With Malik to Kimasar gorge, Ile Alatau National Park.

Day is warm and sunny. Tour to Kimasar gorge with Gennady Dyakin and Malik Nukusbekov. Because of Malik wanted to walk in the Tien Shan spruce forest we went by the top of ridge, and immediately recorded Three-toed Woodpecker pecked the trunk. Woodpecker was very calm, didn’t fly to a far, and finally showed us the hole. It was very surprisingly because there is hole in birch-tree but we always related Three-toed Woodpecker to spruce forest. Further in the road we saw many little passerines – Warblers, Wrens, Blue-capped Redstarts. We heard Nutcrackers and once saw group of Mistle Thrushes flying from one slope to another. The road in forest has many advantages but one shortcoming – high spruce trees are interfering to watch flying birds. Once I took photo of flying Crested Honey Buzzard, but next times I didn’t even recognize large birds of prey flying by from east to west. Total were 5-6 birds in three groups (first group of 2 birds, second one of 1 or 2, and single bird), I couldn’t identify them. Last bird was identified by Malik as Goshawk, due to bulk body, large size and flight not above but between trees.

We rested in the clearing at height 2500m from which we could observe all sides. We saw also one dark morph Honey Buzzard, one Buzzard with moulting tail, Kestrel and couple of Ravens. Sun was in zenith and it was difficult to take photos of flying birds. After the rest we went down. After 100 m we recorded White-browed Tit-Warblers in juniper bushes, and Blue-capped Redstarts again, rosy male Red-mantled Rosefinch, Coal Tits in the spruce trees in the same place. Also we watched two Lammergeiers. Latters were flying between us and sun, but watching of these birds was very pleasant. After went down more we watched Tits. In one tree we watched 5-6 birds of four species (Great, Coal, Songar Tits, and Goldcrest) in the same time. In the next tree two Blue-capped Redstarts were perching, and also flock of two tens Black-throated Thrushes was flying front and back. I wanted to take photo of this first migrating Thrushes but a vain. But even without photos of these Thrushes day is successful.

1. Eurasian Three-Toed Woodpecker | Picoides tridactylus tianschanicus

2. Blue-capped Redstart | Phoenicurus caeruleocephalus

3. Crested Honey-Buzzard | Pernis ptilorhynchus

4. Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus

5.

6. Malik

7. Peak Furmanovka on background

8. Common Raven | Corvus corax tibetanus

9. Squirrel

10. White-browed Tit-Warbler | Leptopoecile sophiae

11. Himalayan Lammergeier | Gypaetus barbatus hemachalanus

12. Goldcrest | Regulus regulus tristis

13. Coal Tit | Parus ater rufipectus

14. Songar Tit | Parus songarus