Trip with Gennady Dyakin and Andrei Kovalenko. The main event of a trip to Sorbulak was the watching of White-headed Ducks. Andrei guesses the nesting of this Ducks on one of the overgrown with reeds lakes of Sorbulak system. We watched several white-headed adult males (two of whom were still with blue bills), and about 20 juvenile Ducks which were quite non-timid but even curious. Juvenile Ducks not hid from us but circling between cane islands floated us closer and closer, therefore we made as good photos as it was possible. Ducks floated together with different ages Black-necked Grebes which were at least two dozen birds. In addition to White-headed Ducks need to note the large flocks of Great White Pelicans, rare Curlew Sandpipers still with parts of old rusty feathers, even more rare Sanderlings, and Ruddy Turnstones. [...... read more ]

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On river’s cascades I observed the Blue Whistling Thrush , but in spruce forest the Songar Tit. [...... read more ]

The weather at the bottom of the gorge was sunny but Furmanovka peak all day was in the clouds, so almost total of our climbing was in the fog and accordingly in the cold and damp. In after-dinner time the wind dispersed the clouds; the sun came out and the air immediately warmed up. At first only Nutcrackers were visible (Kimasar is the place where Nutcrackers are guaranteed observed in Almaty vicinity). At the foot of Furmanovka I watched soaring and rolling Ravens, and the flock (10-15 birds) of loud screaming Red Crossbills in the spruce forest. At Furmanovka in the fog I watched the somewhat Brown Accentors and Tree Pipits, the Wren (which I always notice at the same little spruce-tree), the pair of White-winged Grosbeaks, and family of Stoats. Pipits and Accentors were bringing the insects to somewhere over the rock. Also two Red-billed Choughs flew back and forth in the fog. After fog dispersion I noticed Carrion Crows, Golden Eagle, and the flock of Snowcocks. I hurried down to [...... read more ]

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Fledgling Scops Owl all day perched in the crown of chestnut-tree near my door. [...... read more ]

The mass raids of Rosy Starlings to summer houses began. In roadside elm thickets I noticed the singing Golden Oriole. [...... read more ]

At night I saw fledgling Scops Owl fed by the adult male. [...... read more ]

In the bottom inhabited part of gorge I ran into the Blue Whistling Thrush what means the lucky day. But I didn’t see other birds excepting several Common Rosefinches and one Mistle Thrush. [...... read more ]