The trip to Ile's rocks with Raufael Bairashev, Gennady Dyakin and Nurlan Kalchinov. The morning was murky with scattered rain, but later the sky became open, and the sun became shine. We saw the flock of Rosy Starlings (about 20-30 birds), but the main arrival of them still is not began. The first bird we saw was the sheltered from the rain under the rock the Hoopoe. But the Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush wasn't sheltered from the rain and being wet and dishevelled postured on the stone. The Rock Nuthatch on our appearance flew from the nest and hid into the next stones. But later it came back with the bug in bill. In our opinion the bird was the male feeding the female sitting on the clutch. Later we heard the calls and alarm calls of other Nuthatches in other points.The rain quite quickly ended. When the rain ended the Red-rumped Swallows and Crag Martins appeared. Swallows and Martins were building the nests. On the stones after the rain the little pools were formed, and Swallows and Martins [...... read more ]

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Murky weather, scattered rain. In the rainy weather the birds rest and don't continue the migration. Therefore during and after the rain on the Republic Square it's possible to watch more birds than usually. For example today the Hoopoe arrived to the Square. Also I saw Blackbirds, flying Sparrowhawk, and Magpies running one to another. I again noted and again didn't shot the Bluethroat. This year Bluethroats are very watchful. Also I watched the flock of Stonechats about 15-20 birds, mostly males. I thought that this year the Stonechats and Shrikes migrated beside the city. But I mistook. I saw Shrikes too - one Turkestan Shrike and one Long-tailed Shrike. That's all results of my short walking. [...... read more ]

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The mostly cloudy and windy day. The road from Almaty to Shelek along the Big Almaty Channel is separated to the two parts: firstly the road passes on the roadside thickets, but further the road meanders on the open foothills of the Bokaidyn Tau mountains. On the first part of the road I saw a lot of Wood Pigeons, one Oriental Turtle Dove and singing Corn Buntings. The second part of the road was more abundant to the birds. I saw Jackdaws, Common Starlings, Tree Sparrows, Stonechats and flying Kestrels. The most interesting landscape is the stony meadows, on these meadows I watched Hoopoes, Pied Wheatears, one Linnet, Tawny Pipits, Chukar Partridges, the pair of Black-bellied Sandgrouses, Jackdaws and two Grey-headed Goldfinches which were flushed from tree by me. Today I saw the pair of Pied Wheatears of vitata morph; both male and female in this pair have white throat.The little pool near the turning to Kyzylsharyk is very interesting place. On this pool there are always the birds, usually [...... read more ]

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The Grey Wagtails in a numerous number are singing songs, flying very high, perching on wires and running one to another. The pair of White-bellies Dippers are much easier than Wagtails. I saw one Blue Whistling Thrush. And also one peony. [...... read more ]

It's important to observe Ile rocks before the Rosy Starlings arriving, because after arriving of Rosy Starlings it's impossible to watch and hear anything. On the rocks I noted the pair of Tree (?) Pipits and some later one male Stonechat. Twice the flights of Demoiselle Cranes passed to North-East. Five Black Kites flew by to Ile mouth, later Kites soared over the rocks. I found the nest of Rock Nuthatch, I saw Nuthatch too but didn't wait it to shot. But I attended the Crag Martins which were building the nest. Crag Martins were not wary and I made photos from very close distance. Also Crag Martins together with Red-rumped Swallows formed the colony on the holey rocks near the river's coast. In same place I saw nesting Lesser Kestrel and Mynah too. On the water border I noted Grey Wagtail and Common Sandpiper, twice Mallard Ducks flew by.Almost all the time the pair of Golden Eagles was within sight. But both them nest are without nestlings. From time to time Eagles flew through the [...... read more ]

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I walked to Baiserke to test the long focus lens with manual focus. The water in pond is still much, I saw about two tens Crested Grebes, Red-crested Pochards (male and female) and pair of Garganeys. [...... read more ]

The first Scops Owl arrived in Samal. Today evening I heard this year first Scops Owl. [...... read more ]

The House Martins round over the nest, probably they will nest here. I saw one only nest but about six Martins. Probably other nests aren't visible to me. Some years ago in Tajikistan I saw that arrived House Martins two day flew around old nests but later flew off. I thought that in Samal the story may occur again. Also I saw Chaffinches flying by in flocks, it means they didn't finish spring migration. [...... read more ]

Sunny, warm day. Trees are without leaves, but the slopes of foothills already covered by fresh green grass. In roadside thickets we saw Wood Pigeons and in places the Kestrels. Rooks are on nests already. On foothills the most popular bird was Corn Bunting. Buntings perched on bushes and wires, on some wires we counted 5 birds between poles. In some places we also saw already arrived Stonechats. Over Sunkar village on stone meadows The Isabelline Wheatears already formed the pairs and probably build the nests, so one pair were flushed by me from the hole. Larks flew and sang; on little river I saw White-bellied Dipper and this fact surprised me.On the rocks of Degeres Pass we observed two pairs of Rock Nuthatches near the nests, one female Redstart (probably migrating bird), and Chukar Partridges. One pair of Nuthatches flew off from old nest, but the nest of second pair was broken and birds reconstruct it, because the borders of nest were wet. In the sky three Cinereous Vultures soared, [...... read more ]

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The Chiffchaffs were arrived in a large number. They fed on the birch-trees and on the flowered apricot trees. Also I saw one Bluethroat. Greenfinches and Blackbirds were singing the songs. [...... read more ]