"Sunbird’s first modern day tour to Mongolia was always billed as
being an adventure, and what an adventure it was! We really witnessed the extremes of this fascinating country,
from the capital city of Ulaan Baatar with its heavy industry and nice hotel,
to the desolate Gobi desert with scattered Yurt camps and ever changing
weather. Birding was always good and
even in UB itself we recorded such classic eastern species as Brown Shrike,
Brown Flycatcher and Pacific Swifts along with stunning Azure Tits and raucous
Red-billed Choughs.
As we headed out of town on day 3, the scenery
changed to classic steppe type habitat and the birds changed with it. At our very first stop we recorded Upland
Buzzards on a nest, striking Mongolian Larks, tens of Isabelline Wheatears, a
Wryneck looking out of place in the middle of nowhere and brief encounters with
our first Amur and Saker Falcons. The
following few days were spent around large steppe lakes where Whooper Swans,
White-winged Scoters and massive flocks of Pochard and Goldeneye were
present. Around the shores of various
lakes we saw White-naped Cranes, Asian Dowitchers, Citrine Wagtails and
hundreds of dazzling White-winged Black Terns.
Family parties of Bar-headed Geese were superb and Swan Geese were….well
unique!
As we drove from lake to lake we encountered small
parties of Demoiselle Cranes, groups of Black Vultures eating whatever they
found (which in Mongolia is probably never a problem as livestock are common,
numerous, abundant – delete as appropriate!).
There were surprises as well, the drake Baer’s Pochard among a small
group of Ferruginous Ducks and an Imperial Eagle disturbing our sit down lunch
(nearly all the meals were sit down affairs and our chef should be complemented
on his ability to create something from nothing in the middle of
nowhere!). The lakes around Boon Tsagan
Nuur yielded Pallas’s, Mongolian and Brown-headed Gulls, Caspian Terns,
Red-necked Stints, Broad-billed sandpipers, Greater Sandplovers, Paddyfield and
Pallas’s Grasshopper Warblers and the much desired Relict Gulls. More surreal were the local elections taking
place where people were encouraged to support a party by being enticed by
karaoke!
Our drive across the Gobi Altai was a real
experience, several times having to dig the vehicle out of soft sand (an
experience we had already achieved around the lakes), eventually there seemed
no option but to cut across a mountain as sand drifts blocked our way. This was a little hairy at times as we drove
up a dried up river bed and narrowly squeezed between large boulders. With all this happening, it was an immense
relief to reach the other side and more importantly we had the (well deserved)
good fortune of watching 2 Mongolian Ground Jays thanks to this short-cut. Also here were Mongolian Finches, Pied
Wheatears and Horned Larks and in similar habitats nearby we recorded Rock
Thrush, Saker Falcons on a nest and a brief Godlewski’s Bunting.
Mammals were noted throughout the tour and included
fat Marmots, skinny Sousliks, cute Pikas and later in the trip both Goitered
Gazelle and Ibex. Our journey towards
the Gobi continued and we connected with such desert gems as Saxaul Sparrow,
Asian Desert Warbler, Steppe (Saxaul) Grey Shrike and Desert Wheatear as well as
the chance to follow Axel up the sand dunes for an impressive view. The weather spoiled our stay at the main
Gobi camp and prevented us from visiting Yoln Am, perhaps one of the best sites
in the country. A night of torrential
rain put paid to this and was made worse by karaoke lasting until nearly 6am in
the camp. This inclement weather did
reap some rewards and migrants in the camp grounds included Greenish and Dusky
Warblers, Lesser Kestrels and Amur Falcons, Brown Shrikes, Olive-backed Pipit
and an elusive Black-naped Oriole, although few of us joined in Axels
excitement of seeing his first Chaffinch in Mongolia!
Mongolian Airlines were to spoil our plans the next
day and a whole day was spent at Dalandzadgad airport being told different
things about where our plane was! In
the meantime, Axel took some of the group into the town where they saw 5
Black-crowned Night Herons, a “showy” Blyth’s Reed Warbler, a Golden Oriole and
more Brown Shrikes and Dusky Warblers,
- eventually it arrived.
