Today is a holiday in Tajikistan. I decided to walk to Komsomol lake. On the lake there were Mallards. Perhaps, there are also other ducks but I could not identify because many ducks curving rested. It seemed to me that some ducks were lesser than mallards, maybe Garganeys. Black-headed Gulls were fed near to ducks. Well, I already saw the gulls but large number of waders was the news to me. From afar it is difficult to identify it. Ones I identified as Wood Sandpipers, others as Green Sandpipers, but probably I mistaken. The fisherman told to me that mallards winter on Komsomol lake every year. Then probably I still will see them here. I don't know about Kingfisher's wintering on the lake but today I saw them, and not one but three birds. Also saw flock of Chaffinches and Bramblings and one Masked Wagtail. I long searched White-capped Redstart. I found it when did not hope more to find. Redstart sat at water station. [...... read more ]

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Mountains occupy 93 % of territory of Tajikistan and this territory is a little use for a life. Pamir is abrupt, rocky and hard related to people. Unlike Tien Shan or Altai there is a little vegetation in Pamir. Rare undersized trees looks like bushes than like real trees. Today we went to mountains to Magmurud waterfall. I thought to see a high and much water stream. But the waterfall is not only low but also little water. We rose to the next slope, passed through a ridge and went down to the crack above the waterfall. A crack was absolutely dry.And now about birds. The main inhabitants of these rocks are wild Rock Pigeons. Grottoes and cracks of the rocks are full of pigeon feathers. Many people think that a Rock Pigeon is almost home bird. Today's inhabitants of Magmurud are true wild Rock Pigeons. Directly at the water lonely White-capped Redstart was fed. I did not see any other birds in the crack. Only one highly hovering Eurasian Griffon-Vulture. A place near waterfall are silent. [...... read more ]

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Today is «Kingfisher Day». In spite of the fact that I saw today many other birds, Kingfishers are today's main figurants. Black-headed Gull is my Tajikistan new species. Again saw some Wagtails (unidentified species), Chaffinches and one timid White-capped Redstart. Saw several Kingfishers. On Komsomol lake there are no coastal bushes and trees. Therefore Kingfishers fish from concrete piers and metal protections. Today I has noted one interesting to me fact the uncommon fishing of Kingfisher. Scared by numerous passers the Kingfisher has been compelled to hunt not from an height but from flat coast. It was so: the Kingfisher flies up vertically upwards approximately on two metres and hangs some seconds like Kestrel and a stone-like falls to the water. I saw such hunting of a Kingfisher the first time. [...... read more ]

My first trip to the nature, to Romit gorge. The gorge is about 30 km from Dushanbe. Having missed by the nature I often asked to stop the car. On pastures near the road I has seen a female of Hen Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard and Crested Larks. Buzzard easy sat on a cable column and almost did not pay attention to the people worked on field and to Rooks from time to time tried to attack it. But Buzzard didn't ignore me, bird flew to the next column. Crested Larks are absolutely hardly noticeable on autumn fields. But I was a lucky, the pair of birds has landed near to me.Romit gorge is wide and really very beautiful. There is a large river named Kafirnigan in the gorge. The road goes upwards not so abruptly, but the rocks sharply come nearer and become more and more abruptly. The vegetation is a poor, small trees of a hawthorn, sometimes a walnut, a little of grass and bushes. A little of vegetation and a little of birds. In the beginning of gorge I spied only two highly hovering Eurasian [...... read more ]

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I list birds which I saw in Tajikistan till today: common birds are Mynahs, Laughing Doves, Tree Sparrows, Rock Pigeons are met near the rivers, Blackbirds, sometimes Eurasian Collared Doves and House Sparrows are visible in a city. I was without city not so often but saw someone interesting birds. I saw Long-tailed Shrikes, Rollers, Black Kites, Little Ringed Plovers, Red-rumped Swallows, Golden Orioles, one Black-crowned Night Heron and one Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Also near Komsomol lake I twice saw Kingfisher and once White-capped Redstart. Today resting on the lake Mallards and several White Wagtails are added to the list. [...... read more ]

Here the Indian Summer also has ended. Today has sharply become cold and the rain has gone. For photographing of birds weather not the best. Birds a little, Rooks, Hooded Crows and Magpies, Great Tits are appreciable. Surprisingly, but Lesser Whitethroats till now have not departed. On a thuja large (20-30 birds) flight of Greenfinches was fed. Under a fur-tree the lonely Blackbird hid. A bird of day is the male of the Sparrowhawk. The hawk probably was very hungry because at all has not paid to me attention when I photographed it. It was possible not only photograph, but also to make video of Sparrowhawk's meal. [...... read more ]

The first, that has seen is the flock of Great Cormorants in the sky over the square. Cormorants flied to the east, most likely, to Issyk Kul. Flights flying over Almaty are rare events, I saw today Cormorants over a city for the first time. In birches has noticed several Hume's Warblers, Great Tits. Few times saw female of the Sparrowhawk promptly flying by among branches. Has found it already after a dinner. Sparrowhawk rested among dense branches. [...... read more ]

I came to Square too early. In the beginning there were not birds absolutely. Then I have noticed any stir in branches. I have looked carefully and have seen arrived Chaffinches. But here Lesser Whitethroats have not departed yet and have jumped among fur-tree branches too. Not only Chaffinches have arrived, but also Hooded Crows and Rooks. A lonely Greenfinch, Great Tits are audible, but are not visible. The Sparrowhawk and the Magpie arranged strange games, chased one after another, not clear who is for whom. Whether the Sparrowhawk tried to catch the Magpie, whether Magpie simply teased Sparrowhawk. [...... read more ]

Morning trip to sand foreland on Karatal river. Driving beside the bushes I frightened a lot of Wood Pigeons. Inconspicuous at day birds flew out from trees by tens. On morning silence crying of Pheasants and little falcons (Hobbies and Lesser Kestrels) were very audible. One Black-headed Gull arrived to foreland. Also flock of Great Cormorants, one White Egret, flock of little ducks flew beside foreland. On bushes from time to time Magpies and Carrion Crows occurred. Sometimes it's possible to see little birds - Lesser Whitethroat and Chiffchaff. Sandgouses didn't arrive and I began come back to Ushtobe and saw two flying to watering flocks of Black-bellied Sangrouses. Sandgrouses flew to Karatal but to another foreland. I waited some times but did't see another flocks and returning seeing flocks. But one sitting on dry tree raptor compelled my attention. On binocular I saw long legs and large head. It was Short-toed Snake-Eagle. Raptor sat very easy and I could make some photos. Several [...... read more ]

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At the road there is not many species such as at spring and summer times. The autumn is in. Many birds yet migrated. Only Rooks and Kites were met in large number. Touching other meeting birds I can notice only Hobbies and one dark morph Upland Buzzard. Over all road I met two Rollers only. The aim of the trip to Ushtobe is finding of Black-bellied and Pallas's Sandgouses. Sandgrouses indispensable fly to drink water on same places. It's possible to meet its near these watering places. But all around Ushtobe were dried up. Two trips to steppe brooks weren't successfully, there wasn't water. But there was not water that there were not Sandgouses. On dry steppe saw only Tawny Pipits, Isabelline Wheaters and Larks, several Hobbies and Lesser Kestrels, one Great Grey Shrike. [...... read more ]