Spring trip to eastern Mongolia

July 23, 2022July 23, 2022birdingfaroes Leave a comment

Here comes a blog about a trip we made in May 2022 to eastern Mongolia.

Participants: Bolormunkh Erdenekhuu, Silas Olofson and David Baker (first leg of the trip)

Means of transportation: Mitsubishi Delica 4WD.

May 8th

We started our trip to eastern Mongolia by driving to Gun Galuut – a lake about 3 hours drive east of Ulaanbaatar. It is a great stop over, since getting out of Ulaanbaatar often takes quite a while due to traffic congestion and Gun Galuut is a great place for camping and birding.

As it had been rather cold and it was still early in the season the numbers of shorebirds were low, but ducks were present in good numbers. Falcated Duck, 15 Stejneger´s Scoters, 2 White-naped Cranes were all good. The local highlight though were three Long-tailed Ducks, which are quite rare in Mongolia.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S109414722

https://ebird.org/checklist/S109414719

May 9th

After some early morning birding at Gun Galuut we drove to Jargalkhaan. Bolormunkh wanted to check the taiga forest hopefully finding some Black-billed Capercaillies. As we arrived in the afternoon we checked the forest, and it looked very promising. Good views of Red-flanked Bluetails, Black Grouse and Pallas´s Rosefinch, Three-toed Woodpeckers and Daurian Redstart were all nice. But the headlight were 8 Black-billed Capercaillies in the forest. As it was late afternoon we didn´t expect any lekking, but wanted to give them another try in the morning.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S109611957

We camped on the edge of the forest and the night got pretty cold with temperatures reached about minus 15 celsius.

May 10th

We woke early and went birding in the forest. About walking only 15 minutes we started hearing Black-billed Capercaillies lekking. As it was at the end of the lekking season we didn´t experience any fierce fighting, but we managed to see the birds well for extended periods. We counted a total of 11 males in the morning.

Other good birds included Grey-headed and Three-toed Woodpecker. See ebird list below.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S109611935

We then drove from Jargalkhan to the Moron plantation, where we camped. We had some time in the afternoon at the plantation, which is basically a bunch of trees in the middle of nowhere. The plantation is not dense at all, so observing and photographing birds there is quite easy.

It was obvious that migration started to gain pace. Two White´s Thrushes, 20 Taiga Flycatchers, 2 Japanese Sparrowhawks and 30 Little Buntings were all nice.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S109611955

May 11th

After a good nights sleep in somewhat warmer conditions we did some morning birding at Moron. Highlight were a very showy Eyebrow Thrush, a male Dusky Thrush, Swinhoe´s Snipe along with most of the birds from the day before.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S109738509

We then drove to the Herlen river, where we camped on the river banks. Some late afternoon birding produced the following ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S109843213

May 12th

After a good nights sleep on the beautiful river banks we did some birding along the river. Migration had really kicked in and there were plenty of birds to see. The riparian forest did make birding a tad difficult, but with patience most birds allowed reasonable views. Some highlights included 100 Black-faced Buntings, 300 Little Buntings, White´s, Eyebrowed, Dusky, Naumann´s and Red-throated Thrush. Six Falcated Ducks also showed very well.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S109738511

We then drove through the Toson Khulstai national park. While we were there it started to rain and wind picked up – and birds started raining down from heaven. Thousands of larks, hundreds of Lapland Buntings, scattered passerines out in the open like White´s and Naumann´s Thrushes and much more.

We decided to camp at a settlement to shelter from the weather. As we arrived a Long-eared Owl was sitting right next to the house seeking shelter.

As it cleared up we did some birding at the settlement. For me the greatest highlight was a flock of 30 Oriental Greenfinches, which was a lifer for me. But amazing views of White´s Thrush weren´t bad either.

May 13^th

After some morning birding we started driving towards Choibalsan. On the way we checked some lakes and scattered bushes. Bewick´s Swans were nice to see, but the highlight were more than 500 Mongolian Short-toed Larks.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S109843212

We arrived at Choibalsan in the afternoon. There we got permission to stay at the office of the Mongolian Bird Conservation Centre (http://www.mbcc.mn/). It was nice to sleep inside for a change, having both electricity and internet at hand.

Some late afternoon birding produced scattered migrants like Little Buntings, Pallas´s Leaf Warblers and three Yellow-breasted Buntings.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S110016152

May 14^th

As it was Global Big Day we decided to try to see as many birds as possible around Choibalsan. Highlights included Oriental Plover, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Azur Tit, Pallas´s Grashopper Warbler, Siberian Blue Robin and Yellow-browed Bunting.

We slept one more night in Choibalsan as David was leaving for Ulaanbaatar the following day.

May 15^th to 20^th

We found a ride to Ulaanbaatar for David and then Bolormunkh and I headed towards Buir Nuur, which was one of our main targets of the trip. On the way there we crossed the Menen Steppe with its heads of Mongolian Gazelles. A very impressive sight.

The Menen Steppe is quite dry, but along the road we found a small pond full of birds. We tried to wait a bit to see what showed up – and we were not disappointed. Amazing views of Lapland Bunting, Pallas´s Bunting, Little Bunting, Mongolian and Asian Short-toed Larks. Quite nice.

We then continued to Buir Nuur. In August 2019 Bolormunkh and I visited the area along with Abu and I was struck by its potential. Back then we had flocks of thousands of Little Curlews, loads of shorebirds and good passerines. And an absolute highlight was Reed Parrotbill.