Once back in UB we enjoyed a well earned rest before
setting off next morning for Tereldsh. Highlights here included Two-barred
Greenish, Pallas’s and Yellow-browed Warblers, Dark-throated Thrushes of the
red throated form, White-backed and Black Woodpeckers, Daurian Redstarts, an
amazing encounter between a Goshawk,a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel, Black-faced,
Pine and Yellow-breasted Bunting and bird of the trip Siberian Rubythroat.
Our stays in all the Yurt camps were comfortable, the
scenery throughout was breathtaking and with Axel’s knowledge and love of this
country we were filled in on various aspects of Mongolian culture and the local
way of life. Even with the hassles and
delays we all agreed that it had been an incredible experience and one never to
be forgotten“. James Lidster
Left column = number of days
seen
Right column = maximum number
recorded
H = Heard only
|
Black-throated Diver |
3 |
3 |
|
Gavia arctica |
|
Great Crested Grebe |
7 |
300 |
|
Podiceps cristatus |
|
Slavonian Grebe |
2 |
6 |
|
Podiceps auritus |
|
Black-necked Grebe |
3 |
24 |
|
Podiceps nigricollis |
|
Great Cormorant |
8 |
135 |
|
Palacrocorax carbo |
|
Night Heron |
1 |
5 |
|
Nycticorax nycticorax |
|
Great White Egret |
3 |
3 |
|
Egretta alba |
|
Grey Heron |
8 |
135 |
|
Ardea cinerea |
|
Black Stork |
2 |
4 |
|
Ciconia nigra |
|
Eurasian Spoonbill |
3 |
66 |
|
Platalea leucorodia |
|
Mute Swan |
1 |
2 |
|
Cygnus olor |
|
Whooper Swan |
6 |
40 |
|
Cygnus cygnus |
|
Bean Goose |
1 |
2 |
|
Anser fabalis |
|
Greylag Goose |
6 |
126 |
|
Anser anser |
|
Bar-headed Goose |
8 |
40 |
|
Anser indicus |
|
Swan Goose |
5 |
47 |
|
Anser cygnoides |
|
Ruddy Shelduck |
15 |
110 |
|
Tadorna ferruginea |
|
Common Shelduck |
8 |
510 |
|
Tadorna tadorna |
|
Eurasian Wigeon |
6 |
20 |
|
Anas penelope |
|
Gadwall |
7 |
60 |
|
Anas strepera |
|
Common Teal |
4 |
2 |
|
Anas crecca |
|
Mallard |
7 |
60 |
|
Anas platyrhynchos |
|
Northern Pintail |
5 |
30 |
|
Anas acuta |
|
Garganey |
7 |
100 |
|
Anas querquedula |
|
Northern Shoveler |
6 |
100 |
|
Anas clypeata |
|
Red-crested Pochard |
7 |
100 |
|
Netta rufina |
|
Common Pochard |
7 |
400 |
|
Aythya ferina |
|
Ferruginous Duck |
1 |
4 |
|
Aythya nyroca |
|
Baer's Pochard |
1 |
1 |
|
Aythya baeri |
|
Tufted Duck |
5 |
40 |
|
Aythya fuligula |
|
Asiatic White-winged Scoter |
4 |
50 |
|
Melanitta (fusca / deglandi ) stejnegeri |
|
Common Goldeneye |
3 |
1000 |
|
Bucephala clangula |
|
Goosander |
4 |
6 |
|
Mergus merganser |
|
Crested Honey-buzzard |
1 |
1 |
|
Pernis ptilorhynchus |
|
Black Kite |
13 |
100 |
|
Milvus migrans |
|
White-tailed Eagle |
1 |
4 |
|
Haliaeetus albicilla |
|
Pallas's Eagle |
2 |
3 |
|
Haliaeetus leucoryphus |
|
Eurasian Griffon Vulture |
1 |
1 |
|
Gyps fulvus |
|
Black Vulture |
12 |
62 |
|
Aegypius monachus |
|
Marsh Harrier |
3 |
4 |
