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Mongolia: the hidden heart of Asia Sunday 1 June to Thursday 19 June 2008 With James Lidster and local guides as leaders. Please note dates may change to suit available flights.
Cost £2940 Single room supplement £140 Maximum group size: 10 with 1 leader. |
'The tour was even better than anticipated. James was an excellent bird leader and dealt with the group firmly but in a friendly way. From a clients viewpoint everything ran smoothly. What more could one ask?'. E. Leisk - Mongolia 2007. 'James is simply one of the best leaders we have been with. A natural. His enthusiasm, competence and birding expertise made this challenging trip a joy plus he’s great fun.' - B. Stevens - Mongolia 2007.
'I have recommended this tour to everyone I have talked to.' C. Verkley - Mongolia 2006.
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Lying right at the heart of the vast continent of Asia is Mongolia, the land where nomadic horsemen still ride across windswept steppes, where Shamanism and ancient Tibetan Buddhism still flourish and where, according to legend, lies the last resting place of Genghis Khan, leader of the once great Mongol empire. This exotic country is full of natural wonders. The vast Gobi Desert, which covers one third of Mongolia, the endless steppes strewn with thousands of lakes, the picturesque Altai mountains and the rich taiga forest – all remote, beautiful, fascinating and full of birds. Our trip here will be more than just another birding tour - it will be a true adventure. From the capital city of Ulaanbaatar we will travel out into a forgotten land, much of it unchanged for centuries and, as befits a culture famous for its nomadic way of life, we shall camp as we go. We will gaze on stunning landscapes seen by few Westerners, and on birds most Western birdwatchers can only dream about: Upland Buzzard, Amur Falcon, Altai Snowcock, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Oriental Plover, Relict Gull, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Mongolian Lark, Blyth’s Pipit, Kozlov’s Accentor...the list goes on. Our ground agents are skilled at showing this wonderful country to groups. We will travel in vehicles admirably suited to the terrain and stay in superb camps that are testament to their nomadic heritage. We will mingle with the locals tending their flocks of sheep and cattle, much as they have done for centuries, and we shall walk along pathways few have trodden. Day 1: The tour starts in London with a flight to Ulaanbaatar via Moscow. Day 2: Arriving in the morning there will be chance to freshen up in a hotel in Ulaanbaatar before we transfer the short distance to the Tuul river for a relaxed introduction to the birds of this fascinating country. Our eastern location will immediately become obvious with birds such as Black-eared Kite, Hill Pigeon, Pacific Swift, and Red-billed Chough around the town. Once out into open country we’ll begin to get a taste of what birding in the heart of Asia is all about, with Ruddy Shelduck, Blyth’s Pipits, Brown Shrike, Isabelline Wheatear and Daurian Jackdaw all possible. A short stop around the willow fringed river should provide our first encounter with the highly sought-after Azure Tit as well as Grey-headed and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Hoopoe, White-cheeked Starling and Daurian Redstart. Day 3: After a morning flight from Ulanbaatar to Bayankhongor we will set our sites on the fabled Boon Tsaagan Nuur. Birding on the way could vary from a close by Upland Buzzard, or Saker Falcon to a dazzling Citrine Wagtail or showy Pied Wheatear. In the afternoon we could well see our first of many, Pallas’s Sandgrouse and Mongolian Larks, species as enigmatic as the country itself. Night camping. Days 4-6: These days will be spent around Boon Tsaagan Nuur. This jewel of a lake is home to one of Asia’s rarest birds, the striking Relict Gull. We will hope to enjoy this beautiful gull in this remote wilderness, and during our days camping there will be other birds, migrants and residents alike, to distract us. Brown-headed Gulls can occur here along with Great White Egret, Eurasian Spoonbill, Whooper Swans, Bar-headed and Swan Geese, Ferruginous Ducks, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Pallas’s Gull, Gull-billed and Caspian Terns, Pallas’s Grasshopper and Paddyfield Warblers, and Pallas’s Reed Bunting. A variety of rarities such as Intermediate Egret (the first for Mongolia found by our