Big Almaty Lake. Ile Alatau National Park.

Happy New Year! At drains on the Big Almaty Lake I saw only Dippers (two White-bellied and one Brown) and one Wallcreepeer. In fir groves I saw Magpies, Carrion Crows, several Coal Tits and one Goldcrest. Mainly I stayed near the water expecting birds. Dippers were timid. Wallcreeper arrived only from time to time. Wallcreeper arrived to the water to discover insects. Sometimes bird sat down on ice, but more often was fed on concrete constractions and on stones near the water. Probably, insects (I saw few flying flies) are heated on stones, here Wallcreeper tried to discover insects by the long beak. There were many people on the lake, children from time to time blew up pyrotechnics. Probably therefore birds was a little, and presented ones were seemed timid. When I went down to the city I paid attention that there are absolutely no birds in buckthorn thickets. It is quite explainable, this year poor harvest of buckthorn berries, here birds changed them own winter food.

1. White-bellied Dipper (Cinclus cinclus leucogaster)

2. White-bellied Dippers (Cinclus cinclus leucogaster)

3. Brown Dipper (Cinclus pallasii tenuirostris)

4. Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

5. Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)