A day out in the forest
above Gachuurt
text & photos by ABu
(© A. Buchheim)
Gachuurt valley from above, UB, Feb 2015
On 15 February 2015 I picked up Jonathan Stacey and we set off for birding above Gachuurt, just 40 km NNE of UB. The forest there is not so much influenced by livestock and the part north of the pass belongs already to the Gorkhi Terelj National Park. We spent about 5 hours walking through the area and virtually the first bird we came across was a lifer for Jonathan: Siberian Tit (or, as our American friends call it, Gray-headed Chickadee)
That definitively was a good start and during our stay we had a series of high quality observations of some high quality birds. Of course, we could not find all of the good ones: no Great Grey Owl and no Siberian Jay, just to mention the most sought-after species we did not see.
Bird List (20 species without the capercaillie)
Hazel Grouse - 2
(Black-billed Capercaillie) - Jonathan found some droppings, the only evidence for its continued presence up here
Eurasian Black Vulture - 2 crossing the valley
Black Woodpecker - 1 very brilliantly seen
Grey-headed Woodpecker - 1 near the start of the ascent to the pass
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Mongolian / Steppe Horned Lark - few small flocks along the valley
Goldcrest - 1
Great Tit - 2
Willow Tit - the most numerous bird
Siberian Tit - apart from the lifer individual we also saw at least 4 more
Siberian Tit
This is not the lifer, Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
Mixed coniferous forest,
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
Eurasian Nuthatch - present
Eurasian Treecreeper - at least 3 heard, none seen
Eurasian Jay - 2
Spotted Nutcracker - several, but always high up in the trees
Common Raven - 6, some performing their spectacular flight show
Mealy Redpoll - just a handful
Arctic Redpoll - as uncommon as Mealy Redpoll
Pine Grosbeak - several around, but only one came close enough, though it almost always preferred to stay in the shade
Female Pine Grosbeak
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
Female Pine Grosbeak
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
Common Crossbill - the second most common species today, but mostly flying high above the forest or being on the wrong side of the anyway all-too-high trees
Male Common Crossbill
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
Another male Common Crossbill
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
One more male Common Crossbill
This one has quite pale cutting edges to its bill.
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
2cy male Common Crossbill
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
Female Common Crossbill
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
Another female Common Crossbill
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
One more female Common Crossbill
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
The National Park side of the pass,
Gachuurt pass, UB, Feb 2015
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