Kimasar gorge. Ile Alatau National Park.

Hike for the Three-Toed Woodpecker. Woodpecker was not found but there were many interesting observations. The first one is the large flock of Wood Pigeons (about 30-40 birds) in the bottom of the gorge; Pigeons rounded over the gorge then perched on the spruce trees. The next observation also was very interesting - we found White-browed Tit-Warbler in the bushes at altitude of about 2050 meters what is quite low to this bird. That means that White-browed Tit-Warbler already began their seasonal migrations. Further, in the spruce forest as usual Nutcrackers and Magpies were well marked; on the stump one Nutcracker peeled off the cone at a short distance from us not paying us attention.

On the border of spruce forest and juniper thickets we watched some dozens (25-35 birds) of Redstarts (Black Redstarts and Blue-capped Redstarts) which were very active in after dinner time, perched on spruce branches or on ropes and jumped down to insects in the grass. Other birds of spruce forest: Mistle Thrushes, Coal Tits, Greenish Warblers, one Goldcrest; and Black-throated Accentors in junipers.

Raptors: Kestrels were be in our eyes all the time; sometimes we noticed Sparrowhawks; we saw Golden Eagle, dark morph of Booted Eagle and Crested Honey Buzzard once of each.

1. Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes)

2. White-browed Tit-Warbler (Leptopoecile sophiae)

3. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

4. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

5. Crested Honey-Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus)

6. Blue-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus caeruleocephalus)

7. Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)