The handsome, range-limited Saxual Sparrow can be found in the scrub forests of the Gobi Desert. Photo: James Lidster
Lying at the heart of the vast continent of Asia, Mongolia is still the land where nomadic horsemen ride across windswept steppes, where shamanism and ancient Tibetan Buddhism flourish and where, according to legend, Genghis Khan, leader of the once great Mongol empire, is buried. This exotic country is full of natural wonders: the vast Gobi Desert, which covers one-third of Mongolia, the endless steppes strewn with thousands of lakes, the picturesque Altai Mountains and the rich taiga forest?all remote, beautiful, fascinating and full of birds.
Our trip here will be more than just another birding tour?it will be a true adventure. From the capital city of Ulaanbaatar we’ll travel out into a forgotten land, largely unchanged for centuries, and as befits a culture famous for its nomadic way of life, we’ll camp as we go. We’ll gaze on stunning landscapes seen by few Westerners and on birds most Western birdwatchers can only dream about: Upland Buzzard, Amur Falcon, Altai Snowcock, Pallas’s Fish-Eagle, Oriental Plover, Relict Gull, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Mongolian Lark, Blyth’s Pipit, Kozlov’s Accentor and many more.
Our ground agents are skilled at showing this wonderful country to groups. We’ll travel in vehicles admirably suited to the terrain and stay in superb camps that are testament to their nomadic heritage. We’ll mingle with the locals tending their flocks of sheep and cattle, much as they have done for centuries, and we’ll walk along pathways few have trodden.
Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Ulaanbaatar. Night in Ulaanbaatar.
Day 2: After meeting the group arriving from London, we drive the short distance to the Tuul River for a relaxed introduction to the birds of this fascinating country. Our eastern location will immediately become obvious with birds such as Black-eared Kite, Hill Pigeon, Pacific Swift and Red-billed Chough around town. Once out in open country we’ll begin to get a taste of what birding in the heart of Asia is all about, with Ruddy Shelduck, Blyth’s Pipit, Brown Shrike, Isabelline Wheatear and Daurian Jackdaw all possible. A short stop around the willow-fringed river should provide our first encounter with the highly sought-after Azure Tit as well as Gray-headed and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Hoopoe, White-cheeked Starling and Daurian Redstart. Night in Ulaanbaatar.
Day 3: After a morning flight from Ulaanbaatar to Bayankhongor we’ll set our sights on the fabled Boon Tsaagan Nuur. Birding on the way could vary from a close-by Upland Buzzard or Saker Falcon to a dazzling Citrine Wagtail or showy Pied Wheatear. In the afternoon we could well see our first of many Pallas’s Sandgrouse and Mongolian Larks, species as enigmatic as the country itself. Night camping.
Days 4-6: We’ll spend these days around Boon Tsaagan Nuur, a jewel of a lake that is home to one of Asia’s rarest birds, the striking Relict Gull. In this remote wilderness we’ll hope to commune with this beautiful gull, of course, but there will be many other birds, migrants and residents alike, to distract us. Brown-headed Gull can occur here along with Great White Egret, Eurasian Spoonbill, Whooper Swan, Bar-headed and Swan Geese, Ferruginous Duck, Pallas’s Fish-Eagle, Pallas’s Gull, Gull-billed and Caspian Terns, Pallas’s Reed Bunting and Pallas’s Grasshopper and Paddyfield Warblers. A variety of rarities such as Intermediate Egret (the first for Mongolia found by our group in 2007) and Chinese Pond Heron have been seen here in the past, and the list of waders could include Greater Sandplover and Kentish Plover, Asiatic Dowitcher, Marsh Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint and Black-winged Stilt. Nights camping.
