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Summer 2001 (9.2)
Pages
26-31
Bird Watching in Azerbaijan
Where
to Go What You'll See
by Napier
Shelton
Azerbaijan is a marvelous place for bird watching. Tucked into
this relatively small country the size of Austria (or the state
of Maine) are environments ranging from alpine to subtropical,
all of which are home for a wide range of life, including birds.
Up until now, however, there has never been descriptive material
available in English about the bird populations and bird migrations.
That's a big setback for birders-people who are passionate about
observing wild birds in their natural habitats.
Napier Shelton, a bird enthusiast and former writer and
editor with the U.S. National Park Service, is about to change
all that with a new book scheduled to come out this summer, "Where
to Watch Birds in Azerbaijan." Here he shares some of the
best locations to pull out your binoculars and set up your telescopes
in this bird-rich country.
______
When I first arrived in Azerbaijan in the summer of 1999, I was
eager to discover what avian treasures might be found in this
country. I wasn't disappointed.
At first I just consulted maps and traveled around to various
places, especially lake regions where I thought various birds
would naturally gather. Later I met Elchin Sultanov, Director
of the Institute of Zoology's Ornithology Laboratory, who pointed
out the best wetlands and coastal areas for bird watching.
Some 360 species of birds have been recorded in Azerbaijan. These
range from the large and spectacular - such as flamingos and
eagles - to many kinds of waterfowl, colorful bee-eaters and
rollers, the amusing, improbable Hoopoe, and numerous small brown
warblers that even strain the identification skills of experts.
The avian show keeps changing throughout the year.
Above:
Some of
the best bird watching areas in Azerbaijan are in the marshlands
off the Caspian where waterbirds including pink flamingos congregate
by the thousands.
Winter
Azerbaijan's relatively mild winters attract many birds from
farther north in Russia to winter. Millions of birds pass over
or stop in Azerbaijan, especially during winter. It may be that
global warming is influencing the increase in the number of species
of birds that habitually winter in Azerbaijan.
Waterbirds by the thousands - both large and small - concentrate
in Azerbaijan's many wetlands and are located along the coast
and inland. Wetland birds include swans, geese, ducks, flamingos
and shorebirds (known as "waders" to the British) like
Black-tailed Godwits, curlews and snipe. Along the coast, Common
and Great Black-headed Gulls can be seen.
Hen Harriers and a few Peregrine Falcons and Saker Falcons hunt
over land; the latter two, unfortunately, are illegally captured
for lucrative sale to Arab falconers.
Some species of small birds that nest farther north also come
to Azerbaijan for the winter. Large flocks of Meadow Pipits and
Bramblings, for instance, roam the open areas, feeding on seeds.
In the mountains, most birds of the alpine zone, like Guldenstadt's
Redstart and the Great Rosefinch, are forced lower in winter
by snow; some even migrate down into the river valleys.
Above
and below:
Some of Azerbaijan's waterbirds have found ways to creatively
construct build nests directly on the water.
Spring
Spring reduces the great wetland show but brings in a different
storm of migrants and nesters. Most of the waterfowl and shorebirds
depart for northerly climes, beginning in late February. Early
arrivals from the south include Hoopoes, Barn Swallows and wheatears,
all easily seen along roadsides. Overhead, you may hear the hoarse
croaking of Common Cranes or glimpse a Steppe Eagle, both on
their way to Russia or Kazakhstan.
Spring migration peaks in April and May. All sorts of small birds,
such as shrikes, warblers and flycatchers, stay to nest or pass
on through. Look for yellow and blue bee-eaters and electric
blue rollers on telephone wires. Along the coast, cormorants,
terns and shorebirds stream by. All this passing and arrival
of new life is what makes spring the most exciting time of the
year for most bird watchers.
Summer
This is the time most birds reproduce. In the marshes, herons,
Pigmy Cormorants and the ducks that have remained behind are
quite conspicuous, while Purple Swamphens, Moorhens and Water
Rails skulk in the reeds. The forest birds, such as tits and
woodpeckers, in the mountain forests and remnant lowland patches,
break away from the winter flocks to set up paired housekeeping.
