July 19: James Lidster on his recently concluded tour, Mongolia
Had anyone told me that we would see two male Black-billed Capercaillies, next to the road, mid afternoon, I would have told them they were crazy! In fact, when one of our amazing ground crew said that we had a chance I think I might have started laughing... And then a few days later he mentioned it again, in fact he even told the group - it became the big joke of the tour - when we see the GUARANTEED Black-billed Capercaillies… After a while searching we were casually walking back to the bus when Paul mentioned those magic words ‘I’ve got a capercaillie!’ Less than 50 metres in front of us was a male Black-billed Capercaillie, completely frozen to the spot! It’s ability to look like a burnt tree branch was uncanny, and it eyed us up before slinking away. A little further away there was a second male...absolutely amazing!
Black-billed Capercaillie
We were on a high, a high that didn’t end there and within a few hours we had seen a Ural Owl with chicks, Siberian Rubythroat, Red-throated Thrush, Oriental Cuckoo and a Black Woodpecker!
That magic afternoon pretty much summed up the whole trip, brilliant birds in stunning scenery.
In the Altai mountains we scanned the high ridges and were rewarded with Altai Snowcock, as well as the endemic Kozlow’s Accentor closer by.
Watching Altai Snowcock
The endemic if drab Koslow's Accentor
Around the famous Gobi dunes we saw Saxaul Sparrows, displaying Oriental Plovers, Mongolian Ground Jays and Pallas’s Sandgrouse and at a large lake in the steppes we saw the enigmatic Relict Gull, a nomadic species whose breeding locations are rarely found.
The enigmatic Relict Gull
Elsewhere there were other specialties such as Asian Dowitchers, White-naped and Demoiselle Cranes, Wallcreepers, Pallas’s Gulls, Swan and Bar-headed Geese, Lammergeier and Pallas’s Fish Eagles, not to mention the warblers and flycatchers making their way to Siberian breeding grounds.
White-naped Crane
Demoiselle Crane
This was our 10th tour to Mongolia and we use the same ground crew every year for good reason. The new tents are great, tall enough to walk around in, sturdy in the toughest of conditions, beds and bedding are all supplied as well.
One of our tents in stunning surroundings
The dining tent gets more elaborate each year, tables and benches, great food and all washed down with red wine or local beers. Our crew also set up a proper camp toilet and shower, meaning that our Mongolian adventure is as comfortable as it can be!
We now camp for not more than 5 nights, and the rest of our time we are in tourist Ger camps, some of which can be very nicely decorated inside, and if it’s cold outside then what better than a morning fire to start the day? (lit by someone else to save you getting out of bed!)
A wonderful Ger camp
Posted: July 19, 2016