Text & Photos © M. Heiß
Despite this year’s spring trip did not
focus on birds, as the interest of the tourist group was in plants and
landscape, we had a plenty of good views on the local bird species.
The trip started in the capital Baku and we quickly
headed south to the Shirvan National Park. Here, the typical steppe species such
as Isabelline Wheatear, Roller, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and Black Francolin were
well visible along the roads. At the lake house White-winged and Whiskered
Terns, several heron and duck species and Lesser Kestrels were numerous.
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| A Black Francolin hidden in the bushland near the entrance of the Shrivan NP |
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| Display flight of an European Roller |
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| Two Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters |
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| Goitered Gazelle in the steppe |
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| Purple Heron in flight |
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| Whiskered Terns at the Flamingo Lake in Shirvan NP |
We spent the next days in the Talysh Mountains,
mainly in the forest zone. The bird species we could observe here is similar to
the Central European forest avifauna with species such as Robin, Nuthatch,
Great, Blue and Coal Tit and some woodpecker species.
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| Field camp in the forest zone |
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| Female Chaffinch |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Coal Tit |
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| The endemic Poelzami-Woodpecker |
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| A Raccoon enjoys some mulberries |
Unfortunately, we had bad weather
conditions in the Zuvand upland and therefore we could not intensively explore this
highly interesting region.
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| The famous rocks of Mistan in the Zuvand, but upcoming thunderstorms did not allow much birdwatching activity |
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| Almond plantation |
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| Garden Warbler |
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| Riparian forest with some sunshine |
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| Great views of a beautiful samamisicus-Redstart |
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| 'Nice to meet you!' welcomes a singing Common Rosefinch... |
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| ...which later impresses a female |
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| Rock Bunting |
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| The long awaited endemic Caspian Tit found during a tea time. It can be so easy! |
