GEORGIA: THE CAUCASUS

Transcription

1 We had great views of all Caucasian specialities, including this beautiful Caucasian Great Rosefinch. (Dani Lopez-Velasco) GEORGIA: THE CAUCASUS 6 11 MAY 2016 LEADER: DANI LOPEZ-VELASCO Our short tour to the High Caucasus of Georgia was a highly enjoyable and successful one. Most important, we had excellent views of all the Caucasian specialities: Caucasian Snowcock, Caucasian Grouse, Green Warbler, Caucasian Chiffchaff and Caucasian Great Rosefinch. We also found several sought-after species such as Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier), Wallcreeper, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Red-fronted Serin and Common Rock Thrush, as well as walk-away views of a singing Corncrake. Raptor migration was in full swing over the mountains, and apart from hundreds of European Honey Buzzards we were pleased to see several Steppe Eagles and a couple of most-wanted Levant Sparrowhawks, amongst others. And, of course, the scenery was really breathtaking. Most of us arrived at our picturesque hotel in the old quarter of Tbilisi in the early hours of the morning and, after a short night s sleep, we enjoyed a full free day in the city. Next morning saw ourselves enjoying a substantial breakfast with magnificent views over the city, surrounded by dramatic hills topped by ancient monasteries and churches. After a bit of a wait, our vehicle finally arrived, and we started heading northwards along the Georgian Military Highway towards the snow-capped peaks of the central Caucasus. A 1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

2 short stop in a certain woodland area didn t produce the hoped-for Semicollared Flycatcher, but we were pleased to see our first singing Green Warbler, as well as a single Red-breasted Flycatcher and a male samamisicus Common Redstart, also known as Ehrenberg s Redstart. The winding road took us high up over the icy Jvari Pass, previously known in Soviet times as the Krestovyy Pass. As we neared the top, the weather started to deteriorate and we were soon in the middle of a snow blizzard, with heavy snowfall taking place. After a while the skies cleared up, so we decided to make a quick stop amidst some incredible scenery, all covered by snow. A surprise find here was a male Eurasian Golden Oriole sitting in the snow, and looking completely out of place. Raptors were on the move, and we saw our first Steppe (Common) Buzzards and European Honey Buzzards streaming north, while a magnificent Bearded Vulture soared overhead. We continued our descent along the winding road, and made another stop at a favoured Wallcreeper spot. Our target was nowhere to be seen, but luckily we saw an even better bird, as Dave found a distant male Güldenstädt s Redstart sitting on a rock by the river. This certainly took the pressure off, as this key species can often be found only after a strenuous climb to the snowline, but the adverse weather earlier was on our side as it certainly pushed the bird down. We then pressed on to our very comfortable hotel in Stepantsminda, formerly known as Kazbegi in Soviet times. Kazbegi used to be a regular Birdquest destination in the 1980s and early 1990s, and inevitably there have been some changes in the wake of the political upheavals nearly two decades ago, but the modern hotel is a welcome innovation. In the afternoon, we quickly headed up to the base of the cliffs at the edge of the valley for some more exciting birding. The distinctive cries of Caucasian Snowcocks echoed across the snowfields from the distant slopes, and some diligent searching with the scopes eventually produced our first sightings of this key speciality, well spotted by Dave. To our delight, minutes later Peter found a distant male Caucasian Grouse, or Caucasian Black Grouse, and some more scanning produced a further 3 birds. This is one of the least-known birds in the Western Palearctic, so we were very pleased with this sighting. The birds were pretty far away in the steep slopes, although the main features could be seen in the scope. While watching them I noticed a small flock of birds hopping around the boulder-strewn slopes directly above us, which turned out to be Caucasian Great Rosefinches. We scoped them for some time, and soon realized we had seen all the High Caucasus specialities in just under a couple of hours, without any kind of physical effort! This surely was a great start to our birding in Stepantsminda, and now we only looked forward to improving our views of some of the birds. The scenery seen during the tour was simply impressive. Mount Kazbek, metres high, from our snowcock stake out. (DLV) 2 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

3 We woke while it was still dark, and after a much-appreciated hot coffee we headed up the slopes at the edge of town. The weather was poor and it soon started snowing, pretty heavily at some stage. However, the birds kept us entertained. Caucasian Water Pipits became our constant companions, and other familiar species of the lower slopes included Ring Ouzel, Northern Wheatear and Red-fronted Serin, while flocks of both Alpine and Red-billed Choughs flew overhead. Suddenly, a splash of colour turned out to be a close male Güldenstädt s Redstart, which performed very well for us at close range. Then, a small group of very confiding Caucasian Great Rosefinches appeared and started feeding in some buckthorn bushes, giving much better views than the previous day. It soon became clear that the poor weather was pushing many birds lower down than usual, as in the next hour we counted no less than 55 rosefinches and at least 5 Güldenstadt s Redstarts. Visibility was poor and therefore we couldn t scan the ridges for game birds, so satisfied with our excellent passerine sightings, we returned for a well-deserved breakfast back at the hotel. These two male Caucasian Grouse were seen displaying and fighting with each other for one hour. (DLV) Afterwards we checked several patches of bushes in the valley, where smart Common Rosefinches and skulking Common Whitethroats were singing. We also flushed a migrant European Nightjar from the ground, which was a surprise find. A quick check at the nearby park produced several Caucasian Mountain Chiffchaffs, as well as some confiding Green Warblers, allowing for excellent views. Other birds of note here included Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great, Coal and cute Eurasian Blue Tits, Eurasian Treecreeper and Spotted Flycatcher. Next stop was at some wet meadows south of town. After some driving around, which produced a perched and much-appreciated European Bee-eater and a single Eurasian Hoopoe, we heard the characteristic rasping of a Corncrake in a clump of thick bushes. This certainly seemed too good an opportunity to miss, and we spent quite some time trying to see it. The bushes were denser than they looked, and the Corncrake was true to form in its reticence to show itself. For the first 20 minutes, the bird didn t respond to the tape, and nothing happened. Next plan was trying to flush it, but this didn t work according to plan, as only the leader saw it when trying to push it towards the group. Realizing that this certain bird wasn t the easiest one to see, we decided to try with another individual that was calling further away. This definitely turned to be the right decision, as within seconds we had it in full view, singing and walking around in the open in front of everyone! In fact, some of the views were the best most of us had ever had, and memorably the bird came to the edge of the thicket and called loudly at us for what seemed like ages. We hardly dared breathe during this very special encounter. Almost as good here was a singing male Barred Warbler that showed so very well, singing from top of the bushes just a few feet from us. While returning to the vehicle, raptors started flying overhead, the best being two cracking 2cy Steppe Eagles. Flushed with success, we decided to drive towards Jvari Pass, making several stops on the way. The best bird was a stunning male Wallcreeper, found by Dave, that performed well for us as it searched the nooks and crannies in the cliffs for insects. After lunch we decided to drive towards the border with Chechnya. The scenery was quite dramatic, and we witnessed a pretty impressive raptor movement, involving hundreds of European Honey Buzzards, together with Black Kites, Steppe (Common) Buzzards, Eurasian 3 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

4 Sparrowhawks, and, best of all, a male Levant Sparrowhawk. In the mammal front, two East Caucasian Turs were a good find by Sue. We had unbeatable views of Corncrake. (DLV) The following day we awoke to clear skies and it wasn t long before the first rays of the still invisible sun were illuminating the impressive snowy peak of Mount Kazbek while the other mountains of the High Caucasus, rising steeply and cradling the sleepy town, were still in shadow. The scenery was really impressive, and after a gentle climb, we started scanning for game birds. Soon we spotted a male Caucasian Grouse quite close on a nearby hillside. The red wattle and lyre-shaped tail could be seen very well with the scopes. The curlew-like cries of Caucasian Snowcocks could be heard all around the place, and finally, after some persistent and very diligent scanning, we located the source of the plaintive cries of the snowcocks. A pair of Caucasian Snowcocks was moving effortlessly across the snowy slopes, gradually getting higher, with the male stopping at regular intervals to cry out his mournful call. During the rest of the morning we were fortunate to get prolonged views of no less than 6 snowcocks and 5 Caucasian Grouse, in fabulous weather. Stunning and colourful Common Rock Thrushes were seen doing display flights, a singing Mountain Chiffchaff showed superbly, as did a flock of very tame Twites of the local race, brevirrostris, but on the other hand, the improvement on the weather meant that the redstarts and rosefinches were gone. What a change a day makes here in the high mountains On the walk down we had a brief Red-throated Pipit as well as a Rock Bunting. After breakfast we birded the meadows near town, where the usual suspects were all present, together with a couple of Whinchats, while Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes were pleasantly common. We carried on, and spent the rest of the morning along the Truro Valley. Here, the highlight was definitely a pair of majestic Golden Eagles that were nesting on a nearby cliff. We witnessed some very impressive aerial displays, and seeing the male carrying nesting material to the nest, including a huge branch that was larger than the bird, was definitely a very special moment. In the afternoon we went to the magnificent ancient church perched high above Stepantsminda. The views from here were breathtaking, and we had a very enjoyable time, looking both down to the ground to see alpine flowers in bloom, that included primulas, gentians and saxifrages, and up to the sky, where large flocks of European Honey Buzzards streamed over. Some Steppe Eagles, a single 2cy Lesser Spotted Eagle and another male Levant Sparrowhawk were also seen. A great way to finish off the day. 4 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

