Big Almaty Lake, Big Almaty Peak.

August 30-31. Two days trip to Big Almaty Lake area with Madina Dyusebayeva and three her friends. We started from the city close to lunch time of 30th of August. Mountains from the city looked as full covered by clouds. But system was not static; clouds were moving all the time and we was in the mist not all time. During the serpentine road we saw Blue Whistling Thrush, Wallcreeper, Kestrel and Nutcracker. After we arrived to the Lake and took the permission we go to the mouth of the river. On this road we saw brood of Eversmann’s Redstart, Red-fronted Serin, Golden Eagle, and one Merlin which was in front of us all time. In the mouth of river two Hobbies unsuccessfully tried to catch one Grey Wagtail. Ibisbills in first time were not visible but later Madina found the couple at about 100 meters from the lake. Ibisbills flushed and crying moved to the marsh part of the coast. Then we moved to juniper bushes near Observatory when we watched some Stonechats, Norhtern Wheatear, Black-throated Accentor and also Long-eared Owl in the twilight. Here in the juniper bushes we spent the night. I expected the sub-zero temperature in the morning but at 10pm our tents were covered by ice.

31 of August. After waking up I hoped to view a lot of birds, but didn’t watch any ones. There is silence in the juniper bushes, probably due to night cold. After breakfast we folded tents and went to Cosmos Station and then to Big Almaty Peak (3680 m). Near Cosmos Station we saw only two males and one female of Guldenstadt’s Redstart, one Brown Accentor and Yellow-billed Choughs. I got the feeling Choughs are less than normal. In the slope from Cosmos Station to Peak we saw four little flocks of Himalayan Snowcocks of 3-5 birds each. One of flocks landed very comfortable to us, we could to wait birds up to their moving, but they flew down, probably because we were too much and too visible. Then we climbed to the Big Almaty Peak. The main record of the day waited us near the peak, we saw the flock of 17 Oriental Honey Buzzards of different colours and patterns. From dark brownish to almost pale. Probably Buzzards rested on rocks and I flushed them, but I noticed them not immediately because I noticed only soaring birds at about 100 meters from me. After about 2-3 minutes Buzzards gained the height and flew away in west direction. It was my first record of flock of Oriental Honey Buzzards. After reaching the top of Peak we flushed three Snowcocks more. On the back road I moved to left from the trail but in right of trail the large bird of prey flew by; I couldn’t identify it. The path from the Peak bottom to Cosmos Station was with escorting of couple of Kestrels and flock of Yellow-billed Choughs. Also here we recorded the Grey-necked Bunting. After about third of the road to Observatory we noticed the Little Owl (my first record of Little Owl in highlands). Also here we saw the couple of Northern Wheatears; male was very beauty – pale with grey and rufous in back, but unfortunately I couldn’t take photo of it. After the lunch we started the back road; people in the gorge were a lot, we didn’t expect any interesting birds. The most significant record to me was the flock of Oriental Honey Buzzard.