st
Georgia & Armenia 1 – 12th May 2013
By Garry Armstrong.
Participants: Garry Armstrong, Dermot Breen, Wilton Farrelly, Paul French, Ian Graham and David
Steele.
Introduction: The idea of a trip to the Caucasus had first been mooted for 2012 but various
commitments meant that plans had to be shelved for another day. The lure of birds such as Caucasian
and Caspian Snowcocks, Caucasian Black Grouse, Great Rose-finch, Guldenstadt’s Redstart, Green
Warbler and Red-tailed Wheatear saw the plan resurrected for 2013. Ian and David were on board
from the start, quickly joined by Wilton and then Dermot through his hat in the ring, finally Paul got in
touch, he was leading the Sunbird tour to Georgia and wanted to join up with us for the Armenian part
of the trip.
Logistics: Timing was a compromise, ideally we would have gone to Kazbegi a week or so earlier, and
most information suggested that Armenia would be better a week or two later. We plumped for the
middle, arriving in Tbilisi on 1st May, and hoped that the weather would smile on us as we needed
snow around Kazbegi to hold our target birds down around the village and dry weather in Armenia
were early spring can often be wet. Information on Georgia, specifically the Kazbegi (Stepantsminda
as Georgia now calls it) area is widely available, with numerous trip reports on the internet, that by
Richard Bonser from May 2008 being particularly useful. With the demise of the Travelling Birder
website it was not always easy to track down relevant reports but the new site, www.cloudbirders.com
seems to have taken up the gauntlet and holds plenty of useful information. After reading various trip
reports I contacted Explore Georgia, www.exploregeorgia.com to sort out our transport and
accommodation. Nina and Salome at Explore Georgia were excellent, they understood what we
wanted and I can recommend them to anyone considering a trip to Georgia. They had a mini bus
waiting for us at the airport, arranged our accommodation at the Guesthouse Lela in Kazbegi for 3
nights, sorted out transport for a day during our stay and again arranged a mini bus to take us down to
the Armenian border, all for £149.00 each. The Guesthouse Lela is fairly basic but it is well situated on
the east side of Kazbegi, clean and the food is good, but with five of us plus a couple of other guests
sharing one bathroom, it was a bit hectic at times. There are two hotels in Kazbegi, the Hotel Kazbegi in
the centre of the village were most of the bird tour companies stay and the brand new Rooms Hotel on
the eastern side of the village, ideally placed to bird the eastern slopes. If I was going back I would
certainly consider staying at the new hotel.
Information on Armenia was not easy to come by with no recent trip reports by private groups or
individuals. There is a website, Birds in Armenia, www.Armeniabirding.info but it has not been
updated for a few years. From some older reports and more recent information from Birdquest and
Birdwatching Breaks reports I had figured out a basic route covering the main areas but no real
information on specific sites. I tried to contact Vasil Ananian who was mentioned as a guide in several
trip reports and was one of the founders of the Birds in Armenia website, initially without success.
When I did contact Vasil he explained that because of other commitments he no longer guided bird
trips in the country but that he would put me in touch with Zhanna Galyan who is president of the
Armenian Ecotourism Association and who would be able to arrange a trip for us. Zhanna was able to
organise Artur Asryan as our main driver, Artur had been Vasil’s driver and knew were all the birding
sites where but did not know any of the birds and he didn’t speak any English. Zhanna also organised
Harutyun Galstyun, Harold to us, as our interpreter, I was not sure that we actually needed an
interpreter but Zhanna was right, Harold was invaluable and very good company. As well as the
transport and interpreter Zhanna organised the four wheel drive trip to try for Caspian Snowcock, all
the accommodation and meals, including beer, apart from evening meals for our last three nights in
Yerevan, all for £915.00 each.
I booked flights for Ian, Wilton, David and myself first from Belfast to Heathrow with British Airways
and then from Heathrow to Tbilisi via Munich with Lufthansa returning from Yerevan to Heathrow via
Warsaw with Lot Polish airlines. Eight weeks before we were due to leave I got word that Lot had
cancelled the Yerevan – Warsaw flight so I had to do a quick rethink. I was able to get flights from
Yerevan to Heathrow via Vienna with Austrian Airways at no extra cost although the change time in
Vienna was very tight, the Yerevan flight was due in at 7.05am and the Heathrow flight left at 8.00am.
The total cost of the Heathrow – Heathrow flights was £485.00 with another £120.00 for the return
flights from Belfast. Dermot arranged his own flights from Dublin via Heathrow and Kiev.
The Trip:
Wednesday 1st May – Kazbegi.
Weather: Bright, clear, cool around the Krestovy Pass but warm in Kazbegi, perfect bird-watching
weather but definitely not what we had come prepared for. Our flight from Munich arrived in Tbilisi at
3.30am and we quickly cleared customs, retrieved our bags and met up with Dermot who had arrived a
couple of hours before us. Our driver was waiting for us and after changing some money at the airport
we headed off to our waiting mini bus.
Semirufous Black Redstart
We donned extra layers of clothes against the coming cold, loaded up the bus and headed off
through a still sleeping city. Apart from a brief halt to stretch our legs, which produced no
significant birds, we didn’t stop until we reached high ground. As we climbed into the Caucuses
the scenery got more and more spectacular although snow seemed in short supply. Our first stop
was as we approached the highest point of the Krestovy Pass, above the ski resort of Gaudauri,
where scanning of the snow fields by the side of the road produced lots of Water Pipits, the
commonest birds on the high ground, and a flock of Twite, a very different bird from what we are
used to at home. We hadn’t gone too far when a pair of Snowfinch beside the road brought the
bus to a quick stop but the birds didn’t hang around. Just past the top of the pass we came across
three English birders also heading to Kazbegi, Chris and Justin Lansdell and Andy Wilkinson had
found several Caucasian Black Grouse on the slopes to the west of the road and we were soon
scoping them. Apart from the Grouse and the ubiquitous Water Pipits several Whinchats and
Northern Wheatears were flitting around close to the road. We pushed on to Kazbegi and our
accommodation which had a semirufous Black Redstart in the garden and a pair of Red-backed
Shrikes in the garden next door. After dumping our bags and a quick meal we were ready to start
exploring the slopes on the eastern side of the village. Paul had been in Kazbegi with his Sunbird
group until 2 days before we arrived, he texted that on the Saturday before we got there he had
40 Great Rosefinches and 2 Guldenstadts Redstarts around the village, 2 days later and 2 days
before we arrived he had only 2 Great Rosefinches and no Redstarts so we knew that getting some
of our target species was not going to be easy. The sky was clear blue and it was quite warm as we
headed up through the conifer wood into the scrub at the base of the eastern slope, it was clear
that the snowline had retreated well above the village. Working through the scrub turned up 2
Mountain Chiffchaff, quite distinct from Common Chiffchaff when seen well, as well as a Lesser
Grey Shrike, a Black-eared Wheatear among many Northern Wheatear and several Ring Ouzel
which turned out to be common around the village. Snow-cocks were calling as we worked our
way along the bottom of the slope towards the southern end of the village and 2 Lammergeier
showed distantly along the ridge above us. Then we spotted Chris, Justin and Andy high up the
slope above us, obviously scoping something, Snow-cocks? A hard climb got us up to where they
were indeed watching two Snow-cocks among the very highest crags and we were able to get
good scope views of these enigmatic birds. An Alpine Accentor, two Rock Thrush and a small flock
of Red-fronted Serin were also seen moving around the scree slope. We returned to the bottom of
the slope and continued to work our way towards the southern end of the village, meeting the
main road at the electricity sub-station on the edge of the village without seeing anything new
apart from a Common Rosefinch. We returned to the guesthouse and distantly scoped the
western slopes towards Mount Kazbegi were a few raptors including Golden Eagle, Black Kite,
Montagu’s Harrier and Lesser Spotted Eagle were picked out. The owners of the guesthouse
reckoned the weather was going to stay good for the next few days so we reckoned we would
have to climb up towards the glaciers on Mount Kazbegi to have any chance of Great Rosefinch
and Guldenstadt’s Redstart. The guesthouse owners were able to arrange transport to take us to
Sameda Church on the lower slopes of Mount Kazbegi for the next morning. At the end of a long
day something to eat and a few beers everyone was glad to get to bed for some much needed
sleep.
Red Fronted Serin
Thursday 2nd May – Kazbegi
Weather: Bright, clear and warm once the sun got above the mountains. From 6.00am we worked the
scrub southwards along the bottom of the eastern slopes above the village. The birds were pretty
much as yesterday although there seemed to be more Common Rosefinches about and we had distant
scope views of both Caucasian Black Grouse and Caucasian Snowcock. After breakfast our four-wheel
drive transport was waiting and we headed up the slope towards Sameda Church seeing the local race
of Jay along the way. From the church we headed up the ridge towards the peak of Mount Kazbegi
climbing steadily. On the lower slopes we had good views of Chough and Alpine Chough with several
Mountain Chiffchaffs flitting about in the scrub. Climbing higher we had a few raptors migrating
through including 2 Golden Eagle, 6 Griffon Vulture a Marsh Harrier and small numbers of Steppe
Buzzards and we could hear Bee-eaters consistently passing high overhead. At approximately 2,800
metres a Caucasian Black Grouse walked out of cover right in front of us but before anyone could lift a
camera the bird disappeared down a steep slope and hid beneath a boulder. While scanning down the
slope Wilton found one of our key targets, a group of three Great Rosefinch, a male and 2 females,
were feeding at the bottom of the slope. We were able to watch these birds for some time as they fed
around a small pool. Moving further up the slope we found 2 Shore Larks of the race Penicillata and
had further views of Great Rosefinch but no sign of any Guldenstadt’s Redstarts. It had taken 5 ½ hours
to reach almost 3,000 metres and now we turned and headed back down to Sameda Church seeing
nothing new on the way down. We reached the church at about 5.00pm and our mini bus arrived to
take us back to the guesthouse. Despite being tired after our walk we had another go at the small
conifer wood and scrub behind our accommodation turning up good numbers of Tree Pipits, Redfronted Serins and Red-backed Shrikes. The end of a long day and time for a few beers and bed.
Searching for Wallcreeper in Kobi
Friday 3rd May – Kazbegi, Krestovy Pass
Weather: Another day of blue skies and high temperatures. Another pre-breakfast exploration of the
scrub and conifer plantation on the eastern edge of the village and the same selection of birds. We had
arranged transport for the day so after breakfast we headed off north up the valley the few miles
towards the Russian border in our 4 wheel drive jeep. Right at the border crossing point our
exploration of a wooded valley was cut short by the Georgian army who politely sent us on our way.
Heading back south we stopped at a place where the road crosses the river that runs through the
valley, the cliff face beside the road is site for Wallcreeper. There was no sign of the Wallcreeper but
we had good views of Griffon Vultures which nest along the side of the valley. Another stop on the way
back towards Kazbegi produced our first Rock Bunting in a roadside bush and a few Steppe Buzzards
migrating through. Heading back towards the Krestovy Pass our first stop produced plenty of Water
Pipits, a few Northern Wheatears and 2 Whinchats. Our next stop at the monument to GeorgianRussian Friendship produced a few Alpine Swifts, a Lammergeier and Choughs around the tower.
Heading on towards the highest point of the pass we found the 2 Snowfinches in exactly the same
place as we had seen them two days earlier although getting to see them well was difficult with
constant passing traffic. We drove as far as Gaudauri and birded around the buildings were David
found an immaculate adult Rose Coloured Starling along with a few Whinchats and Black Redstarts.
