Lesser Whitethroats, Common Whitethroat and Booted Warblers. Warblers were in numbers less than recently, and also Warblers were shyer in my opinion, probably on account of many people. Also I shot Ortolan Bunting and saw one Grey Wagtail on fountains. [...... read more ]

Ucharal. In morning sunset I saw and heard Isabelline Wheatear and saw flying by Hobbies in twilights. Near Ucharal there were much of Rooks and Jackdaws, some Kites and two flying off Great Cormorants. In roadside thickets during Dzhungar Alatau from Kabanbai until Sarkand I watched much Magpies, Wood Pigeons, Rock Pigeons, sometimes Kites, three times female Harriers (not Pallid, probably Montegu's or Hen). [...... read more ]

Ak Mektep. In morning twilight I saw flying Owl (probably Short-eared Owl). On the back way I saw same birds as I saw in yesterday's evening. Even same hybrid Crow. But Steppe Eagles were much more, from Ak Mektep till turning to Ayaguz I countered 11 Steppe Eagles including group of three birds near crushed fox. All eagles were juveniles or subadults. In addition to Eagles I saw Kites (5 birds), Long-legged Buzzards (I countered 8 birds and stop count, Buzzards were very variable from almost white to very dark), about five Pallid Harriers, some Kestrels. On asphalt there were a lot of Short-toed Larks, White, Yellow and Masked Wagtails. In canes I noted pair of Great Cormorants and probably yesterday's White Egret. Also saw unidentified Ducks and one adult male of Pallid Harrier. On gasoline station near Aksuat turning I saw a lot of Swallows, White Wagtails, Common Starlings (which I confused with Mynahs) and female Redstart.I want to say about Quail specially. About four years ago I [...... read more ]

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Day was hot, sunny and probably most lucky to birdwatcher. At morning the road from first foothills of Tarbagatai near Ai until Ayaguz didn't surprised me, I saw Rollers (single birds and once the group) and Lesser Kestrel on roadside elms. Before Ayaguz I watch male Pallid Harrier. Raptors behind Ayguz: Pallid Harriers, Long-legged Buzzards and Lesser Kestrels (at rock emergences, about 20 km over Ayaguz).The road to Zaisan passes on northern foothills of Tarbagatai ridge. All around are dry and yellow, but sometimes roadside pools occur, on these pools it's possible to watch different interesting birds. Karazhal. A little pool 3x2 meters in size. Here I was about one hour and shot much beauty birds. I decided to make a pause mostly of flock of Twites moved around here and sometimes arrived to drink the water. In addition to Twites I also observed Masked Wagtails (probably hybrids), Citrine Wagtail, Ortolan Buntings, Jackdaws, Magpies, Hooded Crows, two Isabelline Wheatears, and two Common [...... read more ]

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In morning near Aksu I watch one very dark almost black Upland Buzzard, three Kestrels, one Grey Heron, Mallard Ducks. In Aksu I saw one Wood Pigeon, in roadside thickets of Sarkand region - much of Hobbies and Kestrels, and over the dam on Lepsy river - the group of Rollers (not departed as yet).At Ucharal ring there were common Kites, but in less number as in previous years. Over Ucharal two Marsh Harrier played one with another in the sky. On roadside till to foothills I saw Swallows, Eurasian Bee-eaters, Long-legged Buzzards, and once four Common Starlings. Between Alakol lake and foothills of Dzhungar Alatau there were a lot of Isabelline Wheatears. On coast of Alakol: Great Cormorants, Grey Heron, Caspian Gulls, one Relict Gull. On back way I saw pair of Black-bellied Sandgrouses, flock of Ruffs, and over Ucharal - wedge of Cranes. The Road to Ayaguz. As usually I wondered to birds' sensibility to geography, as soon as I passed Taskesken turning as I saw the Hybrid Crow, and later [...... read more ]

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Warm and sunny day. Between Almaty and Kapchagai there were several hundreds Kites. In Shengeldy wind became harder, till the northern foothills of Dzhungar Alatau the air was dusty, and I didn't watch any birds. At evening time the wind abated. From Zhansugurov till Aksu on roadside wires I saw Rollers, Eurasian Bee-eaters, one unidentified female Wheatear, Stonechats and Barn Swallows. Directly near Aksu on hemp field the large flock (about 30-40 birds) of Oriental Turtle Doves picked up seeds. [...... read more ]

Ornithologists say that in autumn the birds in foothills are a bit but on lakes the active flight of shorebirds is observed. On these suggestions we with Raufael Bairashev went to watch shorebirds of Sorbulak. Day was cloudy but without a rain. Birds were noted on road were not departed Rollers, Golden Oriole and Hobbies. On a small sediment bowl of violet colour (and fetid smell) usually no any birds, but now it is much of birds (some tens). Most notable and easily distinguishable were Northern Lapwings; also observable by size Ruffs were many; Green Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Curlew Sandpipers and little Temminck's Stints were observed too. In addition to shorebirds I saw small Ducks (Teals?) and one male Common Pochard.Near Sorbulak there were many Kestrels on poles. On lake birds were a lot: Dalmatian Pelicans, Coots, Mallards, Crested Grebes, Ferruginous Ducks, Grey Herons, Great Egrets, Black-headed Gulls, Caspian Gulls. The Great Cormorants in some hundreds number rounded low [...... read more ]

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On Kapchagai I saw only Common Terns, on Ile rocks watched Grey-headed Buntings, little flocks of Rosy Starlings and Lesser Kestrels. Also I saw Chukars. Once the flock of Cranes (probably Demoiselle Cranes but I am not sure) flew off to west. [...... read more ]

The last day of my trip was marked by the tire wore down to the cord. My reserve tire also was not so good and I tried quickly come back to Almaty. Birds observed on the road were not so interesting, only Pied Avocets on Balkhash coast may be noted. Business results of my trip are quite satisfactory. But I certainly waited more interesting birds. [...... read more ]

Akkuduk. At morning time on roadside thickets I saw Wood Pigeons and Oriental Turtle Doves I noticed yesterday. The day was cloudy sometimes rainy. In northern Kazakhstan I always wait the little passerines which I could not observe on southern Kazakhstan, such as Yellow-breasted Bunting or Winchat. Therefore I always try to pay attention mostly to little birds. Unfortunately today was not lucky day, little birds were a bit and birds which I noticed were mostly Sparrows. Only once near Zhaksy in Akmola oblast I shot the little bird and hoped that bird was the female Winchat but it was common female Siberian Stonechat. In same places over Zhaksy and till Atbasar some times I watched the Demoiselle Cranes. [...... read more ]