I have decided to post this report now as I found it difficult to copy the Species List in 2012. It was such an enjoyable trip that I will go again again for 12 days in May 2017 with other friends. If interested email me as there may be room for one or two more at a relatively cheap price.
While planning a China trip, we decided to include a week in Mongolia, as it was adjacent to China and much cheaper to reach than from home. Dave Woodford researched the logistics and proposed that we should book a bird tour with Tumen (Tumendelger Humbaa) and his wife Oyunaa, to which we agreed, an excellent choice as it turned out. We saw all the key birds we were looking for, spectacular scenery such as the 100m high sand dunes of Khongoryn Els and the snow-covered Altai Mountains, and experienced Mongolian culture and hospitality, all at a very reasonable cost. I can’t thank Tumen, his brother Ganaa and Oyunaa highly enough – contact them on oyunaa_bavuu@yahoo.com or Tumen106@yahoo.com. Birding highlights included lekking Black-billed Capercaillies and displaying Oriental Plover and Wallcreeper, a relatively close Altai Snowcock on a snow-covered ridge, a family party of Henderson's Ground Jays, superb views of nesting Lammergeier and Saker, and an unexpected off-course Hodgson's Bushchat. We were too early for peak migration so I will go back later, but only a little to be sure the Capercaillies and Oriental Plovers are displaying.
ITINERARY
May 8th Arrived at Ulaan Baator (UB) at 19.10 on a Tianjin Airlines’ flight from Hohot in Chinese Inner Mongolia and stayed at the Mongolian Guest House, Peace Ave opposite the Post Office.
May 9th 05.00. JH, DP and BF collected at the guest house by Tumen and taken to UB ponds, then to the Tool(Tuul) River where we saw Long-tailed Rosefinch.We picked up DW at the airport at 10.50 from his Beijing flight,then drove 215km (130km on asphalt) to the mountains to look for B-b Capercaillie. Stayed over-night (O/n) in a family ger at the Sum Centre, 12km from the mountain site.
May 10th Morning at Capercaillie site then drive to UB with a stop at the large Gun Galuut lake. O/n at Tumen’s apartment.
May 11th 06.00-11.00 Tool River for W-c Penduline Tit and Azure Tit, travelling further than expected because of late snow and ice. 13.00 to the airport for 15.10 flight to Dalanzadgad (at 1500m elevation) in the Gobi. Visit nearby wetland and farm to check migrants. O/n at Tumen’s apartment.
May 12th Leave at 06.20 for three and a half day Gobi trip, delaying visit to Altai mountains because of recent snow there. First major stop is for displaying Oriental Plover, then "Juulchin Gobi I" camp, c. 35 km from town for migrants and breakfast. Long drive to Khongor sand-dunes, south at first to Ireedul, then west through mountains, south to Bayan tuhmen nuur lake and west to the sand-dunes. Many stops for birds such as Pallas’s Sandgrouse, including around “Adag nuur”(small lake), almost dried out, and sites for Mongolian Ground-Jay (near almond bushes) without success. O/n at Ger camp near Travel and Tourist information centre.
May 13th 06.00-07.00 visit Saxaul woodland to see the Sparrow, followed by a Lesser Kestrel site near the ger. After breakfast go east to Junkin Gobi, another unsuccessful site in the hills for Ground-Jay, then drive west and right around the sand-dunes, heading east to another site where we find a pair with 2 large young. Drive 150 km to Lonkh valley in the Altai “Eastern Beautiful Mountains”; o/n at a nomad family ger.
May 14th 05.15 drive for 20km through the Altai mountains, then walk up to a ridge at 2600m with Tumen and wait for Snowcock until 11.00 while Ganaa looks for it in the surrounding mountains. No joy so walk down and take the cars to the next mountain where watch Ibex near the ridge for some time. Scramble up higher, flushing the Ibex then see a single Snowcock on the ridge at c.14.00. This area is called Zuun Sai Khany Nuruu, some 10km west of Yolyn. Drive through the mountains for 2 hours, alive with raptors, passing Yol valley, and reach the Museum at 19.30. O/n at nearby family ger – cold clear night with multitude of stars.
