July 18, 2007

Khovd, 18 JUL 2007 – A. Braunlich, J. Steudtner

After a break I visited the poplar plantations in Khovd together with my friend Juergen Steudtner from Germany today for the first time since quite a while. We saw a rather buff coloured juvenile Barbary Falcon, presumably the bird I have seen twice before here. Surprisingly a second juvenile Barbary Falcon was resting in the same area, see the picture below. The two performed a great spectacle when being chased by the local Northern Hobby breeding pair.


Barbary Falcon. Photo © J. Steudtner

And another wing-tagged Mongolian Gull appeared (total at the river: c.20 adults, 6 juveniles).


Mongolian Gull. Photo © J. Steudtner

3 comments:

egor_13 said...

Axel, is this bird belonging to ones ringed in the fortmer year in W Mongolia?

Axel said...

Privet Igor! I guess all (>10) obs of wing-tagged Mongolian Gulls in Khovd are from the birds ringed last year c.30 km from here at a colony at Khar Us Nuur. But we have to check...(not yet done)
Cheers, Axel

egor_13 said...

This would be very important to track a breeding & natal philopatry in mongolicus nesting at steppe & semi-desert lakes, to compare it with more numerous data on this subspecies breeding at non-steppe lakes.