To the Black Grouses and Owls 2.

Today is sunny and warm. I and Vassily Fedorenko went to Big Almaty Gorge to the proposed location of Black Grouses mating. During the tracking we saw Black-throated Accentors and Blue-capped Redstarts in bushes. When we arrived to the destination we found neither Black Grouses nor mating place. But we saw many other birds, such as tens of Black-throated Thrushes, Coal Tits, Siskins, couple of Crossbills etc. Some hours I just sat and watched birds. I saw how Coal Tit was taking seeds from pine-cones, one of seed fell from the beak and flew down, then Tit flew to seed and catch it in fly, and then came back to the branch. Also I saw how Crossbills tore the cones and dropped it. Close to mid-day time the birds of prey appeared in the sky. We saw Golden Eagles, Goshawk, female Hen Harrier, and Black Kites. Harrier flew low above the bushes and hovered on spot from time to time. I was surprised the rare wings flapping need to Harrier to be in one spot. Kites also explored the slopes but not so low.

After the lunch we again went to the yesterday gorge to search Owls. We again saw many Bramblings and Chaffinches, and also Chiffchaffs. All the time one Black Kite was flying in the sky, perhaps it strikes fear in birds. We again didn’t find Owls though reach the high level by the Wild Boars tracks, and twice we heard the Owls sound in day time. To the city we back before nightfall, it was good. During the trip I took 5 mites from myself.