|
Circus aeruginosus |
|
Hen Harrier |
2 |
1 |
|
Circus cyaneus |
|
Northern Goshawk |
1 |
1 |
|
Accipiter gentilis |
|
Japanese Sparrowhawk |
2 |
1 |
|
Accipiter gularis |
|
Eurasian Sparrowhawk |
1 |
1 |
|
Accipiter nisus |
|
Upland Buzzard |
15 |
30 |
|
Buteo hemilasius |
|
Steppe Eagle |
7 |
5 |
|
Aquila nipalensis |
|
Imperial Eagle |
1 |
1 |
|
Aquila heliaca |
|
Golden Eagle |
1 |
2 |
|
Aquila chrysaetos |
|
Booted Eagle |
4 |
1 |
|
Hieraaetus pennatus |
|
Lesser Kestrel |
6 |
12 |
|
Falco naumanni |
|
Common Kestrel |
8 |
6 |
|
Falco tinnunculus |
|
Eastern Red-footed Falcon |
5 |
2 |
|
Falco amurensis |
|
Eurasian Hobby |
2 |
1 |
|
Falco subbuteo |
|
Saker Falcon |
3 |
3 |
|
Falco cherrug |
|
Chukar Partridge |
2 |
8 |
|
Alectoris chukar |
|
Common Quail |
2 |
10 |
|
Coturnix coturnix |
|
Common Coot |
2 |
50 |
|
Fulica atra |
|
Common Crane |
2 |
2 |
|
Grus grus |
|
White-naped Crane |
1 |
4 |
|
Grus vipio |
|
Demoiselle Crane |
10 |
150 |
|
Anthropoides virgo |
|
Black-winged Stilt |
6 |
9 |
|
Himantopus himantopus |
|
Pied Avocet |
7 |
160 |
|
Recurvirostra avosetta |
|
Little Ringed Plover |
13 |
10 |
|
Charadrius dubius |
|
Kentish Plover |
5 |
40 |
|
Charadrius alexandrinus |
|
Greater Sand Plover |
6 |
25 |
|
Charadrius leschenaultii |
|
Pacific Golden Plover |
1 |
7 |
|
Pluvialis fulva |
|
Grey Plover |
2 |
7 |
|
Pluvialis squatorola |
|
Northern Lapwing |
10 |
200 |
|
Vanellus vanellus |
|
Red-necked Stint |
4 |
120 |
|
Calidris ruficollis |
|
Little Stint |
1 |
3 |
|
Calidris minuta |
|
Temminck's Stint |
1 |
1 |
|
Calidris temminckii |
|
Curlew Sandpiper |
1 |
12 |
|
Calidris ferruginea |
|
Dunlin |
1 |
1 |
|
Calidris alpina |
|
Broad-billed Sandpiper |
3 |
5 |
|
Limicola falcinellus |
|
Ruff |
1 |
2 |
|
Philomachus pugnax |
|
Common Snipe |
3 |
5 |
|
Gallinago gallinago |
|
Asiatic Dowitcher |
1 |
5 |
|
Limnodromus semipalmatus |
|
Black-tailed Godwit |
5 |
12 |
|
Limosa limosa |
|
Whimbrel |
1 |
2 |
|
Numenius phaeopus |
|
Spotted Redshank |
1 |
1 |
|
Tringa erythropus |
|
Common Redshank |
8 |
10 |
|
Tringa totanus |
|
Marsh Sandpiper |
7 |
50 |
|
Tringa stagnatilis |
|
Common Greenshank |
2 |
1 |
|
Tringa nebularia |
|
Common Sandpiper |
3 |
1 |
|
Actitis hypoleucos |
|
Ruddy Turnstone |
2 |
29 |
|
Arenaria interpres |
|
Great Black-headed Gull |
3 |
3 |
|
Larus ichthyaetus |
|
Relict Gull |
1 |
2 |
|
Larus relictus |
|
Little Gull |
2 |
1 |
|
Larus minutus |
|
Brown-headed Gull |
1 |
1 |
|
Larus brunicephalus |
|
Black-headed Gull |
8 |
50 |
|
Larus ridibundus |
|
Mongolian (Yellow-legged) Gull |
8 |
2300 |
|
Larus (cachinnans) mongolicus |
|
Gull-billed Tern |
7 |
30 |
|
Gelochelidon nilotica |
|
Caspian Tern |
5 |
15 |
|
Sterna caspia |
|
Common Tern |
9 |
150 |
|
Sterna hirundo |
|
Little Tern |
2 |
4 |
|
Sterna albifrons |
|
Whiskered Tern |
3 |
2 |
|
Chlidonias hybridus |
