Sorbulak-Baiserke.

Today is sunny but very cold. Out of the city it’s colder than expected -11 degrees in the city. Trip to Sorbulak-Baiserke with Vassily Fedorenko and Oleg Belyalov. Before Little Sorbulak we visited the local dump, probably using by the local chicken farm. In addition to several hundreds Corvids we saw here more than 60 White-tailed Sea-Eagles. During this winter we regularly visited local dumps with numerous Sea-Eagles, so the large number of latters must amazed each of watchers doesn’t seem unique to us. But the Red-fronted Serins near Sorbulak surprised to me because Sorbulak is far from the the mountains and the food in foothills are yet a lot. The most significant bird in Little Sorbulak is Water Rail.

Directly in Sorbulak the open water is not so large; birds are invisible due to the mist on the water. After birds flew up from the water we saw more than 1000 ducks including the most numerous Tufted Ducks, and less Smews, Goosanders, Goldeneyes, Common Pochards and a bit of Mallards and Gadwalls. Also there were Whooper Swans as usual.

On the road from Sorbulak to Baiserke we saw Short-eared Owl flying high in the sky. No one bird chased it though we saw flying by Sea-Eagle chased by Magpies and also soaring Imperial Eagle.

There were hundreds or even thousands birds in the thickets of silverberry near Baiserke. More likely these birds stayed here all the winter, and probably they will not move to another spot until the spring because the food (silverberry) is a lot yet. 99% of all birds are Black-throated Thrushes, Greenfinches and Waxwings. But Vassily could find the rarest Dusky Thrush in this large flock of birds.

1. Mew Gull (Larus canus)

2. Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

3.

4. Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)

5. Vassily Fedorenko

6. Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)

7. Vassily Fedorenko

8. Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus)

9. Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula) and other ducks

10. Goosanders (Mergus merganser)

11. Smews (Mergellus albellus)

12. Oleg Belyalov

13. Eastern Buzzard (Buteo japonicus)

14. Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

15. Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)

16. European Greenfinches (Carduelis chloris)

17. Russian Olive

18. Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus)

19. Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

20. Me and Vassily