Ile region, Almaty oblast.

For the first time in this month I left the city to take photos of birds, all the more so the day was sunny though windy. In the Baiserke area I run into two quite low soaring Steppe Eagles. Also I saw three more Long-legged Buzzards, one light and two dark morph. In thickets of russian olives I watched the flock of Common Starlings, Tree Sparrows, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Magpies and Mynahs. From a distance I noticed the Gulls, but did not identify it. Everywhere the Magpies and Rooks were seen, but there were not the abundance of birds.

Almaty. Back in the city I went to the Republic Square. The first I saw was the Long-eared Owl which was hunted by the dozen of Hooded Crows. Owl by adroitness does not exceed the Crows, but by size is inferior to them. Crows behaved so like want not run but also to kill the Owl. The poor Owl flew higher and higher, but the Crows did not lag behind it. So they flew away from me. Also I saw Barred Warbler, Lesser and Common Whitethroats, as well as Blackbirds, Rooks.

1. Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)

2. Female Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

3. Common Starling (Sturnus vulagris)

4. Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

5. Hodded Crows mob Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

6. Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

7. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)

8. Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria)

9. Blackbird (Turdus merula)