Our Rockjumper group's first days in Kazakhstan have been excellent. I will expand more when I get back home; in the meanwhile, here's a quick on-the-road summary:
We stayed in Taukum Desert, in a camp near Kenshengel for two nights. En route we stopped at Lake Sorbulaq that was teeming with birds - waterfowl, shorebirds, pelicans (Great White and Dalmatian), and most impressive was a colony of about 10K pairs of Rosy Starlings by the lake shore. Incredible. In Hebrew their name translates to 'Locust Starling' - now I understand why. We keep seeing many huge colonies and flocks of thousands.
In the Taukum Desert we connected well with our main target species, Caspian Plover and MacQueen's Bustard. The plovers were with chicks so we kept a fair distance away from them. Scope views were great. So cool to see them on their breeding grounds, after having them both on their wintering grounds in East Africa, and on migration in Israel.
Also Greater Sand-Plovers breed on the semi-desert plains:
Many Black-bellied Sandgrouse were seen, but no other sandgrouse species:
I especially enjoyed the dawn chorus (starting at 02:30!), with a multitude of lark song (Calandra, Bimacs, Greater, Lesser and Asian Short-toed), Isabelline Wheatears and Red-headed Buntings. Fantastic.
Classy bird
Quite many raptors in the desert - eagles, harriers, and a bunch of vultures feeding on a dead cow.
Cinereous Vulture
A visit to Turanga Forest delivered the goods - the sought-after and beautiful Saxaul Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Pigeon and Azure Tit.
Saxy Sparrow
Azure Tit
Now we're close to China-Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan birder triangle - tomorrow should be good!
We are very lucky to work here in Castro Verde. This is the most beautiful and biodiversity-rich steppe region in this part of Iberia, or maybe in entire Iberia? Or in the world? Anyway it's fantastic here. We walk for many hours every day, and the reward is great birding and lovely landscapes. Here is a selection of some recent photos I took. I don't photograph that much because I have to work... but still I get some decent photo opps. Not like shooting from a hide or even a car, but I can't complain. As you may notice, in this part of the world it is possible to photo birds on a fence or in flight.
I will actually begin with the less spectacular group of birds, but they are ever-present and such good birds: larks. Commonest species is Calandra Lark, a magnificent mimic and one helluva lark. It's display flight is quite spectacular. They are found in good densities here, in pastures. In recent days, numbers of Short-toed Larks increased considerably too, and they are seen singing and displaying in good numbers in legume fields and dry pastures. Thekla Larks are found in the scrub-covered sections of the park. Theklas are birder's birds - notice the stubby, pointed bill, heavy breast streaking, general warm brown tones, and overall stocky structure.
Thekla Lark
This is how I see most Calandra Larks:
On the deck they are quite skittish
Greater Short-toed Larks are pretty mobile too, but sometimes they do settle down
Little Bustard is one of the focal species of my research this season. Contra to Great Bustards that are well-monitored, little is known on the conservation status of Little Bustard in Iberia. In some parts of Castro Verde they are still found in good densities, for instance today we had about 40 singing males in an area outside the park. The males are heard singing mainly early in the morning, but are usually well hidden in the tall grass and hard to see well. Occasionally we get a showy bird - this macho showed off by a main track as we drove in at first light. These photos have been heavily edited to compensate for the bad light, and are not as sharp as I would want them to be. The males give their fart-call while whip-lashing their heads back. This movement is so quick, so with my slow camera and low light I couldn't get a photo of the head all the way back. What a bird!
I took this short video - sorry about the noisy soundtrack (no external mic):
We see many Great Bustards - Castro Verde is their stronghold in southwest Iberia. However I usually keep my distance from them not to disturb them, though sometimes I get some close encounters and flybys:
Moult score 29
The adult males are some gigantic beasts
Even here is Castro Verde life is not always sweet for steppe birds. Fences are a real hazard, especially for a heavy bird like Great Bustard. I found the remains of a dead bustard that colided with a fence on one of my transects:
Black-bellied Sandgrouse are another symbol of the Iberian steppes. They are most often seen in flight, so we count them mainly in transects and not in point-counts. They are always located by their distinctive bubbling flight call. They do favour dry pastures and legume fields where they may be seen on the ground from a safe distance.
Rocky outcrops hold scattered pairs of Western Black-eared Wheatears. Here are both morphs, the black-throated:
I find the white-throated morph much more attractive:
Yellow Wagtails are seen in small numbers in wetlands and creeks. Most are Iberian Yellow Wagtails. However, I am not sure which subspecies these are - at least the top bird looks more like flava, with a yellow throat and pale ear coverts and lores. Both were breeding, seen carrying food to nests. Quite a good local breeding record apparently.
When the temperatures rise, raptors usually take off and are seen in relatively good numbers and diversity (compared to UK...). We search for rueppell's among the commoner vultures - no success yet.
Black Vulture and Eurasian Griffon
Red Kites have not been found breeding here yet, but they certainly seem to be in the business:
Some more random birds:
Hoopoe
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Spanish Sparrows
Just some nice opium-producers
In contrast to the abundance of breeding birds, I am amazed by how few migrants we see. There are many breeding summer visitors, true (Lesser Kestrels, Bee-eaters, Nightingales etc.) but true migrants are extremely few and far between. Over the last week of walking, we had only one Tree Pipit, two Grasshopper Warblers, and one Northern Wheatear (in the Algarve).
On Thursday we move to work in northern Alentejo. Sadly, I expect to find there agro-steppe habitats in less-pristine state, and fewer associated birds. Stay posted!
Spent the last two days working inside Castro Verde SPA. It is really lovely here. Probably best bit of steppe or agro-steppe left in southwest Iberia. We spend most of our days walking and walking. Great fun and work is proceeding well. I have few photo opps, too busy and in fact not easy to approach birds here on foot. Nice numbers of expected steppe species - Great Bustards, Calandra and Greater Short-toed Larks, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Montagu's Harriers etc. This Monty did get quite close in the nice afternoon sun today, stunning bird:
I am especially happy to find healthy densities of Little Bustards. For instance, this morning I had over 20 singing males in my box section. Most are heard only giving their weird fart-like song; few are seen, just. This is a typical view, full frame:
This is another typical view - flying away:
Calandra Larks are present in good densities mainly in grazed, short and dry pastures:
Black-bellied Sandgrouse also favour drier fields and pastures. They are typically heard first, and then seen in flight:
Quite many raptors, including Black and Red Kites:
Red Kite
You can check my eBird checklists from recent days here: 1, 2, 3, 4
We have another week here in Castro Verde. Should be fun!
Spent the morning in the Nizzana area. It was a fine morning indeed. Weather was relatively cool early on, with some cloud cover keeping the temperatures down for a couple of hours. First checked some desert habitats - there were loads of Cream-coloured Coursers around, including several families with young, soft chicks. At one point a female that was coursing around with its two chicks stopped and kneeled down, and the babies crawled under her wings. I regard myself as a tough guy but this was really one of the cutest and sweetest things I had ever seen. Mother with two extra pairs of legs sticking out under her wings. Unfortunately it happened too far away for photography.
Cream-coloured Coursers
Some whetears around - families of desert, Isabelline and Mourning.
Desert Wheatear - recently-fledged juvenile
Then I went to the Kmehin sewage ponds that were packed with birds. Good local birds included one Purple Swamphen, two Namaqua Doves and some Trumpeter Finches. From about 07:30 large numbers of sandgrouse came in to drink. I had over 600 sandgrouse until 09:30 - about 250 spotted, 200 pintailed, 80 black-bellied and four crowned. I kept my distance from them not to disturb them, so only some flight shots:
Spotted Sandgrouse - female and male
Black-bellied Sandgrouse - male
Quite many migrants present already. about 30 Green Sandpipers, and few woods and Redshanks, some Ruffs, and two Squacco Herons.
Green Sandpiper
Squacco Heron
Thanks to Meidad and Itai H. for info and company.
This morning I took part in the Sandgrouse monitoring project organized by IOC / NPA. I counted at Nizzana sewage ponds. Arrived early, before the sandgrouse, and birded for about an hour. Didn't see anything special but it was so good to be out birding again after too long without porper birding. Still I had 1 Ferruginous Duck and 4-5 Moustached Warblers.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk at first sunlight
Pretty low numbers of sandgrouse came in to drink later on. I guess it's the result of heavy rain in the area a few weeks ago, and cold temperatures, which means the birds probably couldn't bother flying long distances to drink. I had only 33 Black-bellied Sandgrouse - that's it.
A third of the total number of sandgrouse I had this morning:
