breeding birds, photography, travels

Spring Trip from 21 May to 13 June 2013 (Part 2 – Greater Caucasus)

Text & Photos © M. Heiß The second half of our round trip through Azerbaijan led us along the Greater Caucasus range. We visted the alpine zone of the Shahdag National Park around the villages Laza and Xinaliq, which produced some good views of the Caucasian specialities. Welcome to Laza - steep gravel roads need… Continue reading Spring Trip from 21 May to 13 June 2013 (Part 2 – Greater Caucasus)

breeding birds, photography, travels

Spring Trip from 21 May to 13 June 2013 (Part 1 – Shirvan NP, Talysh and Zuvand)

Text & Photos © M. Heiß Despite this year’s spring trip did not focus on birds, as the interest of the tourist group was in plants and landscape, we had a plenty of good views on the local bird species. The trip started in the capital Baku and we quickly headed south to the Shirvan… Continue reading Spring Trip from 21 May to 13 June 2013 (Part 1 – Shirvan NP, Talysh and Zuvand)

Besh Barmag, bird migration, photography, science

Photographs of the last days

Text & Photos © M. Heiß Birdwatching in May is probably the most comfortable time with warm temperatures between 20-25°C, sunny weather and many birds and great song activity. Calandra Larks and Isabelline Weathears are singing in the steppes, whereas Nightingales, Cuckoos and Turtle Doves are singing in the bushes. Along the lagoon small breeding… Continue reading Photographs of the last days

Besh Barmag, bird migration, photography, science

Rare birds, mist netting and students from Baku

Text & Photos © M. Heiß Daily we observe new species, which arrived from the wintering grounds and pass through the Besh Barmag bottleneck. The last days arrived Black Redstart, Blackcap, Glossy Ibis, Whimbrel, Steppe Eagle, Wryneck, Montagues Harrier and many more. The number of migrating larks is now decreasing, whereas swallows are increasing. The… Continue reading Rare birds, mist netting and students from Baku

Besh Barmag, bird migration, photography, science

Spring migration

Text & Photos © M. Heiß The wintertime is obviously over and bird migration increase day by day. Currently, we observe good numbers of migrating passerines with daily hundreds of Reed Buntings, Chaffinches and White Wagtails, the first Yellow and Citrine Wagtails also arrived. Daily, thousands of larks pass through the Besh Barmag bottleneck, mainly… Continue reading Spring migration

Besh Barmag, bird migration, photography, science

Start of spring migration counts

Text & Photos © M. Heiß I am now back for the spring migration counts in Azerbaijan and I am now accompanied by Friedrich, a student from Germany who is doing research on resting passerines in bushes at the study site. These bushes are a welcome stopover for migrants and sometimes impressively crowed. After some… Continue reading Start of spring migration counts