Urban Birding. Almaty. Republic Square.

Today was the second in this autumn snow. By the signs it must melt. Weather is not good, though internet promised mostly sunny. In morning I watched birds about one hour near city hall. Birds are a few, mostly mixed flocks of Bramblings with single Chaffinches which were feeding mostly in thujas but in Сornus sanguinea too. Today I first time saw Magpies fed the berries of Сornus sanguinea. One Buzzard was soaring quite a high. I tried to find some rare birds and expected to find Warblers, but watch birds without sun is difficult, and my eyes recently see badly. Sometimes I found birds by the sounds, for example I heard and then found Greenfinches. It seemed to me I heard sounds of White-winged Grossbeak but I didn't see it. Inside the tree I noticed Barred Warbler, took some photos. But the Lesser Whitethroat was noticed but wasn't recognized and shot. The European Robin also was twice noticed in the open grass but quickly hid under the spruce-tree branches. Bird was very similar to Robin by size and behavior but I am not sure because I didn't see orange breast due to darkness. In last year autumn I saw in Square the couple of Collared Doves coming to feed. In this year I saw them again.

After noon sun was opened and I went to Square again. But when I came to Square the sun is closed again. I couldn't make photo but I didn't want to leave the Square. Therefore I walked and watched. Twice I saw Lesser Whitethroats and twice Barred Warblers. It was impossible to take photos but I watched them good and sure in correctness of id. One more significant bird is Quail flushed by me. Quail as usually turned the tree and hid the trail, I as usually tried to find it unsuccessfully. About at 3.30pm I noticed the flock of Great Cormorants in the backround of dark-grey sky. Birds were flying not orderless like Crows but in wedge. They were Cormorants and they flew directly to north. Flock contained 31 birds.

Significant birds: Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Quail, Cormorants.

1. Eastern Buzzard | Buteo japonicus

2. Brambling | Fringilla montifringilla

3. European Greenfinch | Carduelis chloris turkestanicus

4. Common Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs

5.

6. Eurasian Blackbird | Turdus merula intermedius

7. Eurasian Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto

8. Great Cormorants | Phalacrocorax carbo