Download Tour Itinerary

Azerbaijan & Eastern Turkey

The Eastern Caucasus

A Greentours Itinerary

Day 1 To Baku

We’ll arrive into Baku on the shores of the Caspian Sea in the early hours and transfer to our hotel, a first chance to see how the oil boom has modernized and enriched Azerbaijan, for Baku is full of glitzy new hotels and construction.

Day 2 Gobustan National Park – Mud Volcanoes

The most impressive of Azerbaijan’s famed mud volcano fields are close to the Caspian shore at Gobustan not far south of the capital. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is an extraordinary landscape. There are no less than four hundred mud volcanoes along the Caspian shore, half the world total, and many of the best are at Gobustan. Small cones have mud more or less on a continuous boil, seeping out over the surrounding landscapes, larger cones can appear extinct, but these occasionally erupt into spectacular life too, sometimes columns of fire hundreds of metres high burn for months! The site has clearly played an important part in human history for there are abundant petroglyphs, more than six thousand of them, the oldest from 40,000 years ago. Montagu’s Harriers quarter the landscape flushing parties of migrating larks and wheatears. If we are lucky we might spot cryptically marked Stone Curlews standing still so as to evade our eyes in the steppe around the volcanoes. Greater Sandplovers and we’ve a chance to see one of the Western Palearctic’s rarest birds here, the Sociable Plover. Lesser Grey Shrikes sit atop the very few small bushes as flocks of Rose-coloured Starlings move through. Close-by we'll visit a cement works! This is one of a number of sites for Iris acutiloba whose distribution is very much centred on Baku. Not the most beautiful surroundings, but we'll not mind when we find the iris!

Days 3 – 5 The Talysh Mountains

The Talysh Mountains provide a link between the mountains of Transcaucasia and the Alborz Mountains of Northern Iran. The lower slopes are cloaked in species-rich Hyrcanian Forest, the upper levels montane steppe with shrubby Shibliak communities; rich hunting grounds for the botanist. The mountains are cut by steep gorges and have a complex geology, both resulting in varied habitats that promote a healthy biological diversity. The area was pretty much closed in Soviet times and so the wildlife has enjoyed protection by default, and so the large mammal fauna is

©Greentours Natural History Holidays ● 01298 83563 ● [email protected] ● www.greentours.co.uk

surprisingly rich even in the lowlands. In the valleys below our hotel the last flowers of pink Primula woronowii will be in bloom in lush forests that contain a rich mixture of trees including Wingnut and Parrotia persica. These woodlands contain many birds familiar to us in Western Europe though the raptors are much more varied with Lesser Spotted Eagles, Goshawks, Honey Buzzards, and Levant Sparrowhawks all breeding within a few kilometres of the hotel. Semi-collared Flycatchers are reasonably easy to see though much commoner are the cute little Red-breasted Flycatchers. Green Warblers are the characteristic sound of the forest.

Fluffy white and pink heads of Stachys iberica mix with Echiums, Onosmas and blue Orobanches on the grassy slopes. We’ll soon find irises. The first are likely to a beautiful relative of Iris paradoxa. Iris medwedewii has maroon and white falls covered in a thick layer of velvet and topped by blue standards veined a deep inky blue - truly a spectacular plant! Nearby is another fine oncocyclus species, or is it two? For we’ll find plants that are certainly lovely Iris lineolata with its fine, pointed falls, but others fit very neatly within the Iris grossheimiana morphology. Gladiolus atroviolaceus is also common and we’ll see a rich assortment of steppe plants such as Tragopogon crocifolius, Silene sperguliflora, Nepeta transcaucasica, Lappulas, and elegant Psephellus species.

Higher up where Caucasian Agamas patrol the rocky outcrops and Rock Buntings and Shore Larks feed in tighter turf we’ll encounter Primula macrocalyx, some very pretty Astragalus species, Puschkinia scilloides, and the tubby tessellated bells of Fritillaria kotschyana. It we are lucky we'll catch the last flowers of Paeonia mlokosewitschii. Finsch’s Wheatears, Red-fronted Serin and White-throated Robins are all found in this zone.

