Kazakhstan 4 th to 17 th May 2013 (14 days)

Transcription

1 Kazakhstan 4 th to 17 th May 2013 (14 days) Pallas's Sandgrouse by Machiel Valkenburg Kazakhstan is the world s largest landlocked country and its territory of 2,727,300 square kilometres (1,053,000 sq mi) is larger than the entire Western Europe! Extending from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Tien Shan Mountains in the east, this area is of immense interest to the serious birder as it s the transition zone between the Western and Eastern Palaearctic bird species. Our very comprehensive tour commences in Almaty, where our hotel is strategically placed for an excellent introduction to Kazakhstan birding. Here we will search for Black Grouse, Meadow Bunting, Red-fronted Serin and the striking Azure Tit, while huge and majestic Bearded Vultures patrol the skies above. From Almaty

2 RBT Kazakhstan Itinerary we move to the Taukum Desert, where wells in the area attract Pin-tailed, Black-bellied and the much desired Pallas s Sandgrouse. Other specialities include Saker Falcon, Saxaul Sparrow and Desert and Mongolian Finches. Flying to the capital, Astana, we will bird the surrounding steppe in search of the enigmatic Demoiselle Crane and the endangered Sociable Lapwing at their favoured breeding grounds. Here we will also enjoy sightings of Pallid Harrier and both White-winged and the mythical Black Lark doing their displays over the steppe grasslands. Our final destination is the Tien Shan Mountain range where the highly sought after Ibisbill occurs (this smart looking bird is the sole representative of its monotypic family). Other specialities in this area include Güldenstädt s and Eversmann s Redstarts, Sveretov s Tit-Babbler and the stunning White-tailed Rubythroat, to name just some! THE TOUR AT A GLANCE DETAILS Tour Dates Tour Price Tour Size 4 th to 17 th May 2013 (14 days) US$TBA * TBA * TBA * ZARTBA per person sharing (see below) (Tour price fixed in US$, other rates subject to exchange rate fluctuations) Limited to a maximum of 12 participants & 2 Rockjumper leaders THE ITINERARY 4 th May Arrival in Almaty 5 th May Ili Ala-Tau National Park 6 th May Almaty to Charyn 7 th May Sogety Valley 8 th May Sogety Valley to Almaty 9 th May Almaty to Taukum 10 th May Taukum Desert 11 th May Taukum Desert to Almaty 12 th May Almaty to Tien-Shan Mountains 13 th May Tien-Shan Mountains 14 th May Tien-Shan Mountains to Almaty Town 15 th May Almaty to Korgalzhyn via Astana 16 th May Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve 17 th May Korgalzhyn to Astana and departure TOUR CAN BE LINKED WITH Uzbekistan Extension 18 th to 24 th May (7 days) US$TBA * TBA * TBA * ZARTBA per person sharing