5 On our last day of the tour we paid a very early visit to the snowcock place. This time, within a few minutes of arriving we had already located a pair, and we enjoyed good scope views. Best of all though, were two very close male Caucasian Grouses, which put on a great show, fighting and chasing each other. A Red Fox was also seen, and after our last looks at another pair of snowcocks, we went back to the hotel. We soon packed up for the journey back to Tbilisi. We made a short stop near Jvari Pass which gave us three smart Alpine Accentors, as well as a grounded Black-headed Bunting and a fly-by White-winged Snowfinch. We carried on and stopped at a well-known Semicollared Flycatcher breeding area. We spent considerable time there, but in spite of all of our efforts we couldn t find any. A male Ehrenberg s Redstart gave very nice views here, and we also found a nesting Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Nuthatch, Redbreasted Flycatcher, Mistle Thrush, European Robin and Garden Warbler. Once we arrived to Tbilisi we decided to explore a lake not far from the city, which turned out to be really birdy. Little Bitterns creeped in the reeds, vocal Great Reed Warblers sang from top of the vegetation, giving scope-filling views, alongside their smaller cousins: Sedge and Eurasian Reed Warblers. A single Whiskered Tern was seen hawking for insects over the surface, not far from some Little and Great Crested Grebes, while a couple of Purple Herons obliged. A short visit to some drier areas with sparse vegetation near the lake was very productive as well. A pair of Short toed Snake Eagles put on a fantastic show, and we enjoyed side-by-side views of Ortolan, Black-headed and Corn Buntings. A flock of Starlings held two nice Rosy Starlings, an adult and a first summer, a nice Eurasian Roller was scoped and a pair of niloticus Woodchat Shrikes picked out by Peter was a good find, while Rock Sparrow was our last new bird of the trip. And then it was time to head back to Tbilisi, where we celebrated the end of a very productive tour at a local restaurant with live entertainment. Male Güldenstädt s Redstart during heavy snowfall. (DLV) 5 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

6 A cracking male Barred Warbler and a Caucasian Twite. (DLV) 6 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

7 SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR The species names and taxonomy used in the report mostly follows Gill, F & D Donsker (Eds). IOC World Bird Names. This list is updated several times annually and is available at Species which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H). Species which were only recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (LO). Species which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (NL). Species marked with the diamond symbol ( ) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered special birds for some other reason (e.g. it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species). Caucasian Grouse (C Black G) Lyrurus mlokosiewiczi Up to 6 birds, including displaying males. Caucasian Snowcock Tetraogallus caucasicus Good scope views in the slopes above Stepantsminda. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Two at Lisi lake. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Three pairs at Lisi lake. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax A couple of birds seen near Tbilisi. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Seen at Lisi lake. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Two birds recorded. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Seen at Lisi. Little Egret Egretta garzetta A couple of birds seen. Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier) Gypaetus barbatus Seen daily, some giving great views. European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Hundreds migrating over the mountains. Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus Good numbers seen daily. Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina One 2cy bird seen well migrating over the mountains. Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis Several birds seen well. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos A total of 5 birds, including a nesting pair Golden Eagle attempting to carry a huge branch to the nest. (DLV) Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca One 2cy bird seen briefly on migration. Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus A pair seen at Lisi lake. 7 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

8 Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes Good views of at least 2 males. Western Marsh Harrier (Eurasian M H) Circus aeruginosus Three birds seen. Pallid / Montagu s Harrier Circus macrourus/pygargus A single 2cy seen rather distantly over the mountains. Black Kite Milvus migrans Small numbers seen. Common (Steppe) Buzzard Buteo (buteo) vulpinus A few birds, up to 20, seen on migration. Corn Crake Crex crex Stunning views of two singing birds in the meadows near Stepantsminda. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Five scattered sightings. Armenian Gull Larus armenicus Seen ner Tbilisi. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida One bird at Lisi lake. Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia A few birds. Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus Four birds seen. Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Several birds seen Heavily cropped photos of a male Caucasian Grouse. (DLV) European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus One roosting bird found in the mountains. Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba Good numbers seen. Common Swift Apus apus Common and widespread. European Roller Coracias garrulus 3 birds seen throughout the tour. European Bee-eater Merops apiaster Good numbers migrating over the mountains. Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops One bird seen. 8 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

