Azerbaijan & Nakhchivan (inc. Caspian Tit) (1 Viewer)

Regrettably this trip report cannot be pasted into BirdForum, and hopefully will not be removed as a result, but for the community here, there is now an extremely detailed Azerbaijan 2017 trip report available on my website. Search for Ben Macdonald and then visit the Birds section of my website.

The report details the rediscovery of Caspian Tit and provides a very detailed account of birding in the country, with GPS sites for the full range of typically desired species and specialities of the Republic of Nakhchivan.

It is also available on CloudBirder.

Ben

Hi Ben

Can't find it on Cloudbirders, last Azerbaijan report is in German from 2018, one prior to that 2017.

Also googled your own site but this trip is one of two or three that won't open to view.

Shame as your reports are quite superb, and amongst the most helpful for other birders.

Thanks for your kind words, much appreciated - please let me resolve this on my site. It's a Sunday, so am guessing CBirders will get the report uploaded in a few days. B

Nick - NOW WORKING. On website.

B

benmacdonald said:

Nick - NOW WORKING. On website.

B

Click to expand...

Sorry Ben, for being a pain, and thank you for going to that trouble.

Wow what an experience, with all those road hazards, criminal policemen, lion-like wild dogs, unwelcoming hotels, meeting Wolves in the fog............but some simply stunning birds!!

Well done Ben. Think you need a holiday now -

Ben

I have attached. If you want me to remove this just shout. I'll properly read tomorrow. Three WP ticks in that for me in addition to the Caspian Tit - must try harder!

All the best

Paul

Paul - not at all, very glad to have it hosted on BF. Not often (ever) I get one up on such a dedicated list as yourself. Feel free to PM me for details if required.

Excellent report Ben.

I was in a group that tried to do a much less ambitious trip in June 2016. We failed on all the key species (for me) except Shikra. Could not get anywhere near the altitude for the redstart and snowcock at Khinaliq and of course no chance of the rosefinch. We made a token effort to see Caspian Tit but only from 'proper' roads where, after reading your account, we had no chance.

Interestingly though we had no problem at all with police checks, but we did have an Azeri guy driving one of our three vehicles. It was an awful country for bureaucracy, and that extra visa after ten days caught us out. We were guided by Arbu in Nakchivan and that was the only successful part of the trip - we saw everything except the Caspian Snowcock (did not try) but I had seen everything there in eastern Turkey already.

We were ripped off by the car hire people and did not get any of the enormous deposits back. Plus the agent charged us for obtaining national park permits that never materialised. He also charged us $50 each per night for the very basic accommodation at Khinaliq (everyone sleeping on thin mattresses in one big room) - in fact we refused to stay there and ended up in a half-finished accommodation block behind the village shop.

My write-up of the trip starts with 'Worst trip ever' but it is a fantastic country and if not for all the hassles I would really like to go back and do it properly.

Steve

A most informative and evocative report Ben! Many thanks indeed (and thanks to Paul for simplifying things!).

Chris

Steve, yes, it was one of few countries where the degree of hassle really did impinge on my focus/enjoyment of the birding, from the police to the shepherd dogs in particular. That said, I do intend to do one more trip to the country (Hyrcan National Park) for wild pheasant, more caspian tits and to set eyes on Shikra, and possibly there are other Iranian woodland birds here that may be found. Perhaps spring 2019. If you're keen, drop me a line and perhaps we can reverse your bad impressions of the country on a future trip. B

Hi Ben I was also on Steve's trip. The problem was the organiser of the trip bailed out at the last moment - I found out at Instanbul airport, I suspect they never intended to go at all. We also found out, waiting for the flight to Baku, we not all on the same flight, as expected, the rest were arriving 12 hrs later, the next morning, and we had nowhere to stay in Baku. Thankfully for booking.com found someone whose wife worked for the UN, and he meet us at the airport, stayed at his B&B, and he took us to meet everyone when arriving at Baku the next mronging. The organiser had not kept contact with the ground agent (too busy taking a small couple of groups around Cyprus), leading up to the trip, and local guy who was drinver/translator Elvin was brilliant - but he told me the ground agent had been emailing the organiser and getting no replies - many times - the problem at Khinaliq - was that we did not stay at place suggested by Kai, because the house we did not stay (the on the floor job) in was one of the park rangers who was un-coperative afterwards, refuding us higher access and it got quite difficult - neither did the orgnaiser book the Russian 4x4 as we should have (advised by Kai). We did not get far enough up, taking standard 4 x 4 was at best very risky and only got us badly part of the way. We had little hope, for June we were no way far enough up. The situation re the car deposits - not sure whose fault it was, but we had not pick up back at Baku after Natchivan - one of those emails never answered probably - not even sure we had a hotel booked - it was a complete mess - only saved by Elvin the guide/translator - we only saw Shrika, after Elvin and I one night using Kai book and google earth managed to find the location - as Elvin area of specialism was history tourism. The organiser waffled on about how ground breaking ti would be - ground breaking on how not to organise a trip - it was na interesting country, but a real missed opportunity and should have been done at the later part of May

Dear Ben,

Congratulations on the desired discovery of the Caspian Tit! I want to clarify that in 2018 we first found it at another point, and then we gave point to Kai. If you need details, write to me at [email protected]
My photos of this tit can be viewed at the link:
http://www.birds-online.ru/gallery/thumbnails-618.html

Good luck