March 2007, Tsetserleg - K. Schleicher
Common wintering birds in the town of Tsetserleg (mountain forest steppe at 1690 m a.s.l. in the Khangai Mountains, central Mongolia: N 47.481° E 101.453°) in March were Magpie, Common Raven, Red-billed Chough, Hill Pigeon, Rock (Domestic) Pigeon, Tree Sparrow, Great Tit, and Azure Tit. Black, Lesser Spotted and White-backed Woodpeckers have been noticed several times in the city park with its larch stands.

Long-tailed Rosefinch. Photo © K. Schleicher

In a mountain valley covered with willow scrub and birches about one kilometre north of Tsetserleg Long-tailed Rosefinch, Willow Tit, Godlewski´s Bunting (max. c.40) and Twite (max. c.40) were observed regularly in March. Other species present include Siberian Accentor, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay, Three-toed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and White-backed Woodpecker. Carrion Crow, Black Woodpecker, Daurian Partridge, Nuthatch, Azure Tit, and Tree Sparrow have been observed here once only.


Twite. Photo © K. Schleicher

A single Daurian Jackdaw was spotted in Tsetserleg on 15 March, numbers grew to 166 during the following five days and by the end of March they can be watched every day. A male Red-throated Thrush and a male Everman´s Redstart were first observed on 22 March in the willow/birch scrubs north of Tsetserleg. A Pine Bunting sang in the larch forest on the same day and the first Ruddy Shelduck rested at the Tamir river (still nearly completely frozen) on 23 March.