Heading back over the pass we stopped by an abandoned hotel and explored around a building site on
the opposite side of the road. This area held a good selection of birds including a flock of Twite, 2
Shore Larks, Whinchats, Wheatears and Water Pipits as well as a very handsome Fox in the snow.
Heading back down into the valley we stopped at the village of Kobi were David spotted a Wallcreeper
on the wall of one of the houses in the village. The bird initially disappeared but we eventually refound it and it fed on a garden wall until it was flushed away by a dog. After this we headed back to
Kazbegi where another trawl through the scrub on the eastern slopes produced nothing new.
Caucasian race of Red Squirrel
Saturday 4th May – Kazbegi to Dilijan in Armenia
Weather: Another bright, clear and sunny day. Our final morning in Kazbegi and our scouring of the
eastern slopes above the village produced the same mix of birds, Red-fronted Serins, Mountain
Chiffchaffs, Ring Ousels, Northern Wheatears and Red-backed Shrikes with Caucasian Snowcocks
calling from the high peaks. After breakfast we packed our bags into the minibus and headed off for
Tbilisi at 8.30am. A quick coffee stop at a shop in Gaudauri produced a close encounter with a
Lammergeier but unfortunately no one had a camera at the ready. Then it was on to Tbilisi only
slowing down for the large flocks of cattle, sheep and goats being driven up the road towards the high
pastures. In Tbilisi we met up with Paul as arranged and all squeezed back into the bus for the run to
the Armenian border at Bagratashen, arriving just after 1.00pm. The border crossing was very simple,
we cleared Georgian border control, walked across a bridge, were a Nightingale was singing in no
man’s land, then passed through Armenian border control without incident, the whole thing only
taking about 15 minutes.
On the Armenian side Zhanna, Artur, our main driver, Harold, our interpreter and Edgar a second
driver were waiting for us with a large minibus which allowed plenty of space for everyone. We headed
off towards Dilijan, the road south skirting the border with Azerbaijan, and mid-afternoon we stopped
for a late lunch at a roadside picnic site. The lunch, all prepared by Artur’s wife, was really excellent.
The site gave excellent views east into Azerbaijan and while scanning we found 4 Black Storks soaring
in Azerbaijani airspace. A further stop along the road gave good views of 2 Lesser Spotted Eagles and a
Caspian Stonechat. Moving on we reached Dilijan in the late afternoon. Our accommodation was in
Soviet era cottages set in the extensive forest around Dilijan, they were a bit dilapidated but good for
us as we only had a few hours here this evening and again in the morning and the birds were right
outside the door. We dumped our gear and headed out into the forest and soon found our main
target, Green Warbler, although the birds were elusive among the foliage. The walk produced a few
other species including Red-breasted Flycatcher, Hawfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch.
We were then taken to a private house in Dilijan for a very good dinner to round off the day.
Green Warbler
Sunday 5th May – Dilijan, Lake Sevan, Yeghegnadzor via Yerevan
Weather: The weather was again mostly bright, clear and sunny although at our first stop at Lake
Sevan it did cloud over and was decidedly cool for a while. Early morning around our cottages
produced lots of Green Warblers singing and showing very well. Other birds noted included a Middle
Spotted Woodpecker, seen by Dermot only, a Green Woodpecker, our only Greenfinch of the trip,
both Black and Common Redstart, several Steppe Buzzards and a pair of displaying Lesser Spotted
Eagles. Surprisingly there were no Semi-collared Flycatchers in what looked like perfect habitat for
them. After breakfast in Dilijan we headed south stopping first at some pools beside the road were we
had our first flyover Armenian Gulls as well as a few Wood Sandpipers, a Common Rosefinch and a
Sedge Warbler. Moving on we stopped at a causeway over Lake Sevan. On the lake itself we got scope
views of a few Black-winged Stilts, a flock of several hundred White-winged Black Terns which were dip
feeding with a few Whiskered and Common Terns among them. There were plenty of Armenian Gulls,
a single Lesser Black-backed Gull and 4 Mediterranean Gulls among a large flock of Black-headed Gulls.
Wildfowl included 5 Ruddy Shelduck, 2 Red Crested Pochard and 3 Garganey and a few more familiar
birds such as Pintail, Shoveler and Gadwall along with a large flock of Great Crested Grebes and 8
Black-necked Grebes. On the opposite side of the causeway from the lake was a narrow stretch of
water and a marshy area that gave much closer views of the birds which included 10 Cattle Egret, 5
Glossy Ibis, a flock of 30 Red-throated Pipits, an Ortolan Bunting, a Reed Bunting of the local large
billed race and our first Cetti’s Warblers.
Armenian Gull
We moved on to the protected area of the lake shore opposite the Armenian Gull breeding island
were Artur again produced a fantastic picnic lunch. There were lots of Armenian Gulls around but,
unlike their western cousins, these birds were extremely wary, even when food was on offer. Scanning
the breeding island produced 10 Night Herons among the gulls. Along the lake shore we found a small
flock of waders made up of 10 Terek Sandpipers, 4 Grey Plover, 20 Little Ringed Plover, 10 Little Stint
and a Green Sandpiper. Our plan after lunch had been to bird our way over the Selim Pass to
Yeghegnadzor but Artur had received news that the pass had been blocked by a land slip so we had to
change routes and take the much longer road via Yerevan. Because of the extra distance we now had
to cover we pushed on until we were well south of Yerevan before we stopped again. A quick comfort
break south of Armash produced a few distant Lesser Kestrels and a couple of Crested Larks plus
distant views of the fortified border with Azerbijan. Our next stop a few miles further along was when
Paul spotted a Wheatear on a pile of rocks beside the road, a cracking male Finsch’s Wheatear which
flitted around the bus giving good scope views. After this stop we pushed on to Yeghegnadzor, our
only other significant sighting coming in the town itself when a brief stop at a junction produced 40 –
50 Common Rosefinch on the ground around a single tree and a couple of bushes. Our guesthouse for
the night looked pretty basic from the outside but inside was actually very nice indeed, modern and
very well fitted out, and the food was excellent as well.
Steppe Buzzard
Monday 6th May – Yeghegnadzor to Meghri
Weather: The weather was once again warm, sunny and clear. A pre-breakfast walk around our
guesthouse produced a Syrian Woodpecker and a Nightingale singing in the open. After breakfast we
headed off on the long drive south to Meghri, the distance as the crow flies is not that far but the
southern part of Armenia is very mountainous making progress very slow. A few miles south of
Yeghegnadzor and south of the town of Malishka we turned off the main road to the right onto a
minor road to Zedea and stopped to walk along the road down an arid valley towards the river which
parallels the road. The valley held a lot of birds, first a nice male Black-eared Wheatear followed by a
flyover Levant Sparrowhawk and then a soaring Short-toed Eagle, next a Great Reed Warbler singing in
the scrub quickly eclipsed by a superb White-throated Robin, one of several that we saw along the
valley. On one side of the valley we found a Western Rock Nuthatch quickly followed by a pair of
Eastern Rock Nuthatches nesting on the other side of the valley close to a bridge over the river were a
pair of Rock Sparrows had set up home in an old Rock Nuthatch nest. A stop further along the road
were we walked a short distance off the road into the alpine pasture produced nothing more than a
few Skylarks, a couple of Whinchats and a few distant European Bee-eaters. We then stopped at a
point where the road overlooks the Spandaryan Reservoir and there is a tower with radio dishes on the
other side of the road. This tower is a nesting site for Lesser Kestrel and up to 10 of these birds could
be seen hovering in the breeze or siting on the railings at the top of the tower, many of them moving
out to mob a Long-legged Buzzard that came soaring over.
Black-eared Wheatear
Our picnic lunch stop in the heat of the day produced a few soaring birds of prey including several
Egyptian Vultures, Long-legged Buzzards and Honey Buzzards. We made our way slowly south stopping
briefly in the mountains north of Meghri were a Menetries Warbler was singing but it refused to give
anything other than a few brief views. It was 7.00pm by the time we reached our hotel in Meghri but
we were keen to head out to try to find Red-tailed Wheatear. The disused quarry were the wheatear
can be found runs right down to the river which forms the border with Iran and is within the Arevik
National Park and you must be accompanied by a park official to visit the area. Harold and Artur were
able to get the Park director who, along with a driver, accompanied us to the quarry. After a short walk
to the northern end of the quarry we found a pair of Red-tailed Wheatears which gave excellent views
and we also got good views of an Upcher’s Warbler which sat on a bush singing. And so back to our
hotel which was very basic but seemed to be the only accommodation available in Meghri.
Tuesday 7th May – Meghri
Weather: Mostly dry warm and sunny although it did cloud over and there was a shower while we
were having lunch in the mountains. During the night a Scops Owl was calling just outside the rooms at
the hotel. Before breakfast, around the hotel, there was a Finsch’s Wheatear along with Common and
Black Redstarts and a Great Reed Warbler. After a fairly basic breakfast we climbed into a couple fourwheel drive jeeps driven by two national park employees to head up to the high peaks to look for
Caspian Snowcock. We drove north out of Meghri on the main road before turning off onto what may
once have been a good tarmac road but was now a broken up track. The track led through a small
village and up towards some high peaks were we stopped and scanned but not only did we not find
any Snowcocks there was also no Snowcocks calling. We drove further up, as far as the jeeps could go,
and scanned the mountain peaks again without luck, so we started to walk up to get closer. It was hard
going as Wilton had pulled a muscle in his back and I had a sore knee from the uphill walks in Georgia
but we headed up to the right, around the shoulder of the mountain. After a steep walk we stopped
for a breather and Paul picked up a Caspian Snowcock sitting on an outcrop above us. The bird gave
good but distant scope views for a minute or so before flying off and dropping behind the outcrop. The
guys decided to climb up further but Wilton and I opted to stay put and rest our injuries. The climb up
to the top produced no further sightings of the Snowcock but there were good views of Alpine
Accentor, Snowfinch, Rock Thrush, Twite, Shore Lark and Ring Ousel. Returning to the vehicles there
were plenty of Water Pipits, Northern Wheatears and Whinchats to be found on the slopes among the
alpine flowers.
Red-tailed Wheatear
We headed back down to the lower slopes and stopped at a picnic area for lunch where several Green
warblers flitted about among the trees. The weather had changed, it was quite a bit cooler and a rain
shower made lunch a little damp so we decided to head back to the Red-tailed Wheatear quarry near
Meghri where the weather seemed to be clearing. We made a quick stop at a reed fringed pool beside
the border were we found 10 Little Bittern showing well and a Kingfisher appeared briefly. It may have
been worth spending more time here but our driver was very nervous, he didn’t want us to look
towards Iran at all and wanted to move on so we headed back up to the quarry. The pair of Red-tailed
Wheatear were still in the same area that we had seen them last night and the Upcher’s Warbler was
also still present. Following a track up the wadi behind the quarry we found another Red-tailed
Wheatear and several more Upcher’s Warblers as well as a Western Rock Nuthatch and a large flock of
European Bee-eaters passed overhead. Further up the wadi the Upcher’s Warblers were replaced by
Eastern Orphean Warblers, Honey Buzzards were drifting overhead, there were several Black-eared
Wheatears and Black-headed Buntings, both Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes, and Chukars were
running about on the slopes. We walked to a point where a ruined wall crosses the wadi, this is also
where the Juniper scrub starts, and here Dermot found a pair of Sombre Tits which showed well for a
while before moving off up a side wadi. We headed back to the hotel and as it got dark we had a go at
finding the Scops Owl, the bird called a couple of times but then went quiet and we gave up and went
for dinner.