As the area is close to the Chinese border Bolormunkh had obtained border permissions for him and I. And that came in handy as the military checked our permissions twice. When we arrived in the area we didn´t recognize it almost. Where there used to be shallow or dry reed beds we found a deep lake. That was not what we expected. Soon a local came by and we asked him about the lake. It turned out that we were on the right location, but in 2019 the water lever had been very low in Buir Nuur where as it was on its highest now. But it really didn´t matter that much. Our main target was to check the willows along the shore as I expected them to draw in a lot of migrants. And we were not disappointed.

Placed between the vast lake and the never-ending steppe the willows were magnets for birds. Just hundreds and hundreds of them. A single willow at the same time containing Siberian Rubythroat, a few Pallas´s Leaf Warblers, Taiga Flycatcher and a Eyebrowed Thrush was not at all uncommon. And since they birds had such little cover they were fairly easy to work with – Baikal Bush Warbler and Brown-cheeked Rail being the exception.

We spent three days in the willows and had some of the best birding in my life there. So many speices in beautiful plumage. Some highlights include: Little Curlew, Far-eastern Curlew, Relict Gull, Siberian Thrush, 600 Little Buntings, 350 Black-faced Buntings and 11 Chestnut Buntings.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S111386037

May 20^th to 21^th

We decided to leave Buir Nuur with a heavy heart, but the urge to explore further overtook our desire for continuing around Buir. We drove to the Khalkh river delta, where the Khalkh River delta flows into the Buir Nuur. The delta looks pristine, but it completely inaccessable without a boat and military permission. So we tried some plantations further east, but compared to Buir Nuur it was really boring.

May 22^th to 24^th

Only two years ago members of the Mongolian Bird Conservation society (http://www.mbcc.mn/) had found a breeding area for Jankowski´s Bunting. We decided to go there and see what the area had to offer. We arrived quite late and didn´t find any Jankowski´s the first evening.

The next morning we tried again and soon I found two very elusive buntings. I used about and hour obtaining good views in the tall grass only to find out they were Meadow Buntings. So I started hiking to higher altitude and finally my first Jankowski´s Bunting – a nice male showing well.

While I was birding Bolormunkh found a Daurian Startling and we both saw several Japanese Quails.

We weren´t quite happy with the area as birding was hard in the dense cover, so we moved to a more open area and it really paid off. Birds kept coming in from the south and soon I found my first male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher and then another one. Then male Siberian Thrush, Thick-billed and Radde´s Warbler, Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch, Tristram´s Buntings and so much more. The birding was simply breath taking. So many birds everywhere.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S111386799

We ended up seing about 50 Jankowski´s Buntings and taking the size of the area into consideration there could be several hundred pairs, which is wonderful as the species is endangered.

After three days we decided to head on to a place white scattered elm-trees. Bolormunkh had been informed that the area could be good for migrants, so we headed there.

Camp site near the Jankowski´s breeding grounds.

May 25^th to May 26^th

We arrived in the afternoon and started birding right away. The birding was good and the highlights were a briefly seen Wallcreeper and an incredibly showy White-throated Rock-thrush.

The following day a thunder storm hit. It was obvious that it had brought down birds. And even before it stopped raining I went out – after all if you´re from the Faroes you are used to bird in the rain. And what a scenario. Siberian Blue Robins everywhere – the days total was estimated to 300 birds. And since they had no cover, they showed amazingly well and they called actively and appeared to set up small territories.

A flock of 6 Siberian Thrushes were also quite nice even though they were soaked by the rain.

During the next two days many birds stayed in the area and more kept arriving. Hundreds of Common Rosefinches and a 60 Chestnut Buntings in a single valley. It really was a bunting Mecca with Yellow-breasted, Yellow-browed, Yellow-throated, Tristram´s, Little, Chestnut and Black-faced all recorded in the place. We only missed Chestnut-eared Bunting, when not considering the western Bunting species of Mongolia.

Right next to our camp we had displaying Oriental Plovers and recorded about 10 birds during our trip.

The highlight of the trip happened on the last day in the elm-valley. While checking the female Siberian Blue Robins I noticed a small robin on the ground. I managed to get a few pictures and saw it for less then a minute. I went to get Bolormunkh and told him that I had a likely Rufus-tailed Robin. He confirmed it from the photo, but sadly the bird had evaporated into the air.

The birding in the valley was beyond words. As we hit the peak of migration for quite a few species combined with unstable weather success was achieved. And the fact that there was no understory in the forest observing the birds was very easy – even easier than the willows at Buir Nuur and much easier than the Jankowski´s place.

We would really love to use more time in the area but I needed to head for Ulaanbaatar. If we had had a few more days we might have hit the peak of the locustellas as well, but we only saw very few of those.

Camp site in the Elm valley – note the unstable weather

On th 27^th we drove to a plantation in Bulgan. Also there we had some great birding including two White-throated Thrushes, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Lanceolated Warbler and 60 Siberian Blue Robins.

From Bulgan I got a ride to Ulaanbaatar, as Bolormunkh continued birding for a few days.

Thanks to David and Bolormunkh for an epic trip to eastern Mongolia!

Silas

Winter blog

March 16, 2022March 16, 2022birdingfaroes Leave a comment

Yesterday I found my first spring migrant in the Otzon Chuluu plantation in Khovd, western Mongolia. This reminded me that it was time to write a winter blog covering my birding adventures from January to March. And an adventure it has been for sure.

In January I had a few days off in Ulanbaatar. As often before I headed out birding with Bolormunkh. As a Snowy Owl had been reported in the Sukhbaatar province southeast of the capital we decided to give the area a try.

The first day out was great. While driving along the road I spotted two large brown raptors in the distance. The species by default is Black Vulture, but as we got closer we realized it were two Golden Eagles. We soon saw that the two birds had made a kill as they were feasting on a Mongolian Gazelle. The kill was very recent as the carcass was still warm in spite of temperatures below -20 C.

By approaching very slowly the Golden Eagles allowed us to get amazing views and pictures. We were almost perplexed by experiencing this event – very likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After about 30 minutes the eagles took of and we continued our journey.

On the steppes of Sukhbaatar we saw hundreds of Upland Buzzards concentrated in areas with voles. They also offered great photo opportunities and entertainment. The variety in plumage was great with the majority of birds being light morph and a few being almost completely brown.

A few Sakers were also seen along with a flock of probably thousands of Lapland Buntings. The first night we got to sleep at a locals house and on the second day we slept at a hotel in Chinggis City.

As we talked to some locals we were pointed to an area with Daurian Partridges. They offered amazing views as they were used to people being around there – they were almost like the locals pets.

Other birds on the steppe included Mongolian Lark, Black Vultures, Greater Short-toed Larks and Brandt´s Horned Lark. The Snowy Owl didn´t show.

In February Bolormunk visited me for almost two week. During his stay we got to do some great birding. Upon arrival we did a days birding around Khovd. In Otzon Chuluu Red-mantled Rosefinches showed well with up to 10 individuals being present.

Close to the stadion we relocated the third Eurasian Blackbird for Mongolia, which Batmunkh found earlier this winter. There were also a few Bohemian Waxwings in the same area.

On the outskirts of the city we came across a flock of hundreds of Pere-davids Snowfinches. It is a small finch normally found on the steppes and mountains. It can be remarkably hard to find as it it is nomadic in winter. But likely due to the cold weather they had come the city outskirts. The birds showed really well and gave us great photo opportunities.

One day we decided to check the riparian forest along the Khovd river in the vicinity of the town of Erdeneburen. The area contains some of the densest riparian forest I have seen in Mongolia. The forest grows along the river banks and on small islands in the river itself. During summer the herders leave the area, so grazing doesn´t happen during the breeding season. The small islands in the river are inaccessible during summer, so it is a safe haven for many breeding birds like kobdensis Bluethroats, eastern Common Grasshopper Warbler and the rare and endemic Khobdo Ring-necked Pheasant ssp. hagenbeckii.

During winter the area is easily reached by driving on the frozen river and that is what Bolormunkh and I did. As we reached the area we stopped at a few places. Bolormunkh talked to some herders. The first one only rarely saw then Pheasants, but as we got further into the area a herder had seen them the very morning. He pointed us to an area, but we didn´t see it there.

So we returned to his ger (yurt) for some tea and biscuits and then we went together to another place, where the herder knew of about 10 birds being regularly present. As we reached the area Bolormunkh soon located two male Khobdo Pheasants. They were showing quite well, but remained quite skittish and disappeared into and area with tall grass. In the area we also found a female Pheasant plucked by a raptor – likely Goshawk.

As we pressed on we found four Rough-legged Buzzards perched in trees along the frozen river. Safe to say that we got amazing views! Rough-legged Buzzards are rather uncommon and eruptive in Mongolia.

We stopped to talk to another herder, who also knew of Pheasants near by. This time we didn´t find any, but a very perplexing Great Grey Shrike likely to be a Chinese Grey Shrike flew by as we checked the area. Several Northern Shrikes were also present in the area.

As we started to drive south on the frozen river we found another three male Kobdo Pheasants, which came out to forage as evening approached. Fair to sat that they offered amazing views.

Just after sunset we checked the area where a herder had seen Pheasants in the morning. And surely four males were foraging out in the open allowing us to watch them from a rather close distance.

The herder told us that just a few years ago the Pheasants were really rare, but during the last years they have multiplied in the area – and now flocks of up to ten birds are not an uncommon sight. Quite encouraging to know since the Kobdo Pheasant has a very limited distribution and is likely endemic to western Mongolia.

Bolormunkh and I also had the opportunity to visit Ulgii. On the way to Ulgii we came across a flock of about 100 Brandt´s Mountain-finches. A target species for Bolormunkh. While we observed them we also had 3 fly-by Snow Buntings, some White-winged Snowfinches and a Great Rosefinch.

Some random birding around Ulgii provided us with about 10 Great Rosefinches, 6 Long-eared Owls and both Argli Sheep and Siberian Ibex.

On the drive back from Ulgii to Khovd we obtained amazing views of a Little Owl, that had just caught a Gerbil. Quite a large prey for such a small owl.

Thanks to Bolormunk for some outstanding days in the field!

Silas

Birding the United Arab Emirates

February 25, 2022February 25, 2022birdingfaroes Leave a comment

In late January and early February I visited UAE along with my family. So although this blog is not related to Mongolia I’m gonna post it here anyway. The first days of our visit were used at a conference, and the last week was used on a holiday. During the first days I only watched birds around the hotel in Sharjah and Dubai. Though I have visited Israel and East African there were a few easy lifers for me even in the city. White-cheeked and Red-vented Bulbuls were easy to see in the hotel garden along with Purple Sunbird and Delicate Prinia.

Other good birds at the hotel included Sooty Gull (one even swimming the the hotels pool), Indian Silverbill, Western Reef Egret and Indian Roller.

A real surprise was a first winter Black-legged Kittiwake along the shore outside the hotel.

A visit to Dubai and the butterfly island was much fun. My most-wanted bird during the trip was present there – the Socotra Cormorant. In Dubai I only got distant views, but it turned out that the species was easy and common along the coast further north.

As the conference ended we moved further north and rented both a car and an apartment in Ras al Khaimah. It turned out that Socotra Cormorants would be seen from the hotel balcony and they even roosted on the boulders outside the building complex called Pacific Rak.

The first trip we made was to Wadi Shaam in the north of the UAE right on the border with Oman on the Musandam peninsula. I got good advice from both Adbulhakim Abdi and Tommy Pedersen (both Swedish birders) – Tommy runs the uaebirding.com homepage.

The Wadi Shaam was really beautiful, but a bit difficult to bird with kids. Good birds included Chukar, White-speckled Bulbul, Plain Leaf Warbler, Desert Lark and Little Green Bee-eater.

I had one full day of birding on my own. First I visited a wet-land in Ras al Khaimah. It was really nice with good species like Grey Francolin, Long-legged Buzzard, two Crab Plovers, Bank Myna, Terek Sandpiper, Greater Flamingos and plenty of Socotra Cormorants.

I then visited Hamraniyah Fields, but it was very dry and didn´t produce much of interest. So I headed on the Wadi Bih, which is located to the north. The dry mountain landscape was truly impressive – and reminded me somewhat of Mongolia although the temperatures were quite different.

At the first stop I first located two Striolated Buntings. I´ve only heard the species once before in Israel. This time the birds showed very well in the dry wadi.

Shortly after I found a Blue Rock Thrush chasing a Hume´s Wheatear on a steep slope. Eventually the wheatear came down and showed of really well. A lifer for me.

As I watched the Hume´s Wheatear I noticed two pipits on the ground. It turned out to be Long-billed Pipits – a species I have only seen in Israel earlier. They showed amazingly well as they seemed to hold a territory in the area.

Other good birds in the area included Brown-necked Ravens, Grey Francolin, Plain Leaf Warbler, Sand Partridge and Chukar. Surely a great place for birding.

The following days were spent with the family, but a Crested Honey Buzzard over the impressive Dubai Safari Park was a nice treat.

I did get out one more time though. One afternoon I went to Qarn Nazwa, which is famous for its Pharaoh Eagle Owls. Upon arrival I soon found both Variable and Red-tailed Wheatears. Both lifers to me, so I was really happy.

I met two local Arabs, who had come to look for the owls as well. I was able to show them the wheatears and they offered me to go birding with them on a later occasion, but I was leaving in two days – so it didn’t materialize.

A single Asian Desert Warbler also showed well at the site. As sun was setting an Arabian Oryx passed me only a few hundred meters away. Quite an unexpected surprise.

After sunset the Pharaoh Eagle Owls finally started singing and showed briefly – but it was too dark for photography.

All in all the UAE turned out to be quite a nice place for birding, though getting out of the urban areas is a must. The fact that many areas have restricted access makes it somewhat difficult to bird, but with a little persistence the birding really is rewarding.

This Arabian Red Fox was seen from our hotel window

Silas Olofson

Birding and quarantine in Ulaanbaatar

January 1, 2022January 1, 2022birdingfaroes Leave a comment

It doesn’t always go as planned, right? Especially in these covid, corona, delta, omikron pseudo-apocalyptic times we live in. I think Tolkien nails my feelings about the current times quite well: “I wish it need not have happened in my time, said Frodo. So do I, said Gandalf, and so do all who live to see such times.”

I went to UB on the 8^th of December. My plan was to stay for a week. But then someone at the office in Khovd tested positive for corona and my wife and kids were placed in quarantine. My wife was supposed to pick up our oldest daughter arriving from Denmark for Christmas, but due to the quarantine I stayed in Ulaanbaatar to pick her up.

Silja arrived safely along with my aunt, but someone one the plane had tested positive for corona, so we needed to spend the Christmas holidays in an apartment in Ulaanbaatar. Luckily my wife and our two other kids flew in from Khovd and quarantined with us. So we had a great Christmas celebration on our own in Ulaanbaatar.

Before the arrival of Silja and my aunt I had the opportunity to go birding several times with good friends like Bolormunkh, Batmunkh, Abu, David Baker and others.

Abu had found a spot on google maps that looked promising for taiga birds. We went there along with Bolormunkh. There was supposed to be a monastery inside the forest, but it was destroyed. Probably a long time ago by the communists, that did not like the Buddhist monasteries or any religion what so ever. But the forest was really nice.

The highlight for me were a male and a female Black-billed Capercaillie. The female showed amazingly well – and for the first time ever I located it due to its constant calling. This is also the first time I have photographed a female BBC properly.

Another visit to Gachuurt with Batmunkh and Bolormunkh was also rewarding. We all split up as we normally do when birding the forest. The group combined saw Siberian Flying Squirrel, Sable, Stoat, Siberian Jays and Siberian Tits, Eurasian Nutcrackers, Pine Grosbeaks and Ural Owl. A clear testimony of the richness of the taiga forest north of Ulaanbaatar.

Asralt Khairkhan Mountain in the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park as seen from Gachuurt

A trip to the area around Terelj with David Baker proved to be a true woodpecker trip as we recorded Grey-headed, White-backed, Lesser and Greater Spotted and Three-toed Woodpecker during the day. The only Mongolian woodpecker lacking was the Black Woodpecker, which I expect to be the rarest of the breeding Mongolian woodpeckers. We also came across nice birds like Siberian Tit, Daurian Treecreeper and Eurasian Nutcracker.

Abu, Bolormunkh and I also visited the Songino area along the Tuul river close to UB. Birding there was really nice and many trees had berries, that attract many passerines. Red-throated Thrushes were present with around 30 individuals along with a few Black-throated Thrushes.

While walking on my own I briefly saw a Hooded Crow flying by. It is quite a rare bird in Mongolia and my first in the country. I only saw it very briefly flying by as it chased a Daurian Jackdaw.

I called the others are we all started searching. As there are several hundred Daurain Jackdaws and Red-billed Choughs in the area along with plenty of “eastern” Carrion Crows it it was hard working scanning the flocks – and again a rather weird feeling checking the “common” Daurian Jackdaws to find the “mega” aka Hooded Crow. The situation in western Europe would be quite the opposite.

After a few hours I finally relocated the Hooded Crow and Bolormunkh also got it as a Mongolian tick.

Some other birds around included Azure Tit, Azure-winged Magpies, Hawfinches, Siberian and Brown Accentors, Bohemian Waxwings, Grey-headed, Lesser and Greater Spotted and White-backed Woodpeckers.

After Songino I spent a week in quarantine in at flat in UB, but I did manage to see Azure-winged Magpie from the window. Finally after a week of quarantine and negative PCR-tests we were released and flew back to Khovd, where we spent the New Year.

I wish you all happy New Year!

A rarity in Khovd

December 11, 2021December 12, 2021birdingfaroes Leave a comment

The last weeks have been exciting when it comes to birding in western Mongolia. I’ve spent some time both in Khovd and the westernmost province of Bayan-Ulgii. On the drive between the two cities I came across a flock or approximately 1000 Brandt’s Mountain Finches. By far the largest flock I have ever seen.

In Khovd I have visited the plantation Otzon Chuluu, which is located just 5-10 minutes drive from home. As it is getting colder more and more birds gather in the plantation to feed on seed and sea buckthorn berries, which are present in good numbers this autumn.

Red-mantled Rosefinches are present with up to ten birds seen in a single day, though I have only seen a single red male thus far.

Long-tailed Rosefinches are quite common and more than 20 birds seem to be present daily in the plantation. They also spread to the city itself and I have even seen it in our garden.

A beautiful trio of Brown, Siberian and Black-throated Accentors are also present in the plantation. They are not that easy to photograph, but with patience they eventually come close.

A few White-winged Redstarts have come down from the mountains. Even though they are quite common it remains a truly wonder species to observe.

A Rustic Bunting has been present in the plantation for weeks. It is not that common in Khovd, but during autumn they pass through in small numbers. If it winters it might be the first wintering record for Mongolia.

On December 2^nd I found a true mega in Otzon Chuluu in the form of a Eurasian Blackbird. It is only the second documented record for Mongolia. Admittedly it was a strange feeling skipping Siberian and Black-throated Accentors, Rustic Bunting and different rosefinches to look for a Blackbird. But in birding geography defines the megas.

Very conveniently some of Mongolia’s top birders were just passing through Khovd an hour after I found the Blackbird. They of course made a stop and after 30 minutes of searching we relocated the Blackbird, so people from the Khurkh Ringing Station, Khurelsukh from the Khovd Ringing Station, Tseveenmyadag and Tovshintogs from Daringanga Ringing Station and of course their leader Batmunkh along with others connected with the bird.

Batmunkh and I celebrating the Blackbird… a Mongolian tick!

After seeing the bird the birders headed to Ulgii, where they ringed all the eagles of the Kazakh eagle hunters.

Interestingly on their return from Ulgii they stopped at the Khovd Stadion as they saw a flock of 13 Wood Pigeons. As they checked the area further they found a further two Blackbirds and a Redwing. Mongolia really is the place of mouth-watering rarities for a Faroese birder…

Silas

Back in Mongolia

November 17, 2021November 17, 2021birdingfaroes Leave a comment

On by birthday on the 6^th on November I returned to Mongolia after more than a year back home on the Faroe Islands due to covid-19. I flew from Frankfurt and I was really pleased to travel along with Abu, who was returning to Mongolia after 20 months away. We talked about birds for thousands of kilometers and the journey went well.

It was awesome to be back in Mongolia and after a short rest I went to check my old patch in central Ulaanbaatar – Seoul Club Park. I was sad to learn that all the shrubbery had been cleared and the parks birding potential had greatly diminished. I didn’t find anything noteworthy. In the evening Bolormunkh invited my out to eat on a Turkish restaurant and we had a great time celebrating my birthday.

As I had four days in UB before my plane left for Khovd in the west Bolormunkh and I decided to go birding the following day. We decided to head to Bag Bayan, which is an area north of UB with great taiga forest. Two years ago I found a Great Grey Owl at the location.

As we started walking temperatures were down to minus 21 Celsius. Quite a contrast to autumn birding on the Faroes. The forest was litterally alive. Tits, Nuthatches, Daurian Treecreepers and Goldcrests kept calling and showed quite well.

After a while I noticed a hunting owl, which landed on the ground. We soon got good views and were happy to stand face to face with a great looking Ural Owl. It showed amazingly well and we were able to get some nice shots.

We then continued hiking and came across Hazel Grouse, Three-toed, Lesser, Greater and Grey-headed Woodpeckers.

The Bag Bayan area is easily accessible and thus used frequently by hikers. It is also at an lower altitude compared to the Capercaillie-plateau. This means that Black-billed Capercaillie, Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit are not as easily seen as on the plateau. We didn’t find any of these, but some Nutcrackers showed really well. They were digging holes in the ground, then throwing up nuts and seed, placing them in the holes and then covering the holes again. An awesome behavior to observe and a genius way of surviving the long, cold winter.

The following day Abu joined Bolormunkh and I for a trip to Hustai National Park. It is famous for its Tahki or Przewalski’s Horses and also has other mammals and birds.

We spent the entire day at the park and managed to see the Takhi, Wapiti, Mongolian Gazelle and Argali Sheep. The birds were few and far between, but Lammergeier, Cinereous Vultures, Mongolian Larks and Meadow Buntings were all nice.

Hustai means the place with the birch trees. But it was sad to see the dying Birch forests. As the area is really dry the trees can only survive the lack of water due to the moist provided by the permafrost. But the permafrost is rapidly disappearing as it gets warmer – and the result is that the trees die at a very fast rate.

The following day Bolormunk, Abu and I visited Manzushir Monastery-area south of UB. It is the southern edge of the taiga forest that stretches more than 2000 kilometers north. Here we saw Three-toed and Grey-headed Woodpeckers, the usual Tits and Siberian Nuthatches. Abu found a Siberian Ibex and I saw two Siberian Roe Deer and a snowy white Arctic Hare.

All in all three good days of birding with wonderful friends.

Silas

Myangin Ugalzat and Tsetseg Nuur

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020birdingfaroes 1 Comment

On the last leg of our trip to south-western Mongolia we drove north from the Great Gobi B.

There we reached the Myangin Ugalzat National Reserve, which is a mountainous area known for its population of Argali Sheep.

As we reached the mountains we passed a place with junipers and other bushes. Bolormunkh said it looked good for Sulphur-bellied Warbler (just like he had said about the Saxaul Sparrows), so we stopped to check it. I’ve looked for for Suphur-bellied Warblers quite a few times, but never found one.

Breeding site for Sulphur-bellied Warblers

We climbed the rocky slopes and soon we found several Sulphur-bellied Warblers, which eventually showed really well. A quite nice phylloscopus reminding me most of Dusky Warbler – both the song and the appearance. It is a very attractive warbler, with its prominent yellow eyebrow and dark olive coloration.

The birds were busy catching insects and we found a few nesting sites in dense bushes though we didn’t search for the nests themselves.

Other birds at the side included Bearded Vulture, Pallas’s Leaf Warbler, Grey-necked Buntings, White-winged Snowfinch, Brown Accentor and a likely Rock Bunting seen only by Bolormunkh.

White-winged Snowfinch and Grey-necked Bunting

We also had good views of the eastern Black Redstart ssp. phoenicuroides. I was surprised that it was so similar to Common Redstart even showing lots of white on the forehead.

After spending three hours at the site we drove on and camped in a mountain valley. In the valley we didn’t see many birds, but Marmots, Silver Voles and a Red Fox gave good views. And a Shorelark was breeding near to our camp.

There weren’t many birds in the morning around the camp, so we left early for Tsetseg Nuur a bit further north. The lake is known for hosting a breeding population of Relict Gulls in certain years, but the gulls seem to breed in different places each year.

As we arrived we were a bit disappointed with the general conditions of the area. Severe overgrazing had left the shore almost totally void of vegetation, but on the salt pans there were hundreds of Pied Avocets, two Red-necked Phalaropes, Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers and a few Gull-billed Terns flew by.

We decided to end our trip there as Bolormunkh and Sakna could catch a bus to UB from a village near by. But we still had a few hours before we need to leave, so I went on a hike along the shore.

The further north I got the more birds I saw. In a pond lots of gulls were roosting and soon I found about 20 Relict Gulls along with plenty of Black-headed and Mongolian Gulls.

A few of the Relict Gulls came quite close by and I managed a few pictures of this beautiful and rare gull.

When I came back to the car Bolormunkh and I looked at a map and realized that we had been using our time at the wrong place. North of the large salty lake is a smaller fresh-water lake surrounded by reeds and it looked absolutely awesome. But sadly the tickets had been ordered, so we only had time to look at the area from a distance. But surely a place ripe for future explorations.

We drove to the village where Bolormunkh and Sakna got on the bus – a ride that takes more than 24 hours – and I drove back to Khovd.

In total we saw 155 species, which ain’t too bad since we didn’t go for quantity but quality. At last a photo from one of our first days. Little Bittern!

Thanks to Bolormunkh and Sakna for a great adventure!

Silas

Uyench and Gobi B

June 28, 2020November 17, 2021birdingfaroes Leave a comment

After spending four days in Bulgan Bolormunkh, Sakna and I headed east to Uyench. We drove up a gorge, where we saw four White-throated Dippers, Grey-necked Buntings and Greenish Warblers. As the road was really bad we decided to return and do some birding in the plantations around Uyench.

We soon found the most promising-looking plantation and went birding. Much to our surprise we saw European Bee-eaters carrying food three times during a short period of time. Surely they had to be breeding in the area.

Another surprise were three singing Common Nightingales, which are only known to occur in Bulgan. These interesting facts made us set um camp in Uyench, so we could do some more research in the area.

The following morning we checked the plantation. Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Thick-billed and Greenish Warbler, Wryneck and the three Common Nightingales were present, but nothing more than that expect for some really showy Mongolian Finches.

We then went to look for the European Bee-eaters. Soon we saw up to five birds at the same time carrying food. So they must be breeding in the area.

At noon we drove towards the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area. Since we were so close we’d better visit the place. As there has been some snow this winter the desert is quite green.

After quite a bit of driving into the desert we came across and oasis along some some sand dunes with Saxaul Trees and other bushes growing on them. Bolormunkh said that it could be a good place for Saxaul Sparrow. Since this would be a lifer for me I was eager to check the place.

An oasis in Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area

As I started birding I found first some interesting Shrikes, then much to my surprise two Barred Warblers, a Greenish Warbler and a Siberian Chiffchaff.

The Barred Warbler and the Shrike did the well-known warbler-shrike symbiosis.

The reason why I write “Shrike” is that some birds look like hybrids with Red-tailed Shrike influence. Still much to learn.

Then I heard a dry sparrow-like call and yes!!! A pair of Saxaul Sparrows were foraging right in front of me.

They proved hard to photograph, but eventually I got some usable pictures. And as we checked the wider area a total of eight Saxaul Sparrows were seen. Quite a good number of this scarce species.

We decided to camp at the Saxaul Sparrow spot as we had seen quite a few rodent holes and tracks, which made us eager to do some spotlighting for Jerboas and other mammals. And the place was just wonderful.

At dusk we headed out with our torches and found five Northern Three-toed Jerboas. Quite nice.

After a good nights sleep we woke up at five and started birding. Saxaul Sparrows were rather common and several nests were found. Often in abandoned raptors nests in tall trees.

Suddenly I was very surprised to hear a singing Golden Oriole in a tree. It didn’t show right away, but after a while it came out and I obtained some good views. Not a bird that I expected to see in the Gobi B.

A little later I noticed a flycatcher on a branch. As I got a little closer I could identify it as my first Brown Flycatcher of the year. Not at all common in western Mongolia.

I met with Bolormunkh and we decided to use more time in the desert forest. I went to check some new areas, where I found four Daurian Partridges and a Laughing Dove flew by. Sadly I didn’t get any images.

Quite a few warblers were also present including Barred, Greenish, Pallas’s Leaf Warbler, Chiffchaff and Lesser Whitethroats.

Eventually we decided to leave the place and head further into the Gobi B Strictly Protected Area. Our goal was to get a feeling of the site and maybe see a Khulan or Thaki – Asian Wild Ass and Preswalski’s Horse.

The roads in the area were bad, so it took more time than expected to drive around. Bolormunkh had received some information from the park manager on where to go. That paid off as we soon found a Khulan, which showed well albeit distant. We also saw at least 50 Goitered Gazelles.

It proved hard to find any road to an oasis, which the manager had suggested to us. And since we really didn’t have much reason to press on we decided to drive north out of the park to some great lake-areas. More on that later…

Silas

Bulgan Birding

June 18, 2020June 18, 2020birdingfaroes Leave a comment

In the south-western corner of Mongolia you find the small town of Bulgan located along the Bulgan River. This is the Bulgan in Khovd province – not to be confused with all the other Bulgans all over Mongolia.

The Bulgan river is the only Mongolian river flowing into the mighty Russian river Ob, which run out into the Arctic Ocean. Basically Bulgan is a small piece of something with a far more western feeling than Mongolian in general. I have wished to visit the place since I came to Mongolia and finally I was able to go together with Bolormunkh and his brother Sakna in early June.

We drove to Bulgan via Khar Us Nuur. We did some birding together at the lake, where highlights included White-headed and Ferruginous Duck, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Savi’s Warbler and a very showy Oriental Turtle Dove.

A Saker also showed really well perched on a electric pole along the road.

We then headed towards Bulgan, which is about 350 km from Khovd city. The drive there was absolutely stunning. Bone dry desert, river valleys and mountain passes. We made a few stops along the was as we encountered Lammergeiers, Black Redstarts, Pere-davis and White-winged Snowfinches, Sakers and even a few Guldenstadt’s Redstarts.

At one point we passed an isolated patch of threes along a stream. We decided to make a short stop and went to check the area. Soon two Spotted Flycatchers, European Greenfinches and Greenish Warblers were seen.

A tricky Great Reed Warbler provided some excitement too as it was very elusive, but eventually showed very well.

Suddenly I see a Little Bittern fly towards we. As it sees me it turns and flies away downstream. I rush over to Bolormunkh to tell him about the bird. It turns out that he had seen in on the ground and even got a few pictures of it – but as he was photographing it took off. We tried to walk downstream to look for it, but we couldn’t relocate it.

Little Bittern is a rare bird in western Mongolia and it was a nice addition to both Bolormunkhs and my Mongolia-list.

As we reached the Bulgan River a tricky shrike showed well. Most likely it is a Red-tailed x Red-backed Shrike backcross.

Hybrid Shrike paired up with an Isabelline Shrike

We then drove to Bulgan, where we got permission to set up camp in a plantation. There were many different trees like poplars, apple trees and willows in the plantation. The grass was tall and it smelled like heaven. Bolormunkh had said the he expected Bulgan to feel like a different country – and he was spot on. It felt so different from the other parts of Mongolia, that I have visited. Basically it is an oasis in the desert. There is some natural riparian forest along the river, but the real attraction is the plantations and grass fields sustained by irrigation. Just amazing to see the desert bloom in this way.

The birds were also different. At the camp we had European Greenfinches, Greenish Warblers and Common Nightingale singing around the clock. This is the only place in Mongolia with breeding Common Nightingales as far as I know. The birds even showed really well at times, so it was possible to study and photograph these eastern presumed ssp. golzii thoroughly.

The western cast of birds was indisputable. Golden Orioles flew by every now and then, but we only saw green birds. I did hear Golden Orioles sing in the morning, so I guess they breed there.

Another western bird that is found no were else in Mongolia is the Lesser Grey Shrike. We found a single bird in the first morning and then we even found an active nest south of the river.

In the evening we had a flock of 15 European Bee-eaters flying by in the distance. The western flavor of the place was strong.

