Urban Birding. Who winters, who will fly?

Today me and Natali Kim visited Komsomolsky island. Most of significant observed birds are separated to two groups: new ducks and little passerines. The latter can be also separated to two groups: common winter visitors and surprisingly belated migrans.

Ducks. In the dispersed small flocks of Mallards we watched 2 Common Teals, 3 Wigeons, 2 Tufted Ducks. All these ducks more likely stay to rest and feed, and will fly away after one or two days. But the observed two days ago Goldeneyes and one Smew probably arrived to wintering.

Little passerines. Common winter visitors or residents: Great Tits, Coal Tits, Willow Tits, Goldcrests, Sparrows. Uncommon to this season birds: Bluethroat and Tree Pipit; this birds were feeding on the snow-free water border. More likely both Bluethroat and Pipit are belated migrants. Yesterday in Dzhambul park I watched one Lesser Whitethroat (was looking for insects in fir-tree) and at least 3 Hume’s Warblers. Lesser Whitethroats winters in Almaty, I regularly recorded them recent years in winter time. But I am afraid to guess the wintering of Whitethroats (and Hume’s Warblers too) in Ust-Kamenogorsk, because the frost of 40 degrees is not rare in this city.

In Irtysh branch we noticed first this autumn Dipper. Birds of prey: yesterday in Dzhambul park the Sparrowhawk was flying from one tree to another in company with crows. Today I watched very beauty adult Goshawk was flying along the Irtysh. Also I again noticed the Rusting Bunting. It’s status is unknown to me, perhaps it is winter visitor.