|
White-winged Black Tern |
6 |
1000 |
|
Chlidonias leucopterus |
|
Pallas's Sandgrouse |
10 |
1570 |
|
Syrrhaptes paradoxus |
|
Hill Pigeon |
5 |
9 |
|
Columba rupestris |
|
Eurasian Collared Dove |
5 |
5 |
|
Streptopelia decaocto |
|
Common Cuckoo |
8 |
10 |
|
Cuculus canorus |
|
Oriental Cuckoo |
3 |
6 |
|
Cuculus saturatus |
|
Eurasian Eagle Owl |
1 |
1 |
|
Bubo bubo |
|
Long-eared Owl |
1 |
1 |
|
Asio otus |
|
Eurasian Scops Owl |
1 |
1 |
H |
Otus scops |
|
Common Swift |
6 |
40 |
|
Apus apus |
|
Pacific Swift |
10 |
6000 |
|
Apus pacificus |
|
Hoopoe |
10 |
8 |
|
Upupa epops |
|
Eurasian Wryneck |
4 |
1 |
|
Jynx torquilla |
|
Grey-headed Woodpecker |
3 |
2 |
|
Picus canus |
|
Black Woodpecker |
2 |
1 |
|
Dryocopus maritus |
|
White-backed Woodpecker |
2 |
2 |
|
Dendrocopos leucotos |
|
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker |
1 |
1 |
|
Dendrocopos minor |
|
Mongolian Lark |
4 |
70 |
|
Melanocorypha mongolica |
|
Short-toed Lark |
1 |
6 |
|
Calandrella brachydactyla |
|
Asian Short-toed Lark |
13 |
60 |
|
Calandrella cheleensis |
|
Crested Lark |
2 |
1 |
|
Galerida cristata |
|
Skylark |
6 |
6 |
|
Alauda arvensis |
|
Horned Lark |
12 |
50 |
|
Eremorphila alpestris |
|
Sand Martin |
2 |
6 |
|
Riparia riparia |
|
Eurasian Crag Martin |
3 |
10 |
|
Ptyonoprogne rupestris |
|
Barn Swallow |
11 |
30 |
|
Hirundo rustica |
|
House Martin |
7 |
30 |
|
Delichon urbica |
|
Richard's Pipit |
5 |
10 |
|
Anthus richardi |
|
Blyth's Pipit |
11 |
10 |
|
Anthus godlewskii |
|
Olive-backed Pipit |
5 |
12 |
|
Anthus hodgsoni |
|
Tree Pipit |
1 |
10 |
|
Anthus trivialis |
|
Yellow Wagtail |
2 |
40 |
|
Motacilla flava |
|
Citrine Wagtail |
7 |
20 |
|
Motacilla citreola |
|
Grey Wagatail |
5 |
4 |
|
Motacilla cinerea |
|
White Wagtail |
9 |
6 |
|
Motacilla alba |
|
Brown Accentor |
2 |
1 |
|
Prunella fulvescens |
|
Siberian Rubythroat |
1 |
2 |
|
Luscinia calliope |
|
Black Redstart |
1 |
2 |
|
Phoenicurus ochruros |
|
Common Redstart |
3 |
3 |
|
Phoenicurus phoenicurus |
|
Daurian Redstart |
6 |
10 |
|
Phoenicurus auroreus |
|
Common Stonechat |
1 |
2 |
|
Saxicola torquata |
|
Northern Wheatear |
7 |
6 |
|
Oenanthe oenanthe |
|
Isabelline Wheatear |
15 |
150 |
|
Oenanthe isabellina |
|
Pied Wheatear |
6 |
10 |
|
Oenanthe pleschanka |
|
Desert Wheatear |
9 |
20 |
|
Oenanthe deserti |
|
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush |
6 |
4 |
|
Monticola saxatilis |
|
Dark-throated Thrush |
4 |
3 |
|
Turdus ruficollis |
|
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler |
4 |
6 |
|
Locustella certhiola |
|
Paddyfield Warbler |
2 |
5 |
|
Acrocephalus agricola |
|
Blyth's Reed Warbler |
1 |
1 |
|
Acrocephalus dumetorum |
|
Great Reed Warbler |
1 |
1 |
|
Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
|
Thick-billed Warbler |
2 |
1 |
|
Acrocephalus aedon |
|
Desert Warbler |