group in 2007) and Chinese Pond Heron have been seen here in the past, and the list of waders could include Greater Sandplover and Kentish Plovers, Asiatic Dowitcher, Marsh Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint Stint, and Black-winged Stilt. Nights camping. Day 7: We will spend most of the day driving towards Orog Nuur. Before we reach the lake we’ll spend time searching for the charismatic Henderson’s Ground Jay, aided in our search by good local knowledge of its habitat requirements. The same areas are likely to hold both Isabelline and Steppe Grey Shrikes, both species at the forefront of recent taxonomic decisions. Arriving at Orog Nuur in the afternoon we could be serenaded by displaying Richard’s Pipits and ‘drumming’ Common Snipe over our campsite while flocks of Mongolian Trumpeter Finches feed nearby. Water levels in this lake vary considerably from year to year and how much there is governs to some extent what we will see. If there is plenty of water we could enjoy a similar selection to Boon Tsaagan Nuur, with maybe a few surprises in the form of a different wader or wildfowl species. The damp areas left in drier years are home to Water Rail, Water Pipit and Citrine Wagtails as well as feeding Wood and Marsh Sandpipers, groups of White-winged Black Terns or maybe some Garganey. Night camping. Day 8: After a morning of checking various habitats around Orog Nuur we’ll start our journey towards the Gobi desert. This is mainly a travelling day and we will choose a campsite where we are unlikely to be disturbed and the view of the night sky could be unrivalled. Night camping.
Day 9: Our drive takes us through some fantastic scenery as we pass under the shadow of the mountain massif of Ikh Bogd Uul, which dominates the landscape. Our destination is Khongoryn Els in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, home to some of the world’s largest sand dunes. This dry desert habitat will present us with some new species including Saxaul Sparrow, Desert Wheatear, and Asian Desert Warbler, and Goitered and Mongolian Gazelles are both possible. In some years there is a small stream on the edge of the dunes, which acts as a great migrant trap, as well as a drinking site for many Pallas’s Sandgrouse, or we may wish to climb the dunes to watch the setting sun, a simply unforgettable experience. Night at Khongoryn Els ger camp. Day 10: We will spend the morning on the edge of the dunes and in the afternoon drive to the Gobi Tourist camp. This day will provide our best opportunity to catch up with Oriental Plover. Such a dramatic species in a bleak, and almost lifeless desert is sure to be one of the highlights of the trip. We hope to reach the Juulchin 1 Gobi Camp in the afternoon. Here poplar trees planted several decades ago surround this camp, provide not only shelter for the camp but also act as an oasis for passing migrants. On the last two trips we have seen Golden Oriole, Long-eared Owl, the leucopsis race of White Wagtail, Red-throated Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, Pallas’s Grasshopper, Two-barred Greenish, Dusky and Thick-billed Warblers, Taiga Flycatcher, Brown Shrikes and Chaffinch. In the past, some new species for Mongolia such as Forest Wagtail and Black Drongo have been found here and in 2007 the Sunbird group found the first Red Collared Dove for the country. Night at tourist camp. Day 11: After breakfast we will head to Yolyn Am, the Valley of the Lammergeier, in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. The lofty ridges of the valley are indeed patrolled by Lammergeiers as well as Himalayan Griffon and Black Vulture and Golden Eagles. Other species we shall search for in this rocky habitat include Wallcreeper, Crag Martin, Water Pipit, the endemic Kozlov’s Accentor as well as the much commoner Brown and Alpine Accentors, Black Redstarts, White-winged Snowfinch, Great, Common, and Beautiful Rosefinches and Godlewski’s Bunting. We’ll scan the higher slopes for Altai Snowcock and in doing so we may also see an Ibex or Argali, the largest wild sheep in the world. There may also be other eyes gazing upon these creatures as here we are in the territory of Snow Leopard. Although visitors have seen them in the past the chances of doing so are obviously very remote. Night camping at Yolyn Am. Day 12: Before breakfast there will be the option to climb to the high ridges in search of Altai Snowcock, although scanning from our campsite could easily provide distant views. The rest of the morning