Lots of common stuff

text & photos by Abu

(© A. Buchheim)

First ice at the river,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Can you identify it? See pic 13,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

What about this? See pic 14

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

After two very long non-birding weeks I finally could go out on 20 October 2014. At 8 a.m. I started at the Marshall Bridge in UB and made my way along the river. It was minus 12°C (10.4°F) when I went down from the bridge but luckily no wind was blowing. The sun “heated” up the air to an almost warm plus 5°C (41°F) but just as it got more comfortable, clouds moved in and closed the sky. In total I spent six hours walking around trying to capture birds with my camera. The bird community had changed and there were two species dominating the scene: Meadow Bunting and Long-tailed Rosefinch. As there was not much else I concentrated on these two for most of the time so sorry guys, if this post is a bit boring for you.

Siberian Accentor,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

BIRD LIST (32 species)

Daurian Partridge -- 9
Eurasian Black Vulture -- 2
Saker -- 2
Common Kestrel -- 1
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker -- 1
Mongolian Horned Lark -- Several flocks flying (migrating?) overhead probably belonged to this species which shows just a little yellow in its face when the plumage is fresh; 20 birds on the ground.

Mongolian Horned Lark,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Mongolian Horned Lark,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Mongolian Horned Lark,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Mongolian Horned Lark,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Water Pipit (blakistoni) -- 6
Siberian Accentor -- 2
Naumann’s Thrush -- 2
Great Tit -- c.20
Azure Tit -- c.10
Willow Tit -- 1
Long-tailed Tit -- 4
Eurasian Nuthatch -- 1
Bohemian Waxwing -- 2
Common Magpie -- c15
Daurian Jackdaw -- 1
Oriental Crow -- c.70
Red-billed Chough -- c.45

Red-billed Chough,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Red-billed Chough,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Red-billed Chough,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Common Raven -- c.10
Common Starling -- 1
House Sparrow -- 4
Eurasian Tree Sparrow -- c.50
Rock Sparrow -- 26
Chaffinch -- 5
Brambling -- 5

‘Pale Mountain’ Twite,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Male ‘Pale Mountain’ Twite,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Male Mealy Redpoll,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

'Pale Mountain' Twite (altaica) -- c.15
Mealy Redpoll -- 4
Hawfinch -- c.25

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch, same as in pic 16

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Long-tailed Rosefinch -- c.70
Little Bunting -- 1
Meadow Bunting -- c.250

Meadow Bunting,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Meadow Bunting,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Meadow Bunting,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Meadow Bunting,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Meadow Bunting,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Meadow Bunting,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Apart from the birds I came across two mammal species: Daurian Pika Ochotona dauurica and Mongolian Gerbil Meriones unguiculatus. Cute!

Mongolian Gerbil,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014

Mongolian Gerbil,

Tuul River, UB, Oct 2014