Rock Thrush
Wednesday 8th May – Meghri To Yeghegnadzor
Weather: Initially the weather was warm but cloudy but as we headed north the wind picked up, it
started to rain heavily and got very cold. Originally we were going to drive to Yerevan today but, as
Wilton pointed out, Armash, which we would be visiting tomorrow, is pretty much mid-way between
Yerevan and Yeghegnadzor and it made much more sense to stay in Yeghegnadzor. A few phone calls
by Artur and Harold sorted out our night in Yeghegnadzor; it cost us £20.00 each but was worth it and
worked really well for us. Before we left Meghri we got another new bird for the trip, a cracking male
Golden Oriole singing from the top of trees behind our hotel. After another meagre breakfast we
packed up and headed off back towards Yeghegnadzor. The mountains north of Meghri are covered in
extensive deciduous forest and a random stop at a clearing beside the road produced good views of 4
Woodlarks with Steppe and Honey Buzzards circling over the forest. As we moved further north the
weather started to deteriorate, the wind picked up and steady rain set in. A few miles south of the
Carahunge stone circle which is near the town of Sisian, we came upon an area beside the road that
had just been ploughed and was full of birds. We sheltered behind the minibus out of the wind and
rain and scanned the area finding our first Greater Short-toed Larks along with lots of Northern
Wheatears, Twite, Horned Larks, Water Pipits, Whinchats, Linnet, Ortolan and Black-headed Buntings.
Penicillata Horned Lark
Moving further up the road we tried another ploughed area, there were only a few birds here but 3 of
them were Bimaculated Larks which showed well close to the road. After lunch, taken indoors at a
roadside restaurant, we went to have a look at the Carahunge stone circle. The rain had just about
stopped but it was still windy and very cold, not great weather for sightseeing. The walk around the
stone circle produced a migrating flock of White-winged Black Terns as well as an impressive flock of
Yellow Wagtails plus a few Skylarks but not much else. With the rain easing we headed back to the
ploughed areas but numbers of birds present had dropped and we saw nothing new. As we were
feeling pretty wet and cold we decided to push on straight to Yeghegnadzor without stopping again,
arriving early evening to get warmed up and enjoy a good dinner.
Thursday 9th May – Armash Fish Ponds
Weather: The weather was clearing as we left Yeghegnadzor and by the time we reached Armash was
perfect, warm and bright, with no wind. On the drive to Armash we saw three flocks of Rose-coloured
Starlings in flight but none on the ground. Armash is probably the best known birding area in Armenia,
it is a large area of privately owned fish ponds, on its western side it runs up to the Turkish border and
on its southern side it runs up to the Azerbijan border. Often when you have just one day at a famous
birding site it can fail to live up to your expectations, but not Armash, it was superb, and certainly
deserves its place as one of the best bird-watching sites in the Western Palearctic. As we drove up the
entrance track to the main gate the ponds on either side of the road were being hawked over by
hundreds of hirundines, mostly Sand Martins, and over the course of the day we estimated the Sand
Martin numbers to be in the tens of thousands. Also on these first ponds were good numbers of
White-winged Black Terns and we estimated that there were six to seven thousands of these over the
ponds that we were watching, one small pond alone having many hundreds of birds hawking over it.
White-winged Black Tern
Once past the entrance we drove a short distance seeing both Squacco Heron and Little Bittern
from the minibus before stopping and setting off to walk around one of the ponds. In the reeds
beside where we parked the bus there was a flock of Bearded Tits some of which showed well, we
saw many more as we walked around the pond. On the pond itself a large flock of Black-tailed
Godwits were feeding in the shallow water, two Red-necked Phalaropes swam among them, later
joined by a third bird, and several Slender-billed Gulls moved among the waders. As we moved
along the edge of the pond more waders came into view including two Ruff, two Bar-tailed
Godwit, a Redshank, Greenshank, several Green and Common Sandpipers and good numbers of
Little Stints. Out in the middle of the pond a flock of large gulls were mostly Armenian but included
five Caspian Gulls, two of which were adult birds. Two distant ring tail Harriers were too far away
to positively identify but Marsh Harriers were almost constantly in view. Walking along the reedy
fringe of the pond Great Reed Warblers were constantly singing and showing occasionally, a
couple of Caspian Reed Warblers showed well for a short time and Bearded Tits seemed to be
everywhere. As we crossed a causeway between two ponds we got good views of Ferruginous
Duck, Red Crested Pochard and Ruddy Shelduck as well as plenty of Pygmy Cormorants and David
spotted four Marbled Teal. A large reed bed held Savi’s Warbler, Moustached Warbler and
Paddyfield Warbler, all singing from the top of the reeds and showing well, a fantastic trio. Among
the many White-winged Black Terns we also found small numbers of Gull-billed, Whiskered and
Little Terns and just one Common Tern. Heading back towards the minibus and lunch a small flock
of European Bee-eaters were feeding from wires running alongside the track and several Purple
Herons took flight from the shallows.
