, Mute Swan, different Ducks and Waders. There are no Pelicans on water but a lot in island. But most numerous of birds is Black Kite again. Near the first dam we met Gennady and Lena Dyakin which drove in opposite direction. I moved to Gennady’s car but other guys went to White-headed Ducks and Curlews earlier noticed by [...... read more ]

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Very hot weather, +29C. Rooks and Hooded Crows gradually disappeared from city, also I didn’t see any Brambling or Chaffinch. There is a emptiness because the passage Stonechats and Bluethroat left the Square too, but Blackbirds, Magpies and Greenfinches became less visible due to nesting time. Though some times I heard the songs of Blackbirds and Greenfinches. But the most of birds are affected by both nesting season and hot weather. What did I see? Peregrine Falcon, Sparrowhawk, couple of Wood Pigeons, Magpies, House Sparrow, 3 Great Tits, two Chiffchaffs. Not too much but not so much bad for the one hour birding in mid-day time. Yesterday during the evening jogging I saw Peregrine Falcon perching in night-place; today it was in one of niches in day time. Falcon will depart Square soon. Sparrowhawk soared very close to Peregrine but latter didn’t pay attention to it, but very attentively Peregrine watched me, perhaps we are the old familiars. Noticing Sparrowhawk I thought about it’s [...... read more ]

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Today is sunny and warm. I saw in the Square the singing Greenfinches, two females of Stonechat, some Chiffchaffs in the tops of birch-trees, one Cetti's Warbler and female Pied Wheatear. Pied Wheatear is my local lifer for Republic Square. [...... read more ]

Morning is warm and very sunny. I take the camera expecting to see some interesting birds on the road to my work via Republic Square. I saw three Stonechats (one male, two females), Chiffchaffs, very careful Bluethroat and Greenfinches bringing the nesting materials to the spruce-tree. Need to look this tree one week later or in the next weekend. [...... read more ]

Today is sunny and warm. I and Vassily Fedorenko went to Big Almaty Gorge to the proposed location of Black Grouses mating. During the tracking we saw Black-throated Accentors and Blue-capped Redstarts in bushes. When we arrived to the destination we found neither Black Grouses nor mating place. But we saw many other birds, such as tens of Black-throated Thrushes, Coal Tits, Siskins, couple of Crossbills etc. Some hours I just sat and watched birds. I saw how Coal Tit was taking seeds from pine-cones, one of seed fell from the beak and flew down, then Tit flew to seed and catch it in fly, and then came back to the branch. Also I saw how Crossbills tore the cones and dropped it. Close to mid-day time the birds of prey appeared in the sky. We saw Golden Eagles, Goshawk, female Hen Harrier, and Black Kites. Harrier flew low above the bushes and hovered on spot from time to time. I was surprised the rare wings flapping need to Harrier to be in one spot. Kites also explored the slopes but not [...... read more ]

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Day is very sunny, but cool and windy. Morning, Baiserke (Ili region). The hard northern wind helps to passage Black Kites, almost all time I saw in the sky the small groups of Kites moving to the North even in morning time when the warm air streams from the ground are absent. Of other birds the great Tits, Masked Wagtails, Black-headed Gulls were noticed.Evening. Big Almaty Gorge. Trip to Boreal and Northern Hawk Owls. Until the dusk in the branch gorge we saw many little passerines: Chaffinches, Bramblings, Blue-capped Redstarts. Before sunset owls didn’t responded to the sound records, but in darkness we heard the reply calls from the Northern Hawk Owl (from the top of gorge), Long-eared Owl (from a far), Boreal Owls (in the walnut grove). Song (call?) of Long-eared Owl is the hoot, but songs of Hawk and Boreal Owls are the rather similar “ulululu” sound, but Boreal Owl song is shorter and rarer than in Hawk Owl. But sounds are similar, so we wanted to look at Hawk Owl not only [...... read more ]

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