Kimasar gorge, Ile Alatau National Park.

Day is overcast, without sun but without rain too. All of my last birding tours were in the same weather which is bad for photo shooting. Trip to mountains with family and friends. Usually the similar tours are without birds, excepting the case when they asked to take photo of them. Today they didn’t ask, but my short sittings near bushes were rather successfull.

All around the Greenish and Hume’s Leaf Warblers were singing, and in the low part of gorge Common Rosefinches were singing too. One time I heard Woodpecker’s drumming, I didn’t recognize of which of two our Woodpeckers (Great Spotted or Three-toed). In the crowns of spruce-trees I saw Tree Pipits and Black-throated Accentors (including numerous juveniles); in the top part of spruce-forest Blackbird chased several Mistle Thrushes, by the way Blackbirds were singing often. In the archa (juniper) grove I took photos of Red-rumped Rosefinches (1 female, 2 males, not together); a long time I watched one male eating the berries of archa. Also in archa I noticed 6 White-browed Tit-Warblers, probably brood. Some times I saw Nutcrackers. In the rocks two adult Kestrels were feeding two juveniles; one of juveniles twice tried to fly but quickly backed to rock, the second one only was waving wings, when I approached it not fly off but hide in rocks. On the broken granite rock I noticed two Blue Whistling Thrushes, adult and juvenile, both birds staying near one spot and I thought about the nest. But the short exploring of rock was unsuccessful. Twice I heard and once saw the Oriental Turtle Dove, once heard Raven. That’s all. Day is perfect (cool and not sunny) for hiking but not for birding. Tomorrow will be same.

1. White-browed Tit-Warbler | Leptopoecile sophiae

2. Red-mantled Rosefinch | Carpodacus rhodochlamys

3. Spotted Nutcracker | Nucifraga caryocatactes rothschildi

4. Red-mantled Rosefinch | Carpodacus rhodochlamys

5. Clouds

6. Anthill

7. Blue Whistling Thrush | Myophonus caeruleus

8.