Kazakhstan 2024 - Almaty and start of the Desert Steppe

We arrived late evening in old capital of Almaty and stayed in an airport hotel. We were picked up at 6am the next morning by Louis-Philippe and Anar who were to be our guide and driver/cook for the rest of our trip. We made our way out of Almaty through the morning rush hour traffic, our eventual destination by the end of the day was the Taukum desert steppe north-west of Almaty.  However before reaching there we birded a series of ponds, lakes and canals en route. We started our birding that day at an area of suburban lakes and reedbeds where we enjoyed a lovely picnic breakfast and did some light birding with plenty of Black Terns, Black-necked Grebes, Black-crowned Night Herons and Little Bitterns. 

One of many excellent meals from Anar's 'field' kitchen - we never once went hungry!

We searched the nearby reedbeds for Clamorous Reed Warblers managing to find one singing bird along with a supporting duo of Cuckoo and Lesser Grey Shrike. 

Clamorous Reed Warbler

We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon birding these more of these areas. Highlights included White-headed Duck, Azure Tit, Caspian Gull, Kentish Plover, Garganey, Ferruginous Duck and Collared Pratincole, Greenish Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler and a very busy Rosy Starling colony. 

Azure Tit

Rosy Starling - plenty of food for hungry youngsters1

We made a brief roadside stop to ID a large Aquila spp. which turned out to be Steppe Eagle.

Steppe Eagle heading in the long grass.

By late afternoon we arrived in the area of desert steppe where we were going to spend the next few days birding. We did a late afternoon search for Caspian Plover and Greater Sand Plover but failed to locate either. However, with the sun dipping the evening light was perfect. I spent the last hour or so of that watching a Syke's Warbler feeding its young and noted carefully the differences between it and the Booted Warblers we'd been watching only a few days earlier on the northern steppe. A pair of Rufous-tailed Robins and a Little Owl added to the entertainment.

Rufous Bush Robin

Syke's Warbler

We checked into our hotel which was effectively a large roadside motel. 

Kanshengel Motel and Cafe

We were stationed along the main south to north Almaty to Astana road. 

Most of fellow guests were I'm told either long distance truck drivers (some coming from China and going on to Russia in the north) or shepherds moving livestock long distances. The rooms were basic, the noise all night from the trucks running their fridges in the carpark and the stifling heat made sleep difficult despite being shattered. On the plus side, the motel had a large canteen style restaurant and we were well fed during our stay, not sure about the green cola drink though!!

The motel 'restaurant'.

Dinner - another 'meat-fest' washed down with a bottle of 'Green Stuff'!!

The 'chai' was excellent though and very refreshing after a hot day's birding.

A cuppa o' Chai at the end of a busy and hot morning's birding was always refreshing.

More birding to follow in the next instalment!