Mongolia Day 15

This morning we drove into Ulaan Baatar, stopping beside the Tuul River, where we quickly notched up a very close and inquisitive White-crowned Penduline Tit. 

The stunning White-crowned Penduline-Tit

Then it was on to Terelj National Park and our final campsite of this awesome tour. With our ground crew already setting up the tents as we arrived, a quick walk down to a marshy area choked with scrub was made to see if any Chinese Bush-Warblers had arrived – it’s a late arriving summer breeding species here and unfortunately they weren’t present until the day after we left!  

Our campsite

A singing Siberian Rubythroat looked mighty fine in the scope so we spent a while admiring him, and we also had Willow Tit and Yellow-browed Warbler. 

 

After lunch we drove up into the hills and walked through majestic forest in search of Grey-headed Chickadee (Siberian Tit), which I didn’t feel that optimistic about our chances. However, we found a pair who became exceedingly inquisitive to the speaker placed up in a conifer and gave us outstanding views. Wow! 

For the Europeans it's a Siberian Tit & if you're from across the pond it's Grey-headed Chickadee

It was about now that our obsession with finding Hazel Grouse really took hold (for some more than others!!) and we spread out and walked back down the hill with the SUV’s following behind. We checked and walked, and checked & walked some more as we trekked down through what looked like very suitable habitat for them. But we never had a sniff. However, it was during this search that an Ural Owl began calling repeatedly back up the hill and so we set off in search. It was tricky going underfoot, walking across soft, boggy moss, through birch scrub and then up a steep mountainside, but we managed to locate it about 100 yards in front of us. 

We were absolutely elated to see Ural Owl

On two separate occasions it flew close past us before settling in one position. It wasn’t a lifer for any of us that were present but it’s a really stunning species and we sat quietly and watched it for some time before leaving it alone and heading down to the vehicles.

This was the view through my scope of the Ural Owl that visited our camp

Back at camp that evening we had an early dinner and then checked out the bushy area nearby where a pair of Pine Buntings and a singing Dusky Warbler were constantly on view. An Oriental Cuckoo called constantly from the opposite hillside, and as dusk settled we saw the distinctive silhouette of an Eurasian Woodcock flying over the marsh. But the day wasn’t done yet and once everyone was settled in their tents ready for a good night’s sleep we had another Ural Owl fly over the camp where it posed very nicely indeed on a nearby conifer. 

My shouts of “Ural Owl showing well” were greeted with mild derision, and followed by the unzipping of sleeping bags & tent flaps and even a few groans until everyone looked through my scope at the huge beast! Mongolia rocks!

Mongolia Day 14

Up and out at 5am, walking alongside the reedbed just down from our camp, seeing several Oriental Reed Warblersand Paddyfield Warblers, both posing quite nicely in the reeds. Both the rail and crake were again heard, but we had nice views of White-naped Cranes, White-winged Terns, Marsh Sandpipers, Swan Geese etc etc. 

Nice views of Swan Goose this morning

After breakfast in camp a few of us saw a male Pallas’s Reed Bunting found by iDave before we headed out on the drive to Hustai National Park. Upon arrival we dropped our bags off in the gers before driving quite a way into the park through rolling grass-covered hills. 

Hustai National Park

Parking beside a small woodland we began by scouring the rocky hillside for Daurian Partridge without any joy, but had nice views of Meadow Bunting and Amur Falcon. Before getting back to the vehicles for lunch we found a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler skulking (as usual) in some bushes. Eventually it flew into the base of a tall bush and showed reasonably well for a change. But a strange place indeed to see this much-wanted species, as it was on migration and heading north to Siberia. 

Daurian Partridge

After lunch we walked up the wooded valley, not quite catching up with a phylloscs flock moving fast and away from us, but an Asian Brown Flycatcher was nice. Eventually after much searching Puje located a pair of partridges that we watched in the scope for ages before manoeuvring a lot closer for fantastic views. An Eurasian Hobby was then scoped and a Saker, Golden Eagle and Cinereous Vulture flew over. 

