Ashy Minivet

Pericrocotus divaricatus:

first record for Mongolia

text and photos by Ariunbaatar Barkhashbaatar

On 30 June 2016 Otgonsuren Avirmed and I were measuring Elm Ulmus pumilo trees at the Undai River in Khanbogd soum, Umnugobi province (42.6734ºN 106.9606ºE). This was part of an ongoing survey by the Wildlife Conservation Society of Mongolia.

When I looked up I saw a strange bird which was mainly white, grey and black. It was feeding slowly within the canopy of the trees and I quickly took two photographs. I could not identify it at the spot so pictures were sent to Gankhuyag Purev-Ochir, Purevsuren Tsolmonjav, Amarkhuu Gungaa and Batmunkh Davaasuren for checking. It turned out that we had found Mongolia's first Ashy Minivet! We could not check the site the next day so it remains a one-day wonder.

Male Ashy Minivet

Khanbogd, southern Mongolia, 30 June 2016

Male Ashy Minivet

Khanbogd, southern Mongolia, 30 June 2016

Comment by BirdingMongolia

Ashy Minivet has been on our "next for the country list" for long. It breeds from Amurland in Russia's Far East and NE China south to Korea and also in Japan. Its non-breeding range lies mainly in SE Asia, on the Greater Sundas and in the Philippines, and it occurs also regularly India. Given this range the species has been expected to visit Mongolia on migration for some time! Congrats guys! 

Birding trip around the Khangai Mts

central Mongolia, summer 2013

A birding hotspot of the Gobi Desert: Boon Tsagaan Nuur

with the Gobi Altai Mts in the background, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

part three:

Aquatic birds in the Gobi Desert –

birding around Boon Tsagaan Nuur

by Thomas Hallfarth

( links to previous posts: part one, part two )

On 31 July we left the nomadic family of our driver’s brother to go birding at Boon Tsagaan Nuur, the largest of the Gobi lakes. The change from mountain to desert birdlife already began at the southernmost hills of Khangai Mts. Here we saw the first birds of desert habitats. We found a group of Mongolian Finches in a dry river valley, probably the breeding ground of these birds and also a pair of Isabelline Shrikes. Not far from this place, a female Chukar with one chick crossed our way. Surprisingly we also discovered three Henderson's Ground Jays and a single juvenile Desert Wheatear, both species we expected not until we reached the proper Gobi Desert.

Mongolian Finch

South part of Khangai Mts, Jul 2013, © B. Möckel

Isabelline Shrike

South part of Khangai Mts, Jul 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Henderson’s Ground Jay

South part of Khangai Mts, Jul 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Desert Wheater, juv

South part of Khangai Mts, Jul 2013, © T. Hallfarth

During the short crossing of the Gobi Desert we saw good numbers of Pallas’s Sandgrouse, including a family with one chick and some flocks of several hundreds of birds.

Pallas’s Sandgrouse, pair

Gobi Desert, Jul 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Then, in the afternoon we arrived at one of the birding hotspots of our trip, the famous Boon Tsagaan Nuur. Here we stayed until 2 August. In this time we made some interesting observations. The greatest concentration of birds was at the estuary of Baydrag Gol in the north-eastern part of the lake.

Boon Tsagaan Nuur: Beautiful landscape surrounding
the lake, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

A minimum of 15,000 Black-headed Gulls were here, furthermore 1,100 Spoonbills, 800 Cormorants, 800 Caspian Terns, and 500 Pallas’s Gulls. Mongolians fourth Slender-billed Gull was one of the top species we saw here. Also, 25 Relict Gulls, eleven Greater Sand Plovers, two Pallas’s Fish Eagles and singles of Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper and Little Tern provided further nice observations.

Caspian Tern

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Pallas’s Gull (flying in front of Black-headed Gulls)

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Slender-billed Gull

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © B. Möckel

Relict Gulls

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Relict Gulls

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Relict Gull

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Relict Gulls

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Grey-tailed Tattler

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Grey-tailed Tattler

Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Aug 2013, © B. Möckel

A short trip into the nearby very dry Gobi Altai Mts. provided a further Chukar and some beautiful views at Boon Tsagaan Nuur.

Gobi Altai Mts.: Dry valley in the south part
of the mountains , Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Chukar

Gobi Altai Mts., Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Gobi Altai Mts.

View at the lake Boon Tsagaan Nuur , Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

With these observations we finish our journey to Mongolia and also this little trip report. A German proverb says literally: “After the game is before the game”. And so we were already planning our next trip to Mongolia…

Gobi Altai Mts.

Good bye, Boon Tsagaan Nuur… Aug 2013, © T. Hallfarth

Birding in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve,

Dornogobi province, 13–14 March

text & photos © Tsolmonjav PUREVSUREN

Long-tailed Tit

During these 2 days in March 2013 when I was in Ikh Nart it was warm and a little bit windy. After I got up in the morning of March 13th I spotted a Great Spotted Woodpecker near the camp.

Little Owl

Long-tailed Rosefinch, female

Long-tailed Rosefinch, young male

Around 9am when we were driving to check the Eurasian Black Vulture nests we encountered 4 Daurian Partridges near the road. 

Daurian Partridge

At 1:30pm when we were having a lunch a Saker Falcon was flying over us. After we are back to the camp I walked down to the Burgas (willow) Valley where research camp is located with a colleague from Denver Zoo. We saw several groups of Argali Sheep Ovis ammon and Siberian Ibex Capra sibirica. A flock of Red-billed Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax were flying and some of them were sitting top of the rocks. 

Red-billed Choughs

Burgas Valley is the best place to see the song birds in Ikh Nart and there are several valleys with Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila trees are good for bird watching. I have heard from a group of people who visited Ikh Nart before I went there about 15-20 individuals of Long-eared Owl near the camp. But, I did not find them.