Alpine birds move upslope to the meadows below snowline. Larks
and wheatears sing above their open country territories. Some
of the days may be too hot for us human beings, but there are
many species to see both in the desert-like plains and in the
mountains. Try the early morning for coolness and for the most
activity, since most birds feed at this time.
Autumn
Bird migrations in fall are not as urgent and concentrated as
they are in spring. There is no reproductive command pushing
them, just the need to find a food supply for winter. Certain
shorebirds start to arrive by late summer, followed by small
landbirds in September. Migration begins to be quite obvious
in October with a variety of land and waterbirds and ends with
the great influx of waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans) between
October and December. Throughout the fall, raptors such as eagles
and hawks pass through, especially along the coast.
Waterbirds, too, have preferred flyways. The majority of them
follow the coast, some cutting across the Absheron Peninsula,
some going around it. While many birds fly further south along
the coast beyond Azerbaijan to Iran, others turn westward and
head into the Kur River lowlands toward interior wetlands or
on to the Black Sea.
What you'll need
So what do you need to get yourself into the countryside to see
some of the action? You'll need a pair of binoculars. For serious
waterbird watching, it's best to take a telescope and a good
field guide to birds. I recommend the "Collins Bird Guide"
by Svensson and Grant, called "Birds of Europe" in
the North American edition. "Birds of Europe, with North
Africa and the Middle East" by Lars Jonsson is also good
but does not cover Azerbaijan in its distribution maps. Both
describe nearly all the birds that occur in Azerbaijan. "Catalog
of Birds of Azerbaijan" by D. G. Tuayev (in Russian and
Azeri) gives more details on habits and distribution, as does
"A Field Guide to Birds of Russia and Adjacent Territories"
by V.E. Flint and others.
Above: Azerbaijan is on the
migratory path for hundreds of species of birds that end up wintering
along the Caspian coast.
As for transportation, you'll need a four-wheel-drive to negotiate
the rough, and sometimes muddy roads to many of the best bird
watching locales. If you don't speak Azeri or Russian, take along
someone who does as a driver or a companion. Rubber boots are
needed for most of the wetland areas. Mark Elliott's "Azerbaijan
with Georgia" is indispensable for information on accommodations,
restaurants, local history, and, in many places, road conditions.
For maps I relied upon "An International Travel Map of Armenia
and Azerbaijan," published by International Travel Maps,
345 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V54 1P8 (It should
also be available in many map stores in North America and Europe).
I also found the map "Azerbaijan Republic", published
by the Government Geodetic Committee, Nobel Prospekti 96, Baku,
and sold, among other places, at the Academic Book Store at 51
Istiglaliyyat Street across from the Presideum of the Academy
of Sciences. The Geodetic map is scaled larger with more details
and thus more accuracy. It also shows topographic contours and
forested areas. However, it is not as simple as the first map
for negotiating main highways.
To gain entry into Azerbaijan's nature reserves (four of which
are described here), you need a letter of permission from the
office of the State Ecological Committee (Tel: 41-42-05) . Designate
which reserves you'd like to visit and which dates. If you are
arriving in the country and can only stay for a short time, try
to get someone here to arrange for the letter of permission beforehand.
However, if you don't have permission, areas next to the reserves
often contain many of the same birds. Many of the wetlands are
hunted, but this poses no danger to bird watchers.
Where to Go
Below are 15 of my favorite bird watching places. I've organized
them according to their distance from Baku and rated them by
bird diversity and abundance, as well as environmental attractiveness.
Four circles is the highest ranking.
1. Lake Ganli (Red
Lake)
(1/2 to 1 day)
This freshwater lake is the best bird watching area near Baku.
It nestles in the valley west of Wolfgate, bounded on the west
and south by the highway that bypasses Baku. In fact, this lake
was created to serve as a reservoir for water flowing down into
the valley when the highway was built to the Caspian shore. The
lake immediately to the south of the road is salty and oily and,
thus, attracts no birds. Lake Ganli is full of birds, especially
in winter. Up the valley from it, extensive marshes hide many
other species of birds.
What you can see, of course, depends upon the season. Early summer
is the least interesting, with a few ducks and herons hanging
around and warblers and other small birds creeping about in the
reeds. If you arrive just when the sun is coming up, you may
see chicken-like Purple Swamphens catching the sun's warmth at
the edge of the marsh below Wolfgate. In late summer, migrating
shorebirds begin arriving, to feed on invertebrates found in
the mudflats. During the main fall migration, you can see a great
variety of waterbirds: ducks, shorebirds, herons, gulls, terns
and maybe a flamingo or two. As winter comes on, many of these
disappear, but the duck and coot populations build up to hundreds.
Often Shovelers, Mallards, rare White-headed Ducks and others
can be easily spotted from the highway on the south side. Other
days, you need to pull on your rubber boots and trek the muddy
west shore. Almost always, you'll see Marsh Harriers coursing
over the reeds, looking for prey.
The western shore is often strewn with windblown trash, which,
of course, is bothersome, but I find that upon spotting some
birds, it quickly disappears from mind.
2. Absheron Peninsula
(1 day)
This area at the southern tip of the Absheron Peninsula has marshy
ponds, beaches and open coastal water. Many migrating birds pass
by; quite a few of them stop. In fall you can sometimes see hundreds
of Great Cormorants heading south.
The ponds along the shore south of Zira have considerable variety.
During most seasons, you'll find herons, ducks and shorebirds.
Once in October I saw a Peregrine Falcon hunting here and a Eurasian
Bittern. One August, I spotted a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater.
The tip end of the peninsula is a long sandy spit now managed
as a conservation area. You need written permission from the
State Ecological Committee to enter (as with nature reserves),
but the effort is worthwhile, especially during spring and fall
migrations.
From late fall through early spring, the causeway to Artyom Island,
at the end of the highway, looks out over hundreds of ducks,
coots and grebes that winter in these waters. One October I spotted
a seal swimming here, its head just above water.
To reach these areas, take the road past the airport, go 5.7
km farther and turn right at the traffic light intersection.
Follow that road to the end of the peninsula. Shortly before
you reach the causeway to Artyom, a road leads south to Kira
and the shore beyond.
Pelican |
Peregrine Falcon |
Tern |
3. Cape Gilazi Dili
(1 day)
I like this place for its sense of remoteness as well as its
birds. Located 20 minutes or so north of Sumgayit, it offers
wet fields, a shore that is both rocky and sandy, and a marsh-fringed
lagoon that is often full of birds. In the wet fields north of
the road that leads to Yeni Yashma, ducks and geese congregate
in the cooler months, along with lapwings and other shorebirds.
There's usually a Marsh Harrier or two cruising about, and once
I saw a magnificent Imperial Eagle.
The next road farther north leads from the highway through Shurabad
to the coast, where it becomes sandy but usually easily negotiable.
Shorebirds like Grey Plovers and Dunlins can be seen along the
sea fringe. At the end of this track, you'll find a shack on
stilts beside the lagoon. I had one of my best bird watching
days ever in early October at Cape Gilazi Dili, with such finds
as Dalmatian Pelican, Short-eared Owl, Common Cranes, and White
Stork, along with five kinds of herons.
4. Shirvan Nature
Reserve
(1 day)
I've given this location three circles because you're likely
to find a wide variety of birds here along with gazelle herds.
The landscape is also fascinating as it stretches over a vast
flat region east to the Caspian shore. The entrance to the nature
reserve is on the highway leading to Salyan, about 1.5 hours
from Baku.
With the requisite permission, a staff member will guide you
to the headquarters, which overlooks a marshy lake with many
birds (when the lake has water).
Tufted Duck |
Cormorant |
Coot |
Heron |
Here I once saw an Imperial Eagle diving at a White-tailed Eagle.
A Purple Swamphen or two is usually visible as it meanders from
one reed patch to another. The Caspian coast, best reached via
a road on the north side of the Bash Shirvan Canal, is especially
interesting during migrations (permission is also needed here).
At such times I've seen Mediterranean Gulls, a newcomer to the
Caspian, and perhaps Azerbaijan's first recorded Richard's Pipit,
which originates from Central Asia.
5. Kur River Delta
(1 day)
The Kur River has many good bird watching spots, but the best
is the river's delta, near Neftchala. From Salyan, it's about
one hour to the sturgeon hatchery at Birinji Mayak. Along the
last few kilometers, you pass villages where Lesser Kestrels
are nesting. Kestrels are a colonial, globally threatened species.