May 15th 06.25 – 07.30 to the Yol valley (Yolyn Am), seeing Golden and Steppe Eagles and Kozlov’s Accentor. Walk through the icy valley for 4-5km – Wallcreeper, Spotted (or Eastern) Great and Chinese Beautiful Rosefinches. Cross the desert to Dalanzadgad where we re-visit the wetland and farm from 14.00 till 15.30. Farewell to Tumen and Oyunaa. 16.30 flight to UB, taken to Tumen’s apartment by a friend; o/n at the apartment.
May 16th After breakfast in the apartment, JH and DP visit a large monastery in UB on foot before departure to the airport for 11.55 flight on Mongolian Airlines to Beijing.
LOGISTICS
DW agreed the tour details with Tumen by email without any pre-payment. We paid, in US$, on arrival at Ulaan Baator; sterling would probably have been acceptable.
Visas were readily obtained at the Mongolian embassy in London BUT passports and papers had to be delivered and collected personally by one individual, postal applications being unacceptable. We belatedly discovered this could all be done on the same day by payment of an extra £20 each.
Three of us flew from Hohot in Chinese Inner Mongolia (c.£140) as we wanted to visit the relatively close Lake Hongjian, the main breeding site for the scarce Relict Gull. DW flew from Beijing at greater expense and we all returned to Beijing by that route.
We travelled in a large Russian jeep for the first 2 1/2 days and in a Land Cruiser driven by Tumen, with his brother Ganaar and Oyunaa in another as support in the Gobi. Food and accommodation (mainly in yurts) was fine for us. It was cold at times but very little rain was encountered. Tumen knew all the sites and most of the birds and their calls.
Useful information, mainly thanks to Axel Brunlich.
The cheap route used by Mongolians and Chinese is to fly from Beijing to Erenhot (or Ereen = Erlian in Chinese) on the border, or take express buses; cross the border and take the night train to UB, arriving at 07.10 in the morning. A bit tedious but a practical and bookable route.
Another place to stay in UB is Zaya Guesthouse, Peace Avenue. 63 10 12 Sukhbaatar District. UB. Tel. +976-11-331575.
The weather in early May can sometimes be very cold (minus degrees at night) - spring is normally rather unpredictable with snowstorms occurring in the Gobi even in June! However, bad weather might result in lots of migrants being forced down, which can be quite spectacular. You need to be prepared for all kinds of weather, warm, cold, wet, dust storms ... all possible. Never hike without protective clothing.
At the edge of UB the “UB ponds” area is the most diverse site, and can be easily reached on the way from/to the airport. Although very close to town, this area is not regularly birded, so it’s not easy to find local birders. Better than UB ponds is a wetland 2-3 hrs drive from UB to the east, Gun Galuut(http://www.argalipark.com). A full day could be spent here but there are no special birds that are easier to see than elsewhere, except for White-naped Crane which breeds here [but not seen by us].
Black-billed Caper occur in pine-forested hills about 200km east of UB. We heard and saw 3 lekking fairly early in the morning after a 15 min easy walk uphill from where parked, having seen one there the previous evening about 1 hr before dusk.
Altai Snowcock is on the high ridges in Gurvan Saikhan NP and regularly seen on the ridges above Yolyn Am. We stayed at a yurt near the Museum, then drove round the other side of the mts and trekked up to the ridge where there were lots of droppings but no birds and no calling. Tried another place and saw 2 parties of Ibex higher up, Tumen said Snowcock often associate with Ibex. We couldn’t see any so tried to get closer and immediately flushed both Ibex and Snowcock over the ridge. Walked a bit higher and 1 came back onto the ridge where we watched it for some time, climbing fairly close to it.
Oriental Plovers are found (local breeders) between Dalanzadgad and the "Juulchin Gobi I" camp, arriving in early May so can be seen displaying in the Gobi then. Poplar trees were planted at the camp in the 1970s, making it like an oasis in the desert (no such place anywhere else in the region). Several vagrant (incl. first records for Mongolia) & rare migrant species have been recorded from here, e.g. Black-naped Oriole, Black Drongo, Forest Wagtail, Red Turtle Dove [we added White-breasted Waterhen]. There are also some sites within Dalanzadgad (the central avenue, a small garden in the western "outskirts"), and especially a “farm” just outside town and the water-treatment area, that are very good for migrants.
Pallas's Sandgrouse are fairly common and widespread, eg between Yolyn Am and Dalanzadgad. 1000s can be seen coming to drink water, eg by Sunbird tour group in 2011, in evening near Travel and Tourist information centre, Khongor sand-dunes.