In the morning of March 14th I walked down to the valley again. This time I was be able to see more species such as Eurasian Bullfinch, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, Meadow Bunting, Great Tit, Willow Tit and Long-tailed Rosefinch etc.

Eurasian Bullfinch, male.

Eurasian Bullfinch, female.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, male.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, female

After that we started to continue checking the vulture nests to the north from the camp. After we passed the local herder family I spotted a couple of Güldenstädt’s Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus. This was the first migratory bird I saw in 2013.

Güldenstädt’s Redstart

Meadow Bunting, female

Pine Bunting

Siberian Accentor

Around 12 o’clock we were driving in Khanan (wall) Valley and stopped to check some vulture nest. While others checking nest I walked to the trees to take the Great Spotted Woodpecker’s photo. I took several photos and I kept chasing it to take better photo.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

All the sudden several Long-eared Owls Asio otus flew from the trees. After I tried to take some photos of them we found a lot of pellets on the ground. It seemed that they had been staying around there during the winter.

Long-eared Owl

Long-eared Owl

Species list

Eurasian Black Vulture Aegypius monachus
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug - 1
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus - 2
Daurian Partridge Perdix dauurica - 6
Pallas’s Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus - 5
Long-eared Owl Asio otus - 10
Little Owl Athene noctua - 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major - 3
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor - 4
Common Raven Corvus corax
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax - 50
Güldenstädt’s Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus - 4
Wood Nuthatch Sitta europaea - 2
Siberian Accentor Prunella montanella - 4
Great Tit Parus major - 1
Willow Tit Parus montanus - 4
Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia - 2
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus - 5
Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula - 7
Long-tailed Rosefinch Uragus sibiricus - 3
Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos - 6
Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides - 4

Birding the Gobi, late April

Brian Watmough

It’s the second half of April and the numbers of migrant birds are increasing by the day. I was in Dalanzadgad (DZ) the capital of Umnogobi aimag (South Gobi Province) for a conference but managed to spend a few hours birding with Tumendelger (Tume), local birder and photographer. The trees in the centre of town regularly attract migrants but on early morning visits on 21, 22 and 23 April I only saw Daurian Redstart (2), Black-throated Thrush (4), Brambling (1) and Common Chaffinch (2). On 22nd Tume drove us to DZ Pond, a small lake and marsh at southern edge of town. There were 5 Common Pochard, 3 Tufted Duck and a single female Common Goldeneye on the water, Little Ringed Plover feeding on the shore with flocks of Water Pipit, a Desert Wheatear was singing and two White Wagtails flew overhead. From there we drove to the tree nursery on the south of town where we saw 3 male Daurian Redstart and a Siberian Accentor.

Common Shelduck Gobi, Mongolia, April 2011 © Tumendelger 

The rest of the morning was in meetings but in the afternoon we drove to small salty lakes some 30 km to the east of DZ. Here there was a good variety of waterfowl including 2 Falcated Duck and 3 Whooper Swans. When we returned to DZ around dusk a flock of 14 Black Kites was circling overhead looking for a safe roosting place, and were joined by flock of 40 Daurian Jackdaws and 6 Amur Falcons.

Lake in the Gobi, April 2011 © B. Watmough

Lake in the Gobi, April 2011 © B. Watmough

Species list
Whooper Swan (3), Common Shelduck (25), Ruddy Shelduck (10), Gadwall (5), Falcated Duck (2), Eurasian Wigeon (55), Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail (10), Common Pochard (30), Tufted Duck (15), Common Goldeneye (10), Grey Heron (3), Great Cormorant (2), Black Kite (20), Hen (Northern) Harrier (1 ringtail), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (1), Northern Goshawk (1), Amur Falcon (6), Eurasian Coot (1), Pied Avocet (18), Northern Lapwing (3), Little Ringed Plover (20), Kentish Plover (4), Green Sandpiper (2), Mongolian Gull (2), Asian Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark (1 by ger), Eurasian Skylark, Horned Lark, Black-throated Thrush (12), Daurian Redstart (6), Northern Wheatear (1), Desert Wheatear (3), Siberian Accentor (1), White Wagtail (2), Water Pipit (30), Brambling (1), Common Chaffinch (2), Mongolian Finch (15).


PS Tume took this picture earlier this month on steppe 70km north of DZ

McQueen's Bustard, Gobi, Mongolia, April 2011 © Tumendelger

Ducks in the Gobi

Ferruginous Ducks, Gobi, 30 Mar 2011

Purevsuren Tsolmonjav sent these photos of a migrant waterfowl resting in a tiny (c. 60 x 30 m) pond at the Oyu tolgoi mine in the South Gobi province.

Mining pond in the South Gobi Province

On 29 March 2011 he observed together with Dorjderem Sukhragchaa 4 Eastern Spot-billed Ducks (or Chinese Spot-billed Ducks) Anas zonorhyncha.

Eastern Spot-billed Ducks, Gobi, 29 Mar 2011

On 30 March there were 2 Ruddy Shelducks, 1 Eurasian Teal, a pair of Gadwall, and 4 male Ferruginous Ducks on the pond!

Gadwalls and Eurasian Teal, Gobi, 30 Mar 2011

Thank you Puujee for sending these photos, and keep up the good work!

White-cheeked Starling

The White-cheeked or Grey Starling (new name Poliopsar cineraceus, old name Sturnus cineraceus) is a rather common breeding visitor to northern Mongolia. For example, it can easily be observed in the region around Ulaanbaatar. Often rather large flocks gather at the famous “UB Ponds” (Omchij nuur).

Purevsuren Tsolmonjav took these photos of a migrant in an area with some Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila trees in the South Gobi Province on 27 March 2011.