Kurty - Sorbulak

Trip with Gennady and Victoria by the route Kurty - Akchi - Little Sorbulak - Komsomol. Weather of most of day was cloudy, temperature in morning was definitely negative (Celsium), but in evening became quite a warm. We started in Kurty, snow is absolutely absent here, birds are a bit too. In the bushes under the dam we saw Grey-headed Goldfinches, mixed flock of Tits (Great and Turkestan ones), Blackbirds, we expected some other species of little Passerines which are usually numerous here, but nobody was found more. Then we were walking along the river between the bridge in village and the main bridge of highway. From time to time Mallards flew by, the Goshawk followed them, also we saw several White-tailed Sea-Eagles. In the bushes Long-tailed Rosefinches foraged, from the depressiion we flushed the flock of Chukars. Perhaps, the most interesting record is Wallcreeper, three years ago, in 2018, this bird also was watched here. Unfortunately Wallcreeper was so shy, almost immediately it flew down of stream, and we couldn't find it one more time.

After Kurty we drove by the road Kurty - Kapchagai, in the hills of this place possible to view Great Bustards, mostly in without snow slopes of hills. The Short-eared Owls also may to winter here. But now all steppe is open, snow is absolutely absent, means there are no points of concentration of birds. We drove and didn't see Bustards, Owls, and other birds in road sides before the snow cover appeared. Together with a snow the Horned Larks, Linnets appeared, and Long-tailed Rosefinches appeared in the trees too.

We had a lunch in the first reservoir of Little Sorbulak where open water is significant elnadged in size recent time, but the same birds are present here, Swans, Mallards, and some of Pochards. After the dam between 1st and 2nd reservoirs we also saw the same pattern.

Of our plan only the channel is rest one. Firstly we drove by the side of channel in its part where it start from the tube after Mezhdurechensk and go by snake-mode in sands, then we went to Komsomol. Almost everywhere birds were a bit, excluding the part of channel in both sides of road in Komsomol. There are the place of concentration of all Pipits, almost all of Little Grebes and Green Sandpipers. We tried to attract Water Rail, but unsuccessfully. Saw several Meadow Pipits, Masked and White Wagtails. The latter ones are probably the same birds we saw in previous visits. Twice we watched to large flocks of Bramblings ofd about two hundred birds in each one.

We finished birding quite an early, and go back to the city. In Burunday area we saw the migrating Gulls agian, this time I took some photos, in which possible to identify birds as one of former 'argentatus' group (more likely barabensis) and Mew Gulls. Near Almaty Arena stadium I took in mind we saw the Buzzard with Alexander Katuntsev in the roof of high-rise at January 2nd. Quickly looking the roofs I noticed the Buzzard, and even took one photo, in which possible to view Rough-legged Buzzard. Immediately taking decision Gennady turned right, then went round th block and reached the high-rise with Buzzard, and we photographed the bird better than from a road. But after five minutes we found Eastern Buzzard in a next wasteland.

I was feeling that our next trip will be in a spring surround, whenever it will be happened.


P.S. Further the city's Rogh-legged Buzzard was reidentified as Eastern one.

1. Wallcreeper

2. White-tailed Sea-Eagle

3. Turkestan Tit

4. Goshawk

5. Chukar Partridge

6. Long-tailed Rosefinch

7. Kurty river

8. Green Sandpiper

9. Merlin

10. Bramblings

11. White Wagtail

12. Masked Wagtail

13. Water Pipit

14. Meadow Pipit

15. Reed Bunting

16. Common Pheasant

17. migrating flock of Gulls

18. Eastern Buzzard

19. Eastern Buzzard