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Checklist S108188689

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Main details

Location Trail from Gergeti Triniti Church to Chkheri River source
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Additional details

People

Owner Simon Colenutt

Effort

Protocol:  Traveling
  • Observers:  9
  • Distance:  8.917 km

Checklist Comments

We were up at 05:15 and headed to Gergeti Church above Stepantsminda for 05:45. After a quick breakfast in the car park at 2,160m we began our climb up to the pass. We walked the obvious track heading away from the car park but this soon ended at a fenced building and so we skirted around this building annoying the guard dogs as we went. We then joined a stream gully which we followed for a shortwhile before finding another track and heading further up hill. This track soon petered out and we soon found ourselves crossing tussocky grass and small snowfields before eventually climbing a very steep slope. At this stage most of the tour participants had dropped back and it was only Pete, Sandy, Richard and I that had persevered. We reached the area of the pass at 2,950m and enjoyed the stunning mountain scenery with high snow covered peaks, deep gorge and glacier. Scanning produced Bearded Vulture and East Caucasian Tur ( a type of mountain goat) and a flock of 31 Bee-eater moving north. There was no sign of our main target, Great Rosefinch and after sometime we decided to descend. The descent tooks us a different route following the edge of a steep gully. A stop to scan for calling Snowcock produced a magnificent (but rather distant) female Brown Bear with two very young cubs, the trio crossed the steep hillside, climbed scree and snow slopes and covered an extensive area, probably more than we had covered all morning with complete easer. Pete also picked up a distant Caucasian Snowcock. we descended further and we picked up a few raptors moving ahead of a rain front approaching from the south. We clocked up a small number of birds the highlights being Pallid Harrier, Short-toed Eagle, Honey Buzzard and a lifer, three Levant Sparrowhawk. We eventually got back to the car at just before five, exhausted but satisfied with our day birding.

Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 2.13.12

Totals

44
Species Observed
+1 other taxa, 397 individuals
10
Species with Photos
6
Species with Audio

Observations

  1. Caucasian Grouse

    Number observed:  9

    Details

    Six male and three female. Male seen displaying.

  2. Caucasian Snowcock

    Number observed:  7

    Details

    One seen and at least six others calling all in the rocky ravine at approximately 42.66726593938939, 44.57985379899952.

    Media

  3. Alpine Swift

    Number observed:  18

    Details

    All flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  4. Common Swift

    Number observed:  16

    Details

    All flew north ahead of a rain front.

  5. Common Crane

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    A single bird flew very high to the south ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  6. Bearded Vulture (Eurasian)

    Number observed:  3

    Media

  7. European Honey-buzzard

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    All flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

    Media

  8. Cinereous Vulture

    Number observed:  1

  9. Eurasian Griffon

    Number observed:  6

    Media

  10. Short-toed Snake-Eagle

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    All flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  11. Golden Eagle

    Number observed:  1

  12. Levant Sparrowhawk

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    All flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  13. Eurasian Sparrowhawk

    Number observed:  2

  14. Western Marsh Harrier

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  15. Pallid Harrier

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    One sub-adult male and two female the latter flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  16. Black Kite

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    All flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  17. Common Buzzard (Steppe)

    Number observed:  13

    Details

    All flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  18. European Bee-eater

    Number observed:  36

    Details

    All flew north, flock of five and a flock of 31.

  19. Eurasian Kestrel

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    All flew north ahead of a rain front approaching from the south.

  20. Red-billed Chough

    Number observed:  14

  21. Yellow-billed Chough

    Number observed:  49

  22. Common Raven

    Number observed:  10

  23. Horned Lark (Black-necklaced)

    Number observed:  2

    Media

  24. Barn Swallow

    Number observed:  11

  25. Western House-Martin

    Number observed:  3

  26. Mountain Chiffchaff (Caucasian)

    Number observed:  7

    Media

  27. Eurasian Wren

    Number observed:  1

  28. Eurasian Blackbird

    Number observed:  4

  29. Ring Ouzel (Caucasian)

    Number observed:  16

    Media

  30. Black Redstart

    Number observed:  6

  31. Whinchat

    Number observed:  1

  32. European Stonechat

    Number observed:  2

  33. Northern Wheatear

    Number observed:  12

    Media

  34. Alpine Accentor

    Number observed:  4

    Details

    Three at the pass area.

    Media

  35. Dunnock

    Number observed:  2

  36. Gray Wagtail

    Number observed:  1

  37. Western Yellow Wagtail

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    One heard and a female grey headed type.

    Media

  38. Western Yellow Wagtail (lutea)

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Stunning adult male in the company of a female grey-headed type.

    Media

  39. White Wagtail (White-faced)

    Number observed:  2

  40. Red-throated Pipit

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    Flew north.

  41. Water Pipit (Caucasian)

    Number observed:  82

    Details

    Approximate tally during the day, likely many more. The commonest bird.

    Media

  42. Common Chaffinch

    Number observed:  1

  43. Common Rosefinch

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Heard singing.

  44. Twite

    Number observed:  8

    Media

  45. Fire-fronted Serin

    Number observed:  25

    Media

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