Day 7: We’ll spend most of the day driving toward Orog Nuur. Before we reach the lake we’ll spend time searching for the charismatic Henderson’s Ground-Jay, aided by good local knowledge of its habitat requirements. The same areas are likely to hold both Isabelline and Steppe Gray Shrikes, both species at the forefront of recent taxonomic decisions. Arriving at Orog Nuur in the afternoon we could be serenaded by displaying Richard’s Pipits and ”drumming” Common Snipe over our campsite while flocks of Mongolian Trumpeter Finches feed nearby. Water levels in this lake vary considerably from year to year, governing to some extent what we’ll see. If there is plenty of water we could enjoy a selection similar to that at Boon Tsaagan Nuur with maybe a few surprises in the form of a different wader or wildfowl species. The damp areas left in drier years are home to Water Rail, Water Pipit and Citrine Wagtail as well as feeding Wood and Marsh Sandpipers, groups of White-winged Black Terns and perhaps some Garganey. Night camping.
Day 8: After a morning of checking various habitats around Orog Nuur we’ll start our journey toward the Gobi Desert. This is mainly a traveling day and we’ll choose a campsite where we are unlikely to be disturbed and where the view of the night sky should be unrivaled. Night camping.
Day 9: Our drive takes us through some fantastic scenery as we pass under the shadow of the mountain massif of Ikh Bogd Uul, which dominates the landscape. Our destination is Khongoryn Els in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, home to some of the world’s largest sand dunes. This dry desert habitat will present us with new species including Saxaul Sparrow, Desert Wheatear and Asian Desert Warbler, and Goitered and Mongolian Gazelles are both possible. In some years there is a small stream on the edge of the dunes which acts as a great migrant trap as well as a drinking site for many Pallas’s Sandgrouse. We may wish to climb the dunes to watch the setting sun, an unforgettable experience. Night at Khongoryn Els ger (yurt) camp.
Day 10: We’ll spend the morning on the edge of the dunes and in the afternoon drive to the Gobi Tourist Camp. This day will provide our best opportunity to catch up with Oriental Plover. Such a dramatic species in a bleak, almost lifeless desert is sure to be one of the highlights of the trip. We hope to reach the Juulchin 1 Gobi Camp in the afternoon. Here poplar trees planted several decades ago not only provide shelter for the camp but also act as an oasis for passing migrants. On the last two trips we have seen Golden Oriole, Long-eared Owl, the leucopsis race of White Wagtail, Red-throated Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, Taiga Flycatcher, Brown Shrike, Chaffinch and Pallas’s Grasshopper, Two-barred Greenish, Dusky and Thick-billed Warblers. Some new species for Mongolia, such as Forest Wagtail and Black Drongo, have been found here, and in 2007 we found the first Red Collared-Dove for the country. Night at Gobi Tourist Camp.
Day 11: After breakfast we’ll head to Yolyn Am, the Valley of the Lammergeier, in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. The lofty ridges of the valley are indeed patrolled by Lammergeiers as well as Himalayan Griffon, Black Vulture and Golden Eagle. We’ll also search this rocky habitat for Wallcreeper, Crag Martin, Water Pipit, the endemic Kozlov’s Accentor as well as the much commoner Brown and Alpine Accentors, Black Redstart, White-winged Snowfinch, Great, Common and Beautiful Rosefinches and Godlewski’s Bunting. We’ll scan the higher slopes for Altai Snowcock and in doing so we may also see an Ibex or Argali, the largest wild sheep in the world. There may be other eyes gazing on these creatures as well, for here we are in the territory of Snow Leopard. Although visitors have seen them in the past, the chances of doing so are obviously very remote. Night camping at Yolyn Am.
Day 12: Before breakfast there will be the option to climb to the high ridges in search of Altai Snowcock, although scanning from our campsite could easily provide distant views. We’ll spend the rest of the morning at Yolyn Am, where Barred and Sulphur-bellied Warblers may be the center of our attention or maybe a small group of Twite drinking from the stream. In the afternoon we’ll return to the Gobi Tourist Camp, where we’ll once again check the surrounding trees. The regular flock of Lesser Kestrels here may attract an Amur Falcon and the trees are a magnet for a constantly changing array of migrants. Night at Gobi Tourist Camp.
Day 13: After a last look for migrants around the tourist camp we’ll transfer to Dalandzadgad for our return flight to Ulaanbaatar. From the capital we’ll drive straight to Terelj and if time allows we’ll explore the area around our tourist camp, where once again we’ll sleep in traditional felt-lined gers. The patches of coniferous forest nearby are home to Olive-backed Pipit, Pallas’s Warbler and Pine Bunting, and we could see Black Woodpecker and Common Rosefinch as well. Night at ger camp.
Day 14: We’ll spend a whole day exploring Terelj, a vast area of mixed forest that is essentially the southern edge of the mighty Siberian taiga. Birds here will be typical of that habitat and could include such Siberian delights as Oriental Cuckoo, White-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Siberian Rubythroat, Dark-sided Flycatcher and Two-barred Greenish, Dusky, Yellow-browed and Pallas’s Warblers, to name a few. With luck we may come across rarely encountered species such as Black-billed Capercaillie, Red-throated Thrush, Red-flanked Bluetail and Nutcracker. Night at ger camp.
Day 15: Today we’ll move the short distance to a private ger camp run by our ground agents. Right outside our gers we could see both Mongolian and Horned Larks, and the nearby ridges often hold both Steppe and Golden Eagles. Careful checking of all these raptors might produce an Oriental Honey Buzzard or perhaps a White-tailed Eagle. Night at Jalman ger camp.
Day 16: We’ll spend all day exploring Jalman Meadows, where the riverside vegetation could produce such splendid birds as Black and Gray-headed Woodpeckers, Siberian Rubythroat, Azure Tit and Brown Shrike. The valley regularly holds raptors and at times it may be difficult to know whether to enjoy a singing Red-throated Thrush, count the Black Vultures or study the subtleties of a Two-barred Greenish Warbler identification. Night at Jalman ger camp.
Day 17: The small reserve of Gun Galuut is a new feature in our itinerary following a very successful visit last year. One of the key species is breeding White-naped Crane and we should have great views of this magnificent species. In recent years this site has also seen the occasional summering Siberian Crane and we will of course keep our fingers crossed. The wet marshland holds more Citrine Wagtails and Marsh Sandpipers and sometimes Asian Dowitcher. Swan Geese graze in the nearby meadows and Mongolian Larks sing all around. Night at Gun Galuut ger camp.
Day 18: We’ll spend the morning around Gun Galuut, where two larger lakes often hold good numbers of wildfowl. This seems a popular site for the distinctive stejnegeri race of White-winged Scoter, and scanning through the ducks could produce Smew, Garganey or, if we are really lucky, a spectacular Falcated Duck. Waders can also be abundant with Marsh Sandpipers particularly common. In the afternoon we’ll return to Ulaanbaatar, where the traffic noise and people will be quite a shock to our relaxed systems! Night in Ulaanbaatar.
Day 19: The tour concludes this morning in Ulaanbaatar.
Updated: 06 March 2008
Prices
- 2008 price about $4,570
- Single Occupancy Supplement $290
- 2009 price not yet available.
Notes
This tour is limted to 14 participants and two leaders. Both leaders will accompany the group irrespective of group size.
Those who wish to join the group flying out from London should contact the WINGS office.
Due to limited air service, the dates of this tour may shift by a day or two once the final summer schedule has been announced.
This tour involves some long drives on non-existent roads of varying quality. Away from Ulaanbaatar we’ll stay in camps erected by our ground agents, or in ger (yurt) camps which are permanent lodge-type accommodation using the traditional large round tents typical of the region. Single room accommodation at the yurt camps cannot be guaranteed, and that private bathroom facilities will not be available other than in Ulaanbaatar.
This tour is organized by our British Company, Sunbird.