3 RBT Kazakhstan Itinerary THE TOUR IN DETAIL Day 1, 4 th May: Arrival in Almaty. After arriving in Almaty you will be met at the airport and then transferred to our hotel just outside the city. Almaty is a major commercial centre and used to be the capital before losing its status to Astana in The city is located in the mountainous southern region of Kazakhstan and our hotel here is set near the scenic mountainside. Possible birds in and around our accommodations may include Black-eared Kite, Common Kestrel, Blue Whistling and Mistle Thrush, Turkestan and Azure Tits, both Brown and Whitethroated Dippers, the lovely Goldcrest, Common and Black Redstarts, Spotted Flycatcher, Long-tailed and Turkestan Shrikes and Rock Bunting. This is a good area for Black Grouse and we hope to locate it during our stay here. Turkestan Tit by Adam Riley Day 2, 5 th May: Ili Ala-Tau National Park. After breakfast we will drive to the nearby Ili Ala-Tau NP. This mountainous region is a reliable area for the localized Meadow Bunting. Other exciting species that we will be on the lookout for include Common Cuckoo, the smart looking White-crowned Penduline Tit, Spotted Nutcracker, Northern, Pied and Isabelline Wheatears, Hume s Leaf and Greenish Warblers, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Magpie of the race bactriana, Shore Lark, Redfronted Serin, Grey-headed Goldfinch and Common Rosefinch. Raptors are a feature here and we will keep our eyes peeled for Eurasian Griffon and Himalayan Vulture, Golden Eagle, Common and Longlegged Buzzards, Peregrine and Common Kestrel. Day 3, 6 th May: Almaty to Charyn. This morning we will depart to the Charyn region, 250km east of Almaty. We will have several birding stops en route to look for Richard s Pipit, Long-tailed Shrike, Eurasian Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow and White-crowned Penduline Tit. At the Kokpek pass we will walk some trails in the gorge to search for Chukar Partridge, White-winged Woodpecker, Blue Whistling Thrush, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Eurasian Roller, Eurasian Bee-eater, Citrine and Blackheaded Wagtails, White-capped and Red-headed Buntings, Hume s Lesser Whitethroat and Pied Wheatear of the race vitata. The further east we drive the less vegetated the landscape becomes and in this habitat we will be on the lookout for Pallas s Sandgrouse, Horned Lark, Desert Lesser Whitethroat, Rock Sparrow and the huge Steppe Eagle. In the late afternoon we will reach the Sogety Valley at the edge of a stony desert where we will settle in to our basic yet comfortable lodgings. In the early evening we will then visit a known watering site for Desert, Mongolian and Asian Crimson-winged Finches. Day 4, 7 th May: Sogety Valley. We will start early this morning after a hearty breakfast, with a visit to Citrine Wagtail by Adam Riley

4 RBT Kazakhstan Itinerary the Sogety Plains. Here we will search for Pallas s Sandgrouse and Asian Desert Warbler, these being our main targets for this area. Later in the morning we then visit the Charyn Canyon, where we have an excellent chance of finding resident Saker Falcons, Desert Wheatear and Steppe Grey Shrike. After lunch we continue further south into the direction of the border with Kyrgyzstan, where Himalayan, Cinereous, Bearded and the smart looking Egyptian Vulture, Saker Falcon and Upland Buzzard are often recorded. Here we will also be on the lookout for Corn and Pine Buntings, Red-fronted Serin and Azure Tit in wooded areas. Returning to our lodge in the late afternoon, we have an opportunity to again visit an artesian well for drinking Grey-necked Bunting and Mongolian, Desert and Asian Crimson-winged Finches. White-winged Woodpecker by Adam Riley Day 5, 8 th May: Sogety Valley to Almaty. Today we will again look for our main targets, if indeed we are still missing any or requiring better looks of any particular birds. Thereafter we will drive back to Almaty via the Kokpess Pass and Sogety Mountains, with further birding stops to pick up birds that we may have missed. We will arrive back at our hotel just outside Almaty in the early evening. Day 6, 9 th May: Almaty to Taukum. This morning we will drive to Taukum by way of Sorbulak Lake. This lake is a good site for breeding Dalmatian Pelican and Terek Sandpiper. In some years, thousands of Rose-coloured Starlings also breed around the dam, but this is dependent on the availability of crickets in the surrounding desert for them to feed on. Other birds we will be on the lookout for are Great White Pelican, Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Ruddy Shelduck, Red-crested and Ferruginous Pochards, Pallas s and Caspian Gulls, Water Rail, stately Black-winged Stilts, Collared Pratincole and, in the surrounding reedbeds, Great and Little Bitterns, Black-crowned night Heron and Clamorous Reed Warbler. Lunch will be served at the wish-tree near Konshengel. This is a large, lone tree that locals tie material to before making a wish, and which also attracts all the migrating birds from the surrounding area. Some of the possible species here include Reed, Sykes, Booted, Barred, Eastern Olivaceous and Great Reed Warblers. Arriving in Konshengel village in the late afternoon, we will then check the nearby wells for any migrant birds before driving to our nearby tented camp in the desert. Day 7, 10 th May: Taukum Desert. In the morning we will search for two of Taukam s specialities: the endangered Macqueen s Bustard and Caspian Plover, which are sometimes seen right from the camp! There is also the possibility of spotting wolves when scanning the desert. Later in the morning we will again check the wells in the area for any sandgrouse Taukum Desert Yurt camp by Machiel Valkenburg

5 RBT Kazakhstan Itinerary species, which may include Black-bellied, Pin-tailed and Pallas s. Here there are also possibilities for Pallid Harrier, Greater Sand Plover, Temminck s and Little Stints, and Brown-necked Raven. After breakfast we will then depart for the Topar Lakes, a good area for Black and White-winged Terns, Black-headed Penduline Tit and possibly the scarce White-headed Duck. From here we will drive to the Zheltorangly Forest in search of the scarce White-winged Woodpecker, Yellow-eyed Dove, Striated Scops and Little Owls, Shikra, Turkestan Tit and Saxaul Sparrow. Caspian Plover by Machiel Valkenburg Day 8, 11 th May: Taukam to Almaty. This morning we will drive back to Almaty by way of Tamgaly Tas. Tamgaly is next to an UNESCO petroglyph site (rock engravings). This is a known breeding spot for Eastern Rock Nuthatch and we will scour the area for this charismatic species. Other good birds that we may find include Black Stork, Eurasian Hobby, Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush and Common Raven. Here we will enjoy a field lunch at this historical site and afterwards drive to our hotel just outside the city, where there will be more opportunities to bird around the hotel this afternoon. Day 9, 12 th May: Almaty to Tien-Shan Mountains. Today we change to 4x4 vehicles and drive up to Big Almaty Lake in the Tien Shan Mountains. This lake is located south of Almaty at 2,800m (9,240ft), with an old Astronomical Observatory nearby, which is still in use when the weather is good. In fact, our lodge for the night is the actual observatory itself so we can therefore expect a very unique and interesting evening! During the drive up we will make several stops, the first being for Brown Dipper, Blue Whistling Thrush, White-tailed Rubythroat, Red-fronted Serin, Songar Tit, Redmantled Rosefinch and the fabulous Wallcreeper! After checking into the Observatory we will then have lunch, after which we will continue birding in the nearby juniper scrub searching for Red-mantled Rosefinch, Black-throated Accentor, White-winged Grosbeak, Eversmann s Redstart and one of the prize targets of our tour, the delightful Severtzov s Tit-Warbler. Day 10, 13 th May: Tien-Shan Mountains. Weather dependant, we will move further up in altitude to the Cosmic Ray Station (CRS). Here we will look for the lovely Güldenstädt s Redstart, Red-billed and Alpine Choughs, Altai and Brown Accentors, and Brandt s Mountain Finch. Along the boulder-strewn lakeshore we will scan for the cryptically coloured Ibisbill, the sole representative of this monotypic family. Careful scanning amongst the similarly coloured boulders may reveal this much sought-after species. Walking back along the ridge, we will then look for Blue-capped Redstart, White-tailed Rubythroat, Rock Sparrow and Merlin overhead. We will also scan the boulder-strewn hillsides for another mountain speciality, the Himalayan Snowcock. These birds can be heard calling in the early morning and Güldenstädt s Redstart by Machiel Valkenburg

6 RBT Kazakhstan Itinerary often freeze for long periods to avoid detection, so we will have to count ourselves lucky to find this enigmatic species! Day 11, 14 th May: Tien-Shan Mountains to Almaty Town. This morning we will continue birding for any birds we have missed, along with another opportunity to scan for Himalayan Snowcock if we were unsuccessful the previous day. After lunch we will then drive back to our hotel just outside Almaty. For those who would like, there will also be time for shopping and sightseeing in Almaty or else birding around the hotel. Day 12, 15 th May: Almaty to Korgalzhyn via Astana. In the morning we leave our hotel for the Almaty airport from where we will transfer to Astana, the countries capital. From here we will depart to the Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve with birding stops en route. In particular, we will be on the lookout for Pallid and Montague Harriers, Saker Falcon, Greater and Lesser Short-toed Larks, Crested and Eurasian Skylarks, and Turkestan Shrike. Arriving in the late afternoon, we should have sufficient time for some initial explorations of the area. Day 13, 16 th May: Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve. Today we have a full day s birding in the Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve. This area of steppe grassland is home to the striking Black Lark as well as Sociable Lapwing. Both species breed here at this time of year so we have a very good chance of seeing them. White-winged Larks also occur and are often seen displaying over the grasslands. Freshwater lakes in this area hold a good variety of species that may include Black-throated Diver, Red-necked, Black-necked, Great and Horned Grebes, Pallas s Black-headed and Slender-billed Sociable Lapwing by Rich Lindie Gulls, Gull-billed, White-winged, Whiskered and Caspian Terns, the stately Greater Flamingo, twirling Red-necked Phalaropes in their smart breeding plumage, Marsh and Curlew Sandpipers, Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Ruff, Collared Pratincole, Blyth s and Paddyfield Warblers, Bluethroat, Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Common Reed Bunting. Day 14, 17 th May: Korgalzhyn to Astana. After a hearty breakfast we will drive to Astana. Here we will commence birding in a small forest where Pine Buntings are regularly found. Occasionally, Whitewinged Woodpecker, Eurasian Woodcock and Songar Tit can also be seen here. In Astana we will have our final dinner in a local restaurant and then depart to the airport for our International flights home, or else overnight for those who opt to do the Uzbekistan extension. GROUP SIZE: This tour will be limited to 12 participants & 2 Rockjumper leaders. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS: The fee for this Kazakhstan tour is US$TBA * TBA * TBA * ZARTBA per person sharing. A single supplement of US$TBA will be charged if you wish to have single accommodation. If RBT cannot provide you with a rooming partner although you choose to share, the single supplement

