Almaty. Republic Square, Dendropark.

Today is sunny, warm and windless, so the nice in all sides day. At 8.30 am there are no birds in Republic Square. Even Magpies were quiet, probably already sit on the nest. Then the singning male of Greenfinch appeared, after the short time the singing female appeared on the next oak. It is surprisingly to me, because I thought female doesn’t sing. Then female flew to male and they flew away together.

As the birding in Republic Square is ineffectual I went on Dendropark aka Park of the first president. First I saw (hear) here is the singing Kestrels. Couple of Kestrel was quite active playing, birds were flying one to another, then were moving from the top of one little spruce tree to another one, and all the time they were very nice singing. In the far (most interesting) part of Park I again noticed the pair of Buzzard, the seemingly long familiar birds. One of them (dark-brownish patterned, with pale eyes, without rufous) was observed here during last several winters; usually I watch the single Buzzard but the last visit I saw the pair of birds. Today the second Buzzard is all rufous including the tail, but bird is not Long-tailed Buzzard. By the “terms and conditions” of this winter (“if you can’t id the Buzzard, it means this Buzzard is japonicus ”) both Buzzard are Eastern ones.

Further I walked in spruce-tree planting, where I twice noticed Pheasants, and many Black-troated Thrushes, and also two Chaffinches. Once the flock of little birds flew by, but I couldn’t id them. Carefully photographing Thrushes I found the interesting nest, it is large but less than Magpie’s one, also nest’s builder used the clay as Fieldfairs do it. But Fieldfare nest is a little cup, much less than nest I found. I thought about Mistle Thrush. Then I during some time was trying to take photo of two female Redstarts (more likely Eversmann’s ones because they have red uppertail and wing-bars). The attempts were not good but Redstarts took me to the Wood Pigeons (the first in this spring) and Kestrel perched near displaying Pigeon. Time is out and I go to the Park exit by the poplar alley where I noticed 8 “sadly” calling Chiffchaffs (means Siberian ones). Park birding was finished by the singing Grey-headed Goldfinch.

After noon I was in summer house in Karasai region where I saw nothing as usually.

1.

2. Eastern Buzzard (Buteo japonicus)

3. Eastern Buzzard (Buteo japonicus)

4. Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus mongolicus)

5. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

6. Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus casiotis)

7.

8. Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)

9. Eversmann's Redstart (Phoenicurus erythronotus)

10. Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

11. Grey-headed Goldfinch (Carduelis caniceps paropanisi)