Mongolia Day 6

After last night’s howling gale it was a relief to find the wind had somewhat subsided this morning as we drove around 10kms from camp towards the impressive sand dunes. A cracking Asian Desert Warbler gave prolonged views and a superb Saxaul Sparrow was scoped, along with other sightings such as Asian Short-toed Lark, Isabelline Shrike,Long-legged Buzzard and a few Desert Wheatears before we returned for breakfast. 

Asian Desert Warbler

We had already decided to leave here and head to our wild camping site at Baga Bogd, a drive that took us until 5pm. The scenery was magnificent as we crossed desert, steppe, canyons and made numerous birding stops.

Not the greatest pic of a Saxaul Sparrow

Our next stop was for a comfort stop and we saw another Saxaul Sparrow and a Cinereous Vulture. A few hours later on our journey we saw several Pallas’s Sandgrouse and enjoyed some fine views, along with more Mongolian Finches. 

Grey-necked Bunting

At lunch in a scenic valley we had amazing views of a Grey-necked Bunting that took some tracking down as we could here one singing but couldn’t locate it for ages, and our sighting of a pair of Lammergeiers at a nest was a tour highlight. Another wow! moment during this incredible tour. 

A bit distant but these phonescoped images aren't too bad...

Around lunchtime in this scenic valley we also found Pied Wheatear, Chukar, Golden Eagle and Common Rock Thrush. Approaching the valley where we were to camp gave us more sandgrouse close to the track and a really low flying Golden Eagle.

Pied Wheatear

Loved seeing this Golden Eagle so low overhead

Once we started into the valley and nearly at the camp we stopped and disturbed a Long-eared Owl from its day roost. We tracked it down to another tree less than 200 yards away and in doing so we also stumbled across a fine Eurasian Wryneck. 

Long-eared Owl

Unbelievably one of our ground crew managed to scope a distant Altai Snowcock, which was greatly appreciated by everyone.

Altai Snowcocks

Baga Bond Mountain - where we saw the snowcocks

Our campsite

The forest near the campsite

With the ground crew setting up camp not far ahead of us we had time to scan the surrounding area and came up with Upland Buzzard, many Rock Sparrows, a Northern Wheatear, and enjoyed some slightly closer scope views of 3 more Altai Snowcocks. Not too shabby huh?

Mongolia Day 5

We had a 7am breakfast before setting out on the drive to our next Ger Camp at Khongor Els. Our first comfort stop gave us a few Rock Sparrows around an abandoned building, but the next stop at Bayandalai Plantation was a bit better. Migrants weren’t in abundance but we did get a Thick-billed Warbler, Pallas’s Warbler, several Dusky Warblers, Richard’s Pipit, 3 Little Buntings, a Black-faced Bunting and a flyby Chinese Pond-Heron. 

 

Driving for a few more hours across some pretty dramatic scenery and a random roadside stop got us a pair of superb Mongolian Ground-Jays. Another key target species and we just happened to bump into a pair at our first attempt. 

Mongolian Ground Jays

And shortly after we stopped for lunch beside a small group of trees and a pool and stream. A few Mongolian Finches were found, with at least 25 counted a little later beside a tiny stream. On the pond was a Little Ringed Plover and 2 Isabelline Shrikes, with a fast disappearing Richard’s Pipit here as well. 

This small plantation was choc full of migrants

Here's the guys looking for migrants...

We checked the trees out several times, and on each visit added something different, so birds may well have been arriving all of the time. Our initial inspection produced 3 Common Rosefinches and nothing else, but further investigation either side of lunch produced a Thick-billed Warbler showing well, Brambling, a few Hawfinches, more Common Rosefinches, and along the stream at least 2 Citrine Wagtails and a White-cheeked Starling. 

This male Brambling found the shadiest spot to shelter from the midday heat

Despite being rather common in Mongolia, I never really took a good shot of a Hawfinch

A last stop before reaching the Ger camp was for a pair of Steppe Grey Shrikes. And what a spot this was with amazing views of the Khongor sand dunes below us...

Our palatial residence for the night

Here's our view of the Khongor Sand Dunes from the balcony of our Ger

However, we decided this afternoon to just stay one night here, instead of the two we had booked, as all we needed in the vicinity was Asian Desert Warbler, Saxaul Sparrow and some decent views of Pallas’s Sandgrouse…. But we enjoyed the ensuite gers that proved to be very spacious, and I think we enjoyed the cold beers in the restaurant even more!

