Morning trip to sand foreland on Karatal river. Driving beside the bushes I frightened a lot of Wood Pigeons. Inconspicuous at day birds flew out from trees by tens. On morning silence crying of Pheasants and little falcons (Hobbies and Lesser Kestrels) were very audible. One Black-headed Gull arrived to foreland. Also flock of Great Cormorants, one White Egret, flock of little ducks flew beside foreland. On bushes from time to time Magpies and Carrion Crows occurred. Sometimes it's possible to see little birds - Lesser Whitethroat and Chiffchaff. Sandgouses didn't arrive and I began come back to Ushtobe and saw two flying to watering flocks of Black-bellied Sangrouses. Sandgrouses flew to Karatal but to another foreland. I waited some times but did't see another flocks and returning seeing flocks. But one sitting on dry tree raptor compelled my attention. On binocular I saw long legs and large head. It was Short-toed Snake-Eagle. Raptor sat very easy and I could make some photos. Several [...... read more ]

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At the road there is not many species such as at spring and summer times. The autumn is in. Many birds yet migrated. Only Rooks and Kites were met in large number. Touching other meeting birds I can notice only Hobbies and one dark morph Upland Buzzard. Over all road I met two Rollers only. The aim of the trip to Ushtobe is finding of Black-bellied and Pallas's Sandgouses. Sandgrouses indispensable fly to drink water on same places. It's possible to meet its near these watering places. But all around Ushtobe were dried up. Two trips to steppe brooks weren't successfully, there wasn't water. But there was not water that there were not Sandgouses. On dry steppe saw only Tawny Pipits, Isabelline Wheaters and Larks, several Hobbies and Lesser Kestrels, one Great Grey Shrike. [...... read more ]

No new species on the Square. I can notice only young Isabelline Wheater. Now there were not new species, I attended to little and inconspicuous birds. I tried to make good photos to identify its. Birds were Booted and Hume's Warblers. [...... read more ]

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Ile-Alatau National Park. Batareika river. Murky morning. Grey Wagtails, Carrion Crows, Magpies and two Blue Whistling Thrushes. Blue Whistling Thrushes searched insects on green grass. Republic Square. Again saw Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Stonechats, two Turkestan Shrikes, one Booted Warbler, one Bluethroat, one Masked Wagtail. Today's interesting birds are Crested Lark and Quail. I first time saw Crested Lark in the city but didn't have possibility to make photo. Bird was very scary. But Quail shot out, flew about twenty meters and smash bumped on metal fence. Whack such as stone. I was sure that bird cracked up and tried to find it. But didn't find. I turned around bushes and again put up the Quail. Bird sat at 20-30 centimeters and I didn't see it. This bout Quail successfully flew above five-meters fence. [...... read more ]

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A lot of birds. Different birds in different places. On flowerbeds mainly Stonechats fed. Stonechats looks very perfect on red roses especially males. Warblers mostly hid in bushes. Common Whitethroats are most popular, Lesser Whitethroats are some less and Barred Warblers are a little. Also today I met two Long-tailed Shrikes. Long-tailed Shrikes in contradistinction from other Shrikes hide in trees branches and search feed not on open places but under trees. Also saw one flying between birch-trees Spotted Flycatcher. [...... read more ]

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Today crossing Republic Square I saw not only familiar Stonechats and Common Whitethroats but also the newly arrived Barred Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats. Frightened off one Quail. [...... read more ]