November 18, 2007

Khovd, 18 NOV 2007 - A. Braunlich

After checking Otzon chuluu and the plantations in Khovd town over the last days I visited today the “airport plantation”, a fenced area not far from Khovd airport, with lots of irrigated poplar, willow, and sea buckthorn. Good numbers of seed eaters were present, including 57 Meadow Buntings, c.40 Spotted Great Rosefinches, c.40 Long-tailed Rosefinches, two Twite, and two Eurasian Siskin.


Twite. Photo © A. Braunlich


Eurasian Siskin. Photo © A. Braunlich

Two Wood Pigeon were not an unusual sight, though the species occurs regularly in Mongolia in the west only.


Common Wood Pigeon. Photo © A. Braunlich

A male Guldenstadt’s Redstart, a first winter Black-throated Thrush, 2 Mongolian Larks, and a single Song Thrush added to the diversity of species seen today. For the latter species this is my latest observation so far from Khovd, after one on 6 November 2005.


Song Thrush. Khovd, November 2005.
Photo © A. Braunlich

A surprise were 2 Bearded Tits which were flying very high over the plantation (far away from any water/reeds, in the winter desert steppe!). And an Eurasian Sparrowhawk was the only predator present today.

1 comment:

egor_13 said...

If to look at summer and non-summer records of Bearded tits in W Transbaikal they seem to be moving very far in autumn/winter.