Degeres. Zhambyl region. Almaty oblast.

The road to Degeres. Began to watch the birds only over Uzunagash. Each 20 kilometers watched different birds. Permanently saw Magpies, Jackdaws, Starlings on the road, Mynahs, Masked Wagtails in localities. Amazing a little of sparrows.
Uzunagash – Karakastek. Over Uzunagash on a little river saw a flock of Green Sandpipers. There are Chiffchaffs and Lesser Whitethroats on the roadside trees. A lot of Rooks. Some of them began to nest. Not yet a leaves and Rooks are conspicuous. Locally saw flocks (5-7 birds) of Wood Pigeons. Two Black Kites.
Karakastek – Akkainar. A lot of Rooks. Landscape is open foot-hills. A lot of Corn Buntings. Saw two Kestrels. One female Sparrowhawk with prey (Corn Bunting).
Akkainar – Shien. Barn Swallows in Akkainar. Several Tree Sparrows, Stonechats, Pied Wheaters. The nest of Long-legged Buzzard. Both male and female flushed and began to hover.
Shien – Sunkar. Corn Buntings, Linnets, Wood Pigeons. Near Sunkar one Ruddy Shelduck. Over Sunkar Bank Swallows, Linnets, Isabelline Wheaters, one Spotted Flycatcher.
Sunkar – Degeres. Only Magpies, Rooks, one flock of Wood Pigeons.

Degeres. Sunny and windy weather. There are many Chiffchaffs in the bushes between the rocks. From time to time saw pair of Pied Wheaters. Male of Pied Wheater was white-throated. The bird captured main attention was a Eastern Rock Nuthatch. The bird loudly cried. Certainly I wanted to make good photos and kept close in the bush. From the bushes to binocular I saw yet another interesting bird – Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush. Thrush sat on the stone near the heather bush. Then bird beheld me and kept close to bush. But orange breast was marked thorough the branches. While lied in ambush saw flying flock of Demoiselle Cranes and pair of Black Storks. All birds flew over the mountain.

In the searching of Cranes and Storks went to reservoir placing over the mountain. Didn't find Storks and Cranes but saw Ruddy Shelducks, Garganeys, Black-headed Gulls, one Grey Heron, one Bluethroat (very dark male), two Black-winged Stilts, flock of Little Ringed Plovers, Crested Grebes.

Returned to the rocks. Saw Chukar Partridges. Chukar Partridges very quietly reacted to Sparrowhawk hovering in the sky. Even to me they didn't also turn special attention. Next time when I saw above the cliff the head of Chukar Partridge, I simple climbed the cliff from the opposite side in order to photograph Partridges going to me, but bird hearing me quietly planned to the opposite slope of gorge.

I had good luck to meet Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush. In contrast to Nuthatcher the Thrush today didn't sing and cry. If birds wasn't so bright painting I should have not noted it. Thrush sat on the stone against the sun, it allowed me to go around him from other side and to make several good photos before hide in the bushes. Very calm bird.

Further it traced Nuthatchers. The male of Nuthatcher from time to time distracted me from the nest taking away to another side of the gorge. I traced it, hid, from time to time making the photos of other birds. Especially Chiffchaffs, but one time Linnet allowed to approach closely. Several times heard Cuckoo.

The male of Nuthatcher bore the little stones in the beak, apparently to the nest. On the rock cornice I noted nest like the swallows construct. But I did not know is this nest of swallows (Crag Martins) or of Rock Nuthatchers. One time I could to hide very successfully among the large stones. The male of Nuthatcher was quieted and began to clean feathers. At this time from the previously noted nest the female seemed. Bird noted me immediately and raised cry. I immediately left because didn't want to frighten birds. Mood was elevated; I photographed two new species of birds - and still found nest of one of them.

Back way from Degeres. Hoopoe, Crested and Calandra Larks. Near Shien pair of Cinereous Vultures. On single tree the nest of Sparrowhawks. Near the nest both birds – male and female. There is nest on wild apricot tree on 1,5 meters height. Near Shien Grey-headed Goldfinches and Linnets sang on wires. Long-legged Buzzads returned to the nest.

1. Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)

2. Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus casiotis)

3. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

4. Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)

5. Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra buturlini)

6. Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)

7. Eastern Rock Nuthatch (Sitta tephronota)

8. Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar falki)

9. Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis turkestanicus)

10. Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis turkestanicus)

11. Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis turkestanicus)

12. Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita tristis)

13. Eurasian Linnet (Acanthis cannabina fringillirostris)

14. Eastern Rock Nuthatch (Sitta tephronota)

15. Eastern Rock Nuthatch (Sitta tephronota)

16. Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

17. Crested Lark (Galerida cristata iwanowi)

18. Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

19. Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus)