Georgia V/07
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Georgia 17th to 25th of May 2007

To Georgia and Kazbegi

Finally the holiday had started and we had driven to Helsinki. At 6.30 p.m. we met Andreas Lindén, Kari Haataja and Keijo Wahlroos in Helsinki-Vantaa airport. We were on our way to Georgia (again) to Kazbegi mountain and Cashachuna semi-desert area for a 8 days birding.

On our last Georgia and Armenia trip on summer of 2006 we lost our hearts for Kazbegi and because of we then not succeeded to find a Caucasian Black Grouse we had decided to go back as soon as possible. So we had started to seek keen wp-tickers or other birdwatchers to join us and after all we now had a small but very good group with number one Finnish wp-ticker, photographers and recorders.

First we flew to Riga, Latvia where we were exactly on time at 9.25 p.m. and only an hour later we continued to Tbilibi, Georgia where we were at 3.10 a.m.

We had arranged everything ready with help of the guide we had on our last trip Giorgi Rajebashvili. Unfortunately Giorgi had been booked already but he had arranged his good friend Zura Javakhisvili to be our guide and Robinson as a driver. The first trip-tick Nightingale was singing in front of the shop nearby the airport when we were packing the big green Ford Transit. Soon we were on our way to north via military highway. During the first hour it was still dark but we were all watching out from the windows to see any birds. Surprisingly only Blackbirds were seen in the beginning. It might have been more clever to sleep because of we had a hard trip to come.

After a couple of hours driving we stopped to Ananuri fortress where we saw and heard a Robin, a Song Thrush, a Caucasian Warbler (P. trochilkoides nitidus), Buzzard, Greenfinch, Redstart (ssp samamisicus), Black Redstart (ssp semirufus), Grey Wagtail, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Rock Bunting and so on.

The road was climbing higher and higher and we saw snowy tops of mountains and soon there were lots of snow along the road too. There were huge numbers of cows, sheep and goats on the road. Shepards were leading them to the mountains after a hard and long winter.

The next stops were made in a couple of view-watching places and we saw for example Jays (ssp atricapillus, Tree Pipits, Common Rosefinches, Whitethroats, Cuckoos, Red-billed Choughs, Crag Martins, Twites (ssp brevirostris - Turkish Twite), Water Pipits (ssp coutellii), Ring Ouzels (ssp amicorum), Snow Finches and even 2 Caucasian Black Grouses that were seen far on one slope. So we had already one of the target species found and the only lifer we were expecting for me and Hanna!

The road kept on climbing and the travelling was slowly. Finally after 4 hours we arrived at the surprisingly big Kazbegi village. We parked in front of familiar Yugos house and while we were carrying our luggages in we saw some Griffon Vultures and first 2 Red-fronted Serins. Then we were ready to go to sleep for a couple of hours.

Once we woke up we went to the balcony where we could see incredible views to mount Kazbegi but also some birds: a Honey Buzzard, Golden Eagles, a Collared Dove and a couple of Lammergaiers; also a youngish Black Stork was seen soaring above the mountains. After the lunch we went birding to a riverside to a bushy area where we know we could find some Mountain Chiffchaffs (P. sindianus lorenzii). After a couple of kilometres driving we parked the car a immediately we found the chiffchaffs. There were plenty of them. Also a Garden Warbler, a Willow Warbler and some other common species were seen. We also saw a nest of a local Common Buzzard (ssp menestris). When the sun was already setting down we drove back to the house and after the dinner we went to sleep.

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