Day is overcast in morning but sunny from the lunch time. I went to the Square at 9.30. Birds are absent, though I hoped to watch anyone before the appearance of numerous wedding groups. But birds are absent, I guessed due to loudly sound of trade center Almaly and the large number of service employees. But more likely reason is because of overcast weather. After the clearing of weather the Stonechats and then other birds appear. However number of birds is a still not enough. Stonechats were feeding near the Сornus sanguinea trees, they were eating not berries but insects in the grass using trees as place of rest. In addition to Stonechats there are Hume’s Warbler (heared but visible only two times) and Lesser Whitethroats here too. Whitethroats also were feeding in the Thúja trees but after sun appearance. I saw male Stonechat bathing under the water drops of watering point. Bird was fluffing and puting own feathers in water drops. Also Lesser Whitethroat was perching to the watering [...... read more ]

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Day is warm and sunny. Tour to Kimasar gorge with Gennady Dyakin and Malik Nukusbekov. Because of Malik wanted to walk in the Tien Shan spruce forest we went by the top of ridge, and immediately recorded Three-toed Woodpecker pecked the trunk. Woodpecker was very calm, didn’t fly to a far, and finally showed us the hole. It was very surprisingly because there is hole in birch-tree but we always related Three-toed Woodpecker to spruce forest. Further in the road we saw many little passerines – Warblers, Wrens, Blue-capped Redstarts. We heard Nutcrackers and once saw group of Mistle Thrushes flying from one slope to another. The road in forest has many advantages but one shortcoming – high spruce trees are interfering to watch flying birds. Once I took photo of flying Crested Honey Buzzard, but next times I didn’t even recognize large birds of prey flying by from east to west. Total were 5-6 birds in three groups (first group of 2 birds, second one of 1 or 2, and single bird), I couldn’t [...... read more ]

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Short birding in Square. Of the non residents of Square I saw only flock of Stonechats. [...... read more ]

Common trip to mountain with family. Birding is on background but some birds were recorded. I saw a lot of Greenish and Hume’s Warblers, Coal Tits. Blue-capped and Black Redstarts are present but not yet numerous, I saw one female Black Redstart and some males of Blue-capped ones. Stonechats in the top border of spruce forest were strange to me. Also I saw Wren, juvenile Black-throated Accentor, Kestrel, and one dark morph Buzzard. I expected more raptors - but in vain. [...... read more ]

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The recent two years birds lost the attachment to the locations which I regularly explore and which are near my home. Urban birding without own locations is not interesting. My favorite location is the Republic Square. But birds in this location now are less and less than in previous years because people is more and more in my opinion. Today I noticed the common to season Stonechats, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, one Bluethroat. Also I saw juvenile Barred Warbler but I am not sure. [...... read more ]