Trip to Bartogai.

The day is sunny and warm. The trip roughly divided in two parts, the first one is the road among the foothills of Karash ridge and the second one is Sogety valley with Bartogai reservoir. The foothills without wind were hazy. As the last trip to Bartogai the birds were noted almost only in the djida (russian olive) thickets. Today we saw Fieldfares, Greenfinches, Black-throated Thrushes, Corn Buntings, one Yellowhammer, one Eversmann's Redstart, Pine Buntings, Mistle Thrushes were eating djida berries. The most numerous and most appreciable bird was Mistle Thrush (except the Magpie of course). Along the road the flocks of Mistle Thrushes were observed at every step; considering its size and number it's impossible not to note they. Mistle Thrushes are not so shy birds but never long postured. So today we don't have a lot of photos of Mistle Thrushes. Also today we saw birds were feeding on the birch-trees. Several Azure Tits, Long-tailed Rosefinches, Red-fronted Serins. The large flock (about 50 birds) of Red-fronted Serins looked for food on the foothill slope also. The Grey-headed Goldfinch and Wallcreeper were noted by the one bird each.

The number of the birds of prey was larger the on last trip. We saw four Upland Buzzards in total, two of them looked pale and large. One sitting Upland Buzzard was very similar the Rough-legged Buzzard from afar, but flushing bird showed both the rusty underwings and the absence of the dark tail band. Also we saw two Rough-legged Buzzards and one dark-morphed Buzzard, probably the Upland Buzzard but may be the Buzzard called korelovii by Andrey Kovalenko. Except Buzzards the Falcons also were noted; four Merlins and three Kestrels. Two Kestrels sat on the trees and one flew by the road. All four Merlins sat on the roadside elms. Before now I never saw so much Merlins at one day.

Sogety valley gladdened us by the silence, peace and the beauty of snowy foothills. We saw the Little Owl and two flocks of the Horned Larks again. On Bartogai we stayed some hours, even walked to another coast. The lake is frozen almost all except only one glade, on and around which the Ducks rested. It was hard to watch the Ducks against the sun of course, but as if all Ducks were Mallards. There were not snow around the lake as it often happens near the larger reservoirs. This open snow-free country is comfortable to Horned Larks. The flock of Horned Larks (about 30-40 birds) pecked up the seeds together flying from place to place. It is the often observed behavior of the Horned Larks. Coming around the lake we saw only one more Little Owl. But on the back road one sitting on the pole Saker Falcon was watched almost in twilight.

1. Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris turkestanicus)

2. Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus bonapartei)

3. Long-tailed Rosefinch (Uragus sibiricus)

4. Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra buturlini)

5. Merlin (Falco columbarius)

6. Little Owl (Athene noctua)

7. Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris brandti)

8. Little Owl (Athene noctua)