Eastern Kazakhstan, Gerasimovka. Rustic Bunting.

The short tour to silverberry thickets at Gerasimovka village with Viktor Kolesnikov and Rimma Kim. Very cloudy weather, the frost was not felt in the beginning but was explicite in the end of trip. Birds were a lot because the food is a lot of course. Birds were feeding both in the silverberry trees and on the sunflower field (large harvest). The most numerous species: Greenfinches, Bramblings-Chaffinches, Black-throated Thrushes, Filedfares, Yellowhammers; each of these species from 50 to 300 birds. The less numerous species: Reed Buntings, Great Tits, Azure Tits, Linnets – about two tens of each. And only individuals of Rustic Bunting (1), Howfinch (1), Redwing (1-3). We saw Sparrowhawk was hunting to little passerines; but Great Grey Shrike caught the little mice on the sunflower field, it was surprise to me. Birds of the day to me are Redwing and Rustic Bunting. Rustic Buntnig was feeding in the reeds together with Reed Buntings and flew away with the flock, I tried to find it but unsuccessfully because in very cloudy day very hard do it. Redwing was noticed perched on the poplar in flock of Fieldfares. When I tried to close them the flock fly away; I took photo bird in fly but I wasn’t sure that I took the true bird. But when I looked photos on the comp I convince of correctness and also find two Redwings in other photos. I am not sure it’s the same or different birds.

1. my second record of Rustic Bunting

2. hundreds of Brambling were feeding in the sunflower field

3. Great Grey Shrike with prey

4. Linnet

5. Greenfinch

6. Azure Tit

7. Redwing

8. Upland Buzzard