will be spent at Yolyn Am, where Barred and Sulphur-bellied Warblers may be the centre of our attentions, or maybe a small group of Twite drinking from the stream. In the afternoon we return to the Gobi Tourist camp, where we will once again check the trees surrounding the camp. The regular flock of Lesser Kestrels here may have attracted an Amur Falcon and the trees act almost as an island pulling in a constantly changing array of different migrants. Night at tourist camp. Day 13: After a last look for migrants around the tourist camp we’ll transfer to Dalandzadgad for our return flight back to Ulaanbaatar. From the capital we will head straight to Terelj and if time allows there will be opportunity to explore the area around our tourist camp where once again we will sleep in traditional felt lined gers. The patches of coniferous forest nearby are home to Olive-backed Pipit, Pallas’s Warbler and Pine Buntings, and we could see Black Woodpecker and Common Rosefinch. Night at ger camp. Day 14: We will spend a whole day exploring Terelj, a vast area of mixed forest that is essentially the southern edge of the mighty Siberian taiga. Birds here will be typical of that habitat and could include such Siberian delights as Oriental Cuckoo, White-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Siberian Rubythroat, Dark-sided Flycatcher, Two-barred Greenish, Dusky, Yellow-browed and Pallas’s Warblers, to name a few. With luck some rarely encountered species such as, Black-billed Capercaillie, Red-throated Thrush, Red-flanked Bluetail and Nutcracker might be found here as well. Night at ger camp. Day 15: Today we’ll move the short distance to a private ger camp run by our ground agents. Right outside our gers we might see both Mongolian and Horned Larks and the nearby ridges often hold both Steppe and Golden Eagles. Careful checking of all these raptors might produce an Oriental Honey Buzzard or perhaps a White-tailed Eagle. Night at Jalman ger camp. Day 16: We’ll spend all day exploring Jalman Meadows, where the riverside vegetation could produce such spectacular birds as Black and Grey-headed Woodpeckers, Siberian Rubythroat, Azure Tit and Brown Shrike. The valley regularly holds raptors and at times it may be difficult to know whether to enjoy a singing Red-throated Thrush, count the Black Vultures or to study the subtleties of a Two-barred Greenish Warbler identification. Night at Jalman ger camp Day 17: The small reserve of Gun Galuut is a new feature in our itinerary following a very successful visit last year. One of the key species is breeding White-naped Crane and we should enjoy great views of this magnificent species. In recent years this site has also seen the occasional Siberian Crane spending the summer and we will of course be keeping our fingers crossed. The wet marshland holds more Citrine Wagtails and Marsh Sandpipers and sometimes Asian Dowitcher is seen here while the nearby meadows hold grazing Swan Geese and Mongolian Larks sing all around. Night at Gun Galuut ger camp. Day 18: We’ll spend the morning around Gun Galuut where two larger lakes often hold good numbers of wildfowl. This seems a popular site for the very distinctive stejnegeri race of White-winged Scoter and scanning through the ducks could produce Smew, Garganey or, if we are really lucky, a spectacular Falcated Duck. Waders can also be abundant with Marsh Sandpipers particularly common. In the afternoon we will return to Ulanbaatar, where the traffic noise and people will be quite a shock to our relaxed systems! Night in Ulanbaatar. Day 19: We will connect with a flight back to London via Moscow and Berlin, arriving the same day. Please note that this tour involves some long drives on virtually non-existent roads of varying quality. Away from Ulaanbaatar we shall either stay in camps erected by our ground agents, or in ger (yurt) camps which are permanent lodge-type accommodation using the traditional large round tents typical of the region. Please note that single room accommodation at the yurt camps cannot be guaranteed, and that en suite bathroom facilities will not be available other than in Ulaanbaatar.
E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.
Last updated February 2008. |
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We will not have travelled far before encountering our first Daurian Redstart...
and at the famous lake, Boon Tsaagan Nuur, we may find a Pallas's Fish Eagle...
while waders along the shoreline could include Greater Sand Plover...
