Tajikistan: a weekend in the Fann mountains (September 2015) (1 Viewer)

[dalat]

In September I had a work trip to northern Tajikistan and managed to squeeze in a weekend to go out and see some of the country's birds and landscapes.

There is basically zero information available in the internet on birding in Tajikistan. All tours to Central Asia seem to focus on Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and all info in the region is on these countries. However, I managed to get some good hints from the authors of the excellent field guide for the region and decided to head to the Fann mountains. The Fanns are a beautiful mountain range in northwestern Tajikstan with several peaks above 5000 m, they are in reasonable distance from Khujand (my point of arrival), known to be quite beautiful, and some rudementary touristic infrastructure exists there.

I arrived in Khujand, Tajikistans second city and centre in the Ferghana Valley. I flew with Turkish via Istambul, they fly there twice a week. Turkish is a good airline, but two legs of about 4 hours and an arrival time of 4 am meant little sleep in the airplane. Therefore I missed quite some of the landscape as I quickly dozed off in the car after pick up from the airport. My colleagues in Khujand had arranged a 4wd car and a guide via a local travel agency and pick up (and everything else) worked out well.

After 5-6 h of drive, which included some manouvring through village lanes and fields to detour the main road which was blocked for construction works, we arrived in a tourist camp called Artuch. The camp was established during Soviet times and still mainly caters to Russion mountaineers, if I understood well. There is a larger building with eating facilities and rooms, and some cabins on the compound. Two cabins were modernised with bathrooms and loo indoors, quite a luxury in the region. I got one of those and it was pretty comfortable. Even hot water. I was the only guest and the last one of the season.

After a beautiful drive through the amazing landscapes of the Zarfshan River Valley and the way up to the mountains, we arrived around mid-day, and I started off exploring the compound. The source of a larger streem is directly on the compound, and otherwise it is dotted by the typical dry Juniper vegetation. The first birds were Common Kestrels and Yellow-billed Choughs circling overhead. Rather quickly I found a corner with some activity in the tress and bushes: A Cetti's Warbler was calling and found quickly under the bush, and up in the tree were Turkestan Tit, Black-breasted Tit, Hume's Leaf Warblers and a pair of Pied Bushchats. After some stalking in dense shrubbery, I was delighted to find both the wonderfull Yellow-breasted Tit and the White-browed Tit-Warbler. Previously I always wondered if the colors of the plate of the Tit-warbler are real, they are.

A good start, followed by a hearty lunch. I declined the Vodka for now, as I still had plans for the afternoon.

 

[moose1991]

the White-browed Tit-Warbler. Previously I always wondered if the colors of the plate of the Tit-warbler are real, they are.

.

Had to Google that bird, never heard of it before , what a stunner.
Lovely valley too.
Never likely to go there so some good armchair travelling to be had reading your thread.
Looking forward to more .

 

[dalat]

Thanks moose! It was just a weekend, but still a little more to tell.

So this afternoon we went up the path to the smaller Chukurak Lake. It was a steep but easy walk of about one hour through Juniper forest first and rubble later on, until reaching a wide cirque with the lake, steep rock walls and amazing scenery.

On the way up, just next to the path there was a most cute Turkestan Pika not too shy to be photographed. More stalking of the White-browed Tit-Warbler and the local Tit species in the Juniper, but nothing new here. Chukar were calling in the distance but I could not get to see them.

When reaching the lake, it took not long before one of the highlights of the weekend emerged majestically from a side valley: An adult Bearded Vulture patrolled the cirque, coming quite close at two occasions. Fantastic, my best sighting ever of this species!

Several Sparrowhawks and Goshawks were flying repeatedly over the lake and along the rock walls. I walked to the other edge of the lake as I heard the call of a Blue Whistling Thrush from there and suddently the air was full of "whoosh" and "zoooom", a flock of Tree Sparrows in full speed trying to escape at least six Sparrowhawks and Hobbys. One unfortunate Sparrow was plucked out of the air right in front of me. Amazing spectacle. Must have been migrating Goshwaks, Sparrowhawks and Hobbys, there were just so many around.

It was getting cool and we returned. Another excellent meal, with Vodka this time, but no harm done.

