Sunday 30 September 2012

Some interesting and some spectacular birds from Azerbaijan

These images are all from a trip to Azerbaijan in June/July 2012.  From a birding perspective, Azerbaijan is an incredibly interesting country, because of a mixture of some spectacular birds and a number of eastern taxa that occur (or potentially occur) in Britain as vagrants. Pictured above is a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - one of the spectacular birds.

 Eastern Black Redstart
 Adult and juvenile Snow Finch
 Juvenile Snow Finch
 Adult Snow Finch
 Eastern Nightingale golzii
 An interesting (grey-headed) female red-backed Shrike
An intersting male Red-backed Shrike - note the white in the base of the primaries
 Juvenile samamisicus Redstart
 An adult female.  Adult birds were very worn during the visit in June/July.
 And and adult male -  the silvery wing panel is very evident on this individual.
 White Wagtail.  The taxon that occurs in Azerbaijan has extensively white greater coverts
 Lesser Kestrel
 Lesser Kestrel
 Blue-checked Bee-eaters
 Rufous Bush Robin
 A male samamisicus - note the reduced wing panel on this individual, related to wear
 Calandra Larks
 Calandra Lark
 Rock Bunting
 Rock Thrush (male)
 Rock Thrish (Juv)
 Shore Lark
 Common Rosefinch
 Rose-coloured Starlings
 An adult
A juvenile