When minus
25°C seem to be warm!
text and
photos © Andreas Buchheim
In the
morning of the 17th December 2011 I looked in much disbelieve at my
thermometer which hangs outside the west side of the building. What I
saw let me dress up with an additional layer of clothes: minus 36°C
(-32.8°F). Anyway, Gankhujag P., Amarkhuu G. and Bolormunkh E.,
all members of the Mongolian Bird Watching Club,
picked me up soon, and we drove towards UB Ponds in the west of the
city. As we went we realized that the wind—actually
only a slight breeze—was coming from
the east and thus was blowing all the smog of the world’s second most polluted city to our destination. Indeed, at the ponds,
we could hardly see anything as not only the smog was thick but also
the rising fog from the “warm” ponds—no
wonder at these brisk temperatures. So we went on quickly to check
the riparian forest remains below Songijno Khairkhan Uul where we had
seen nice birds previously (15 Jan 2011, 30 Jan 2011, 13 Feb 2011;
Mongolian Bird Watching Club 22 Jan 2011, and where 600 Black-eared
Kites were present in Sept 2011). This time the species composition
was a bit different there. Seed-eaters like Eurasian
Bullfinch, Hawfinch
and redpolls
were all lacking, may be as a result of the 12–15
cm thick snow-layer, quite a lot this early in winter.
Spring is in
the air:
male and
juvenile female (in front) Bohemian Waxwings,
below
Songijno Khairkhan Uul, Dec 2011
However, we
saw about 200 Bohemian Waxwings,
two larger flocks of thrushes totalling c.40 individuals
(Black-throated
and Red-throated
Thrushes
being the most numerous, but there were also few Naumann’s
Thrushes
and even a single Fieldfare).
The thrushes were taking advantage of the many fallen berries as did
the waxwings.
Too cold to
walk on both legs:
female
Black-throated Thrush,
below
Songijno Khairkhan Uul, Dec 2011
Female
Black-throated Thrush,
below
Songijno Khairkhan Uul, Dec 2011
Record-shot
of the Fieldfare,
below
Songijno Khairkhan Uul, Dec 2011
Apart
from the fieldfare the best bird was certainly a female Güldenstädt’s
Redstart (photo at the Mongolian Bird Watching Club Website). Like in summer, we found Azure-winged
Magpies (8 plus 3) and there were few
each of the other usual corvids.
After a while
we travelled further west, and near the so-called UB Bird Plant
(Шувуун фабрик),
where chicken are bred and eggs are produced, we found a small flock
of Eurasian Collared Doves. According to the information we
got from a local person we had asked, the doves had appeared for the
first time during the previous winter. To our knowledge these 12
birds represent the only (?) December record of the species in
Mongolia.
We checked the
area around the Bird Plant but could not find any further
individuals.
2 of the 12
Eurasian Collared Doves,
UB Bird
Plant, Dec 2011
Frequently
used Eurasian Tree Sparrow toilet,
UB Bird
Plant, Dec 2011
Further down
the river (see here and here) we combed the degraded riparian
forest and found a female Black, a female Lesser Spotted
and a male White-backed Woodpecker, all busily foraging.
Here the sun was shining and we felt its power. The temperature had
risen considerably and after the very cold start, temperatures even
as low as minus 25°C (-13°F) seemed quite comfortable. Two
flocks of Long-tailed Tits were each accompanied by Azure
and Great Tits and, high up in a willow-tree, was an old
nest of Crowned Penduline Tit. This will be something of the
past soon: A great many people were seen cutting fuel wood.
Female Black
Woodpecker,
beyond UB Bird Plant, Dec 2011
Thank you
guys very much for brighten up this dimly lit day!