The hatchery is located between a lagoon and a large group of
sturgeon-rearing ponds, most of which are not used these days.
This area attracts ducks, swans, flamingos, coots, shorebirds
and herons. The exposed mudflats attract sandpipers and other
shorebirds, late summer through spring. From the east side of
the sturgeon pond area, with a telescope, you can scan the shrubby
flats that extend to the Caspian beaches. Hawks may be found
hunting over the flats. Gulls, ducks, shorebirds and sometimes
pelicans like to sun on the beaches. Many herons and Pigmy and
Great Cormorants nest in the delta as well.
6. Lake Hajigabul
(1 day)
Located just south of Gazimammad, one of the great characteristics
of this lake is that there are few reeds to block the view of
the thousands of ducks that winter there. The ducks usually congregate
off the north shore or out in the middle of the lake. With a
telescope you can get a wonderful view of ten or more kinds of
ducks - Shovelers, Mallards, Teal, White-headed Ducks, Common
and Red-crested Pochards, Tufted Ducks and others. Late summer
through spring, you should also see herons and a variety of shorebirds.
On one January visit, I saw seven flamingos and a flock of 300
black and white avocets, an elegant shorebird. When they took
off flying, they looked like a snowy cloud against the distant
hills. The ponds along the highway on the west side of the lake
make for good shorebird watching, too.
To reach the lake, about 1.5 hours from Baku, take the southerly
bypass around Gazimammad. You'll see the lake spread out before
you.
7. Lake Mahmudchala
(1 day)
This lake lies about 2.5 hours south of Baku, on the highway
to Lankaran, between Shorsulu and Bilasuvar. It, too, is "user-friendly."
Usually in the cooler months you can see large rafts of ducks
right from the highway. Farther west, snipe, redshanks and Black-tailed
Godwits feed in the wet pools beside the road.
In April I've seen Squacco Herons and a White-tailed Eagle.
Another convenient viewing route is the road that extends for
several kilometers along the canal on the east side of the lake.
Don't attempt to drive there in wet weather - it becomes extremely
slippery - but it's accessible by foot anytime. Here you can
watch birds in the reeds along the canal, such as Moorhens, Reed
Buntings and Bearded Reedlings.
8. Pirgulu
(1-2 days)
I like this area both for its variety of birds and for its scenery.
Going north from Shamakhi, the road climbs through villages and
wheat fields to provide wonderful views of the Greater Caucasus.
Along this road I've seen Booted Eagle, Black Vulture, Egyptian
Vulture and other raptors perched on power poles or soaring on
the rising air currents. Around the observatory at Pirgulu, extensive
forests, including the Pirgulu Nature Reserve, offer treecreepers,
nuthatches, Wood Pigeons, woodpeckers, Mistle Thrushes, tits,
and in summer, warblers and flycatchers.
The pavement ends at Pirgulu and a somewhat rough, but manageable,
road continues to Damirchi, fording a stream near the village.
Four-wheel-drive is preferable here but is absolutely necessary
north of Damirchi along the Pirsaatchay. Alpine birds like Twite,
Ring Ouzel and Guldenstadt's Redstart descend into this valley
in winter. It appears possible to pursue such birds in summer
by walking up spur ridges to the main ridge from the village
of Zarat Kheytari (ask locally for the easiest route). Cottages
and a restaurant at Pirgulu are available if you want to make
this a two-day trip.
9. Varvara
(2 days)
The lake and marshes here, south of Mingachevir, were created
by a dam on the Kur River. Bird watching is good here, but you'd
probably want to also visit other sites en route to justify the
four-hour drive from Baku. You can drive or walk the dike along
the east side of the lake. Ducks, including the rare Ferruginous
Duck, grebes and coots can be seen in the open water between
the extensive areas of marsh. Moorhens and Purple Swamphens call
mysteriously from the reeds. A pond three km south of Mingachevir
along the western approach to that city is usually full of waterbirds,
including White-tailed Plovers, a mainly Central Asian bird.
Short vegetation makes the birds quite visible.
To stay overnight, your best bet is probably the Kur or Kainat
motel, located side by side on the right bank of the river at
Mingachevir. The river here usually has lots of feeding black-headed
gulls, Pigmy Cormorants and Little Grebes.
