MONGOLIA 2007

 

“As with any tour birds in Mongolia fall into different groups - unexpected rarities, regulars, ID challenges and dream birds. The first category this year included both Intermediate Egret and Red Collared Dove, both potential additions to the country list, clearly showing how underwatched the country is.  Other rarities included Grey-headed Lapwing, Bewick's Swan and an unidentified Drongo species (Black Drongo has been recorded once) and Rosy Starlings.

 

The term ‘regulars’ might lead you to believe that they weren’t very exciting but when you talk of birds such as Black Stork, Whooper Swans, Ruddy Shelducks, ‘Stejneger’s’ White-winged Scoters, Garganey, Red-crested Pochard, Steppe and Booted Eagles, Caspian and White-winged Black Terns, Kentish Plovers, Marsh Sandpipers, Rock Thrush, Daurian Redstart, Horned Larks, and Snowfinches then that is clearly not the case!

 

The ID challenges included such species as Isabelline and Pied Wheatears, Lesser Short-toed Larks, Greater Sandplovers, Long-toed Stints, Two barred Greenish and Dusky Warblers, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warblers, Oriental Reed and Paddyfield Warblers, Taiga and Brown Flycatchers, Pine Buntings, Isabelline and Brown Shrikes, Blyth’s and Richard’s Pipits.  All these can turn up as vagrants in the UK or the States and their ID is often hotly debated.  In Mongolia we had the chance to see many of them and learn about their subtle differences.  

 

The dream birds list is definitely the best, and many of the following would make it into my list of favourite birds and seeing them each year doesn’t get any less exciting!  Mention any of the birds in this list to birding friends and you will see why: Azure Tit, Siberian Rubythroat, Red-flanked Bluetail, Red-throated Thrush, Black and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Relict and Pallas's Gulls, more Pallas's Sandgrouse than human beings out in the steppe, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Wallcreeper, Saxaul Sparrow, 3 species of Accentor including the near endemic Kozlow's and displaying Alpines, Mongolian Trumpeter Finches, Lammergeier, Saker and Amur Falcons, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Oriental Plovers, Swan and Bar-headed Geese, Smew, Demoiselle and White-naped Cranes (both seen with chicks), Asiatic Dowitchers, Mongolian Larks, Henderson’s Ground Jays, Citrine Wagtails, Nutcracker, Long-tailed and Beautiful Rosefinches……

 

In short there is something for everyone, and with the added ‘travel experience’ this tour really takes some beating.  From a leaders perspective it is made all the more enjoyable by our friendly and efficient ground crew.  Our drivers were skilled at desert driving, and I still don’t know how they navigated so well!  Our chef was once again amazing; I couldn’t provide that variety of food after a trip to the supermarket so how she did it from her ‘chef’s tent’ will always amaze me!  Birding back in the UK will not be the same without the hot tea and biscuits waiting for me on my return!  Our local ornithologist added to our experience with his up-to-date knowledge of species distribution, and his novel techniques of digiscoping!  Finally, special mention should be made of Bazra.  Not only an interpreter, but always on hand to answer questions regarding Mongolia’s culture and history.  Worryingly for me he seemed to be picking up bird names and features very quickly as well!  Once again it was like travelling with a close friend.  The whole crew made our camping experience as comfortable as possible and our tents were erected while we birded.

 

It’s hard to put into words how fantastic Mongolia is but there can be few things better than falling asleep in a comfortable tent, camped right out in the wild steppe, listening to the songs and calls of Blyth’s Pipits, Demoiselle Cranes, Horned Larks and Isabelline Wheatears.   Total bliss!”  James Lidster.

 

 

Bird List:

 

This is a list of all the species seen during the last three tours to Mongolia.

 

Column A = Number of tours on which this species has been recorded.

Column B = Number of days this species was seen on the last tour.

Column C = Maximum daily count for this species on the last tour.

 

H   = Heard only

 

A                                                                         B      C

 

1

Black-throated Diver

 

 

 

Gavia arctica

3

Great Crested Grebe

6

100

 

Podiceps cristatus

2

Slavonian Grebe

 

 

 

Podiceps auritus

3

Black-necked Grebe

3

2

 

Podiceps nigricollis

3

Great Cormorant

6

800

 

Palacrocorax carbo

1

Night Heron

 

 

 

Nycticorax nycticorax

1

Little' Bittern sp

1

1

 

Ixobrychus sp

1

Pond Heron sp

2

1

 

Ardeola sp

3

Great White Egret

4

15

 

Egretta alba

1

Intermediate Egret

1

1

 

Mesophoyx intermedia

3

Grey Heron

7

30

 

