Tajikistan. Vakhsh valley.

Day is hot but cloudy. It's very hot in the Vakhsh valley. Apricot trees bloom all around in the valley. In some places green grass cleaves. From Dushanbe till Kurgan-Tube everywhere Black Kites milled in the sky. Today I saw about ten flocks of Black Kites each about 10 birds. On Kurgan-Tube's market saw flying hawk. In the Tajikistan's birds list I didn't find Goshawk, but I think to Goshawk because Hawk was very large. At sight Hawk living on the market Laughing Doves rushed right and left.

Little birdies were Larks and once flock of Common Starlings. Alpine Swifts already fly in the villages. Large soaring raptors are exactly more noticeable than small passerines. I saw two Long-legged Buzzards, two Imperial Eagles, one Hen Harrier and one Upland Buzzard.

On the rock talus Tohir beheld arrived Long-legged Buzzard. It's happen that Buzzards nest on the rock. Sitting on the nest bird is absolutely unnotable. Reddish color of Buzzard's plumage so good accords to color of reddish rocks. But bird flew up and low soared over us. One another bird soared some higher. Only when we left Buzzard came back to the nest. In the same place I saw one Wallcreeper.

1. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

2. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

3. Laughing Doves (Streptopelia senegalensis)

4. Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)

5. Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)

6. Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)

7. Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

8. Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

9. Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

10. Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)

11. Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)

12. Nest of Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)