10. Long Forest
(2 days)
This is a comfortable place to seek out the birds of a forested
stream valley near Guba (and go horsebacking, too, if you choose).
Small fields and an orchard add more habitat and bird variety.
I saw Grey Wagtails along the stream and will look for Dippers
the next time I go there. In early September in the orchard I
encountered an interesting mixed flock of woodpeckers, flycatchers,
warblers and other birds. With more time you can venture from
here higher into the mountains.
Long Forest is off the main road from Guba to Gusar - watch for
the signs. The Black Spring Resort on the river near Gusar is
another good place to stay, but the forest on the river flats
is very patchy. I did see my first Black Woodpecker, an impressive,
almost crow-sized bird, in the beech forest that covers the adjacent
valley slope.
11. Gizilaghaj
Bay
(2-3 days)
This is the premier bird watching area in all of Azerbaijan.
In the winter, half a million waterbirds congregate here. In
spring and fall, other millions of migrating birds-large and
small-pass through. The abundance of water and the variety of
vegetation attract many nesting birds. Relatively mild winters
allow individual birds of some species to stay here, while the
others would generally leave other parts of the country.
Access to all this richness is a bit of a challenge, however.
If you get permission to enter the Gizilaghaj Nature Reserve,
which encompasses the bay and much of the marshy surrounding
land, the visit by road gives access to marsh, dry land and some
waterbirds.
If you really want to see the waterbirds, you have to arrange
to go in by boat. Areas outside the reserve are also good but
can't all be reached in one day. Along the causeway between Port
Ilich and Narimanabad, you can see lots of ducks, gulls, terns,
herons and shorebirds, especially near the Narimanabad end. Continuing
north along the shore you can see dozens of Pigmy Cormorants,
sometimes pelicans, and other waterbirds on the outer beach and
in the lagoons behind it.
Boatmen at Port Ilich and villages such as Tazakand, southwest
of Gizilaghaj Bay, can take you into what they call the "little
sea," a smaller version of the former. The Dashvand Hotel,
just west of Masalli, is a good place to stay.
The area can also be approached from Neftchala, north of Gizilaghaj
Bay. This is a long one-day trip from Baku. Various roads and
tracks lead south to Saratovka, the last village on this peninsula.
Here, with the Caspian on both sides of the road, you are in
waterbird heaven, especially in winter. In January I saw around
12,000 ducks, close to 3,000 flamingos, great numbers of shorebirds
including Black-tailed Godwits and curlews and a Short-eared
Owl.
The end of the peninsula looked like a good place to camp and
enjoy the changing avian scene (though mosquitoes might pose
a problem during the warmer months). If you wish, boatmen at
Saratovka can take you to the island south of here, since the
road has been cut off by the rising Caspian sea.
12. Lankaran-Lerik
(2-3 days)
This road, running from the coastal lowland to a view of Talish
Mountain peaks, follows a stream valley with the lushest, most
beautiful forest I've ever seen in Azerbaijan. I've included
this area here because of the superb scenery as well as the potential
for watching birds. The forest has the usual complement of permanent
residents such as tits, woodpeckers, and treecreepers, and summer
birds such as Greenish Warblers and Semi-collared and Red-breasted
Flycatchers. Along the rushing stream, hunt for dippers, which
is an interesting little bird that can actually fly underwater
as well as walk on the bottom. You'll find Grey Wagtails, too.
Past Lerik, on the higher peaks, look for vultures, Golden Eagle,
Alpine Accentor, Alpine Swift, snowfinch, Alpine Chough and other
birds of the high mountains. The mountaintops around Bilaband
are some of the most accessible by foot. It's best not to venture
too close to the Iranian border as border guards, naturally,
may become suspicious of someone using binoculars.
The Dashvand Hotel near Masalli makes a good base for travel
into the Talish Mountains, though the Lerik road is about 45
minutes south. The road to Yardimli leads through similar, though
not as beautiful terrain, and is not quite as good for birds.
Last February I went to the Lankaran area, expecting balmier
weather than Baku's. Instead, I ran into three days of snow,
which accumulated to more than a foot of snow. We got stuck once
and the visibility was sometimes poor, but we still saw a lot
of birds. It was strange to spot two White Storks, which usually
winter in Africa, flying there right through the snowfall.
13. Aghgol Nature
Reserve
(3 days)
Out here on this large lake and marsh complex in the middle of
Azerbaijan, east of Aghjabadi, there's a pleasing sense of remoteness
and vastness. The rough, sometimes impassable, approach road
crosses an undulating plain reminiscent of Mongolia.
Birding around the marsh and water edges in January, I saw Purple
Swamphens, White-tailed Plovers, many ducks and shorebirds. In
the reeds I found a little black-masked Penduline Tit foraging.
Early morning was the best time as birds were on the move: Greylag
Geese heading out to feed in fields, flamingos moving from one
part of the lake to another, a Dalmatian Pelican in all its huge
whiteness. Nearby a Little Egret forever searched for crayfish
in the wet ground.
My driver and I stayed in a spartan guard house with two of the
nature reserve guards. If you get permission to come here, bring
food, water, flashlight, sleeping bag or blankets, toilet paper
(outhouse) and firewood for the wood stove. A guard would probably
be able to take you on the lake in a boat, for best viewing of
waterbirds, though a film of ice prevented this when I was there.
You should give something to the poorly-paid guards who help
you. I'll skip directions from the reserve office in Aghjabadi
as a staff member will have to guide you to the reserve. Four-wheel-drive
is absolutely essential.
14. Zagatala Nature
Reserve
(3-4 days)
This is a three-circle location if you can travel up to its higher
elevations, two circles if you stay in the forests of the reserve
or nearby areas. I was fortunate in being able to ride a horse
with the director and other reserve staff to a high-elevation
guardhouse, where we spent two nights.
While riding higher, we saw a Lammergeier and a group of tur
(aurochs). This was September and we heard two flocks of cranes
migrating high over the Greater Caucasus. At night roe deer and
red deer rasped and bellowed in the forested valleys. Wolves
tried to attack someone's cow, seemingly unsuccessfully.
The reserve is home to many hawks, eagles and vultures, alpine
species like Caucasian Grouse and Caucasian Snowcock, forest
birds like the large Black Woodpecker and a host of others. The
forest itself is impressive, with many trunks of a meter or more
circumference, as they have been protected in this reserve since
1929.
For accommodations, Mark Elliott suggests the Tala Pansionati
in Zagatala. The cottages of the Ilisu Pansionati a few kilometers
north of Gakh are only 30 minutes away, near other attractive
mountain forests and the Ilisu Nature Reserve.
15. Babadagh
(4 days)
This mountain, which rises to 3,629 meters, is sacred to many
Azerbaijanis, who make pilgrimages there. I include it here as
an excellent place to see alpine birds and enjoy the craggy scenery.
Late May through July is the best season. The birds, most of
which are infrequently seen at lower elevations, include the
Caucasian Snowcock, Caucasian Grouse, Great Rosefinch, Guldenstadt's
Redstart, Red-fronted Serin, Snowfinch and many others. I confess
that I haven't been there yet.
I plan to get help in organizing the horses, tents and other
gear for a four-day trip: 1.5 days to reach there from Baku,
1.5 days to return, and two half-days to search for birds.
One route begins from the Guba side of the mountains, starting
the trek from the village of Garkhun or higher, depending on
what your four-wheel-drive can negotiate. Another starts from
Istisu, on the south side, and requires a 6-hour horseback ride
to the alpine zone.
Napier Shelton is a former writer
and editor for the U.S. National Park Service. His wife, Elisabeth
Shelton, served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy
from Summer 1999 to Summer 2001.
To inquire about the new book, "Where to Watch Birds in
Azerbaijan", write Napier Shelton at P.O. Box 305, Port
Sanilac, Michigan 48469, USA or contact him via e-mail: sheltonew@state.gov. In Baku, contact Elchin
Sultanov, Director, Ornithology Laboratory at Baku's Institute
of Zoology at: sultanov@azdata.net.
Mr. Shelton wishes to thank Elnur Aliyev and Suleyman Suleymanov,
who drove to these difficult remote places where he caught some
unforgettable glimpses of nature.
_____
From Azerbaijan
International
(9.2) Summer 2001.
© Azerbaijan International 2001. All rights reserved.
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