Talgar Pass. Ile Alatau.

Every year in Apliniada Day the funicular to the Talgar Pass is free. Sanzhar Abdikhalyk initiated this trip with the nest of Red-breasted Rosefinch as main target, and other birds of highlands in this less explored by birdwatchers spot.

Day is sometimes sunny but mostly overcast with rain and snow. We tried to find birds in the rather fresh moraine under the rocks, but unsuccessfully. There are no insects and plants in this moraine. We only heard the sounds of Raven and Red-bill Choughs from a far. We thought that birds could be in the places with insects, but insects could be in the place with plants, and went to the old moraine covered by mosses and lichens and joined to juniper bushes. In the bushes we immediately noticed singing Black-throated Accentors, Himalayan Accentors flying with insects in beaks, and the couple of Himalayan Rubythroats. Male Rubythroat came, perched in the top of spruce-tree and flew away; but female with food in beak was flying into the juniper bush, but was flying from the bush with food too. Once Sanzhar noticed how it flew without food. Perhaps there is the nest in this juniper bush.

Then we climbed to the rocks similar to the rocks in Cosmostation vicinity, and watched two Plain Mountain Finches (like in Cosmostation). Also we saw Common Kestrel. Over the rock we reached the left slope of the Left Talgar gorge. We heard the songs from the lower juniper bushes and the calls of Hymalayan Snowcocks. The gravel of Left Talgar brought Sanzhar to mind about Ibisbill. Then the rain started and from a short time turned to snow when we go to funicular.

When I reached the parking I find the car in which my family came here. And I went to Kimasar gorge. About three hour I went under the rain but didn’t meet my family. I saw the common in this gorge Blue Whistling Thrush, and also Magpies, Crows, one Black Kite, singing Common Rosefinches, Leaf Warblers, Azure Tits and couple of Mistle Thrushes sitting on the track under the rain. I came back about 7pm and I thought that my relatives backed to Talgar pass, but I mistook, they went under the rain and snow from Chimbulak peak to Furmanovka and by Kimasar gorge reached Medeo. They were in Medeo one hour after me and 10 hours after start from the Talgar pass.

1. Sanzhar

2.

3. Black-throated Accentor | Prunella atrogularis huttoni

4. Himalayan Accentor | Prunella himalayana

5. Himalayan Rubythroat | Luscinia pectoralis

6.

7.

8. Edelweiss

9.

10. Left Talgar river

11. Blue Whistling Thrush | Myophonus caeruleus