Zhanatas. Turkestan. Kentau. Otyrar.

Zhanatas. Morning was very overcast. Karatau foothills bloomed by steppe flowers. Birds were active, and majority of all were Red-headed Buntings and Rollers. Also there were a lot of Larks (Crested, Calandra and Bimakulated). Sometimes I noticed Pied Wheatears. On wires near Zhanatas hillocks I watched one Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush.

Turkestan. Mausoleum of Hodja Akhmed Yassawi. Directly in the holes of mausoleum the numerous of Mynahs and Jackdaws nested. Later I went to Kentau and hoped to find groves in the gorges of slopes of southern foothills of Karatau from Kentau side. I hoped that I could to find Paradise Flycatchers in these groves. But unfortunately I didn't get the gorges. But I guess Paradise Flycatcher more likely breeds in the gardens of villages over Kentau. On reservoirs near Kentau I noticed Common Terns.

Close to evening I went to Syrdarya by the side of Shaulder. The road passes by the plain saline steppe. On this road I had only two interesting observations: the flock of Great White Pelicans flying from Syrdaya side, and one Little Owl. There were some Crested Larks picked up something on the road. The accelerating on plain road cars crashed many slowly Larks. Cars crashed any bird or animal stepped to the asphalt. I noted that in case of speed of car is 60 km per hour and less each bird even slowest of all can fly off from the road. But in case of car's speed is 100 km per hour no one bird can fly off. The modern cars are very fast. I think that hundreds of Spanish Sparrows are daily crashed by cars in each colony. Also I think that Crested Larks are crashed a lot too.

1. Eurasian Roller (Coracias garrulus semenowi)

2. Bimaculated Lark (Melanocorypha bimaculata torquata)

3. Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach erythronotus)

4. Little Owl (Athene noctua bactriana)

5. Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus)