Sornulak

Ornithologists say that in autumn the birds in foothills are a bit but on lakes the active flight of shorebirds is observed. On these suggestions we with Raufael Bairashev went to watch shorebirds of Sorbulak. Day was cloudy but without a rain. Birds were noted on road were not departed Rollers, Golden Oriole and Hobbies. On a small sediment bowl of violet colour (and fetid smell) usually no any birds, but now it is much of birds (some tens). Most notable and easily distinguishable were Northern Lapwings; also observable by size Ruffs were many; Green Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Curlew Sandpipers and little Temminck's Stints were observed too. In addition to shorebirds I saw small Ducks (Teals?) and one male Common Pochard.

Near Sorbulak there were many Kestrels on poles. On lake birds were a lot: Dalmatian Pelicans, Coots, Mallards, Crested Grebes, Ferruginous Ducks, Grey Herons, Great Egrets, Black-headed Gulls, Caspian Gulls. The Great Cormorants in some hundreds number rounded low on water in the center of lake. Interesting shot was Eurasian Honey Buzzard. Firstly I confused Buzzard on Marsh Harrier, but later identified it on photos. Honey Buzzard some time came back to same place but murky weather didn't have possibility to make photos on dark-grey sky background. Other raptors were Marsh Harriers. In the thickets the moving of little passerines (Turkestan Shrikes, Spotted Flycatchers, one female of unidentified Redstart, Common Rosefinches, Hume's Warbler, Isabelline Wheatear) were notable. In canes I saw Kingfisher and certainly Coots and Moorhens. Shorebirds: Ruffs, one Ruddy Turnstone, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, some Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers. The shorebirds mostly were not conspicuous but Ruffs flew in large flocks low on water. Other shorebirds and Wagtails (Masked and Grey) were more hearable than viewable.

In other coast of Sorbulak Raufael Bairashev saw one Pelican, about 20 Great Cormorants, about hundred Ducks and 8 Grey Herons. All birds were in one group on dam. In same place on small marsh we saw Coots, Moorhens, Marsh Harrier, Masked Wagtails, Stonechats and shorebirds: one Black-tailed Godwit, two Common Snipes, one Ruff, one juvenile Black-winged Stilt, some Northern Lapwings, Wood Sandpipers, Temminck's Stint.

Another one part of Sorbulak coast, but we couldn't close then the water spilled the road. But in asian elm thickets we saw many Oriental Turtle Doves, Magpies and Azure Tits, but on spilled hemp field - a lot of ducks - Mallards and Common Teals.

On back way the notable birds were Rollers, Black Kites and one White-tailed Sea-Eagle.