Glossy Ibis
Artur had laid on another excellent picnic lunch, taken in the shade of a tree at the edge of the
pond, accompanied by the calling of Cuckoos, which were very common all over the area. A bit of
scanning before we moved to another area of the ponds produced distant flight views of three
White-tailed Lapwings for some of us. We moved a short distance to another area of the ponds,
parking beside a small pond that was alive with hundreds of White-winged Black Terns, and set of
for another walk. A drier area had a flock of twenty Glossy Ibis and a few White Storks, while on
the other side of the causeway, on the pond were good numbers of Pygmy Cormorants. The first
length of track around this pond had not dried out after yesterday’s rain and was muddy and very
sticky and slippery but once we got past this was easy going. We had good views of a Menetries
Warbler singing from overhead wires followed by another in scrub beside the track. On the water,
among more Ferruginous Ducks and Red Crested Pochards there were several Tufted Ducks and
six White-headed Ducks. Further along the track a flock of six Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters were flycatching from the reeds, our first Rufous Bushchat was singing from a small bush and several
Eastern Olivaceous Warblers showed well in some scrub. Another flock of Blue-cheeked Bee-
eaters was further along the track and a flock of Collared Pratincoles was perched on some open
ground. Heading back towards the minibus first we found a flock of Lesser Short-toed Larks
feeding by the track, next a large flock of waders which included several hundred Ruff, a few Grey
Plover and Wood Sandpipers, three Kentish Plover and a Ruddy Turnstone, then a few Blackheaded Yellow Wagtails and finally two Temminck’s Stints. We finally got back to the minibus,
about two hours later than we had planned, tired but very happy after a great day. We packed up
and headed off towards Yerevan and our hotel, getting great views of the two peaks of Mount
Ararat in Turkey as the light faded.
Ruddy Shelduck
Friday 10th May – Mount Aragats
Weather: The weather started dry and bright but from the middle of the day it started to cloud over
and cool down and in the late afternoon heavy rain started. We headed off north out of Yerevan
stopping along the way for a picnic breakfast. Just after leaving Yerevan we spotted a few raptors in
the air and a quick stop showed a kettle of Honey Buzzards along with a couple of Black Kites starting
to rise on the thermals before drifting over us and away. Heading up Mount Aragats we stopped again
near the tree line for a short walk which produced a nice selection of raptors including a Pallid Harrier,
Golden Eagle, several Lesser Spotted Eagles, a Marsh Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard and a Booted Eagle
perched in a tree. Moving further up the mountain we cleared the tree line and stopped again in an
open area with Juniper scrub on both sides of the road. We spread out and after a bit of searching
found our target species, Radde’s Accentor, a pair of birds showing very well around a rocky outcrop.
The area held a good selection of other birds including several really smart White-throated Robins, two
Rufous Scrub Robins, an Isabelline Wheatear, several Rock Buntings, Black-headed Buntings and Lesser
Grey Shrikes. We drove on to Amberd Fortress, a castle dating from the 11th century, where we were
going to have lunch. After lunch walking around the area got us close views of both Ortolan and Rock
Buntings and a Barred Warbler, the only one of the trip. Walking back along the road we had come we
had good views of at least two Rock Thrushes as well as Water Pipits and Black Redstarts before Ian
flushed a most unexpected Great Snipe from the edge of the road. We decided to drive higher up the
mountain to look for Crimson-winged Finch but before we got very far we came to a sudden stop when
a Lesser Spotted Eagle was spotted on the ground close to the road, as this bird flew we found a
second bird sitting close by. The birds had probably come down as the weather deteriorated, it was
getting cool and rain was starting.
Ortolan Bunting
As we drove up the mountain the weather got worse, the rain came on heavier and mist descended,
but we pressed on, stopping at a flat, snow covered area and walking out into the mist. We found a
lots of birds, mostly Twite with a few Shore Larks and Water Pipits but no Crimson-winged Finch. The
weather got worse with heavy driving rain making birding impossible so we decided to call it a day and
headed back to Yerevan for dinner and a few beers.
Saturday 11th May – Vedi
Weather: The rain had cleared and we enjoyed another warm, bright day although it did cloud over in
the late afternoon. We headed south from Yerevan, seeing our only Laughing Doves of the trip just
before we left the city. After a fairly short drive we turned off the main road and drove through the
town of Vedi before following a track up into the hills behind the town. We stopped at a picnic site in a
valley beside a small stream which runs off the surrounding hills and which probably dries up during
the summer. There is a small spring under some rocks just below the picnic area which is the site that
attracts Mongolian Finch to drink. As soon as we arrived at the picnic site we found a male Finsch’s
Wheatear on the slope beside where we parked, the first of several that showed well along the valley.
We then picked up one of our main targets a Grey-necked Bunting which was singing from a bush high
up on the valley side, we eventually saw three different birds, all close to the picnic area. As we started
to walk up the valley we had raptors moving along the hills on either side, mostly Honey Buzzards but
also a few Black Kites, several Griffon Vultures, an Egyptian Vulture, two Marsh Harriers, a Short Toed
Eagle and the first of two Lammergeier for the day, we also had a hunting Hobby, our first of the trip.
Moving on we found two Tawny Pipits and then an Eastern Rock Nuthatch that was coming to a nest at
the edge of the valley and as we watched the Nuthatch a couple of Rufous Bushchats were flashing
their tails on a ridge above. Continuing up the valley we had Steppe and Long-legged Buzzards
appearing regularly, another hunting Hobby, and our second Lammergeier.
Eastern Rock Nuthatch
When not watching raptors we had good views of Upcher’s and Eastern Orphean Warblers, Whitethroated Robins, Isabelline Wheatear, a Black-eared Wheatear and more Rufous Bushchats. Eventually
the valley opens out onto an open plain with views to several nearby mountains. Over one of the
mountains first one and then two Golden Eagles were circling followed by two huge Black Vultures
with another Long-legged Buzzard hunting over the plain. We headed back towards the minibus and
lunch, picking up Woodchat and Lesser Grey Shrikes on the way. After another of Artur’s excellent
lunches we settled down to watch the stream and spring to see what would come in to drink although
the rain that we had seen over the last few days and the general greenness of the surrounding area
suggested that birds had plenty of options for drinking. The water attracted several Black-headed
Buntings and a female Common Redstart and then two Trumpeter Finches dropped in to drink, stayed
for a minute, and then flew off. We waited to see if Mongolian Finch would show up but unfortunately
they didn’t appear. We drove back down to Vedi and tried a dried up river bed outside the town but it
didn’t produce much apart from another Hobby and a couple of Corn Buntings. This was our final
birding stop and so we headed back to Yerevan were we had dinner, said our goodbyes to Paul who
was staying on in Yerevan for an extra couple of days, and went to get a couple of hours sleep before
heading to the airport for our early morning flight home.
