Photo © Peter Alfrey Spring migration is in full swing, eagerly awaited by lucky observers! Among the species often overlooked is the Oriental Honey Buzzard in Azerbaijan, with only two confirmed sightings in the past few decades. Despite higher populations in neighboring regions, especially noted by our friends at Batumi Raptor Count, we believe more… Continue reading Oriental Honey Buzzard hybrid on spring migration
Photo © Erik Hirschfeld The first spring record of the Little Bunting in Azerbaijan! The bird was spotted by Erik Hirschfeld, Teet Sirotkin, Lars-Göte Nilsson, and Elvin Memmedsoy in Absheron National Park on 24 April 2024. Located just about 60km from central Baku, this park teems with birdlife and boasts a charmingly remote setting at… Continue reading Spring record of Little Bunting
Text © Zülfü Fərəcli Concluding the Besh Barmag Bird Migration Count marks the completion of 90 days of dedicated bird observation. In the final two weeks, the counters were treated to remarkable highlights, notably on the 19th, when a staggering 749 Meadow Pipits, 16 Water Pipits and 235 pipit sp. gracefully migrated south, accompanied by… Continue reading Besh Barmag bird migration count finnished for autumn 2023!
Text © Zülfü Fərəcli November team at the counting station © Leyla Muslim The Besh Barmag Bird Migration Count has now logged 75 days of tracking for the autumn of 2023. As the station braces for plummeting temperatures, sightings of winter birds have commenced. On November 4th, noteworthy sightings included over 1000 Pintails, 79 Dalmatian… Continue reading Great mix of species at Besh Barmag in November
Text © Zülfü Fərəcli Busy counters © Anna Klassen The Besh Barmag Bird Migration Count has progressed over a span of two months into the current season, with a notable count of eight weeks for autumn 2023. With the gradual drop in temperature, a noticeable influx of late migrants has been observed. Some days were… Continue reading Eight weeks counted at Besh Barmag
While Georgia has rapidly established its reputation as a must-visit for birders, Azerbaijan remains still rather unexplored. But there is little justification for this. The country is home to all the famous Greater Caucasus endemics, has huge coastal wetlands hosting millions of migrants, subtropic lush forests where the only Shikra of the West Palearctic breed,… Continue reading Undiscovered Azerbaijan – Batumi Birding: 20 May – 1 June 2024
Today, the team at Besh Barmag bottleneck enjoyed excellent bird migration thanks to the prevailing south and south-east winds. The bird counters were blessed with impressive sights of large flocks of Great White Egrets, Cormorants, thousands of Calandra Larks and several flocks of Little Bustards passing close to the counting station. Check the results: https://trektellen.nl/count/view/1533/20231018… Continue reading Good passage of Great White Egrets, Cormorants, Calandra Larks at Besh Barmag
Text © Michael Heiß Visitors on World Migratory Bird Day © Elvin Məmmədsoy The Besh Barmag Bird Migration Count is currently halfway through the season. Remarkable six weeks have been counted for autumn 2023 and six more will follow. In the first half of October, five dedicated counters, namely Leyla, Elvin, Zülfü, Moritz and Lasse,… Continue reading Halfway through the counting season at Besh Barmag
Text © Michael Heiß Bird counters in September © Michael Heiß The Besh Barmag bird migration bottleneck continues to captivate bird enthusiasts with its incredible observations, leaving up to seven passionate counters at the station enthralled. While the last two weeks of September can be slow on certain days, especially under warm, clear blue skies,… Continue reading Rare sightings and good bird migration in the second half of September at Besh Barmag
Text © Michael Heiß The Besh Barmag Bird Migration Count is now in its third counting season, marking a significant milestone in our ongoing effort to document the incredible avian spectacle that unfolds here. Over the course of three months, from sunrise to sunset, we record the daily bird migration in one of the most… Continue reading First two weeks of the Besh Barmag Bird Migration Count 2023
Birding Azerbaijan 