Kozlov's Accentor - common in Yolyn Am, especially at the Museum end of the valley.
Long -tailed Rosefinch (form here is said to be a potential split) occurs along the Tool river – we saw a pair along the river not far from UB, near UB pools, after driving over the railway to the river.
White-crowned Penduline Tit is along the Tool river, we saw it nest-building maybe 30km from UB where there were quite a lot of largish trees between the river and mountains.
Thrushes – migrants such as Red-throated occur in the Gobi, eg at the irrigated farm on the edge of Dalanzadgad.
Hodgson’s Bushchat breeds in the far west - no chance to see it on our itinerary except for an off-course migrant as we were lucky to find.
Chinese Bush Warbler should be in the wetter patches at the Caper site and around the lakes but we were too early.
For photos see http://jonathanhornbuckle.webs.com/
No.s are the max recorded per day in each area
UB=Ulaan Baator region, F=forest and lakes, D=Dalanzadgad, G=Gobi
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 3 F
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis 2 ub, 14 F
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis 2 F
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2 UB,1 F, 4 D
Chinese Pond-Heron Ardeola bacchus 1 UB
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus 2 UB, 4 F
Swan Goose Anser cygnoides 4 UB
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 10 UB, 20 F, 6 D,4 G
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 6 UB,10 F
Gadwall Anas strepera 4 UB, 10 F
Common Teal Anas crecca 6 UB,10 F,9 G
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 20 UB, 20 F
Northern Pintail Anas acuta 4 F
Garganey Anas querquedula 2 UB, 20 F
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 6 UB, 8 F
Common Pochard Aythya ferina 4 UB, 50 F
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 8 UB, 100 F
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula 20 UB,100 F
Goosander Mergus merganser 6 UB, 8 F
Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator 3 F
Oriental/Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus orientalis 5 G
Black (Black-eared) Kite Milvus migrans lineatus 30 UB,2 F, 10 D, 20 G
Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus 8 G
Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis 5 G
Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus 1 G
Eurasian Black/Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus 6 UB, 3 F, 2 D, 6 G
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 1 G
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 2 D, 3 G
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis 1 G
Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius 2UB, 3 G
Common/Japanese Buzzard Buteo buteo japonicus 3 D
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis 4 G
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos 3 G
Booted Eagle Aquila pennatus 2 UB
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni 8 G
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1 F, 2 G
Amur Falcon Falco amurensis 1 UB , 1 D
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo 1 D
Peregrine Falco peregrinus 2 G
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug 2 UB, 2 G
Altai Snowcock Tetraogallus altaicus 1 G
Black-billed Capercaillie Tetrao parvirostris 4m,2f F
Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Heard F
White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus 1 G
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo 20 UB, 20 F, 14 G
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 2 UB, 2 D
Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 3 D
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius curonicus 6 UB, 1 F,2 D, 2 G
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii 6 G
Oriental Plover Charadrius veredus 7 G
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 4 UB, 4 F, 1 D
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii 6 UB, 10 D, 12 G
Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta 10 UB, 3 D, 2 G
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 5 UB, 2 D
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 4 F
Common Redshank Tringa totanus 1 2 D
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis 6 UB, 1 D
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 1 UB, 2 D
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 50 UB, 6 D
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 2 UB, 1 D, 1 G
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 2 F, 1 D, 1 G
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 10 UB, 1 F, 10 D
Mongolian Gull Larus mongolicus 2 UB
Common Tern Sterna hirundo longipennis 2 D
Little Tern Sterna albifrons sinensis 1 D
Pallas's Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus 40 D
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 10 D, 4 G
Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis 2 D
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 1 F, 9 G
Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus 1 D
Little Owl Athene nocuta 1 G
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops saturata 1 UB, 1 D, 1 G
Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla 2 UB
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus major brevirostris 2 F
