Big Almaty Lake. Ile Alatau National Park.

In spite of the fact that it's some warmer in the city, mountains are still cold. The wind is not strong, but cutting. On such cold weather it's impossible to walk along. Nothing new. Saw only pair Solitary Snipes, three White-bellied Dippers, Wallcreepers, Brown Accentors, Coal Tits, one White-winged Grosbeak. All birds in the same places we saw later. As usually Wallcreepers and Dippers are well noticeable. On the snow I noticed some insects. Here Wallcreepers pecked these insects by the long and thin like tweezers beaks. On some photos little bugs are visible in the opened beak of Wallcreeper. By the way the long and thin tongue is visible also. On other photos of Wallcreeper the ashes from my cigarettes are visible. Probably Wallcreeper took dark specks of ashes as insects. Solitary Snipes as usually well masked. I noticed both Snipes while they took off under my feet only. The most impressing and terrifying today's show is a smoke which rises from the city upwards by gorge and reaches the lake already to the evening.

1. White-bellied Dipper (Cinclus cinclus leucogaster)

2. White-bellied Dipper (Cinclus cinclus leucogaster)

3. Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

4. Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

5. Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

6. Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)