Second day almost duplicated the first one. In morning we visited ponds, then went to Karatal. The morning ground is frozen, we easy go by all of roads and trails. In the ponds we watched the same list of birds but I saw the Water Rail in additional. Also I shortly noticed the Rail-sized bird with rounded wings looked like little Bittern in colour, I have no any guess appropriated for season and locations. Probably if we had more time for observation of ponds we can to take photo of Rail (we tried but unsuccessfully) and can to watch the daily start of migration. But we didn't have much of free time and we went to Karatal but to the spot located higher than yesterday one. Here was very nice, weather was very sunny and some windy. We again watched Black Stork, Great White Egrets. Eversmann's and Guldenstadt's Redstarts. Also we watched the migration of Eagles and Kites. I was feeling sure that I can just stay in one point and watch a lot of birds which be appeared from all of sides. [...... read more ]

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We started about 6.30 am. Road was very good, we didn't make stopping, from the car window we saw Larks in Chengeldy, Starlings near Saryozek, and Long-legged Buzzards and Kestrels almost everywhere. In Taldykurgan we have a lunch and immediately went to ponds. Only ponds near the pipe are free from ice, the rest ones are ice-covered. More likely most of water in vicinity is ice covered because in open water there are a lot of different ducks. Alexander said we will looking for Baikal Teal and Falcated Duck, and I in all seriousness tried to find them both in ponds and further in photos. Of course I didn.t find them but I had faith, that means I will find them sooner or later. Ducks we watched: Garganeys, Gadwalls, Common Teals, Shovellers, Mallards, Pintails, Wigeons, Common Pochards, Red-crested Pochards, Tafted Ducks, Ferruginous Ducks, Ruddy Shellducks, all ducks are very beauty in breeding plumage. Ducks of course flushed but after some circles landed to water. I took photos mostly [...... read more ]

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Urban birding with Alexander Belyaev. As Alexander come from Taldykurgan especially for White-browed Tit-Warbler we started in Dendropark. Because Alexander has experience in birdwatching, he found Tit-Warbler himself not paying attention to a lot of people in park. In addition to Tit-Warblers we saw numerous Eversmann's Redstarts, Mallard, Goldcrests and other common birds too. One flying in eastern direction Steppe Eagle was surprise for us. List of birds in Dendropark.After noon we went to Sairan. We didn't find Blue Whistling Thrush again but watched the first in this spring Chiffchaff and two Shrikes – one Isabelline and one Turkestan Shrikes. Of course we saw many Masked Wagtails and Eversmann's Redstarts. List of birds in Sairan.Summary: in the higher part of the city we watched only birds of wintering species + wandering to mountain Eversmann's Redstart. But in lower part of city we saw mostly spring migrants. Snow in higher part, but almost green in lower one. However, the lower [...... read more ]

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The Day of Spring Equinox is the start of the next Life Cycle, the Joy of the end of the winter and the Hope for a new life. Novruz means New Day in Persian language. I wish everyone something new for each of us coming with the New Day! Because new is always better than old. [...... read more ]

After two day snowfall all around became white. In first day after snowfall the pitiable birds were tring to find food in the open asphalt roads but unsuccessfully. Today snow is melt and birds feel relied. Morning was cold and overcast, but I went to Sairan because my new friend Francesc Cuscó watched there the Blue Whistling Thrush. I didn't find Whistling Thrush but watched the first in city Masked Wagtails, and also Eversmann's Redstarts and flock of Water Pipits. Probably later in the wet sands of Sairan be possible to watch migrating shorebirds too.In Dendropark I was close to midday time, mostly I wanted to find White-browed Tit-Warblers. I found the couple feeding in spruce-trees, thujas and in open grass under the spruce-trees. In addition to Tit-Warblers I saw one Red-mantled Rosefinch, Magpies building nests, flock of Bramblings, and Eversmann's Redstarts. Latter is bird of the day because I saw everywhere the significant number of them. During the watching day I saw about [...... read more ]

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Two days ago I had a little misunderstanding in phone call. I talk about Mallards spend the night on snow in our local park, but my friend ask me – what snow about you talking? The higher part of city is all covered by snow, but in lower one all of snow was melt. Today I visited Kurty and Sorbulak and was surprised the steppe is not only free from the snow but almost dry. During the road I saw two first in this spring Masked Wagtails in Komsomol but didn't make stopping because I hoped to find them in Kurty. But whet I noticed House Martins over the Kaskelen river I go to take photo of first spring Martins. In addition to three tens of Martins I saw here Masked and Citrine Wagtails, Water Pipits, singing Red-fronted Serin, Marsh harrier, flying by Cormorants and Caspian Gulls. The most emotional records are Wagtails and Martins of course. The list of birds in Mezhdurechensk. Sorbulak is still covered by ice, only near the coastal line ice was melt. The same story is in Savka lake. [...... read more ]

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Today I found the tracks on snow in the park. First the illegible tracks of someone with short legs, then they disappeared and then the tracks of wings - three tracks, each next is less clear than previous.My guess: recent years in this place the different small rodents and insectivorous inhabited: moles, shrews, may be voles. I think some of its came out on the snow and was captured by Sparrowhawk. I think by Sparrowhawk, due to the small wingspan - about 45 cm.I confused by the large size of tracks for underground inhabitants. Size is more suitable for Squirrel. But Squirrel can not come out of nowhere, but the tracks suddenly appeared and just as suddenly disappeared. [...... read more ]

Sunday was surprisingly cold and snowy. But I and Oleg Belyalov anyway went to Sorbulak. Firstly we visited Little Sorbulak. On the road over Karaoi village we noticed birds were feeding on the hay putting on snow. Most of birds were Corn Buntings and Feral Pigeons, but also Crested larks, one Black-throated Thrush, Mynas, Collared Doves were there; nearby we saw Grey-headed Goldfinches too. The next spot is dump of Sorbulak. Due to frost the road to dump was more or less good, but some times we rounded the water by the snowy steppe. In the dump as we expected we saw much of Corvids, Rock Doves, and several tens of White-tailed Sea-Eagles. Among the latters we noticed two Steppe Eagles too. Two closest to mouth of channel bays of the first reservoir of Little Sorbulak are open. But the rest of reservoir is still ice-covered. But in open water we saw Swans (both Mute and Whooper) and Ducks (Mallards, Pintails, Common Pochards, Gosadners). On the road to gateway we saw three Fieldfares and [...... read more ]

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My dear friends, let me congratulate you on the great day, the Chinese New Year! I wish you all the new in the new year! New birds, new countries, new new people, new impressions! Because new is always very good! [...... read more ]