Batumi, Georgia (1 Viewer)

[Nick-on]

Flying to Trabzon, Turkey on 24th arriving Trabzon 25th at stupid o'clock. Plan is to get the bus to Batumi and.......... that's about it as far as the plan goes. Will admit not the most detailed plan. Want to spend quite a bit of time at the raptor watch-point (wherever that is) and also try and take in a few other sites including Chorokhi Delta and possibly further afield. Grateful for any info regarding logistics, accommodation, exact locations of birding sites in fact any information about anything really. Trip is being done on a fairly tight budget, hence flying to Trabzon as opposed to Batumi, so five star hotels etc are a no no.

Thanks in advance.:t:

Nick

 

[temmie]

contact batumi birding: http://www.batumibirding.com/

While birding Batumi on your own is pretty straightforward, take into account that the counting stations have been accomodated for both the counters and the 'tourists'. So if you wish so, any kind of introduction by experienced counters can be arranged but has to be paid for.
Same goes for accomodation close to the counting stations: it is quite cheap and very good value. Arranging it on your own will take some more commuting time between the hotel down in Batumi and the counting station, unless you can arrange something with a guesthouse on any hill where you can do some watching yourself.

If DIY everything, check sightings in observado for good spots, and try to contact some recent Batumi visitors. You can find some through facebook or maybe through the batumiraptorcount.org site.

To conclude: the 'arranged' birdwatching through e.g. batumi birding is very good value for money. Batumi is one of the few places where taking an organized trip pays off as the trips are organized by birders for birders. Part of the experience (for me) was in the fact that you all bird together on the same hill and see all the good birds. If DIY, make sure you at least arrange visits to the well-known hills with the counting stations. There is a wealth of info out there on all logistic aspects within the organizations I mentioned above, so my advice would be to ask around there first.

 

[Nick-on]

contact batumi birding: http://www.batumibirding.com/

Hi Temmie,
Had a chat with the raptor count people at the Birdfair but info was very limited when they found out I was thinking of DIY. Some of the reasons for not booking through Batumi Birding include wanting to stay on the coast for early morning 'little brown job' birding and their accommodation is up in the hills, their accommodation is full board and I like to try different places plus their tours/excursions (if they are running any that week which seemed unlikely according to the people the Birdfair) are relatively expensive.
Was hoping for some info re good car hire firms (is car hire necessary or can it be done with public transport or taxi), places to stay on the coast in somewhere like Makhinjauri or Mtsvane which are not too far from the watch-point at Sakhalvasho. I have trawled the net but was looking for personal recommendations, "we stayed here & it was great/average/cr*p etc.)

Nick

 

[temmie]

clear.

I can't give too much details just because it's too long ago (I was there in 2008).
From what I remember:
You can get to Makhindjauri hill halfway with public transport, but I only used it to go down (up we had a Lada Niva). The viewpoint is here:
http://observado.org/waarneming/view/118189802
We used the northern route to get quite high and then it was a short steep walk.
We used a southern route to go down and catch a minibus on the road you see in the google map in the link as the first road south of the hill (but really don't ask me where exactly).

You could sleep in Mtsvane, but it is quite noisy and not the best little-brown-job place. The harbour area in Batumi and the Chorokhi delta are better (at least at that time). Mtsvane could be good voor seawatch though.

Saghalvasho is a bit more complicated to get to... Others can probably comment a bit more.

 

[Nohatch]

Hi Nick,

I've only visited Batumi once (on a day trip and organised an excursion through the raptor count guys) but my impression was that outside the city you're very much out in the sticks. I would not count on being able to rely on public transport so a car is essential. Roads are poor, windy and not signposted. Not much English around either...it's an area that's just not set up for tourism (yet) beyond the Black Sea port of Batumi itself.
Having said that the Chorokhi delta is good and the raptor migration is simply awe inspiring. If you have a little time (and a car) the drive up to the mountains south of Trabzon is certainly worthwhile. I'll be curious to know how you get on - have a great trip!

Joost

 

[Nick-on]

Hi Nick,

I've only visited Batumi once (on a day trip and organised an excursion through the raptor count guys) but my impression was that outside the city you're very much out in the sticks. I would not count on being able to rely on public transport so a car is essential. Roads are poor, windy and not signposted. Not much English around either...it's an area that's just not set up for tourism (yet) beyond the Black Sea port of Batumi itself.
Having said that the Chorokhi delta is good and the raptor migration is simply awe inspiring. If you have a little time (and a car) the drive up to the mountains south of Trabzon is certainly worthwhile. I'll be curious to know how you get on - have a great trip!

Joost

Hi Joost,

Did (some) of the mountains near Trabzon a few years ago, very enjoyable especially round the Caucasian Black Grouse site near Sivrikaya. Pretty sure you cant take a hired car from Turkey into Georgia, hence the four hour or so bus trip. Looks like we will have to hire a car in Batumi, especially as wouldn't mind a trip to Svaneti for the Snowcock, Redstart and Rosefinch. If anybody has been to Svaneti locations for the above would be most welcome as most people seem to go to Kazbegi in the spring for these birds and cannot find any detailed info at all for this area.

Nick

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I also did a private day tour with Batumi Birding this past May. We went to Chorokhi, near the Botanical Gardens and Mtirala NP. It was more target birding, but it was very good. I felt very well taken care of. But Chorokhi is on the opposite side of town from the other two, so it was a lot to do in one day. I didn't go out to the hawk watching site, since it was spring, although Mtirala is near it.

Chorokhi is quite impressive. I suppose you can get close to there with public transport, but there are several different sites in the delta there on both sides of the river. Some are better for wetland birds, others for passerine migrants, and some sites are rather isolated. But if given a choice you really do want to cover all of them. And FWIW, we had a lot of raptors (mostly honey-buzzards) moving through at Chorokhi.

No way you'll get to Mtirala on public transport unless you hire a taxi. It's a long winding drive into the mountains. And it's pretty rugged habitat - a narrow mountain gorge. But the few hours we spent didn't really do it justice.

I also looked into the possibility of going for Caspian snowcock, but it required several days to do it and was far too expensive as a private tour.

I put a trip report on CloudBirders (for this and elsewhere in Georgia - including Kazbegi - and Armenia).

 

[Jos Stratford]

It is very easy to visit the raptor viewpoints totally independently, staying in any of the budget places in Makhinjauri and a car is certainly not required. To get tot he viewpoint in post 4, any northbound microbus (from the square in Makhinjauri) will drop you just after the tunnels on the main road (you can see this on the link in post 4), then walk up the small winding road to the site. It is however a little easy to miss the turn to the actual viewpoint from this little road. Take GPS coordinate if in doubt or just look lost in the village - someone will point you inthe right direction. Guys at the raptor viewpoint were friendly to any visitors.

 

[rosbifs]

http://www.trektellen.nl/count/view/1048/20160906

and what they have been watching...

 

[Nick-on]

Thanks all for the info so far, watch-point location will definitely be very useful. Looks like a car may be needed if we decide to go to Mtirala or even Svaneti. Anybody have any recommendations for car hire places? (also still very light on info about Svaneti).

Nick