Conclusion
A brilliant trip, in total we saw 229 species, better than I had expected, although we did miss a couple
of target species, Guldenstadt’s Redstart in Georgia and Semi-collared Flycatcher and Mongolian Finch
in Armenia. We saw 75 species in Georgia, 10 of which we didn’t see in Armenia, and 225 species in
Armenia.
Georgia was excellent, pretty much what I had expected from the trip reports that I had read, apart
from the weather, the one thing that you can’t predict, we had been prepared for cold and snow not
shorts and tee shirt weather. The weather obviously had a big influence on the birds with both Great
Rosefinch and Guldenstadt’s Redstart having left the lower levels and moved higher up the slopes. Of
course every year is different, anyone going at the same time next year could get the sort of weather
that we had prepared for and find the Rosefinches and the Redstarts around Kazbegi village.
Armenia exceeded all my expectations, the birding was excellent everywhere we went; the only
problem was that we didn’t have enough time at some of the sites. We managed to fit a lot into our
eight days in Armenia but more time at sites like Dilijan, Vedi and, especially, Armash would have been
great. Anyone planning a trip there should bear in mind that, although distances between sites are not
that great, the mountainous nature of the country and the state of the roads can make travelling a bit
slow. Although we didn’t spend much time in Dilijan I was surprised that we didn’t find Semi-collared
Flycatcher there, the habitat looked good, perhaps we were a little early. Missing the Mongolian
Finches was not such a big surprise, I knew we would need a lot of luck to see them, and again later in
the year would probably be a better bet for them.
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Little Ararat in Turkey viewed from Armash
Amberd Fortress on Mount Aragats
Bird List
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna
ferruginea
Common Shelduck
Tadorna
tadorna
Gadwall
Anas
strepera
Mallard
Anas
platyrhynchos
Northern Pintail
Anas
acuta
Garganey
Anas
querquedula
Northern Shoveler
Anas
clypeata
Marbled Duck
Marmaronetta
angustirostris
Red-crested Pochard
Netta
rufina
Common Pochard
Aythya
ferina
Ferruginous Duck
Aythya
nyroca
Tufted Duck
Aythya
fuligula
White-headed Duck
Oxyura
leucocephala
Caucasian Black Grouse
Tetrao
mlokosiewiczi
Caucasian Snowcock
Tetraogallus
caucasicus
Caspian Snowcock
Tetraogallus
caspius
Chukar
Alectoris
chukar
Grey Partridge
Perdis
perdis
Common Quail
Coturnix
coturnix
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus
ruficollis
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps
cristatus
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps
nigricollis
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax
carbo
Pygmy Cormorant
Phalacrocorax
pygmeus
Little Bittern
Ixobrychus
minutus
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax
nycticorax
Squacco Heron
Ardeola
ralloides
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus
ibis
Little Egret
Egretta
garzetta
Grey Heron
Ardea
cinerea
Purple Heron
Ardea
purpurea
Black Stork
Ciconia
nigra
White Stork
Ciconia
ciconia
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis
falcinellus
European Honey Buzzard
Pernis
apivorus
Black Kite
Milvus
migrans
Lammergeier
Gypaetus
barbatus
Egyptian Vulture
Neophron
percnopterus
Eurasian Griffon Vulture
Gyps
fulvus
Eurasian Black Vulture
Aegypius
monachus
Short-toed Eagle
Circaetus
gallicus
Western Marsh Harrier
Circus
aeruginosus
Pallid Harrier
Circus
macrourus
Montagu's Harrier
Circus
pygargus
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter
nisus
Levant Sparrowhawk
Accipiter
brevipes
Goshawk
Accipiter
gentilis
Common Buzzard
Buteo
buteo
Long-legged Buzzard
Buteo
rufinus
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Aquila
pomarina
Golden Eagle
Aquila
chrysaetos
Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus
pennatus
Osprey
Pandion
haliaetus
Lesser Kestrel
Falco
naumanni
Common Kestrel
Falco
tinnunculus
Eurasian Hobby
Falco
subbuteo
Peregrine
Falco
peregrinus
Water Rail
Rallus
aquaticus
Common Moorhen
Gallinula
chloropus
Eurasian Coot
Fulica
atra
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus
himantopus
Pied Avocet
Recurvirostra
avosetta
Collared Pratincole
Glareola
pratincola
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius
dubius
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius
hiaticula
Kentish Plover
Charadrius
alexandrinus
Grey Plover
Pluvialis
squatarola
White-tailed Lapwing
Vanellus
leucurus
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus
vanellus
Sanderling
Calidris
alba
Little Stint
Calidris
minuta
Temminck's Stint
Calidris
temminckii
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris
ferruginea
Ruff
Philomachus
pugnax
Great Snipe
Gallinago
media
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa
limosa
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa
lapponica
Common Redshank
Tringa
totanus
Common Greenshank
Tringa
nebularia
Green Sandpiper
Tringa
ochropus
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa
glareola
Terek Sandpiper
Xenus
cinereus
Common Sandpiper
Actitis
hypoleucos
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria
interpres
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus
lobatus
Mediterranean Gull
Larus
melanocephalus
Black-headed Gull
Larus
ridibundus
Slender-billed Gull
Larus
genei
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus
fuscus
Caspian Gull
Larus
cachinnans
Armenian Gull
Larus
armenicus
Gull-billed Tern
Sterna
nilotica
Common Tern
Sterna
hirundo
Little Tern
Sterna
albifrons
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias
hybrida
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias
leucopterus
Rock Dove
Columba
livia
Stock Dove
Columba
oenas
Common Woodpigeon
Columba
palumbus
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia
decaocto
European Turtle Dove
Streptopelia
turtur
Laughing Dove
Streptopelia
senegalensis
Common Cuckoo
Cuculus
canorus
European Scops Owl
Otus
scops
Alpine Swift
Apus
melba
Common Swift
Apus
apus
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo
atthis
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Merops
persicus
European Bee-eater
Merops
apiaster
European Roller
Coracias
garrulus
Eurasian Hoopoe
Upupa
epops
European Green Woodpecker
Picus
viridis
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos
major
Syrian Woodpecker
Dendrocopos
syriacus
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos
medius
Bimaculated Lark
Melanocorypha
bimaculata
Greater Short-toed Lark
Calandrella
brachydactyla
Lesser Short-toed Lark
Calandrella
rufescens
Crested Lark
Galerida
cristata
Wood Lark
Lullula
arborea
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda
arvensis
Horned Lark
Eremophila
alpestris
Sand Martin
Riparia
riparia
Eurasian Crag Martin
Ptyonoprogne
rupestris
Barn Swallow
Hirundo
rustica
Common House Martin
Delichon
urbicum
Tawny Pipit
Anthus
campestris
Tree Pipit
Anthus
trivialis
Meadow Pipit
Anthus
pratensis
Red-throated Pipit
Anthus
cervinus
Water Pipit
Anthus
spinoletta
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla
feldegg
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla
cinerea
White Wagtail
Motacilla
alba
White-throated Dipper
Cinclus
cinclus
Winter Wren
Troglodytes
troglodytes
Dunnock
Prunella
modularis
Radde's Accentor
Prunella
ocularis
Alpine Accentor
Prunella
collaris
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
Cercotrichas
galactotes
European Robin
Erithacus
rubecula
Common Nightingale
Luscinia
megarhynchos
White-throated Robin
Irania
gutturalis
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus
ochruros
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus
phoenicurus
Whinchat
Saxicola
rubetra
Common Stonechat
Saxicola
rubicola
Caspian Stonechat
Saxicola
armenicus
Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe
isabellina
Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe
oenanthe
Black-eared Wheatear
Oenanthe
hispanica
Finsch's Wheatear
Oenanthe
finschii
Red-tailed Wheatear
Oenanthe
chrysopygia
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush
Monticola
saxatilis
Blue Rock Thrush
Monticola
solitarius
Ring Ouzel
Turdus
torquatus
Common Blackbird
Turdus
merula
Song Thrush
Turdus
philomelos
Mistle Thrush
Turdus
viscivorus
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia
cetti
Savi's Warbler
Locustella
luscinioides
Moustached Warbler
Acrocephalus
melanopogon
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus
schoenobaenus
European Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus
scirpaceus
Paddyfield Warbler
Acrocephalus
agricola
Great Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus
arundinaceus
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Hippolais
pallida
Upcher's Warbler
Hippolais
languida
Blackcap
Sylvia
atricapilla
Barred Warbler
Sylvia
nisoria
Garden Warbler
Sylvia
boris
Lesser Whitethroat
Sylvia
curruca
Eastern Orphean Warbler
Sylvia
crassirostris
Common Whitethroat
Sylvia
communis
Ménétries’s Warbler
Sylvia
mystacea
Green Warbler
Phylloscopus
trochiloides
Mountain Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus
sindianus
Common Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus
collybita
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus
trochilus
Goldcrest
Regulus
regulus
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa
striata
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Ficedula
parva
Bearded Reedling
Panurus
biarmicus
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos
caudatus
Sombre Tit
Parus
lugubris
Coal Tit
Parus
ater
Blue Tit
Parus
caeruleus
Great Tit
Parus
major
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta
europaea
Eastern Rock Nuthatch
Sitta
tephronota
Western Rock Nuthatch
Sitta
neumayer
Wallcreeper
Tichodroma
muraria
Eurasian Treecreeper
Certhia
familiaris
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Oriolus
oriolus
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius
collurio
Lesser Grey Shrike
Lanius
minor
Woodchat Shrike
Lanius
senator
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus
glandarius
Common Magpie
Pica
pica
Alpine Chough
Pyrrhocorax
graculus
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax
pyrrhocorax
Western Jackdaw
Corvus
monedula
Rook
Corvus
frugilegus
Hooded Crow
Corvus
corone
Common Raven
Corvus
corax
Common Starling
Sturnus
vulgaris
Rosy Starling
Sturnus
roseus
House Sparrow
Passer
domesticus
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer
montanus
Rock Sparrow
Petronia
petronia
White-winged Snowfinch
Montifringilla
nivalis
Common Chaffinch
Fringilla
coelebs
Red-fronted Serin
Serinus
pusillus
European Greenfinch
Carduelis
chloris
European Goldfinch
Carduelis
carduelis
Common Linnet
Carduelis
cannabina
Twite
Carduelis
flavirostris
Common Crossbill
Loxia
curvirostra
Trumpeter Finch
Bucanetes
githagineus
Common Rosefinch
Carpodacus
erythrinus
Great Rosefinch
Carpodacus
rubicilla
Eurasian Bullfinch
Pyrrhula
pyrrhula
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes
coccothraustes
Rock Bunting
Emberiza
cia
Grey-necked Bunting
Emberiza
buchanani
Ortolan Bunting
Emberiza
hortulana
Common Reed Bunting
Emberiza
schoeniclus
Black-headed Bunting
Emberiza
melanocephala
Corn Bunting
Emberiza
calandra