2 |
6 |
|
Sylvia nana |
|
Lesser Whitethroat |
4 |
2 |
|
Sylvia curruca |
|
Common Whitethroat |
3 |
2 |
|
Sylvia communis |
|
Two-barred Greenish Warbler |
3 |
15 |
|
P. trochiloides plumbeitarsus |
|
Greenish Warbler |
1 |
1 |
|
P. trochiloides |
|
Pallas's Leaf Warbler |
1 |
5 |
|
Phylloscopus proregulus |
|
Yellow-browed Warbler |
1 |
1 |
|
Phylloscopus inornatus |
|
Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler |
1 |
6 |
|
Phylloscopus humei |
|
Dusky Warbler |
8 |
5 |
|
Phylloscopus fuscatus |
|
Sooty Flycatcher |
2 |
2 |
|
Muscicapa sibirica |
|
Asian Brown Flycatcher |
3 |
1 |
|
Muscicapa dauurica |
|
Taiga Flycatcher |
3 |
2 |
|
Ficedula (parva) albicilla |
|
Bearded Tit |
1 |
6 |
|
Panurus biarmicus |
|
Long-tailed Tit |
3 |
7 |
|
Aegithalos caudatus |
|
Willow Tit |
5 |
10 |
|
Parus montanus |
|
Great Tit |
6 |
4 |
|
Parus major |
|
Azure Tit |
4 |
6 |
|
Parus cyanus |
|
Wood Nuthatch |
2 |
3 |
|
Sitta europaea |
|
Eurasian Treecreeper |
1 |
2 |
|
Certhia familaris |
|
White-crowned Penduline Tit |
3 |
3 |
|
Remiz (pendulinus) coronatus |
|
Isabelline Shrike |
8 |
12 |
|
Lanius isabellinus |
|
Brown Shrike |
6 |
6 |
|
Lanius cristatus |
|
Steppe Grey Shrike |
3 |
2 |
|
Lanius meridionalis pallidirostris |
|
Eurasian Jay |
4 |
5 |
|
Garrulus glandarius |
|
Henderson's Ground Jay |
1 |
4 |
|
Podoces hendersoni |
|
Black-billed Magpie |
8 |
12 |
|
Pica pica |
|
Azure-winged Magpie |
1 |
4 |
|
Cyonopica cyanus |
|
Red-billed Chough |
9 |
250 |
|
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax |
|
Daurian Jackdaw |
6 |
20 |
|
Corvus dauricus |
|
Rook |
2 |
20 |
|
Corvus frugilegus |
|
Carrion Crow |
7 |
10 |
|
Corvus corone |
|
Common Raven |
17 |
40 |
|
Corvus corax |
|
Black-naped Oriole |
1 |
1 |
|
Oriolus chinensis |
|
Golden Oriole |
1 |
1 |
|
Oriolus oriolus |
|
Common Starling |
1 |
50 |
|
Sturnus vulgaris |
|
White-cheeked Starling |
4 |
20 |
|
Sturnus cineraceus |
|
House Sparrow |
6 |
3 |
|
Passer domesticus |
|
Eurasian Tree Sparrow |
15 |
50 |
|
Passer montanus |
|
Saxaul Sparrow |
2 |
6 |
|
Passer ammodendri |
|
Rock Sparrow |
2 |
2 |
|
Petronia petronia |
|
Pčre David's Snowfinch |
1 |
10 |
|
Monifringilla davidiana |
|
Common Chaffinch |
2 |
1 |
|
Fringilla coelebs |
|
Common Crossbill |
1 |
4 |
|
Loxia curvirostra |
|
Mongolian Finch |
4 |
15 |
|
Bucanetes mongolicus |
|
Common Rosefinch |
8 |
30 |
|
Carpodacus erythrinus |
|
Hawfinch |
1 |
2 |
|
Coccothraustes coccothraustes |
|
Black-faced Bunting |
1 |
2 |
|
Emberiza spodocephala |
|
Yellow-breasted Bunting |
1 |
3 |
|
Emberiza aureola |
|
Pine Bunting |
4 |
30 |
|
Emberiza leucocephalos |
|
Grey-necked Bunting |
1 |
8 |
|
Emberiza buchanani |
|
Pallas's Reed Bunting |
3 |
6 |
|
Emberiza pallasi |
|
Common Reed Bunting |
1 |
1 |
|
Emberiza schoeniclus |
|
Godlewski's Bunting |
2 |
1 |
|
Emberiza godlewskii |