 

[dalat]

The programm of the next day was a hike to the main destination of the trip. The beautiful Kuli Kalon lakes. But before breakfast, I had another stroll around the compound, this time along the stream. I quickly found four of the five stream loving species of the area along 100 m of stream or so: Blue Whistling Thrush, White-capped Water Redstart, Brown Dipper and the interesting looking race of our own White-throated Dipper. Nice! (I also had brief views from the car later of Little Forktail)

 

[MKinHK]

Looks to be a magnificent area - very interested to hear how you got on.

I had no idea Little Forktail occurred so far north and west.

Cheers
Mike

 

[dalat]

I had no idea Little Forktail occurred so far north and west.

Indeed, this area is at the north-westernmost tip of its distribution: http://www.hbw.com/species/little-forktail-enicurus-scouleri

 

[dalat]

After breakfast we started for the 3-4 h hike up to the lakes. First we walked through the valley shown in the first post. More Brown Dippers in stream besides the track and Grey and Yellow Wagtails.

The valley bottom was the only part supporting more green vegetation than the Juniper growth on the slopes, and a nice stand of large Willow trees had a lot of warbler activity, however just a few species. Mostly Siberian Chiffchaff and Hume's Whitethroat, and again a couple of Black-breasted Tits.

The valley narrowed and the path started to go up steeply over rubble with scattered low bushes. It was getting hot now and few birds. But some movement ahead and I did my best to approach the shy birds. Ah, just Black Redstarts.... But then another one, a warbler... Again it took quite a bit to get good views and this one turned out to be a Sulphur-bellied Warbler! Yes!

Far on the end of the valley appeared now the plateau we were heading towards. And two Beared Vultures also appeared in the distance. Did not see them later any more and the shephard we met later up there said they usually come only in the mornings...

Not much more on the way during the steep ascend but then reaching the top, simply spectacular scenery. Amazing turquoise lakes in front of an imense rock wall of more than 1500 m straight up vertically, topped with hanging glaciers. I'm quite spoiled by beautiful mountains here in Switzerland, but that was defintily one of the most spectacular mountain sceneries I ever encountered... The highest peak of the Fanns, Chimtarga at 5489 m, was just hidden behind another peak called Maria, apparently named after a female Russian climber who died here falling off this huge rock wall.

The plateau around the lakes were dotted with sparse Juniper, which I checked out for birds while my guide went for a nap. Near our lunch place, there was a bird skulking close but well hidden under the bush. I tried and tried and saw it was a Rubythroad and tried even harder but couldn't get decent views. Too bad, as the most likely one is White-tailed Rubythroat, which would have been a lifer. But I couldn't rule out a migrant Siberian Rubythroat.

Rather quiet else, but some of the Choughs turned out to be Red-billed Choughs and I almost stepped on and flushed a Common Quail. Then I ventured up a bit one of the slopes and found a large flock of Red-fronted Serin, mostly brown juveniles but also 2 beautiful adults. Further up I flushed a Hare and found more White-browed Tit-Warblers. A Black Redstart was posing nicely, beautiful birds after all. Then an old toothless man appeared on a donkey and made signs for me to return. I did so and I found that the shephards down at the lake had prepared tea for us, which of course can't be refused.

It was way into afternoon and we had to start going back down. Nothing more of note except a Shrike which I wasn't sure which species but with later assitance from BF decided it to be not Turkestan but Daurian Shrike.

A great day, although not as birdy as I had hoped, but the scenery was way above anything expected. More time here for a real trek, that would be something to do!

First some landscapes

 

[dalat]

And here some birds: Siberian Chiffchaff, Red-billed Chough, Black Redstart, Daurian Shrike and White Wagtail personata

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Wow. Multiple sightings of "purple chickadee" (White-browed Tit-warbler). That's impressive!

 

[foresttwitcher]

Stunning scenery photos.

 

[dalat]

That's impressive!

It is? I have no idea how common or uncommon these are... But I sure enjoyed seeing them, they were just a little too nervous for me to get photos.

 

[Swissboy]

Great report of a virtually unknown area, Florian. Thanks for all the pictures. For once, it's that Pika that is my favorite.

White-browed Tit Warbler was just barely visible on my Kazakhstan tour in 2014. Very difficult indeed. So I also think you lucked out.

 

[dalat]

So here the last part, as that was it it already. Unfortunately little time so next day I had to return to Khujand, work was waiting.

In the morning I got more Sparrowhawk versus Tree Sparrow action. Somehow the Sparrows liked to make a few wide rounds above the valley flying in a dense flock, which was inevitably exploited by Sparrowhawks. In one of the bushes where the Sparrows were taking hide, I discovered a Rosefinch. Unfortunately it went deep inside the bush and I could not relocate and ID it. Too bad, there are several options, all interesting...

So off to the car and down the bumpy road towards the Zarafshan valley. Almost reaching the river, we passed the spot where two days ago I had seen several Griffon Vultures near the ground (forgot to mention).

After crossing the river and taking the main road, I looked for a spot to stop and found a good area near the river with lots of willows and reed growth, where I wanted to look for migrants. Getting out from the car in the dry stony area above the valley, I immediatly saw several nice birds: Crested Lark, Tawny Pipit, Turkestan Shrike and a Finch's Wheatear. Egyptian Vultures and Jackdaws passing overhead, I approached the river shore.

I spend about an hour whacking through the dense vegetation. It was full of Paddyfield Warblers, I also found a few Siberian Stonechats, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Tree Pipit. That was it.

I was thinking about taking the old Shaharistan pass instead of the new tunnel, to look for some high-altitude birds or migrants passing there, as its nicely located on long north-south valley. However, the pass was not passable anymore, they seem to have abandoned the road completely with the new tunnel. So I stopped right after the northern gate of the tunnel but little birds here. However a forth Bearded Vulture was certainly good and even more I was happy to find a Grey-hooded Bunting.

Birds in Kujand and the surrounding agricultural area included Laughing Doves, European Bee-eaters, Rollers and of course lots of Crested Myna.

So that was it, phantastic weekend, glad I used the opportunity to get out and see sth. of this facinating country.

As for the main dips, I had hoped somehow for Himalayan Snowcock. The area was certainly good, but I did not reach sufficiently high elevations (the Kuli Kalon lakes are at around 2800m). A better strategy could have been to camp at the Kuli Kalon lakes or higher and then early morning go up to the Aulaudin pass. At 3860 m, this should be promising. I don't know which of the high-altitude finches can be found there, so not sure what I missed. However, I certainly hoped to find White-winged Grosbeack in the Junipers, but no luck with this one. Well, there is hope for another trip this year... :king:

Photos: Koshana village above the Zarafshan, Finch's Wheatear, Paddyfield Warbler, Grey-hooded Bunting, and a rusty piece of Soviet Union.

 

[dalat]

Great report of a virtually unknown area, Florian. Thanks for all the pictures. For once, it's that Pika that is my favorite.

White-browed Tit Warbler was just barely visible on my Kazakhstan tour in 2014. Very difficult indeed. So I also think you lucked out.

Thanks Robert! Yes, the Pika is lovely! And good to know about my luck with the Tit-Warbler :t:

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

It is? I have no idea how common or uncommon these are... But I sure enjoyed seeing them, they were just a little too nervous for me to get photos.

I only saw one in Kazakhstan and a couple in Sichuan. They were a definite target-bird on both tours.

You have to be in the right place and the right altitude, and they stick to a specific type of habitat. But to be fair, I'm not sure how common they are once you're in the right place.

 

[dalat]

For all of you who now want nothing but go there and see these mountains and the Tit-Warbler, I've put together some more pratical info in a small trip report: http://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport/repository/KLINGEL_Tajikistan_09_2015.pdf

 

[KenM]

Florian...what a fantastic and seemingly unspoilt landscape. The birds (my favourite shot was the Black Redstart...incredibly atmospheric) fittingly were great finds. Certainly a country with tremendous potential, a great trip report.

Cheers :t:

 

[etudiant]

Florian, thank you for a great trip report on a country which I'd love to get to someday.
You'll be pleased to know that Richard Feinman also would have loved to visit Tajikistan. It was off limits during his lifetime, but he was captivated by Tajik music.

 

[dalat]

Thanks the kind comments!

 

[dalat]

I just had another short weekend in the Fann-mountains. This time at the well known Iskanderkul lake. I spent one night there on a stop-over from Dushanbe to Khujand. Mostly similar birds as at the last trip, as it just a few valleys away from where I was last time. Very pleasant birding nontheless. And this time I even managed a decent pic of the White-browed Tit-warbler!

Photos: Iskanderkul, a valley near the like where I went birding, White-browed Tit-warbler, Sulphur-bellied Warbler, Chukar