Georgia - 5th to 12th May 2018 (1 Viewer)

Paul Chapman · May 5, 2018

Off for six days birding in Georgia with five friends (and memories of one sadly missed). We're receiving some local assistance and the plan is to do a two centre trip - Kasbegi and Chachuna. We should be at the first location tomorrow afternoon after an overnight in Tbilisi. First two flights to negotiate and a rendezvous.

Sadly, reports of no low snow in the mountains and people dipping the Redstart but looking forward to somewhere different in any event.

I'll update briefly as we go - if that's proves possible......

All the best

Scridifer · May 5, 2018

Good luck Paul, I look forward to your posts!

Chris

wolfbirder · May 5, 2018

Indeed best of luck Paul.

Paul Chapman · May 6, 2018

Well WiFi here at Ilia State University, Stepantsminda, Kasbegi. We landed at Tbilisi shortly before 11pm - so not quite the midnight plane.....

We were overnight in Tbilisi and then today was mainly a travelling day. This is a birding trip but with five friends so will not be absolutely full on. Three meals including a cracking breakfast, many courses for lunch and an evening buffet washed down by some home brew wine.

Between the travelling and eating, highlights were Green Warbler, Semicollared Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher and 2 Hawfinch at Anunuri as well as Nightingales, Spotted Flycatcher, 'Ehrenberg's' Redstarts, Red-backed Shrikes etc; and once in the mountains nearer Kasbegi Lammergeier, both Chough, Golden Eagle, Water Pipits, Ring Ouzel, Alpine Accentor and the local very distinctive race of Twite - surely looking like a split?

We arrived here at 6.10pm and from the balcony, we have seen three male Caucasian Black Grouse chasing each other around the mountain above our heads.

So one tick and another in waiting.

Tomorrow is the slow and determined walk up the hill. The hill looks quite big from down here.....

All the best

Paul Chapman · May 6, 2018

A quick tally on day one shows the group's trip list on 63 of which I recorded 58.

All the best

Paul Chapman · May 7, 2018

Sadly I feared my chances of Guldenstadt's Redstart and Great Rosefinch would be weather dependent and so it proved. With no need for the hat and gloves packed let alone the thermals, a crack at either species was dependent on a three hour uphill walk from Gergeti Trinity Church.

I bailed an hour in and four of our party made it to 3,000 metres and scored with both. A Herculean effort and they also picked up Wallcreeper on the way up and Caucasian Snowcock when they were up there.

My emotions will be pretty obvious. But time to concentrate on the positives in a day that produced another two ticks in Caucasian Snowcock and Caucasian Chiffchaff (displaying it's genetic divergence well....)

In addition, Caucasian Black Grouse continue to put on their displays but sadly at extreme distance. A couple of groups of Red-fronted Serin and two feldegg(ish) Yellow Wagtails were the best of the rest for me on a day when I spent most of it around Gergeti Trinity Church killing time waiting to be gripped off when those that carried on got off the hill.....

A freak overnight snow storm seems unlikely so getting the Rosefinch and Redstart for me will now mean a return trip timed to coincide with some harsher weather. An autumn trip seems an interesting proposition.

The party's trip list is up to 80 of which I have recorded 73 but two of those missing were rather important....

All the best

Scridifer · May 7, 2018

Congratulations and commiserations are in order I believe Paul! Having really struggled to get up to 2,495m from the chalet at 1,932m in the Rila Mountains on Monday I can sympathise!

Nevertheless some great birds seen despite the two 'that got away'!

Keep the reports coming, most interesting reading!

Chris

Steve Lister · May 7, 2018

I hate uphill slogs and now know to avoid them. I first struggled in Brazil about ten years ago - got to two rare Cotingas but no way could I get up to Itataia Thistletail, two more miles of very steep road and hundreds of steps.

I would need the conditions where you can see everything around the village at Kazbegi.

Steve

Mark Harper · May 7, 2018

Any snow in the forecast? If not looks like I will be in for a long slog on Sunday, but at least I know the rewards are up there.

Paul Chapman · May 7, 2018

Chris - many thanks. I bailed at about 2.400 metres as I knew that it was only a third of the way and it was getting worse. Now to enjoy the birding for the rest of the trip.

Steve - that's my plan for next time.

Mark - I'd be amazed. Prepare for the slog. Great Rosefinches showing well by the path just before the 3,000 metre ridge. That is where the snowfield is located. You need to look from the ridge towards the posh looking ski house and look on the largest boulder. A scope is needed (and mine was used!) unless you traverse the snowfields. My friends tried and failed. Good luck. My knee needs further strengthening.

Mark Harper · May 7, 2018

Paul Chapman said:
Mark - I'd be amazed. Prepare for the slog. Great Rosefinches showing well by the path just before the 3,000 metre ridge. That is where the snowfield is located. You need to look from the ridge towards the posh looking ski house and look on the largest boulder. A scope is needed (and mine was used!) unless you traverse the snowfields. My friends tried and failed. Good luck. My knee needs further strengthening.

Thanks Paul
So not only do I have a tough walk I have got to carry a scope with me. Really looking forward to it, hope the post hike beer is good and cheap!

