Winter trip 2015. Besh Barmag: Gulls, gulls, gulls...

Text © K. Gauger & M. Heiß 

After a night in Qəbələ we continued the way back to the coast. Unfortunately, the weather along the mountains was all but good with low clouds, rain and no visibility at all. So we couldn't enjoy the beautiful landscape. Thus birds were rare and there is nothing to tell except three Imperial Eagles along the road in Gobustan, including a pair at the nest, and a Peregrine.

In the afternoon we finally reached Besh Barmag. Some birding in the bushes and at the beach quickly showed that there are a lot of birds in the area. Most prominent were of course the gulls. We pitched our tents at the traditional site to stay here for two nights. In the evening we had a nice campfire and were curious what the next day might bring. But before a little night excursion produced a flushed Short-eared Owl and, much better, a long and close observation of a Jungle Cat- great!
 

Gulls and morning light on the snow-covered caucasus © Steve Klasan

Our camping site at Besh Barmag © Michael Heiß

The next day started with early birding and walking to the dump. The camping site, the bushes, the migration watchpoint, the lagoon, these are all nice places. But to be honest, the dump is really disgusting. Streams of slaughterhouse wastewater and tons of poultry dung produce a weird scenery. But exactly therefore the place is full of birds. 
After several estimations we finally noted 100.000 gulls of which ~60% were large ones and ~40% heinei-Mew Gulls. They were sitting at the beach, swimming offshore and flying around in huge clouds. These clouds were building eddys down to the feeding and despite the poor quality this video gives a little impression of the steady gull stream to the delta of the main wastewater outflow.
We were wondering what the eagles and vultures might feed her. But just until an old tractor brought a hanger of dead or even more or less living chicken and dropped them off. Now we knew...
The maximum count of White-tailed Eagles was 205, Black Vultures were at least 42, Black Kites about 30 and also each a handful of Griffon Vultures, Long-legged Buzzards and immature Imperial Eagles were around. Other numerous species were thousands of Rooks, hundreds of Jackdaws, 300 Grey Herons and some thousand Starlings.

Fresh food for eagles, vultures, wolves and jackals © Kai Gauger

...and chicken feet with tomato sauce for the gulls © Michael Heiß

Gull feeding © Kai Gauger

Too much gulls © Michael Heiß

A few of more than 200 W-t Eagles and 40 Black Vultures © Kai Gauger

Juvenile Imperial Eagle © Kai Gauger

Immature White-tailed Eagle © Kai Gauger

Among the gulls we managed to find Azerbaijan's second Glaucous Gull (after the first one at the same site in April 2012) and the first ever Herring Gull. It was hard to get close to the huge, chaotic and rather shy mass and there might have been a lot more to find... The discussion about how much barabensis are amoung the cachinnans is still going on. But there were basically no dark birds (heuglini, fuscus) as we know from migration times.
Other birds to mention were some migrating flocks of ducks, two unidentified divers, 8 Dalmatian Pelicans and 12 Flamingos and each the only Red-breasted Merganser and Woodcock of the trip. There were quite a lot songbirds in the bushes but nothing new for the list. Very interesting and great to observe were about 10 Water Rails on just a few meters along one of the bloody creeks.

Distant Besh Barmag © Michael Heiß

The sky full of birds © Michael Heiß

2cy Glaucous Gull in flight © Steve Klasan

Video of the same Glaucous Gull on a framework © Lukas Pelikan

Azerbaijan's first Herring Gull © Cornelius Schlawe

A flock of Flamingos resting at the shore © Michael Heiß

Water Rail at a bloody creek © Kai Gauger

Brilliant video of a bloody fight © Lukas Pelikan

...and everywhere are the gulls © Michael Heiß