Ardea cinerea

3

Black Stork

5

3

 

Ciconia nigra

3

Eurasian Spoonbill

4

15

 

Platalea leucorodia

2

Mute Swan

1

5

 

Cygnus olor

3

Whooper Swan

3

6

 

Cygnus cygnus

1

Bewick's Swan

2

1

 

Cygnus columbianus

2

Bean Goose

 

 

 

Anser fabalis

3

Greylag Goose

4

100

 

Anser anser

3

Bar-headed Goose

6

32

 

Anser indicus

3

Swan Goose

7

41

 

Anser cygnoides

3

Ruddy Shelduck

14

40

 

Tadorna ferruginea

3

Common Shelduck

7

6

 

Tadorna tadorna

3

Eurasian Wigeon

6

20

 

Anas penelope

3

Gadwall

8

20

 

Anas strepera

3

Common Teal

5

30

 

Anas crecca

3

Mallard

8

8

 

Anas platyrhynchos

3

Northern Pintail

5

10

 

Anas acuta

3

Garganey

5

20

 

Anas querquedula

3

Northern Shoveler

5

30

 

Anas clypeata

3

Red-crested Pochard

3

100

 

Netta rufina

3

Common Pochard

5

50

 

Aythya ferina

3

Ferruginous Duck

3

2

 

Aythya nyroca

1

Baer's Pochard

 

 

 

Aythya baeri

3

Tufted Duck

5

10

 

Aythya fuligula

2

Asiatic White-winged Scoter

2

9

 

Melanitta deglandi/stejnegeri

2

Common Goldeneye

5

30

 

Bucephala clangula

3

Goosander

7

15

 

Mergus merganser

1

Smew

4

3

 

Mergellus albellus

3

Oriental Honey Buzzard

1

1

 

Pernis ptilorhynchus

3

Black-eared Kite

14

20

 

Milvus lineatus

2

White-tailed Eagle

1

1

 

Haliaeetus albicilla

3

Pallas's Fish Eagle

4

4

 

Haliaeetus leucoryphus

2

Lammergeier

4

2

 

Gypaetus barbatus

3

Himalayan Griffon Vulture

5

15

 

Gyps himalayensis

3

Black Vulture

12

6

 

Aegypius monachus

2

Marsh Harrier

 

 

 

Circus spilonotus

1

Hen Harrier

 

 

 

Circus cyaneus

2

Northern Goshawk

1

1

 

Accipiter gentilis

3

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

1

1

 

Accipiter nisus

3

Upland Buzzard

12

9

 

Buteo hemilasius

3

Steppe Eagle

9

8

 

Aquila nipalensis

1

Imperial Eagle

 

 

 

Aquila heliaca

3

Golden Eagle

5

3

 

Aquila chrysaetos

3

Booted Eagle

3

1

 

Aquila pennatus

3

Lesser Kestrel

3

11

 

Falco naumanni

3

Common Kestrel

11

2

 

Falco tinnunculus

3

Amur Falcon

4

5

 

Falco amurensis

3

Eurasian Hobby

6

2

 

Falco subbuteo

3

Saker Falcon

8

2

 

Falco cherrug

1

Altai Snowcock

 

 

 

Tetraogallus altaicus

1

Chukar

 

 

 

Alectoris chukar

2

Daurian Partridge

1

1

 

Perdix dauuricae

1

Common Quail

 

 

 

Coturnix coturnix

1

Water Rail

 

 

 

Rallus aquaticus

2

Baillon's Crake

1

1

 

Porzana pusilla

3

Common Coot

3

10

 

Fulica atra

1

Common Crane

 

 

 

Grus grus

2

White-naped Crane

2

10

 

Grus vipio

3

Demoiselle Crane

12

150

 

Anthropoides virgo

3

Black-winged Stilt

4

8

 

Himantopus himantopus

3

Avocet

6

15

 

Recurvirostra avosetta

3

Little Ringed Plover

9

20

 

Charadrius dubius

3

Kentish Plover

7

50

 

Charadrius alexandrinus

3

Greater Sand Plover

7

15

 

Charadrius leschenaultii

2

Oriental Plover

2

8

 

Charadrius veredus

3

Pacific Golden Plover

 

 

 

Pluvialis fulva

1

Grey Plover

 

 

 

Pluvialis squatorola

1

Grey-headed Lapwing

1

1

 

Vanellus cinereus

3

Northern Lapwing

10

100

 

Vanellus vanellus

1

Red-necked Stint

 

 

 

Calidris ruficollis

2

Little Stint

1

1

 

Calidris minuta

1

Temminck's Stint