Urban Birding. Ust-Kamenogorsk.

Morning, 8am. Dzhambul Park. Weather is very nice, almost sunny and cold. Thrushes were eating berries (viburnum, barberry, but mostly little apples). I saw two Blackbirds, two Fieldfares and many Black-throated Thrushes. The local Blackbirds are very shy unlike ones in Almaty. Also in park I watched Great Tits, Nuthatch and about five Hume’s Warblers.

After the park I decided to visit the Irtysh river side. Though I went to river about 9.30am the birds were a bit. Usually numerous Rock Pigeons were invisible. First time there were a bit of Ducks too. But later two large flocks of Gulls (while not id) appeared; one flock was a long time soaring above the island, then flew away. Then a large wedge of Cormorants flew away to the East, then I twice saw Gooslanders moving upstream. And then I spotted 6 barn Swallows. After October 21st I recorded Barn Swallows only October 25th in Sorbulak and twice in November beginning in Mangyshlak, but both of record point are at least 1000 km to south than Irtysh river. I was watching Swallows and snow on grass at the same time! Also today I saw the (little) snowfall and sun together. On the Strelka I met Rimma Ivanovna Kim, we walked some time together and recorded one Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.