DMW · May 7, 2018

Go to Leh in winter! Guldenstadt's Redstart is a ludicrously common roadside bird in the valley. Great Rosefinch also available.
I reckon the WP could just about be stretched that far...

andyb39 · May 8, 2018

I made the mistake of walking all the way up to the cairn at 2925 m from Gergeti village last July. Not getting a lift up to the church made all the difference. By the time I reached the cairn I was spent, and hadn't left myself enough time to get back down in daylight. It was a real slog to get that far. If I'd walked a little further towards the glacier, I might have got the Rosefinch. I did see female Guldenstadt's but no males unfortunately. What was demoralising was seeing all these fit young people overtaking me, and I had to tell myself they had 20 or 30 years on me.

At least you got the Snowcock (only heard it when I was there) and the Black Grouse (no sign, but seen it in Turkey).

Paul Chapman · May 8, 2018

Andy - From the village is truly hard core.

DMW - A winter trip next time is my plan.

All the best

Paul Chapman · May 8, 2018

Today was our last day in Kasbegi and it rained - loads.

We spent the morning around the village before heading to a few sites south and then back to the village.

The roll call for the day included Caucasian Snowcock, Caucasian Chiffchaff, Alpine Accentor, Wallcreeper, Lammergeier, Horned Lark, 8 Rose-coloured Starlings, Red-fronted Serins, Rock Thrush, our first Lesser Grey Shrike of the trip, Rock Bunting, Red-throated Pipit, etc.

The standard fare includes plenty of Red-backed Shrikes, Common Rosefinches and Ring Ouzels - a cracking subspecies with ridiculous amounts of white in the wing!

My personal list for the trip is 87 of the group's 93. Two of the misses are best not dwelled upon... A group went up today and had the Rosefinch but not the Redstart. An autumn trip is already being planned.

All the best

Paul Chapman · May 12, 2018

First WiFi since Kasbegi. Six days complete and at Tbilisi Airport.

Mark - after the day of heavy rain, there was a Redstart lower down but I dipped.... Good luck tomorrow.

My and group's trip lists ended in the 180's I think though that needs to be considered on return when I'll update detail.

Excellent trip and thoroughly recommended country.

All the best

Andy Adcock · May 12, 2018

Hi Paul,

I made a concious decision to get the Himalayas done a few years ago, what a good decision that was. It's every day, up and down, up and down and it's always steep and never level! The toughest was a vertical (I kid you not) trek on the other side of the valley from Manang for one of the Snowcocks. Doubt I could do the Philippines either these days.

My wife laughed at me on one recent trip when I looked in her direction and said 'this sounded like such a good idea from a nice, soft sofa' and it always does!

Were you self guided?

Cheers, A

Jeff Hopkins · May 12, 2018

Hi Paul,

Great reporting. Loved the "midnight plane" comment.

Sorry to hear you dipped on the redstart and the rosefinch. It really is terribly hit or miss. My group had them on our first two days in Kazbegi in the pastures above town at the base of the mountain opposite the church. But the rosefinches disappeared for higher areas after two days never to be seen again.

Seems like everybody misses something. Ironically, I'm somewhat gripped about semi-collared fly. That's one we missed on my trip a few years ago.

You might also try Kazakhstan for the redstart. They were relatively easy above Almaty at the Cosmodrome.

And Andy...starting in the village? That truly is iron man effort. It was hard enough driving up there.

Paul Chapman · May 13, 2018

Andy (A) - we were guided by EcoTours Georgia. I'll post the details & costs later - http://www.ecotours.ge/about.html. In our view in comparison to likely costs in any event, it was the right decision. The price included all accommodation, food, transport & assistance and it was £100 per day per person so I paid £600. We did spend some additional money on coffees and beer.

On the climb, the guys with those techno watches confirmed that it was a 3.5 km walk from the church plateau and they climbed 1 km from 2,000 metres to 3,000 metres but with some steep bits. It was really the clambering over shingle etc and the risk of the downwards leg that persuaded me to exercise caution. I could probably have made it but of my companions, one ended up waist high in snow a couple of times and also with some sliding down in mud for several metres heading back. I have had some right knee problems but it is strengthening again. Xrays confirmed some degenerative changes but I'll be fit enough to do that type of thing in the future. Hopefully Mark is making it look easy today.

I have posted some photos below. The first photo was taken on 7th May (day two - Monday - when my friends did the climb and I turned round) and the second photo was taken on 8th May (day three - Tuesday). In both the church can be seen in the front right of the picture and the ridge is in the top left of the picture. The third photo is me looking down at the church after I had turned round and the fourth and fifth are my companions covering the last several hundred yards and standing on the ridge.

Jeff - many thanks.

I intend to finish up the headline summaries of days four to six to complement those already done for days one to three, set out the itinerary & locations in a bit more detail (having checked the maps), set out the species list & occurrences & confirm the costings as well as post a few pictures.

All the best

Paul

Mark Harper · May 13, 2018

We have postponed to tomorrow hoping for less rain, it was awful this morning, but that did not stop us seeing the Snowcock and Black Grouse.

Georgia - 5th to 12th May 2018 (1 Viewer)

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