Mongolia Day 4

As the Ger Camp wouldn’t give us breakfast until 7am we had a bit of sleep in, but the buffet was pretty damn good tbh when we eventually were allowed in. We left quite quickly to drive over to the very scenic gorge and valley of Yolyn Am, one of the must-do places on any birding trip. Well, we quickly nailed Mongolian (Kozlov’s) Accentor before walking down into the valley. 

Mongolian (Kozlov's) Accentor

It was a very birdy site with lots going on, especially along the narrow stream where a large flock of Twite were feeding. Overhead both Lammergeier and Himalayan Griffons were seen several times and further into the gorge a flock of Pacific Swifts showed nicely. It was interesting finding several migrants in the low bushes and I always get a kick out of this. Highlights were a Brown Shrike, Two-barred Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Little, Black-faced and a female Pallas’s Reed Bunting, the latter looking particularly out of place. 

Dusky Warbler

We saw all these birds in between watching up to 6 Wallcreepers (yes 6!!) flying around the large cliffs and feeding on the rock faces but never really letting us get a photo. 

Brown Accentor

A couple of Godlewski’s Bunting proved more obliging, as did a few Brown Accentors, whilst numerous White-winged Snowfinches were ever present. The small stream running through the valley enticed a flock of Twite down to drink and this area was also good for Himalayan Beautuful Rosefinch, with one male in particular being extremely confiding. 

Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch

It was a great morning’s birding and we’d been here a good 4 hours by the time we had returned to the vehicles. Our field lunch was taken nearby where our ground crew had prepared us some delicious dumplings and coffee. 

White-winged Snowfinch

Twite

Our afternoon was spent at another picturesque valley where a pair of Barred Warblers were on territory and showing amazingly well. We also found a migrating Pallas’s Warbler, another Two-barred Warbler and scoped a female Saker feeding her young on an old Ravens nest. The male did a food pass to the female at one point as well. 

Saker - phonescoped of course

Barred Warbler - phonescoped

That's better...!

As we headed back to the camp, we saw a few Citrine Wagtails and scoped a couple of Pied Wheatears to round the day off nicely. We were back in camp by 5pm and had a couple of hours off to relax, take a hot shower and rest before dinner.

Mongolia Day 3

Left the Mongolica Hotel at 6.45am and headed out on the loooong drive to the Khanbogd Tourist Camp near Dalanzadgad. In fact we drove all day and arrived at the tourist camp at 7.10pm but we made plenty of birding stops along the way starting at a seasonal lake where Pete found our first Pallas’s Sandgrouse stood near the shoreline. The next stop to stretch our legs added a few Small Snowfinches in attendance at a Brandt’s Vole colony. Other species seen on our journey included Stejenger’s Scoter, 3 Citrine Wagtails, and some common wildfowl. Then we drove for a couple more hours until pulling off the road for lunch in the desert, where we were entertained by 5 Demoselle Cranes flying over, 2 Shore Larks, a Dusky Warbler, a Dusky/Naumann’s hybrid and an Isabelline Wheatear.

Isabelline Shrike

Red-throated Thrush

Once in Dalanzadgad we filled up with fuel at a gas station where a Lesser Kestrel and Desert Wheatear were spotted. At a small plantation we had a fine time with 2 Dusky Warblers, Isabelline Shrike, 2 Pallas’s Warblers, 2 Arctic Warblers, Naumann’s Thrush, Dusky thrush, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Taiga Flycatcher, 40+ Hawfinch, 3 Common Rosefinch and a female Beautiful Rosefinch.

Nice views of Arctic Warbler today...

Asian Brown Flycatcher

female Beautiful Rosefinch sp....

The late afternoon was spent in search of Oriental Plover amongst the absolutely awe-inspiring wide-open steppe. We actually found a male plover quite easily after just a couple of ‘stop and scan’ sessions and then manoeuvred the vehicles to get reasonably close views of this stunning bird. 

The one and only mega..... Oriental Plover

And what a bird! It’s one of the world’s iconic species and we found it hard to drive away from, but we had to in order to get to the camp for dinner.