Ile river rocks. Almaty oblast.

It's important to observe Ile rocks before the Rosy Starlings arriving, because after arriving of Rosy Starlings it's impossible to watch and hear anything. On the rocks I noted the pair of Tree (?) Pipits and some later one male Stonechat. Twice the flights of Demoiselle Cranes passed to North-East. Five Black Kites flew by to Ile mouth, later Kites soared over the rocks. I found the nest of Rock Nuthatch, I saw Nuthatch too but didn't wait it to shot. But I attended the Crag Martins which were building the nest. Crag Martins were not wary and I made photos from very close distance. Also Crag Martins together with Red-rumped Swallows formed the colony on the holey rocks near the river's coast. In same place I saw nesting Lesser Kestrel and Mynah too. On the water border I noted Grey Wagtail and Common Sandpiper, twice Mallard Ducks flew by.

Almost all the time the pair of Golden Eagles was within sight. But both them nest are without nestlings. From time to time Eagles flew through the gorge with empty nests but didn't alight anywhere. Once the pair of Montague's Harriers flew by, the male flew off quickly but female some soared over me. A lot of Kestrels and Jackdaws. Probably because of numerous of Kestrels I didn't watch them and didn't identify them but usually in these rocks the Lesser Kestrel breeds. Also I saw pair of Black-throated Thrushes (my first record in these rocks), Rock Sparrows, several males Pied Wheatears and many Chuckar Partridges of course. Over the rocks in the steppe I noted one Hoopoe and one Tawny Pipit.

1. Ile Rocks, the nesting site of Crag Martins

2. Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis haringtoni)

3. Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris)

4. Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris)

5. Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris)

6. Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

7. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos daphanea)

8. Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)

9. Stonechat (Saxicola torquata maura)

10. Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)