My main target in Bulgan was the Red-headed Bunting. This bunting only breeds in Bulgan in the entire Mongolia. During our first morning we didn’t find any, but on our second day I found a female. As we weren’t quite satisfied with that we continued looking and finally found two competing males in a open area with scattered bushes. Eventually they showed really well and Bolormunkh and I were really happy.

Bolormunkh had checked a buddist sacred place as it had some good old trees. There he found a Linnet. We decided to visit the place again. As soon as I entered a flock of Tree Sparrows were foraging on the ground. As I checked the flock I found two Greenfinches, a Wryneck and no less than five Desert Finches. I called Bolormunkh and moments later he connected with the birds.

This is the fourth record of Desert Finch for Mongolia – and the second this year. So most likely it is a regular visitor, which might even breed in Bulgan. As we checked the place the following day eight Desert Finches were present. This could indicate breeding.

In the evening we moved our camp to a new location and celebrated the Desert Finches. The next morning I went up at 5.00, while Bolormunkh slept a bit longer. I went to check the southern side of the Bulgan river. It is a nice forested areas with scattered Willows, Elms, Scrubs and Apple Trees.

As I entered the forest I found a pair of Great Tit types. The Great Tits of Bulgan show intermediate characters between Great Tit and the so-called Turkestan Tit. Most likely the population in Bulgan is the result of influxes from both east and west, which is why many of the tits there almost entirely lack any yellow colours.

During our days in Bulgan I managed a few shots of the variation of tits present in Bulgan. To safely identify a Turkestan Tit the short outer-tail feathers must be seen.

While photographing the tits I noticed a grey bird about 20 meters away. I got my bins on the bird and was very surprised. Vay to slim and long to be a Spotted Flycatcher. Then it flapped its wings, which revealed an obvious wing-bar. And then it dawned on me that I was watching a female Ashy Minivet. A species I saw the first time just in February in Thailand.

I grapped a few record shot from the distance and rushed to wake up Bolormunkh. Soon after we were back on location, but the bird had disappeared and was never seen again.

This is the third record of Ashy Minivet in Mongolia. The other two records are from the eastern part of the country, so a record in extreme south-west was very unexpected. For instance there are no records from Xinjian in China.

Other birds during the day included these:

Yellow Wagtail ssp. beema, White-backed Woodpecked, Long-legged Buzzard, Isabelline Shrike, Goldfinch, Craig Martin, Common Whitethroat and Bluethroat

All in all Bulgan is an amazing place with a huge potential for rarities!

Total ebird list can be seen here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S70230603

Silas

Khar Us Nuur surprises

June 4, 2020June 4, 2020birdingfaroes Leave a comment

The Khar Us Nuur covers 1500 km2. Located on the edge of the Gobi desert and the Altai Mountains is have a little bit over everything. Huge reed beds, swamps, marshes, muddy shores and just west of the lake bone-dry gorges and dry steppe. This makes the Khar Us Nuur lake a mecca for birding.

In the end of May I spend a whole day in the area. As I reached the western steppe at sunrise two confident Goitered Gazelles (also called Black-tailed Gazelles) gave amazing views. I haven’t seem them this well since encounters in South-east Turkey.

I decided to use some time in the gorges and valleys – and they were full of birds. Hume’s Warblers and eastern Lesser Whitethroats were present all over. It was in fact hard to know where to look.

Other typical birds of these rocky desert habitat included Mongolian Finches, Pied, Northern, Desert and Isabelline Wheatear and the colorful Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush.

A pair of Lesser Kestrels were observed mating and Pallas’s Sandgrouse flew over every now and then.

At one point I heard a bunting singing from the top of a rock. I needed to climb a bit to check it properly – and much to my delight it turned out to be Grey-necked Bunting. Soon two more males were found in the area. It is new to me that they breed here as they normally play a bit hard to get.

I then headed to the lake. My first target were shorebirds foraging along the muddy shores. The shorebirds don’t gather in one spot but are found evenly distributed along the shore though there are a few hot-spots along the shore.

Arrival of shorebirds was evident. Most common were Little and Temminck’s Stints, but Broad-billed, Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlins were also present.

Soon I also came across a very tame Terek Sandpiper, that walked right past me as I sat down. Soon I found another Terek and ended up with three different birds during the day.

Common and Spotted Redshanks and Marsh Sandpipers were also present in smaller numbers.

Numbers of Grey and Pacific Golden Plovers were a delight as they now sport their nice breeding plumage.

Kentish, Little Ringed and good numbers of Greater Sand Plovers were great as always.

A one point surprises started to unfold. First I had two Little Curlews flying by and then an Eastern Spot-billed Duck did the same thing. I’ve never seen either species in western Mongolia before.

Another great surprise were no less than 24 Asian Dowitchers in the south-western marshes. It’s both a really good looking bird and pretty rare to observe as well. I strongly suspect them to breed at Khar Us Nuur.

I continued to the reed beds, where I got amazing views of some busy White-headed Ducks displaying. By far the best views I’ve had in Mongolia. The population around Khar Us Nuur seems to do well and there could easily be hundreds of pairs of this endangered species breeding around the lake.

A single breeding plumage Arctic Loon showed rather well albeit a bit distant.

I finally managed to good photos of a Pale Sand Martin as it roosted of a wooden dock.

14 Ferruginous Ducks, Red-necked Phalaropes, Ruddy Turnstones, Pallas’s Gulls, Pallas’s Bunting and thee species of Wagtails also spiced a very good day of birding, where a total of 110 species were seen at Khar Us Nuur.