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor kamtschatkensis 2 UB
Mongolian Lark Melanocorypha mongolica 10 F, 3 G
Asian Short-toed Lark Calandrella cheleensis 20 D, 25 G
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella 2 G
Crested Lark Galerida cristata 5 UB, 10 F
Skylark Alauda arvensis kiborti 1 UB
Horned/Shore Lark Eremorphila alpestris 10 UB, 1 F, 50 D, 100 G
Pale Sand Martin Riparia diluta 4 D, 11 G
Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris 100 UB, 30 G
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica tytleri 50 UB 1G
House Martin Delichon urbica lagopoda 2 D
Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi dauuricus 1 UB, 1 G
Blyth's Pipit Anthus godlewskii 3 G
Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni 3 G
Red-throated Pipit Anthus trivialis 2 UB
Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta blakistoni 4 UB, 6 D, 1 G
Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla [flava] macronyx 20 UB, 2 F, 1 G
Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola citreola 10 UB, 6 D, 15 G
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea melanope 2 UB, 20 D, 6 G
White Wagtail Motacilla alba: Baikal baicalensis, Amur leucopsis, Masked personata 10UB,4 F,1D,1G
Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris erythropygia 4 G
Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens dahurica 5 G
Kozlov's Accentor Prunella koslowi 10 G
Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope 1 D, 3 G
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros phoenicuroides 4 G
Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus 2 UB, 3 F, 3 D, 8 G
Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maura 1 UB, 2 G
Hodgson's Bushchat Saxicola insignis 1 G
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe libanotica 10 UB, 1 D, 2 G
Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina 50 UB, 50 F, 30 D, 50 G
Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka 4 UB, 10 G
Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti atrogularis 8 G
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis 1 G
Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma 1 D, 1 G
Red-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis 3 UB, 4 D, 8 G
Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus 2 UB, 2 G
Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus 12 UB, 4 D, 6 G
Naumann's Thrush Turdus naumanni 1 UB, 1 D, 2 G
Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana 2 G
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus 1 UB, 3 D
Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus 2 D, 1 G
Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla 6 UB, 2 F, 30 D, 20 G
Marsh Tit Parus palustris 2 F
Willow Tit Parus montanus baicalensis 2 UB, 10 F
Coal Tit Parus ater 2 F
Great Tit Parus major kapustini 2 UB, 2 F
Azure Tit Parus cyanus tianschanicus 7 UB, 3 F
Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea asiatica Heard F
Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria nepalensis 5 G
White-crowned Penduline Tit Remiz coronatus 8 F
Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus 1 UB, 5 D, 4 G
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus 2 G
Steppe Grey Shrike Lanius pallidirostris 1 G
Henderson's Ground Jay Podoces hendersoni 3 G
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica leucoptera Common throughout
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax brachypus 50UB, 50F, 10D, 6G
Daurian Jackdaw Corvus dauricus 50 UB, 100 F
Oriental Rook Corvus [frugilegus] pastinator 100 F
Oriental/Carrion Crow Corvus corone cornix Common UB and F
Common Raven Corvus corax 20 UB, 10 F, 10 D, 15 G
[Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis] 1 G
Daurian Starling Sturnus sturninus 1 D
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus dilutus Common throughout
Saxaul Sparrow Passer ammodendri stoliczkae 3 G
Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia brevirostris 5 G
White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis 20 G
Twite Carduelis flavirostris altaica 1 UB 1 G
Mongolian Finch Bucanetes mongolicus 100 G
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 3 G
Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus (pulcherrimus) davidianus 8 D
Spotted (Eastern) Great Rosefinch C. severtzovi kobdensis. 3 G
Long-tailed Rosefinch Uragus sibiricus 1 UB
Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala 1 UB, 1 D
Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos 4 F
Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla 20UB, 10F, 15D, 25G
Pallas's Reed Bunting Emberiza pallasi 2 UB, 2 F
Godlewski's Bunting Emberiza godlewskii 4 G.
Mammals x = no.s not recorded
Pallas’s Pika Ochotona pallasi x
Tarbagan Marmot (Siberian/Mongolian Marmot) Marmota sibirica x
Red-cheeked Ground Squirrel (Red-cheeked Souslik) Spermophilus erythrogenys x
Long-tailed Ground Squirrel (Long-tailed Souslik) Spermophilus undulatus x
Siberian Chipmunk Tamias sibiricus x
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes 1 UB
Red Deer Cervus elaphus 1 G
Goitred Gazelle (Black-tailed Gazelle) Gazella subgutturosa 1 G
Mongolian Gazelle (White-tailed Gazelle) Procapra gutturosa 30 G
Siberian Ibex (Asiatic Ibex) Capra sibirica 30 G