Sorbulak, the spring signs.

Trip to Sorbulak with Gennady Dyakin and Victoria zvyagintseva. Weather forecast was sunny and warm day, in real during all day there was smoke, and temperature probably didn't up over zero. Our rout contained two points located far one from another: the open water of Big Sorbulak and the channel in Komsomol.

Firstly we visited open water. We reached it without any troubles, and were happy to see the absence of mist. But the warming not only removed mist but also enlarged the open water. The ice plain of lake now is covered by hummocks and cracks, and though from a coast possible to view the quite fat ice, but ice bacame as thinner as closer to open water. We also heard the gurgling and crackling always. The warm water of channel makes melting the ice much faster as even the sun and warm air. In the open water there are the same birds as in prevoius visit, such as Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Goldeneyes, Goosanders, Smews. But Baraba Gulls appeared. They firstly stay in one dense group of several tens of birds, but then flew away in different directions.

We attempted to go Little Sorbulak using our usual side road (we did it in all recent winter trips), but it turned out the road was covered by snow. The same compressed snow covered the depressions between sandy hills too. Some time we could move in east difection bypassing depressions, but appreciating the troubles of road and possible result in Little Sorbulak we decided to change our usual rout. Then we took lunch watching to Buntings and Fincches, and went to Komsomolby by asphalt road.

We never observed the channel in Komsomol so long time as today. We did it about three hour, we drove by both sides of channel and in both sides of road. Turns out, birds concentrated mostly close to road, and visiting both sides of channel made sense. We saw Water Pipits (neither Meadow nor Buff-bellied Pipits were found, the number of Water ones was much less than in previous visits), Mallards, Little Grebes, one Pygmy Cormorant, Green Samdpipers, Mew Gulls, some species of Buntings and Finches. New species for this point (in this winter) are White Wagtial, Ferruginous Duck, Peregrine Falcon, Water Rail. Rail was noticed later than all other, almost before departing. It was running along the water line, absolutrly open. Rail was not afraid the car, to the human reacted hiding in the holes of Muskrat (?). Water Rail is common but shy bird, the record of this bird and besides without attraction by sound was very nice. We took photos of it so long as we wanted, but bird didn't pay attention to us.

Very rare event, we backed to city in a day light, and noticed several tens of Gull flying by wedge and line. In addition to the record of Baraba Gulls in open water, it means the start of migration of Gulls. Gennady also guessed the White Wagtail in channel may be not wintering but migration bird. That's first features of spring. I looked the weather forecast, it promise sharply colding in Saturday, 23 of January, down to -5-9C in day time, then temperature all the time go up, and from January 28th the day temperature is positive, and almost all time about +10C. I think the same weather will be untill beginning of April when the common to Almaty the April snow will come. But before this event the Novruz holyday will be, in which it would be nice to go somewhere for the first Wheatears, though I think the Wheatears may to appeare earlier than end of March.

1. Steppe Gulls are seem already migrans

2. Reed Bunting

3. Eurasian Linnet

4. White-tailed Sea-Eagle

5. Altai Buzzard

6. Mallard

7. Pygmy Cormorant

8. Eurasian Sparrowhawk

9. Peregrin Falcon in Sorbulak much more interesting than in city

10. Common Gull

11. Water Pipit

12. Common Kestrel

13. White Wagtail is probably already migrant

14. Wood Sandpiper

15. Water Rail

16. Rough-legged Buzzard

17. Hen Harrier

18. This Buzzard looks very similar to vulpinus, but more likely is Altai one.