Urban Birding. Almaty. Republic Square.

I wanted to go to mountains but feared overcast weather. But day was warm (at least in first half) and mostly sunny. During two hour I watched birds in Republic Square. I was here a long time ago therefore I surprised by the absence of birds. Of course birds were a lot but all of them related to four species which are not interesting to me. Hooded Crows, Rooks, Mynas and Feral Pigeons were in flocks of tens of birds each. Crows and Mynas most of time of the year are absent in the Square but now the large flocks of these birds were feeding in the Сornus sanguinea berries of which they never eat previously. A long time I looked for Warblers or even Great Tit. The sound of Warbler was hearable once but I didn't recognize bird in bush. Tits and Blackbirds were found in the NE part of Square but a few. Where are the birds?

About more or less significant birds. In one hour I three times noticed Peregrine Falcon. It was flying very low, in level of flying Crows, therefore I each time noticed it only in the last moment. So all photos of Peregrine are "in tail". But I am absolutely sure it was Peregrine (or probably Shaheen) Falcon. It never circled but always flew by. Is it falcon I watched recent years or another one? Would falcon winter here? Now the building of city hall is reconstructed. All the windows near the niche where Peregrine spent night are absent, the employees are always visible and its shout is always hearable. Today I had not time to take photo but I hope Peregrine will winter here again. Also in the NW part of Square I noticed the little bird, I tried to watch it via camera. It probably was Blyth's Warbler by the color and pale eyebrow.

So today is not birding day. Of course winter is close. I saw the Magpies with apples. Butterflies were only three, one of them probably in sleep because not moved, another one looked like washed, and the third one was hawk moth but it also didn't look energetic.