February winter weekend

The first winter birding weekend of February 2013 started well with a Rough-legged Buzzard outside Dedopliskaro in eastern Kacheti. This bird had a very pale head and neck, whitish iris, feathered legs and the typical white upper tail band in flight. Saker Falcon and Imperial Eagle were both seen, probably on return to breeding areas where they lay first eggs in March. Other raptors included Peregrine, Kestrel, Hen harrier, Marsh harrier and Common buzzard. Little Bustard were found eventually at Taribani on the way to Chachuna after a lot of searching. We saw one, another four and then two of our target species, they were all in flight and in the same general area as the huge flock we found during the February visit two years ago in 2011. The reservoir at Chachuna was quite full of water and held a lot of waterfowl including Smew, Red- breasted Merganser, Teal, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted duck, Great white egret, Great cormorants, grebes and gulls. However the highlight was a family of seven Whooper Swans, four adult and three juveniles, which are uncommon in Georgia. As usual hunters were active in this region, as was evident from the nervous behaviour of the bustards and also the carcase of a freshly shot Bittern. We found this casualty hanging up in a thorn tree near a small pond. Passerine flocks were impressive with many thousands of Calandra larks, which occupied all the semi-desert and cultivated areas, sometimes associated with Crested larks, Starlings, Corn bunting, Yellowhammer, Linnet and Greenfinch. There was a single Woodlark found in Vashlovani with several flocks of Mistle Thrush and Fieldfares moving through the juniper bushes. Two Western Rock Nuthatch were located in the dry valleys calling loudly. This is a great area for winter birding and it was another productive trip with fantastic views of the Caucasus mountains. Day one weather was fog with some rain, day two was sunny and bright, all the lakes were open this year. A 4WD vehicle is essential.

By Debby Reynolds

For pictures please visit the link below

 https://picasaweb.google.com/111780462196673745179/BirdingInVashlovaniNationalParkChachunaReserve?authkey=Gv1sRgCKbsiuO1zK_tCA

Exiting news, Trush Nightingale which was ringed in Georgia in August 2012 was captured by another ringing team at Ngulia, Kenya. The Belgian ringing team started project in Georgia in 2010, and every August-September team of international ringers are ringing in Chorokhi delta, near the one of the biggest city in Georgia Batumi. In the first year was ringed approximately 6000 passerines, on the next year 2011 was ringed 12 000 passerines and in 2012 20 000 passerines. We hope that in future there will be more feedbacks coming from the different countries. Congratulations to the both ringing teams, in Georgia and in Kenya.

for more information please visit; http://arochakenya.wildlifedirect.org/2012/11/20/ecstatic-excitement-around-the-ringing-table-at-430am-at-ngulia-over-a-small-dull-ring/

Caucasian Black Grouse

Our team went to check some birding places in Mountains. It seems that Caucasian Black grouse population is doing fine, since we had two three different flocks together. Still there is not much snow in the Mountains and this birds were quite high, almost on the habitat of Caucasian Snow Cocks. Team of Ecotours Georgia is looking for the new birding places to make our trips more diverse. We will update you once in a while when we will have some interesting information.

British Birdwatching Fair

Ecotours Georgia is participating on British Birdwatching Fair in August 17-19th 2012. Please if you will be near by visit our stand; Ecotours Georgia Stand Number: 29 Information about bird and wildlife holidays in Georgia. Email Address: info@ecotours.ge Website: www.ecotours.ge See all exhibitors in: Marquee 5 See all exhibitors in category: Travel & Tourism

Caspian Snow Cock

After five years exploration finally we found Caspian Snow cock on Lesser Caucasus, although during those years we used to hear call and have seen their feathers. But these mysterious birds were always hiding or in fog or high snow cover were blocking our ways. Finally we found ten birds in September 2011 and later we managed to photograph them. We hope to find them again with our birdwatcher guests sometime in May.

Batumi Raptor migration watch

On the 28th of August we had more then 50 000 Honey Buzzards, around 15 Booted Eagles, 5 Short toed Eagles, Montagu's Harriers, Pallid Harrier, Peregrine Falcone, Lesser spoted Eagle.

The Batumi bottleneck is one of the most important birdwatching sites in Eastern Europe, where migratory birds concentrate en route to Africa and southern Asia. The bottleneck occurs at the location where the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus, covered with humid relic forests, descend to the Black Sea coast. The density of migrating birds that can be watched from the site is higher than any other place in the Caucasus region. Each fall thousands of birds of prey soaring in thermals migrate through the site. Common Buzzards are the dominant species, but many Black Kites, European Honey-buzzards, Northern, Montagu’s, Pallid and Western Marsh Harriers, Eurasian and Levant Sparrowhawks, Eurasian Hobbies, Common and Lesser Kestrels, Red-footed Falcons, Merlins, Ospreys, Short-toed Snake-eagles, Lesser Spotted Eagles, Greater Spotted Eagles, Imperial Eagles, Steppe Eagles, Booted Eagles, and White-tailed Eagles could be seen as well. Smaller numbers of Northern Goshawks, Peregrine and Saker Falcons, Golden Eagles, and Rough-legged Buzzards are regularly spotted. Other species to watch for include other soaring birds like storks and pelicans as well as a good variety of waterfowl and shorebirds.

Spring 2011

Birdwatching season spring 2011 is over; all the groups had safe and successful trips. In this year we hosted individuals and groups from countries such as; UK, Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and USA. Furthermore, except the target birds during this season groups had chance to observe rare birds for Georgia such as: Radde’s Accentor, Crimson-Winged Finch, Blue Cheeked Bee-Eater, White-Tailed Plover and Red-Rumped Swallow.
Some mammals seen during the trips: Eastern Tur (Capra Cylindricornis), Alpine Chamois, Wolf, Red Fox, Golden Jackal, European Lynx, Roe Deer, Weasel, Jungle Cat with five kittens, European Hare, Libyan Jird.

For the pictures please visit the link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111780462196673745179/SomePhotosFromSpringBirdingSeason