Ozernoe gorge. Ile-Alatau National Park.

The morning trip to sea buckthorn thickets. Today is not cold but murky day. Birds as rule in murky weather were quite a bit. Alone Wren customary searched food on the water border. Behelding me the Wren flew of in neighbor bush; but just after ten seconds it came back. It is its habitual behavior. Further I noted three Long-tailed Rosefinches. A long time I didn't see it. In contradistinction on most of other local birds the Long-tailed Rosefinches fed on the young birch-trees growing between sea buckthorn trees. But on sea buckthorn trees mostly Tits (Great Tits and one Coal Tit) fed. All the birds preferred the berries without snow; probably the little birds don't have the power to shake off the dense hoarfrost. Last years in this place the Coal Tits were a lot; and also Azure Tits were observed. Two Eversmann's and one Guldenstadt's Redstarts. The Guldenstadt's Redstart is common inhabitant of the winter sea buckthorn thickets. Also such as Red-mantled Rosefinch which by the way today was a bit.

Lots of Blackbirds, the number of Black-throated Thrushes were much less, probably they fed in other country because I saw two large (about 50 birds each) flocks of Black-throated Thrushes flew by the gorge. I saw single Chaffinch, it is rare to see alone Chaffinch. On other spring where the cane thickets dominated on sea buckthorns there were a lot of Blackbirds and Great Tits. One European Robin was observed. Though the European Robin is treated as common winter visitor I have seen it only two times. The flock of Grey-headed Goldfinches flew on.

1. Long-tailed Rosefinch (Uragus sibiricus)

2. Red-mantled Rosefinch (Carpodacus rhodochlamys)

3. Guldenstadt's Redstarts (Phoenicurus erythrogaster grandis)