7 RBT Kazakhstan Itinerary will become applicable. We will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that a rooming partner is found if you do wish to share. This includes: All meals from lunch on day 1 to dinner on day 14; Bottled drinking water; All lodgings; Domestic airfares; Airport transfers; Ground transportation; Reserve entrance fees; Extra activities as mentioned in the itinerary; and All guiding services (including tips for local guides and services). The tour fee does not include: Visa fees; Any international flights; Any drinks; Camera fees in national parks; Telephone calls; and Laundry and other items of a personal nature. IMPORTANT NOTES: a) Due to constantly fluctuating exchange rates, we now quote our tours in 4 currencies. The tour price is however fixed only in the currency printed in bold (US$), and the actual cost in the other currencies listed will be adjusted according to prevailing exchange rates at the time of final invoicing (usually 3 months before the tour.) Approximate domestic flight (where applicable) and single supplement rates have been converted to US$ but are also subject to exchange rate movements. b) Rates are based upon group tariffs; if the tour does not have sufficient registration (a minimum of 5 paying participants) a small party supplement will have to be charged. c) Furthermore, these costs are subject to unforeseen increases in tour related costs and may have to be adjusted as a result. d) Lastly, we may be forced to change or alter the itinerary and / or the designated Rockjumper leader/s at short or no notice due to unforeseen circumstances; please be aware that we will attempt to adhere as close to the original program as possible. Tipping: As noted above, gratuities (drivers, hotel staff, porters and restaurants) are included on this tour. However, this does NOT include your Rockjumper leader/s. If, therefore, you feel that he/they have given you excellent service, it is entirely appropriate to tip them. Special Note: Much of our time is spent in vehicles as we have to cover long distances in order to get to the best areas for birds and animals. The more luggage you pack, the less room there is in the vehicle, so it is important for the comfort of your fellow travellers that you do not over-pack. Kindly stick to 20kg (44

8 RBT Kazakhstan Itinerary lb) for check in luggage and 8kg (17.6 lb) for hand luggage. ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE DETAILS: This tour does not include ANY international airfares. The tour will commence in Almaty on day one. Further meeting details will be forwarded to you in due course. The tour will conclude in Astana after dinner on day 14. PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to arrive early and/or depart late and would like assistance or advice in this regard, kindly contact the Rockjumper office. FLIGHTS: Almaty International Airport is the main port of entry into Kazakhstan and is serviced by several major airlines, including KLM and British Airways. We have the capacity to advise you on the best route according to your preferences, but your local travel agent will best be able to book these flights for you. HOWEVER, please DO NOT book your international flights until you have consulted the Rockjumper office for confirmation on the status of the tour. Rockjumper Birding Tours CC Worldwide Birding Adventures Registration number 2001/059480/23 PO Box 13972, Cascades, 3202, South Africa Tel: Fax: Tel (USA & Canada) toll free: info@rockjumperbirding.com Alternative rockjumperbirding@yahoo.com Website: