Mongolia - 10th May (Day 3) - Mungunmorit and Gachuurt Areas

While the temperatures outside our tents at Mungunmorit on the eastern edge of the Gorkhi Terelj National Park sank well below zero we were remarkably warm and snug and as the light rose at 04:45 we were all up cleaning teeth on the edge of the Taiga Forest and wondering what the unusual calls were coming from the Larch forest – they were actually mainly Willow Tit which were remarkably abundant. After a coffee and chocolate wafers we headed into the forest above the camp site. On the climb through the forest we encountered Little Bunting, Long-tailed Rosefinch and Daurian Redstart before the pops and clicks of our main target were audible. After sneaking around a shallow slope and emerging onto a small plateau the black bulk of a stunning male Black-billed Capercaillie appeared through the larch. The black plumage was adorned with large white spots and the red facial skin framing the large black bill. A second male appeared, this one pumped up and strutting with tail fanned. In total there were five male birds here and we obtained good views of the birds. We were watching one male as he displayed from close to the top of a Larch when suddenly from nowhere it was bombed by a female Goshawk, after a brief tussle the Goshawk chased the Capercaillie through the forest for a short distance before giving up the chase.

Male Black-billed Capercaillie - Mungunmorit

Male Black-billed Capercaillie, this bird has lost some of its facial feathers presumably during aggressive encounters during lekking - Mungunmorit

We spent the rest of the morning birding in the forest seeing Two-barred Crossbill, Red Crossbill, Pine Bunting, Red-flanked Bluetail, Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Eastern Buzzard. There was clearly some visible migration in progress with around 30 Olive-backed Pipit, 60 Red-throated Thrush and two Dusky Thrush north over. Our descent back through the forest produced two obliging Three-toed Woodpecker on the same tree as two Great-spotted Woodpecker. The highlight though was a stunning Ural Owl which showed very well amongst a stand of more mature Pine, Larch and Willow.

Grey-headed Woodpecker of the subspecies jessoensis which is overall paler and greyer on the back then the nominate European race- Mungunmorit

Black-billed Capercaillie - Mungunmorit

Male Great Spotted and Female Three-toed Woodpecker - Mungunmorit

Male Three-toed Woodpecker - Mungunmorit

Male Great Spotted and Female Three-toed Woodpecker - Mungunmorit

Ural Owl - Mungunmorit

Ural Owl - Mungunmorit

Ural Owl - Mungunmorit

Daurian Redstart - Mungunmorit

Female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Mungunmorit

Willow Tit of subspecies baicalensis - Mungunmorit

Larch forests at Mungunmorit

Pine and Larch forests at Mungunmorit

Pine and Larch forests at Mungunmorit

There were few plants in bloom at Mungunmorit but this iris species was fairly common

As was this Pasque Flower which is said to be a food of the Capercaillie

A surprising find in the vegetation, a Russian AK-47 which Tumen assesses, he thinks it 

may have been lost by hunters

Packing up the campsite at Mungunmorit

After breakfast we packed up camp and headed back towards the main road as the wind gathered strength and picked up loose materials and scattered them across the desert, the dust was lifted into swirling clouds and battered the car entering any open windows and vents. We took shelter for lunch in a traditional Ger and ate freshly prepared lamp dumplings and soup. We drove the c.160km back towards Ulaanbaatar before turning north and heading off road through the village of Gachuurt and to the south-western edge of the Gorkhi Terelj National Park. We began a steep climb through mixed Larch and Pine forest and it became evident that the storm had brought a fair snow fall. After parking we climbed through the mature pine forests to a small plateau where we began looking for our two main target species. Siberian Tit was found fairly quickly and a pair gave excellent views while we failed to see the second target, Siberian Jay. The time was pushing on so we walked back down the hill seeing a pair of Hazel Grouse which showed well if somewhat obscured in the canopy of a pine. Lunch was had in a tent before we did battle with the traffic of Ulaanbaatar to check into a hostel where showers and a beer were very welcome.

On the road towards Möngönmorit 

Sheltering in a Get with from left to right, Lorand, Jon, Duncan, Barry and Richard

Traditional lamb dumplings being made for lunch

Outside the Ger

As we approached Ulaanbaatar it started to snow

Climbing through the Birch and Pine Forests to the birding area north of Gachuurt

Climbing through the Pine Forests to the birding area north of Gachuurt

Birding the Pine Forests to the birding area north of Gachuurt, it was bitterly cold

Pine and Larch Forest near north of Gachuurt

Dipping Siberian Jay but still happy to be birding

Siberian Tit of subspecies sayanus - North of Gachuurt

Siberian Tit of subspecies sayanus - North of Gachuurt

Siberian Tit of subspecies sayanus - North of Gachuurt

Poor views of male Hazel Grouse of subspecies sibirica as the light faded - North of Gachuurt

Links to Other Days of the Trip (Click to View)

Day 1 and 2 – International flight then Ulaanbaatar to Mungum Sum

Day 4 - Drive to Dalanzadgad

Day 5  – Gurvan Saikhan National Park

Day 6 - Gurvan Saikhan National Park

Day 7 - Gobi Desert and Khongor Sand Dunes

Day 8 – Gobi Desert to Bogd

Day 9 - Baga Bogd Mountain and Kholboolj Lake

Day 10 - Kholboolj Lake and Barig Mountain

Day 11 - Barig Mountain and Sangiin Lake

Day 12 (Part 1) - Sangiin Lake and Bayan Lake

Day 12 (Part 2) - Sangiin Lake and Bayan Lake

Day 13 - Hustai National Park and Terelj National Park

Day 14 - Terelj National Park and Gachuurt Area

Day 15 and 16 - Gachuurt Area, Tuul River and International flight

Bulgaria Trip - 25th and 26th April (Day 4-5)

We were up at the usual 05:30 and back to the same track as yesterday evening with high hopes but fairly low morale. There was but one target, see Hazel Grouse. We walked slowly, played tapes, scanned the forest floor, scanned the trees but nothing. Then at around 08:45 Minko suddenly beckoned me, he had a Hazel Grouse perched in the trees only around 20m away but as I joined him the grouse flew and all I saw was an arse-end as it disappeared downslope - do I tick it on this view was the question in my mind, far from satisfactory. I moved to a position where the bird had flown to but no sign, then out of the corner of my eye a movement as another bird flew across the track but I could not be sure it was a Hazel Grouse. The Hazel Grouse started calling and there were at least three birds present, we stalked around the area scanning but to no avail and just as we were about to give up I saw a bird fly from the ground into the trees around 75m down the slope, I frantically scanned and then there it was partly obscured and a little distant but unmistakably a male Hazel Grouse. We enjoyed the grouse for at least 5 minutes before it flew further down slope. Fantastic! And so rewarding to have spent around 12 hours looking for this species to have finally found it. I was chuffed and we headed back down the slope to the car.

Our drive to Sofia was punctuated by breakfast watching Red-rumped Swallow and Pallid Swift and a look for Three-toed Woodpecker but although we saw feeding evidence we had no luck with seeing the birds but our time was very limited here. We arrived in Sofia at 16:00 and said our goodbyes to Minko. Before checking into the Hotel Sofia Balkan for one night and a chance to explore the city. We concluded that Sofia was rather uninspiring and headed for the airport at 11:00 for our 14:20 flight back to the UK on 26th April.

Hazel Grouse - near to Yagodinska Cave

Haberlea rhodopensis - Endemic to the Rhodophe Mountains

Three-toed Woodpecker habitat

Wild Crocus 

Trip List

Total of 76 species with 3 ticks (shown in bold).

Grey Partridge

Hazel Grouse

Mallard

Rock Dove

Common Woodpigeon

Eurasian Collared-dove

Alpine Swift

Pallid Swift

Common Cuckoo

White Stork

Little Ringed Plover

Yellow-legged Gull

Eurasian Buzzard

Grey-faced Woodpecker

Eurasian Green Woodpecker

Black Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Common Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon

Crested Lark

Eurasian Skylark

Woodlark

Barn Swallow

Eurasian Crag Martin

Northern House Martin

Red-rumped Swallow

White Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

White-throated Dipper

Northern Wren

Dunnock

Mistle Thrush

Song Thrush

Common Blackbird

Ring Ouzel

Common Nightingale

European Robin

Black Redstart

Whinchat

Common Stonechat

Common Firecrest

Goldcrest

Common Chiffchaff

Blackcap

Lesser Whitethroat

Sombre Tit

Willow Tit

Coal Tit

European Crested Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Eurasian Nuthatch

Wallcreeper

Eurasian Treecreeper

Eurasian Jay

Common Magpie

Spotted Nutcracker

Eurasian Jackdaw

Rook

Hooded Crow

Common Raven

Common Starling

House Sparrow

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Common Chaffinch

European Serin

European Greenfinch

Eurasian Siskin

European Goldfinch

Common Linnet

Red Crossbill

Eurasian Bullfinch

Corn Bunting

Rock Bunting

Cirl Bunting

Links to the Other Days of the Trip

Day 1 - Background and Day 1 travel to Trigrad

Day 2 - Trigrad Area

Day 3 - Trigrad Area