Birding Mongolia in September 2011

part 1: UB Ponds  – by Axel Bräunlich

In August I decided at very short notice to spend all of September in Mongolia. Right after my arrival I joined Amarkhuu and Bolormunkh of the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia (WSCC) on a brief (14:40–16:40 h) visit to the “famous” UB Ponds on 3 September 2011. Thanks guys for transport and company!

Abu mentioned in one of his recent posts “...UB-Ponds where wefound 3 singing Yellow-breasted Buntings. Apart from a maraudingstray-dog, ... we did not see anything else noteworthy.” But even when there are no “exceptional” birds around: I found that these ponds are always worth a brief visit (at least 2 hrs at the site needed), especially since they are very easily reached from downtown UB (in less than one hour)!

UB Ponds and the Tuul River, c. 13 km WSW from the city

centre (Sukhbaatar Square), 9 Sept 2011. © A. Bräunlich

After checking the ponds (highlights: Swan Geese, Baillon’s Crake) we stopped briefly at the foot of Songino Khairkhan Uul, bordering the Tuul River. Impressive were at least 600 (and probably more!) Black-eared Kites gathering in the area over the mountain and the floodplain, apparently heading to roost in the gallery forest of the Tuul River. The largest concentration of this species I’ve ever seen in the UB area!

In total we logged 42 species during 2 hours of birding:

Great Crested Grebe – 6

Swan Goose – 6

Ruddy Shelduck – c.20

Whooper Swan – 2 ad + 6 juv.

Gadwall – c. 30, incl. not fully-grown juv.

Mallard – c. 30, incl. female + 9 pulli

Tufted Duck – c. 80, incl. several families

Common Goldeneye – 8

Common Teal – c. 60

Northern Shoveler – 1

Grey Heron – 95

Eurasian Kestrel – 1 male (near airport)

Saker – 2

Booted Eagle – 2 dark morph

Western Marsh Harrier – 2 juv.

Black-eared Kite – c. 600 Songino Khairkhan Uul/Tuul

Baillion’s Crake – 1

Demoiselle Crane – 21

Common Snipe – 8

Black-tailed Godwit – 2 juv.

Spotted Redshank – a flock of 22 juv.

Green Sandpiper – 1

Common Greenshank – 1

Mongolian Gull – 3

Black-headed Gull – 4 juv., one 1stW

Hoopoe – 2 Songino Khairkhan/Tuul

Common Magpie – dozens

Carrion Crow + Daurian Jackdaw – mixed flock of c. 600 between the ponds and downtown UB, flying towards Bogd Uul.

Red-billed Chough – flock of c. 80

Northern Raven – 10+

Great Tit 4 – Songino Khairkhan/Tuul

White-crowned Penduline Tit – 13 juv.

Barn Swallow 2 – Songino Khairkhan/Tuul

Two-barred Warbler – 2 Songino Khairkhan/Tuul

Brown Flycatcher 1 – Songino Khairkhan/Tuul

Eurasian Tree Sparrow – common, largest flock c. 60 at the ponds

Grey Wagtail – 2 Songino Khairkhan/Tuul

Citrine Wagtail – 2 juv.

White Wagtail – c. 10

Richard’s Pipit – 2

Olive-backed Pipit – 1 ponds, 4 Songino Khairkhan/Tuul