9 Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes medius A pair seen in the forest near Ananuri. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Seen near Ananuri. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Fairly common and widespread. Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Small numbers seen. Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor Several birds seen. A very bright Green Warbler, Caucasian Great Rosefinch and a confiding Caucasian (Mountain) Chiffchaff. (DLV) Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator A pair seen near Lisi Lake. Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus A single migrant seen in the snow at Jvari Pass. Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius Small numbers seen. Eurasian Magpie Pica pica Only 4 birds recorded. Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Small flocks seen. Alpine Chough (Yellow-billed C) Pyrrhocorax graculus Good numbers seen in the mountains. Western Jackdaw (Eurasian J) Coloeus monedula Fairly common and widespread. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix Fairly common and widespread. Northern Raven Corvus corax Small numbers seen. Coal Tit Periparus ater Small numbers seen. Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Widespread. Great Tit Parus major Widespread. Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis One bird. 9 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

10 Horned Lark (Shore L) Eremophila alpestris Two birds seen briefly. Surprisingly scarce this year. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Common and widespread. Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris Small numbers noted. Common House Martin (Northern H M) Delichon urbicum Widespread. Cetti s Warbler Cettia cetti (H) Heard only. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Two birds. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Several migrants seen. Caucasian (Mountain) Chiffchaff Phylloscopus (sindianus) lorenzii Fairly common. See Note. Green Warbler (Bright G W) Phylloscopus nitidus Several birds seen well. Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Several at Lisi Lake. Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus One at Lisi. Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Two birds seen at Lisi lake. Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Small numbers seen. Male Güldenstädt s Redstart. (DLV) Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Seen near Ananuri. Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria Great views near Stepantsminda. Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis Widespread. Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Heard more often than seen. Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea Four birds seen. Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria Excellent views of a breeding male. Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris Good views of two pairs. Rosy Starling (Rose-colored S) Pastor roseus Two birds seen at Lisi. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris Common at Lisi. Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus Fairly common. Common Blackbird (Eurasian B) Turdus merula Small numbers seen. Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus Seen several times. European Robin Erithacus rubecula Two birds seen. Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos One bird seen briefly near Ananuri, another heard. Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata A handful of birds seen. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva A total of 3 birds seen. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros Several seen in the mountains. 10 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

11 Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus Nominate and samamisicus (Ehrenberg s R) seen. See note. Güldenstädt s Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus Excellent views of up to 5 above Stepantsminda. Common Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis Excellent views. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Widespread. Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe A few birds seen in the mountains. White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus Several seen. House Sparrow Passer domesticus Widespread. Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia Ten seen at Lisi. Ring Ouzel, ssp amicorum. (DLV) White-winged Snowfinch (Eurasian S) Montifringilla nivalis (LO) One briefly at Jvari Pass. Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris Good views of several birds. Dunnock (Hedge Accentor) Prunella modularis Widespread. (Western) Yellow Wagtail Motacilla (flava) thunbergii At least one male. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea A total of six birds seen throughout the trip, always near rivers. White Wagtail Motacilla alba A few seen. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis Four birds. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus A single bird seen. Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta Birds of the coutellii subspecies (Caucasian W P) seen in the mountains. Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Small numbers noted at various woodland areas. Eurasian Bullfinch (Common B) Pyrrhula pyrrhula Two birds recorded. Common Rosefinch (Scarlet R) Carpodacus erythrinus Fairly common. Caucasian Great Rosefinch Carpodacus (rubicilla) rubicilla Terrific views of up to 50 above Stepantsminda. European Greenfinch Chloris chloris Fairly common and widespread. Twite Linaria flavirostris Good numbers of the distinctive brevirrostris subspecies seen. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Fairly common and widespread. Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus Great views of several birds. Eurasian Siskin Carduelis spinus One bird seen. Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra Seen at Lisi lake. Rock Bunting Emberiza cia Three birds recorded. Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana Two birds near Lisi lake. Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala A few birds at Lisi lake. MAMMALS Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Seen above Stepantsminda. East Caucasian Tur Capra caucasica Two seen. 11 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

12 NOTES TO THE SYSTEMATIC LIST Caucasian (Mountain) Chiffchaff Phylloscopus [sindianus] lorenzii This form has variously been lumped in Common Chiffchaff P. collybita or Mountain Chiffchaff P. sindianus (which is in turn sometimes lumped in Common Chiffchaff,). However, there is an increasing tendency to treat this form as a species in its own right, though the IOC currently includes it in Mountain Chiffchaff. Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus The form samamasicus, found in the Balkans, most of Turkey, the Caucasus and Iran, shows a very striking white wing pannel and is called Ehrenberg s Redstart. Birds showing features of the nominate subspecies as well as samamisicus were seen during thet our. 12 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

13 Gergeti Trinity Church and sunrise over the Caucasus. (DLV) 13 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus

14 Stepantsminda, formerly known as Kazbegi, as seen from Gergeti, and happy Birdquesters. (DLV) 14 BirdQuest Tour Report: Georgia: The Caucasus