Degeres, Akterek.

Day is hot and sunny. Trip with Gennady and Elena Dyakins to Degeres for Rock Nuthutch and to Akterek for Paradise Flycatcher.

In Degeres we expected quickly to take photos of common in this place Rock Nuthutch and quickly went for Paradise Flycatcher. But everything went not according to plan. First known nest of Nuthutch placed among the colony of Rosy Starlings (absent at this year) was broken. The second one looked like live, but twenty minutes of waiting finished without result; Nuthatches didn’t come, moreover I heard its sound once only and from a far. We guess that Nuthatches as residents nest early, and probably they already left nests and broods dispersed in nearby rocks. We didn’t watch Nuthatch but saw couple of Nightjars, and two Blue Rock Thrushes. Nightjars were sitting (close one to another but not together) in the narrow cleft between rocks. First we flushed female which twice flew from place to another one, and then hid over the slope. Then I flushed male. Of course we guessed the nesting, but didn’t find eggs (nest). Blue Rock Trushes came, perched on next rock and flew away. In addition to these birds we saw Lesser Grey Shrikes on nest where we watched it many recent years; flocks of Rosy Starlings, Golden Eagle, Grey-necked Bunting. We didn’t stay in Degeres a long time and went to Akterek being happy for Nightjar and Blue Rock Thrush.


Directly after turning to Akterek we noticed many Corn Buntings and Black-headed Wagtails, and also Lesser Grey Shrikes, Hobbies and one male of Montague’s Harrier. The Right Irgaity gorge in midday time looked as empty, nothing to watch, only Red-headed Buntings whose songs we've heard all the day. But in the bushes we heard sounds sometimes very close; but only some of these sounds are known to us, such as Common Nightingale, Golden Oriole, Azure Tit, White-crowned Penduline Tit. But we also heard unknown but very beauty sounds; we couldn’t recognize owners of this songs though they were very close to us. After lunch in the trees shadow we went to the spot where we saw fledglings of Paradise Flycatcher last year. After some time walking in the grove and bushes we found the nest of Flycatcher. Latters were very careful and we could take photos of them only from a far. Even we camouflaged and were very quiet but birds only alarm called from bushes and didn’t back to nest if we were close to 4-5 meter to the nest. But when we crossed the unvisible line birds immediately sit to nest. We saw one only couple of Paradise Flycatcher, but the Penduline Tits near the nests we twice noticed, even without special searching. Once we recorded the visit nest by Penduline Tit from the window of driving car. Also we saw singing White-capped Bunting.

But in the next gorge we saw two males of White-capped Bunting, and also fresh nest of Rock Nuthatch but without owner of nest, nests of Red-rumped Swallows (I first time saw the nest of Red-rumped Swallows in the nature not in urban environment) and their owners, male Corn Bunting, male Blue Rock Thrush. All of birds were observed in one rock! I don’t know why all birds were concentrated in one point. Also here we watch Cinereous Vulture and low flying Rosy Starlings. Small flocks of these birds were flying very quickly with the sound of fighter aircrafts at military parade. In evening in spite of sun is highly but there is shadow in the gorge. To the mouth of gorge came Wood Pigeons which were only hearable before evening. We went to back road and stopped once only to take photos of the rare recent two years Bee-eaters.

1. European Nightjar | Caprimulgus europaeus

2. Gennady Dyaking is checking the nest of Rock Nuthatch

3. Degeres rocks

4. Red-headed Bunting | Emberiza bruniceps

5. Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra buturlini

6. Chukar Partridge | Alectoris chukar falki

7. Asian Paradise Flycatcher | Terpsiphone paradisi

8. White-crowned Penduline Tit | Remiz coronatus

9. I want the 400mm focus lense too.. or more

10. Blue Rock Thrush | Monticola solitarius

11. White-capped Bunting | Emberiza stewarti