Mongolia Day 17

This was a spare day due to flight issues and an ideal time to rest, so of course we crammed in some last minute birding despite heavy rain showers hampering us. In fact we didn’t get out until late morning, apart from one aborted attempt when we were tracking down a Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinch only for the skies to open and we narrowly avoided a drenching. Eventually the weather did clear and we saw a flyover Amur Falcon, flocks of Hawfinches and White-cheeked Starlings, Daurian Jackdaw, and finally the views we wanted of a pair of Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinches and a pair of Azure Tits. 

Azure Tit

Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinch

The latter two species showed incredibly well in one small area and needless to say we were elated. And that was us done! One last dinner and some beers before we set of on our respective journeys back to the UK and USA tomorrow morning. 

Mongolia Day 16

This was the last official day of the tour and our Hazel Grouse obsession saw some of the group heading back up into the hills in one of the vehicles, where they spent the first couple of hours after sunrise searching in vain. Keith and I headed off in search of a singing White’s Thrush that also failed to show. So not a great start, but after breakfast we walked from camp up through the valley, still with thoughts of a certain grouse in the minds of some…. It was a particularly ‘birdy’ walk with a singing Siberian Rubythroat showing well as it settled on several of its favourite song posts around the edge of a marsh. 

Can never get enough of Siberian Rubythroat

We also saw a singing Pine Bunting, an Arctic Warbler calling away from high up in a tall conifer, a few singing Yellow-browed Warblers, and we scoped a calling Oriental Cuckoo as well…. 

I managed to phonescope the Oriental Cuckoo

Oh and there was still no sign of any Chinese Bush-Warblers. 

Our group photo after packing up our last camp

So we packed up camp after lunch and drove back towards Ulaan Baatar, diverting to another forest to make one last search for grouse, which was a surprising decision for some of us! And yes, it ended with the same result, but I did see an impressive flock of 50+ Pacific Swifts overhead! A torturous drive to the Mongolica Hotel followed and one final dinner with everyone together before Mike had to leave the next morning on his journey back to the UK.