Sorbulak, Kurty.

Chapaev. Black-headed Gull, pair of Tufted Ducks. Sorbulak. Birds were not a lot. On the water mostly Coots and Crested Grebes were visible, on the coast we saw Great Cormorants, Dalmatian Pelicans, Grey Herons, Jackdaws, Magpies. Also we watched the less visible Garganeys, Red-crested Pochards, Mallards, pair of Goosanders, pair of Goldeneyes, Tufted Ducks, one Black-winged Stilts, Gadwall, Shovelers, Common Teals. Caspian Gulls and Black-headed Gulls flew by, Turkestan Shrike, Black Kite, Common Starlings, a lot of Chiffchaffs which fed on the ground too. On second dam there were a lot of Ruddy Shelducks, two Northern Pintails, Pied Wheatears, Turkestan Shrikes.

Kurty village. Many Black Kites both in village and in vicinity. In the steppe zone at Kurty there were a lot of Larks mostly Calandra Larks but Crested Larks and Greater Short-toed Larks were too; Isabelline Wheatears, Pied Wheatears; the Rooks probably concentrated in flocks to migrate to north, we saw the flock of about 4 thousand birds. In the shelterbelts there were the pair of grey Partridge, Tawny Pipit, many Tree Pipits, 3 Hoopoe, Sparrowhawk, Kestrels. On the rocks at the river we watched two Black Storks on the two different nests, probably pair didn't choose the nesting place; pair of the Long-legged Buzzards flew round; in the bushes there were many Chiffchaffs, Black Redstarts (male and female), Turkestan Shrike; also we flashed Eagle Owl, on the Owl's staying place we found the fresh pellets and feces. Also one Hooded Crow, three flew round and called Demoiselle Cranes, pair of Chukars, Hoopoe, Pied Wheatears were watched. On the road from the river to highway in the steppe zone we saw Turkestan Shrike, Pied Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear and Northern Wheatear.

We came back to Sorbulak. We watched the Great Crested Grebes were trying to leave the little gulf. Grebes needed either to float through the neck beside us, or to fly over the little patch of the ground. More often the group of Grebes slowly closed to the neck then one of the birds panicked and began to run on water, the rest of birds at once joined to first Grebe. Some of Grebes forced to run not only over the water but partially over the patch of ground; some of Grebes overcame the dry part of the way but three birds stumbling on ground quickly came back to the water. From the several dozens of Grebes no one tried flew over the ground and no one tried to float under the water by us. Great Crested Grebes have very short wings more comfortable to float under the water than to fly, therefore Grebes reluctantly fly off. Also I guess that Grebes can not to fly off from the ground. In addition to the earlier observed birds we watched White Egrets, 4 Common Redshanks, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, Green Sandpipers, Lapwings, Common Pochards, Ferruginous Ducks, Black-throated Thrush, female Blue-capped Redstart.

1. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

2. Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)

3. Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

4. Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

5. Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

6. Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)

7. Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)

8. Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)

9. Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)

10. Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka)

11. Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)