Przewalski's Horse

Oh and we did stop to look at a couple of Prezewalski’s Horses as well. 

Celebrating a great day...

A good day was rounded off with a delicious hotpot meal and, of course, more beers...!!

Mongolia Day 13

Well this was certainly an interesting day and one I’d kind of like not do again as we visited three different lakes today on our journey towards Hustai NP. There were many miles to travel and to be honest we didn’t see anything to write home about but with vast distances to travel and driving ‘off road’ most of the way there’s probably not much that can be done about it. In essence today was just a ‘fill-in’ day. 

Typical Mongolian Highways

Our first site was Sangiin Dalai Lake and I don’t particularly remember much about it to be honest apart from a few Stejneger’s Scoters being present.

Our second main stop and where we had our field lunch was at Takhilt Lake and this was memorable for a summer-plumaged Black-throated Diver we spent some time scoping, although it spent more time underwater than on top! On the far side of the lake a carcass was encouraging 20+ Cinereous Vultures down into a feeding frenzy. So we journeyed on through some stunning countryside, eventually making a stop at a small shop to stock up on beer and ice-creams not to far from the last lake of the day.

 

Upon arrival at Bayan Lake the regular site to camp beside the lake was mosquito infested, so we relocated several hundred metres inland where it initially appeared to be ok. However, it wasn’t! And this led to various discussions about whether we should try and find a hotel somewhere or not. In a scene reminiscent of Mutiny on the Bounty half of the group definitely wanted to get the hell out of dodge, whilst the others were adamant about staying. 

Our relocated campsite. Those are dark clouds and not mosquito's...!

After much discussion we eventually decided to stay and tough it out. I know another group took the hotel option a few days later but we were made of sterner stuff! Honest! Maybe! Anyway back to the birding, and as usually, the lake was teeming with many wildfowl (19 species), waterbirds (including 43 Eurasian Spoonbills), shorebirds and terns and the best we could come up with were 4 White-naped Cranes, 13 Common Cranes and 6 Demoiselle Cranes flew in later to roost. This is meant to be THE place for Brown-cheeked Rail and Baillon’s Crake but the few of us who braved the blood-thirsty mini vampires on a sunset excursion to the reedbed only heard both species, despite remaining until dark with the thermal camera and getting very close. We did enjoy close views of an Eastern Marsh Harrier quartering the reedbed, as well as a tytleri Barn Swallow.

Sunset over Bayan Lake

Mongolia Day 12

This was mainly a travelling day. A long travelling day as we crossed more amazing scenery seeing a good variety of species, with our last views of Pallas’s Sandgrouse today. There was also Hill Pigeon, Demoiselle Crane, Lammergeier, Himalayan & Cinereous Vultures, Mongolian & Asian Short-toed Larks, Pere David’s Snowfinch, Citrine Wagtail, Richard’s Pipit, and others. Basically, just a normal day in amazing Mongolia!

 

However, we did have one major target in that we wanted more views of Oriental Plover. Our first views were fantastic but we wanted a repeat, so our excellent guide Puje recommended we try another area of vast open plains, seemingly like many others we had passed by each day. After checking various spots we eventually located a female in a shallow valley. 

More Oriental Plover action...

Moving the cars to a better position a male was found and then we watched in amazement as he took off in a crazy display flight, flying high overhead in long, sweeping circles around the plains. It did this several times and at one point a second male appeared to check out what was happening before flying away. We spent an hour with these plovers and although we couldn’t improve on our photos from the first sighting, it was a real privilege to be able to watch this stunning species for so long. Leaving here it took a couple of hours to reach a really great, modern hotel for the night at Arvaikheer. 

Mongolia Day 11

After a freezing cold night we walked up to the base of the mountains where we tracked down at least 4 pairs of White-throated Bushchat on the steep, rocky mountainside above the camp that was sparsely dotted with small bushes. The terrain underfoot was a little damp but it was the ruts and tussocky grass that made our trek upwards more difficult – let alone the altitude. 

Our camp is waaaaay down there somewhere

There's the camp...

Splendid scenery to look for bushchats

But the effort was very worthwhile to see this extremely localised species and Mongolia is just about the only place to see it these days. I saw a wintering bird in Corbett NP in northern India many, many years ago when it was semi-reliable but they don’t turn up there anymore. 

White-throated Bushchat

I was hoping for Asian Rosyfinch but didn’t get a sniff – seems above the traditional Kukh Lake campsite is THE spot for this species. Damn! However, we did get nice views of a few Altai Accentors and Water Pipits, along with yet another Lammergeier. We also scoped several Cinereous and Himalayan Griffons feeding on a carcass on a distant hillside. As we birded the mountainside the hairs on the back of my neck literally stood up as the distinctive call of several howling Wolves reached us. A magical experience indeed and made more so when the pack made their was closer towards us and seemed to be chasing another wolf off their territory and not too bothered about us.

Altai Accentor

With all our targets except the rosyfinch seen we decided not to camp here at just under 3000m another night so packed up and headed to the warmer lowlands. During our drive we found a Terek Sandpiper at a random lake in company with 2 Temminck’s and 11 Little Stints, 6 Avocets and an Eurasian Spoonbill in middle of nowhere! 

Lunchtime....

And finally, at the end of the day we picked a camping spot near a small town to spend the night where we managed to pick up a Corsac Foxin the thermal imaging camera to tend the day.

MONGOLIA DAY 10

Had a bit of a sleep in before leaving this wonderful area and it took until 3.45pm to reach Khangai Mountain. Along the way we saw several groups of Pallas’s Sandgrouse flying around, with a couple groups quite close to the front vehicle. Our lunch stop beside some small pools held a few common species before we continued our journey through ever more impressive habitat. 

A very chilly and windswept Kukh Lake

I did wonder if we could cross this... But we did!

Upon arrival we found another birding group at the usual camping site beside Kukh Lake so drove past them birded a steep scrub-covered hillside where we nailed Eversmann’s Redstart and Siberian Stonechat. 

Eversmann's Redstart

Then we drove back past the partially frozen Kukh Lake and up & around towards the bushchat site, eventually settling on a much more scenically spectacular camping location in the mountains. 

Our campsite tonight...

Cosy dining this evening...!

Here we were greeted by another low-flying Lammergeier. 

Look at that beard...!

Had another fine dinner, with copious amounts of beer & vodka before hitting the sack and suffering our coldest night of the tour.

Mongolia Day 9

Enjoyed a full day around the lake heading out at 5.30am after coffee & cookies - and what a day this proved to be! Heading down just a few minutes to the lake shore, we spent a couple of hours sifting through the multitude of birds seeing all the same species as yesterday.

Greylag Goose was very common

After breakfast we birded the river seeing many more Caspian Terns & Pallas’s Gulls before we spotted a very distant Pallas’s Fish Eagle, so drove around to get a better view, crossing the river twice in order to get decent scope views of what proved to be a pair. 

Whooper Swan

After lunch we had a rest, although Keith and I walked down to the marsh where we added Little Tern, Ruddy Turnstone, Curlew Sandpiper and Eurasian Skylark to the list. Many shorebirds were passing through and we saw 25+ Greater Sandplovers, 20+ Broad-billed Sandpipers, numerous Kentish Plovers, 80+ Little Stints, with a huge flock of White-winged Terns, a couple Gull-billed Terns and Black Terns amongst many other species.

White-winged Tern

Whiskered Tern

The late afternoon session saw us driving to a different marshy area of the lake where a Common Kingfisher was a surprise find. And after birding the lake area quite hard our reward was in the form of a superb rare drake Baer’s Pochard in company with 5 Ferruginous Ducks. This species hadn’t previously been seen here and by uploading the observation onto eBird, other birders and tour groups were able to twitch it. 

The best I could do of Baer's Pochard - phonescoped

The sheer number of birds in this area is quite phenomenal and makes this one of the top sites for birding in Mongolia, although photographic opportunities are not great as most species are a little distant.