Alakol. Day 1.

Yesterday evening we left Almaty and went to Alakol lake. Night we slept in the bus. Morning light started in Sarkand city. In the roadside forest-lines near Andreeevka we saw many Wood Pigeons. On the wires there are many Rollers, Kestrels and Wood Pigeons too. In the Alakol circle I took photos of House Martins in the nests, also saw one Black Kite and Barn Swallows on wires. During the road from the Ucharal to Akchi village in the dry stone desert there were Kites, Lesser Kestrels, Isabelline Wheatears, Hoopoes, Larks, Hobby. In the territory of “Pelican” hotel there are many Masked Wagtails and Common Starlings. Immediately after arriving to hotel we went to the sandy foreland to watch birds and didn’t pay attention to the strong wind called Saikan by local people. Two of three main targets of Alakol lake – Pallas’s Gull and Caspian Tern (my lifer) were noticed immediately, but the third and main target – Relict Gull – was not observed. Also we saw many little waders such as Common Sandpiper and Little Plover, Masked Wagtails; once the flock of 4 Dalmatian Pelicans flew by.

After the lunch we visited the floods over the Koktuma village. Classical auto birding with taking photos from the car window. Floods are the lines of water separated from the lake by the black sand bands. These floods formed on the coast either reed thickets or hummock marsh or wet meadow. Road passes along the border of green wet grass and dry stone desert. On the water and green grass we watched two young Great White Pelicans, a lot of Great Egrets and Grey Heron, twice single Mute Swans, Great Cormorants, Caspian and Pallas’s Gulls (by tens of each, and no one Black-headed Gull !), Greaylag Geese in several flocks, Demoiselle Cranes, Northern Lapwings (once with chicks), Oystercatchers, Ruff and Kentish Plovers.

On the back road we saw many Isabelline Wheatears, six Demoiselle Cranes and one Montague’s Harrier.

1. Masked Wagtail (Motacilla personata)

2. Alakol lake. Sredni island.

3. Akchi village.

4. Great White Egret (Egretta alba)

5. Alakol lake.

6. Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)

7. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

8. Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)

9. Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica)

10. Pallas's Gull (Larus ichthyaetus)

11. Pale Sand Martin (Riparia diluta)

12. Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)

13. North Mongolian Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava leucocephala)

14. Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus)

15. Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)

16. Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropoides virgo)

17. Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)

18. Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

19. Greylag Geese (Anser anser)

20. Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)