Novemberbirding

text & photos by ABu

This year I spent the entire November in Mongolia, the first complete November here for me. Unfortunately I had not much time to go out birding, mainly because of lots of family commitments, and the weather also played against me: Not that it had been extremely cold, but there were many days with snowfall and heavy overcast conditions, not ideal for a guy who also likes to take photographs. The Tuul River, which runs through Ulaanbaatar’s south did not completely freeze over all month, but my stroll mid-month along a c.5 km-long stretch did not yield any observations of the “better” birds like Solitary Snipe or White-throated Dipper.

So I went to the area below Songino Khairkhan Uul to the west of the capital three times, on 7, 14 and 27 Nov 2015. The trees were full of berries, hence I expected lots of berry-eaters like thrushes and waxwings. I ended up with a single observation of a Red-throated Thrush and the maximum of Bohemian Waxwings at the site was a poor 30. Very disappointing!

Photographic options were likewise limited. Most birds gave me a wide berth and one day it even started to snow just after I had arrived. Nevertheless I hope that my selection of pictures will be pleasing.

male Hawfinch

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015

male Hawfinch

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015

female Hawfinch

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015

male Hawfinch

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015

male Hawfinch

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015

Combined Bird List (30 species)

Ruddy Shelduck c.140
Mallard 7
Eurasian Black Vulture 2
Upland Buzzard 1
Common Kestrel 3
Rock Pigeon c.50
Black Woodpecker 1
Grey-headed Woodpecker 1
White-backed Woodpecker 1

male White-backed Woodpecker

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015

Portrait of the same male White-backed Woodpecker

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015

Mongolian Horned Lark 12
Red-throated Thrush 1
Great Tit 2
Azure Tit 6
Willow Tit 5
Long-tailed Tit 2
Eurasian Nuthatch 1
Asian Azure-winged Magpie 1
Common Magpie c.15
Daurian Jackdaw 4
Red-billed Chough 25
Oriental (Carrion) Crow c.10
Northern Raven 4
Eurasian Tree Sparrow c.150
House Sparrow c.20
Rock Sparrow c.45
Small Snow Sparrow aka Père David’s Snowfinch 2
Chaffinch 1
Brambling 1
Hawfinch c.220 (7 Nov.), c.140 (14 Nov), c. 60(27 Nov)
Long-tailed Rosefinch 2

Small Snow Sparrow

below Songino Khairkahn Uul,

UB, November 2015

Rock Sparrow

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015

Rock Sparrow

below Songino Khairkahn Uul, UB, Nov 2015