Balkhash - Karaganda.

The weather was murky and very windy. First quarter of the road (about 70-80 km) crosses the Balkhash depression. Landscape is plain and desert, there were a bit of birds. I saw only one Common Redshank on roadside pool and two raptors (one Long-legged Buzzard and one Steppe Eagle). Sometimes Caspian Gulls were observed, always single birds. I think Caspian Gulls as raptors hunt to gophers.

Further road crosses Kazakh Upland. After late snowfall there is snow on the rocks. Roadside pools got free from ice but somewhere there is snow in depressions. I didn't observe little birds because tried to go quickly. But also they weren't so much. I noticed that Northern Wheaters were instead Isabelline and Pied Wheaters. On the roadside pools I saw ducks (pair of Mallards, much Garganeys, Common Teals, one Ruddy Shelduck, pair of Pintails) and waders (Common Redshanks and Stilts). From time to time Common Kestrels, once the pair of Lesser Kestrels and little Merlin were observed. Almost each ten kilometers Harriers occurred. On 130 kilometers (from 850 to 980 km) I met 14 Harriers, include 2 males of Montagu's Harriers, 10 Pallid Harriers (7 males and 3 females) and 2 unidentified, but probably also Pallid ones. Strong wind didn't allow to make photos of Harrier.

On the middle of the road (860 km) I saw the flying ahead pair of Whooper Swans. In my opinion they was a little and wings' waft was some often but Swans flew very quickly and I hard overtook them. Near Karaganda twice (on 900 and 955 km) saw pairs of Demoiselle Cranes. But I observed them a little time I saw movies like a marriage dance.

Temirtau. Samarkand reservoir. The pair of Mallards, pair of Crested Grebes, Caspian Gulls, one Coot, a lot of Black-headed Gulls, Masked Wagtails. And the flock of Wagwings. It's unusual that Waxwings didn't departed as yet. Strong wind opposed birds to fly and Waxwings sat on the trees waiting wind flaws. I could to close them, Waxwings sat before wind, all to one side and crests of birds were snuggled by wind.

1. Common Redshank (Tringa totanus ussuriensis)

2. Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

3. Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)

4. Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)

5. Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropoides virgo)

6. Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropoides virgo)

7. Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)

8. Bohemian Waxwing (Bombicilla garrulus)

9. Bohemian Waxwings (Bombicilla garrulus)