Sunshine Coast Birds

Birding and other wildlife experiences from the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere in Australia - and from overseas - with scribblings about travel, environmental issues, kayaking, hiking and camping.

Saturday 24 September 2011

Birding the Arid Steppes of Kazakhstan

Chukar can be a tricky bird but they were quite easy to see on the steppes of southern Kazakhstan during my recently completed eight-day visit to the region.
This Red-necked Phalarope was in a tiny pool in the desert near Kanshengal. Just two weeks earlier, I had seen this species in numbers at sea in the Arctic Ocean off Russia.
A Short-toed Eagle surveys the steppe grasslands.
Eurasian Jacksaws making themselves at home on the backs of goats.
White-winged Woodpecker is one of the specialties of the arid Turanga woodlands in southern Kazakhstan.
Eurasian Bitterns were quite common in the small wetlands scattered throughout the steppes. This one was well-camouflaged.
Turkestan Tit - a specialty of the southern Kazakhstan arid woodlands.
Not a bird but Long-tailed Ground-Squirrels were common on the steppes.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Greg, just to clarify the Mottled Petrel passage, I counted 80+ on 02 November 1996 from Point Lookout (North Stradbroke Island)

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  2. I think this comment is on the wrong post Tom by anyway, I had not heard of that... interesting

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