birdwatching blogs
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2013-07-24 | Askar Isabekov
I have a guess that our base of photos is the largest in former USSR, and probably is largest project in the world related one country. I created the statistic of site to the Kazakhstan’s Book of Records (the creators of the book sent me the request) and got the following results: we photographed 444 species of the birds, it is 88% of total species observed in territory of Kazakhstan, there are 59995 photos (19620 series), and 137 videos of 100 species of birds in site. One of the analytic sites called birds.kz as the largest site in the KZ domain area. Probably it was true but now I think the photo-sites and file depositories more likely are bigger than our site (today about 15 Gb of information, only texts without photos is 15 Mb), but probably among the thematic sites we are the leader with the large gap from the second place.I wrote this preamble because today the fifth of upload photos will be the 60000 (sixty thousandth) anniversary. Though not all of our photos have the scientific [...... read more ]
2013-07-21 | Askar Isabekov
I expected the overcast, partially rainy day. But I can’t change plan to trip to Kimasar. In spite of my expectation the weather was not partially rainy but full rainy, partially overcast. Rain started almost immediately I came to mouth of gorge and was so powerful that I was forced to hide under the spruce-tree. Further rain regularly was becoming heavier and only sometimes easier. This weather didn’t give me possibility to watch birds which were a bit though I reached the juniper belt. Of the significant birds I can mention only juvenile Blue Whistling Thrush I noticed before the rain, and two juveniles of Carrion Crow pecked the bark of spruce-tree.When I was backing to home I met the man who heavy impressed me. He was very calm, intelligent-looking man without bag but with umbrella and gun! I wanted to ask him – why you are with gun? But I didn’t do it, because I afraid men with gun. This spring in Alakol lake I heard the story about two groups of hunters fired on each other. [...... read more ]
2013-07-20 | Askar Isabekov
Weather is changed every 15 minutes from cloudy to sunny and back. I reached the Panorama pass with expecting of Brandt’s Mountain Finch which was observed here two week ago by my wife. I didn’t find it but further I know that it is need to search it in the rocks which I bypassed. Away from the rocks and in the right slope of the Chimbulachka peak I saw mostly Mistle Thrushes and Hodgson’s Finches. Mistle Thrushes were rather careful, they approached close but immediately flew out. Finches also were shy, I took photos of only two birds, one of them behaved as near the nest, not flew far and sounded alarm calls. Also I saw three Finches together, I didn’t recognize colour of all birds, but probably it was brood with adult bird. Near the spots of snow one juvenile Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush looked for the food. The couple of Himalayan Accentors filled beaks by caterpillars finding them in the grass. By the way beaks were filled in very short time. In the stones I saw Stoat which was [...... read more ]
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2013-07-14 | Askar Isabekov
Three days tour to the Kolsay lakes with colleagues.12 of July. Because tour was not birdwatching but teambuilding I knew that bus in which we drove from Almaty to Kolsay never stop for birds; so I slept until Zhalanash. I think (or I believe) nothing significant was during the road. From Zhalanash to Saty road passes the very scenical foothills; from the car’s window I noticed Rollers, flocks of Rosy Starlings, Turkestan Shrikes, Rock Buntings, Linnets, Grey-headed Goldfinches and probably other birds. Of the birds of prey I noticed only Black Kites. There are a lot of Rooks, Common Starlings and Mynas in Saty village. Then we drove to the first of Kolsai lakes, and two hour hiked to the second one. In the moment of leaving the bus in first lake the weather changed from sunny to overcast and rainy, therefore hiking was under the little rain, which however didn’t disturb to watch Common Roseficnhes, Hume’s Warblers and fledglings of Blue-capped Redstarts. Then it was night, that’s [...... read more ]
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2013-07-06 | Askar Isabekov
Day is overcast, without sun but without rain too. All of my last birding tours were in the same weather which is bad for photo shooting. Trip to mountains with family and friends. Usually the similar tours are without birds, excepting the case when they asked to take photo of them. Today they didn’t ask, but my short sittings near bushes were rather successfull.All around the Greenish and Hume’s Leaf Warblers were singing, and in the low part of gorge Common Rosefinches were singing too. One time I heard Woodpecker’s drumming, I didn’t recognize of which of two our Woodpeckers (Great Spotted or Three-toed). In the crowns of spruce-trees I saw Tree Pipits and Black-throated Accentors (including numerous juveniles); in the top part of spruce-forest Blackbird chased several Mistle Thrushes, by the way Blackbirds were singing often. In the archa (juniper) grove I took photos of Red-rumped Rosefinches (1 female, 2 males, not together); a long time I watched one male eating the berries [...... read more ]
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2013-06-30 | Askar Isabekov
Every year in Apliniada Day the funicular to the Talgar Pass is free. Sanzhar Abdikhalyk initiated this trip with the nest of Red-breasted Rosefinch as main target, and other birds of highlands in this less explored by birdwatchers spot. Day is sometimes sunny but mostly overcast with rain and snow. We tried to find birds in the rather fresh moraine under the rocks, but unsuccessfully. There are no insects and plants in this moraine. We only heard the sounds of Raven and Red-bill Choughs from a far. We thought that birds could be in the places with insects, but insects could be in the place with plants, and went to the old moraine covered by mosses and lichens and joined to juniper bushes. In the bushes we immediately noticed singing Black-throated Accentors, Himalayan Accentors flying with insects in beaks, and the couple of Himalayan Rubythroats. Male Rubythroat came, perched in the top of spruce-tree and flew away; but female with food in beak was flying into the juniper bush, but was [...... read more ]
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2013-06-23 | Askar Isabekov
The sunny and windy day. Due to today is departing day I was all the time in the beach with my family. Only after the lunch during the trip to shops I watched birds. I saw couple of Kites soaring over the village. I guess that Kites were hunting to chickens because Kite were flying very low and always over the backyards. Also in the village there were House Martins and two Mynahs. Nests of House Martins are on the two-floors buildings, but without nestlings and Martins didn’t approach to nests. Due to wind I couldn’t take photos both House Martins and Mynahs. [...... read more ]
2013-06-22 | Askar Isabekov
I was in the beach all day again. Sun and heat. The most significant birds in the hotel vicinity were two Common Nightingales. Also to the list of birds of previous days I added two new species: I heard Golden Oriole and saw two Collared Doves. Unfortunately I didn't watch Oriole, it's interesting in which of subspecies related this birds. I wanted to visit the sandy spit once again, but didn't have some hours of free time. [...... read more ]
2013-06-21 | Askar Isabekov
Today is sunny and hot day. All the day I was in the beach with my family. To the yesterday list of birds I added House Martins which were flying over the hotel in lunch time; but Barn Swallows this time were feeding the fledglings. I wanted to take photos of House Martins but they were flying very high. Barn Swallows came to the fledglings not many a time. I saw Gull-billed Terns flying over the bay. I guess this species because I saw long wings and sprawling flight but I am not sure in 100%. Over the beach and the joined part of lake I periodically saw birds, mostly Cormorants, Common and Little Terns, sometimes other birds, for example today I saw Pranticoles. There are Little Ringed Plovers, Black-winged Stilts, both Terns in the bay. I didn’t see birds from the target list of Alakol – Relict Gull, Pallas’s Gull, Caspian Tern, Pelicans. [...... read more ]
2013-06-20 | Askar Isabekov
Day is cloudy or even overcast. I went to the sand spit where I saw Relict Gulls and many Caspian Terns in the May. It’s short distance to car, and I thought I reach it after about 30-40 minutes. I was without clocks but all today trip from the hotel to the end of sand spit and back was 6.5 hours of permanently hiking with some crawl on sand to birds. What did I see? The last visit I was worry that I didn’t explore the saline marsh on the road to sand spit. Now I crossed it twice and noticed nothing only tens Black-headed Wagtails of different age and gender. As at last visit in the bay in base of spit the White-winged Terns, Black-winged Stilts, Common Redshanks, Collared Pratincoles were noticed, today Black and Little Terns added to lists. The last visit numerous Caspian Terns are absent now. But Common Terns flying with fish in bill are abundant. When I move on to spit I was attacked by the screaming flock of Common Terns. I continued moving and Caspian Gulls and couple of Caspian [...... read more ]
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