I have a guess that our base of photos is the largest in former USSR, and probably is largest project in the world related one country. I created the statistic of site to the Kazakhstan’s Book of Records (the creators of the book sent me the request) and got the following results: we photographed 444 species of the birds, it is 88% of total species observed in territory of Kazakhstan, there are 59995 photos (19620 series), and 137 videos of 100 species of birds in site. One of the analytic sites called birds.kz as the largest site in the KZ domain area. Probably it was true but now I think the photo-sites and file depositories more likely are bigger than our site (today about 15 Gb of information, only texts without photos is 15 Mb), but probably among the thematic sites we are the leader with the large gap from the second place.I wrote this preamble because today the fifth of upload photos will be the 60000 (sixty thousandth) anniversary. Though not all of our photos have the scientific [...... read more ]

I expected the overcast, partially rainy day. But I can’t change plan to trip to Kimasar. In spite of my expectation the weather was not partially rainy but full rainy, partially overcast. Rain started almost immediately I came to mouth of gorge and was so powerful that I was forced to hide under the spruce-tree. Further rain regularly was becoming heavier and only sometimes easier. This weather didn’t give me possibility to watch birds which were a bit though I reached the juniper belt. Of the significant birds I can mention only juvenile Blue Whistling Thrush I noticed before the rain, and two juveniles of Carrion Crow pecked the bark of spruce-tree.When I was backing to home I met the man who heavy impressed me. He was very calm, intelligent-looking man without bag but with umbrella and gun! I wanted to ask him – why you are with gun? But I didn’t do it, because I afraid men with gun. This spring in Alakol lake I heard the story about two groups of hunters fired on each other. [...... read more ]

Weather is changed every 15 minutes from cloudy to sunny and back. I reached the Panorama pass with expecting of Brandt’s Mountain Finch which was observed here two week ago by my wife. I didn’t find it but further I know that it is need to search it in the rocks which I bypassed. Away from the rocks and in the right slope of the Chimbulachka peak I saw mostly Mistle Thrushes and Hodgson’s Finches. Mistle Thrushes were rather careful, they approached close but immediately flew out. Finches also were shy, I took photos of only two birds, one of them behaved as near the nest, not flew far and sounded alarm calls. Also I saw three Finches together, I didn’t recognize colour of all birds, but probably it was brood with adult bird. Near the spots of snow one juvenile Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush looked for the food. The couple of Himalayan Accentors filled beaks by caterpillars finding them in the grass. By the way beaks were filled in very short time. In the stones I saw Stoat which was [...... read more ]

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Three days tour to the Kolsay lakes with colleagues.12 of July. Because tour was not birdwatching but teambuilding I knew that bus in which we drove from Almaty to Kolsay never stop for birds; so I slept until Zhalanash. I think (or I believe) nothing significant was during the road. From Zhalanash to Saty road passes the very scenical foothills; from the car’s window I noticed Rollers, flocks of Rosy Starlings, Turkestan Shrikes, Rock Buntings, Linnets, Grey-headed Goldfinches and probably other birds. Of the birds of prey I noticed only Black Kites. There are a lot of Rooks, Common Starlings and Mynas in Saty village. Then we drove to the first of Kolsai lakes, and two hour hiked to the second one. In the moment of leaving the bus in first lake the weather changed from sunny to overcast and rainy, therefore hiking was under the little rain, which however didn’t disturb to watch Common Roseficnhes, Hume’s Warblers and fledglings of Blue-capped Redstarts. Then it was night, that’s [...... read more ]

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Day is overcast, without sun but without rain too. All of my last birding tours were in the same weather which is bad for photo shooting. Trip to mountains with family and friends. Usually the similar tours are without birds, excepting the case when they asked to take photo of them. Today they didn’t ask, but my short sittings near bushes were rather successfull.All around the Greenish and Hume’s Leaf Warblers were singing, and in the low part of gorge Common Rosefinches were singing too. One time I heard Woodpecker’s drumming, I didn’t recognize of which of two our Woodpeckers (Great Spotted or Three-toed). In the crowns of spruce-trees I saw Tree Pipits and Black-throated Accentors (including numerous juveniles); in the top part of spruce-forest Blackbird chased several Mistle Thrushes, by the way Blackbirds were singing often. In the archa (juniper) grove I took photos of Red-rumped Rosefinches (1 female, 2 males, not together); a long time I watched one male eating the berries [...... read more ]

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