Days 6 – 8(am) Altiaghaj

We’ll have the unusual experience of driving some metres below sea level for an hour or so this morning as we head northwards inland of the Caspian’s shores, these 27m below sea level! Along this coast are lagoons where we’ll find abundant waterbirds including Flamingoes and Pelicans

After lunch we’ll head into the lovely Altiaghaj National Park. As we travel up the Tughchay River valley we’ll pass through a startling landscape of alternating red and white rock strata, small red Tulips dotting the landscape. Many migrating warblers stop in the tamarisk-lined streambed below the road while above us we should be watching the many raptors heading north. Steppe Eagles are particularly numerous though we can also expect to see Imperial Eagles, Short-toed Eagles, Booted Eagles, Griffon and Black Vultures and lots of buzzards.

Further up are feather-grass steppes and entering the national park we’ll find ourselves in Hyrcanian Forests dominated by Iberian Oak. Altiaghaj is well-known

amongst Baku’s nouveau-rich as a weekend retreat from the bustle of Baku and so facilities are very good. We’ll have some time to further explore Altiaghaj where orchids will feature strongly, notably some very fine forms of Orchis caucasica. The weird Hooded Orchid flowers in the forest scrub alongside Ophrys caucasica and Burnt-tip Orchids. We’ll see the last flowers of Orchis caspia, a close relative of the Pink Butterfly Orchid, some plants with pink flowers others green-lined on a white background. Rare Steven’s Orchid is found here too, and as Nightingales sing from the fruit orchards we’ll photograph bee orchids such as Ophrys transhyrcana and Ophrys cornuta, as well as colourful Echium russicum and Symphytum asperum. Pie Wheatears are a frequent sight around Altiaghaj and at this season Ortolan Buntings seem everywhere and Golden Orioles will be calling around our hotel.

Days 8(pm) – 11 Shah Dagh - the Greater Caucasus

The heights of the Greater Caucasus remain largely inaccessible compared with the more developed Alpine regions of Europe, however there are a few paces where roads penetrate these impressive mountains. One such is the Gusarchay Valley nestling between the peaks of Gizilgaya and Shah Dagh, the latter reaching 4243m above sea level. The ramparts of Shah Dagh are indeed spectacular with vast cliffs rising to the long ridge of the mountain itself, home to East Caucasian Tur (an Ibex relative) and the Caucasian Snowcock. The latter we’ll surely hear calling from the ridges and there will be a chance to get close to them with an optional rather strenuous walk one morning when we’ll also have the chance to find Guldenstadt's Redstart. Much easier to walk amongst are the grassy alpine slopes which are decked out in alpine finery including superb Fritillaria collina as well as masses of Pulsatillas and Muscaris. Caucasian Blackcock will be displaying around the edges of Rhododendron caucasicum scrub where Ring Ouzels are nesting. Twite are common and every little birch bush is home to Caucasian Chiffchaff. Alongside Snow Finches and Shorelarks are Great Rosefinches whilst above Lammegeier and Golden Eagle are frequently seen soaring against those magnificent ramparts. During the afternoon of Day 11 we’ll descend to Baku and the Central Park Hotel.

Day 12 Departure from Baku

Call 01298 83563 or visit www.greentours.co.uk for the latest trip report from our tours to Azerbaijan. If you would like to ask about any other aspect of this holiday, please call 01298 83563 or email us at [email protected].

To Book a on this Holiday please fill in the booking form which you can download from www.greentours.co.uk (also found in the Greentours brochure) and post/fax to Greentours, Leigh Cottage, Gauledge Lane, Longnor, Buxton SK17 0PA, UK. Tel/Fax +44 (0)1298 83563. After booking your place you’ll receive a confirmation letter and a detailed information pack will be dispatched twelve weeks prior to departure. Flower and bird checklists are available.