Batumi - Quality, not Quantity

Big clear out at Batumi, but what was left was quality - 3 Great Reed Warbler, 6 Ortolans, just 3 Hoopoe, a Bluethroat, 5 Lesser Grey Shrike, 3 Wryneck, 3 Red-throated Pipit, 5 Barred Warblers, 30 Red-backed Shrike, 10 Reed Warbler, 1 Citrine Wagtail, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Isabelline Wheatear, 1 Tawny Pipit, 3 Quail and a Blackcap.

Bluethroat

Great Reed Warbler

Hoopoe

Ortolan Bunting

Wryneck

28th January 2010 Thol Area.

After getting a car and a driver sorted out, eventually headed of towards Thol Sanctuary. On the way stopped at Ognaj village, where the large village tank offers some close views of water birds - 300+ Ruff, 150+ Little Stints, 4 Avocets, 8 Black-tailed Godwits and 20 Greater Flamingo were all within 100 yards of the road.
Got to Thol at about 10:30 and spent most of the rest of the day there - Thol is massive, even with a 'scope, it's massive, so after a while gave up on trying to scan through the huge rafts of Ducks in the distance, and just spent the day birding. 30+ River Terns, 40+ Black Ibis, 20+ Glossy Ibis, 120+ Painted Stork and 10 Whiskered Tern were all seen relatively close to the banks. 100+ Greater Flamingo, 70+ Common Crane and 5 Sarus Crane on distant islands, 2 Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Sykes Warbler in the Acacia Woodland (Thol was the only place we saw Sykes Warbler), and 4 Painted Francolin were seen around the car park. A distant Eastern Imperial Eagle was 'scoped from the car park.
Went on to an area of dried up fields just to the east of Thol village, this area had plenty of Desert Wheatears, Short-toed Larks and about 150 Blackbucks.
Between Thol and Ahmedabad picked up a soaring group of raptors, these turned out to be mainly Black Kites with 3 Steppe Eagles, 1 Griffon Vulture, 1 White-rumped Vulture and a Common Buzzard.


Avocet.

Black-tailed Godwit.

Greater Flamingo.

Ashy Prinia.

Common Langur.

Common Cranes.

Indian Darter.

Glossy Ibis.

Hoopoe.

Painted Stork.

Pied Kingfisher.

River Terns.

Indian Silverbills.

Blackbucks.

Mongoose.

Comb Duck.

Steppe Eagles.

Fuerteventura Birds Gallery.

Black-bellied Sandgrouse.

Black-bellied Sandgrouse.

Berthelot's Pipit.

Berthelot's Pipit.

Berthelot's Pipit.

Fuerteventura Chat.

Fuerteventura Chat.

Fuerteventura Chat.

Houbara Bustard.

Houbara Bustard.

Houbara Bustard.

Houbara Bustard.

Hoopoe.

Lesser Short-toed Lark.

Lesser Short-toed Lark.

Raven.

Stone Curlew.

Spanish Sparrow.

Trumpeter Finches.

Trumpeter Finch.

Trumpeter Finch.

Trumpeter Finches.