Tajikistan. Dushanbe. Komsomol lake.

The other day looking the last year photos to the project “Birds of Tajikistan” I descried that last year December 2nd was very cold day and Komsomol lake was frozen. Today is sunny and the temperature is much higher (+18+20 C). The water of the lake is not sewed, but the birds coming to the wintering were a lot. In the middle of the lake the flock of ducks rest. Almost all of 30-40 counted by me ducks were Mallards. I didn't see neither Teals nor Common Pochards I saw last year. When I saw the three diving ducks I guessed that it is some of Pochards. They were Tufted Ducks. In contradiction to resting Mallards the Tufted Ducks all the time floated on lake and dived in searching of food. Unfortunately these ducks didn't close to me, all the time they were on the middle of the lake.

Except the ducks on the lake there were Black-headed Gulls also wintered last year. The crying Common Greenshank flew low on water, I counted 7 Greenshanks. On marsh coast also a lot of Carrion Crows were. Also I saw one Green Sandpiper, two Masked Wagtails, one Kingfisher, one Chaffinch. Twice I saw the flocks of Common Starlings. One of them with Pigeons together flew by to the channel; another one alighted on an old large plane.

1. Tufted Duck

2. Tufted Ducks