Southern Trans-Balkhash area. Sorbulak-Aidarly.

Weather is sunny but cold. There are no snow almost everywhere, it was blew by wind or melted, or more likely both. Trip to Sorbulak-Aidarly with Andrei and Gennady. First spot is Sorbulak, which we passed by eastern and northern coasts. Main target was Bean Geese. We saw about two hundreds of Geese, perhaps it is all of Geese in the lake. Geese are rather shy, they were in the eastern coast not in water probably perhaps the large waves. When we approached them they flew out not a far, for a distance about some hundreds meters. Geese just kept distance. They did it some times. And each time they flew out for a longer distance than in previous one. The most numerous birds in Sorbulak were Whooper Swans (about 200 birds) and White-tailed Sea Eagles (40 at least), also we saw Mallards, Ruddy Shelducks, different little passerines.

The second spot is the desert from Bozoi to Aidarly. Here the most popular birds were Larks, we saw Sky, White-winged, Calandra, Lesser Short-toed and Crested Larks. Once we noticed flock of Pallas's Sandgouses, and we saw female Merlin, couple of Turkestan Tits in silverberry near channel, and Chaffinches. The most impressive record is the Foxes one of which posed for us from the distance about 4-5 meters from the car. So pity as I accidentally removed all photos from this trip especially photos of Fox. It's good that I took photos on two cameras, something is saved. Also it's not so pity because not only I took photos, it's means whole of material is kept.

1. Eastern Buzzard | Buteo japonicus

2. White-tailed Sea-Eagle | Haliaeetus albicilla

3. Whooper Swans | Cygnus cygnus

4. Bean Geese | Anser fabalis

5. Merlin | Falco columbarius aesalon

6. White-winged Lark | Melanocorypha leucoptera

7. Turkestan Tit | Parus bokharensis

8. Red Fox | Vulpes vulpes karagan