Urban Birding. Republic Square.

Day is overcast in morning but sunny from the lunch time. I went to the Square at 9.30. Birds are absent, though I hoped to watch anyone before the appearance of numerous wedding groups. But birds are absent, I guessed due to loudly sound of trade center Almaly and the large number of service employees. But more likely reason is because of overcast weather. After the clearing of weather the Stonechats and then other birds appear. However number of birds is a still not enough. Stonechats were feeding near the Сornus sanguinea trees, they were eating not berries but insects in the grass using trees as place of rest. In addition to Stonechats there are Hume’s Warbler (heared but visible only two times) and Lesser Whitethroats here too. Whitethroats also were feeding in the Thúja trees but after sun appearance. I saw male Stonechat bathing under the water drops of watering point. Bird was fluffing and puting own feathers in water drops. Also Lesser Whitethroat was perching to the watering point but I couldn’t take photo of it. I waited the next visit of Whitethroat but Blackbird came here, not to bathing but to dring water. As service of Square use a lot of water in all part of Square I saw the taxi drivers washing their own cars. Drivers put car under the water streams and then move to dry part of road and wipe dry the cars. I guess that car washing in the Square can be the regular action. In other part of the Square I noticed the sound in the bushes. I didn’t recognize the sounding bird but saw the Barred Warbler. It’s a nice record because Barred Warblers and Common Whitethroats every autumn feed in the trees which are without berries in this year. I thought it is the reason of absence of Common Whitethroats (usually numerous) and Barred Warblers in Square. But if one bird appeared I can watch other ones.

I watched the family of Hobbies, total four birds, at least one adult bird and two ones are juveniles exactly. All four Hobbies were flying mostly above the Khabar building, often landing to the roof, in this case Magpies landed near Hobbies and some times tried to chase falcons. Twice juvenile Hobbies crossed the Square and landed to flagpoles very close to me (here I recognized adult and juveniles). Three times I took photos of feeding Hobbies in air – adult bird gave something to juvenile (in one series it was the dragonfly). From a side the action looked like game or fight. When shouting Hobbies fly in sky all little passerines become silent. In my opinion even Magpies behaved quieter than usual. Then I went back to the western part of Square, birds became more in number but new species were not added. Only one high soaring male Sparrowhawk. I couldn’t shoot it because it was very high and the sky again covered by whitish smoke. Hobbies will migrate soon but Sparrowhawk more likely will stay here to wintering.

1.

2. snowberry

3.

4. Barred Warbler | Sylvia nisoria

5. Eurasian Hobby | Falco subbuteo

6. Eurasian Hobby | Falco subbuteo

7. Common Stonechat | Saxicola torquata

8. Lesser Whitethroat | Sylvia curruca

9. Eurasian Blackbird | Turdus merula intermedius