Shelek. Enbrkshikazakh region. Almaty oblast.

Morning in the foothill part of Almaty was sunny, but there was a continuous fog in the steppe part. The fog was also on road till to Malovodnoe. Most of birds were Rooks. Twice saw Buzzards (large birds, most likely Upland Buzzards), one of them carefully spied something under (probably looked out for mice). Nothing interesting till Shelek. After Shelek I passed in a valley between Sogety mountains and Ile river. Landscape was stony semidesert crossed by channels and russian olive thickets. There were plashing Mallards on channels, some times I noticed flying Mallards. Stock Doves (about ten) sat on the еlm and then flew out. After them flock of Rock Pigeons flew up from the ground, Stock Doves mixed up with Rock Doves and departed to the steppe. On the back way once again saw flock of Stock Doves, apparently the same birds. Twice saw Great Grey Shrikes. In russian olives mostly Greenfinches were fed, but I also saw Grey-headed Goldfinches, Black-throated Thrushes and Blackbirds (only two birds). And also small (about 15 birds) flock of Waxwings. For a long time I didn't see Waxwings. In a semidesert zone saw two Crested Larks.

In Shelek on russian olive saw the lonely Chaffinch. And still surprised to me I noticed White-winged Woodpecker. Woodpecker sat highly on a poplar and pecked gemmas. At least so it seemed to me. Yet Woodpeckers don't begin to drum.

I went back along the Big Almaty Channel coursing along Ile Alatau mountains. Near to Kyzylsharyk in the sky the Cinereous Vulture soared. Along foothills shepherds graze many flocks of rams and goats. Probably Cinereous Vulture examined their. Almost near to Vulture Long-legged Buzzard soared also. Little bit further on the road I saw one more Long-legged Buzzard caught gopher. Other raptors were one Common Kestrel and one Rough-legged Buzzard (the first and probably last bird this year). It exactly was Rough-legged Buzzard because I very well saw the tail with a wide black strip.

Not only calendar spring has already come but spring weather also, but birds while only wintering. Today I didn't see any migrant birds. Small birds were not visible at all. Once saw a flock of Yellowhammers and two times flocks of Red-fronted Serins (by the way, this year first birds too, there were not Serins in the city this winter).