GEORGIA AND ARMENIA “From the towering high Caucasus mountains to the arid, semi-desert landscapes of Armenia, this trip is extra special. Birds such as Güldenstädt’s Redstart, Radde’s Accentor and White-throated Robin await us, in some of Europe’s most staggering landscapes”. Duncan Macdonald Dates Mon 30 Apr - Fri 11 May 2018 A journey to the edge of Europe amongst the mighty Price £4,195 Caucasus Mountains. Eastern specialities such as Radde’s Deposit £800 Single Supp £400 Accentor, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and Upcher’s Warbler. Leaders Duncan Macdonald plus local guide Spectacular mountains for Caucasian Snowcock and Caucasian Black Grouse Flights Lufthansa, scheduled Stunning wetlands with Pygmy Cormorant, Armenian Gull and Marbled Teal Outbound: Overnight, Heathrow Raptors including Lammergeier, Imperial Eagle and Steppe Buzzard -Tbilisi (Via Munich) Air France, scheduled Astonishing historical sites that are great for birding Inbound: Morning, Yerevan Zvartnots Pied, Finsch’s and Isabelline Wheatears, Rock Thrush and White-throated Robin - Heathrow (Via Paris Charles de Gaulle) Wallcreeper, Crimson-winged Finch, Radde’s Accentor and Grey-necked Bunting Weather Varies from warm and sunny to cooler Famous hospitality, cuisine and wine! in the mountains (10°-20°C) Walking There will be walks on tracks, After an overnight flight we arrive The woodlands hold Green Warbler and from lakeside paths to rocky mountain 1-4 in Tbilisi and head to a nearby hotel Caucasian Chiffchaff from early May and may be terrain. Walking boots are essential. for a few hours rest. Once refreshed, we travel teeming with migrants, while Black Kites, Steppe towards the Caucasus Mountains, pausing at Buzzards and harrier passage can be spectacular. Meals All included from breakfast on Day 2 Zhinvali Dam for woodpeckers and migrating to dinner on Day 11, with definite We’ll spend the morning in bushes Turkish and Caucasian influences songbirds. Stunning views at Krestovy Pass make 5-6 and marshes hopefully surrounded a wonderful backdrop, as we scan for Lammergeier, by migrants, then stop again at Krestovy Pass Insects May be encountered around wetlands, with Water Pipit, Alpine Chough, Snowfinch so bring repellant. and forest near Ananuri, where good numbers of and even Wallcreeper possible. Arriving at migrant raptors may include Long-legged Buzzard Accom Twin and single rooms ensuite Kazbegi, we’ll spend two days exploring the in good quality hotels and Lesser-spotted Eagle. We shall arrive late amazing scenery of the High Caucasus, where afternoon in Tbilisi - the following day exploring Group 12 Europe stops and Asia starts! We’ll drive the vast semi-arid steppes, rocky outcrops, shallow to Gergeti Trinity Church at 2200m, where we’ll lakes and riverine forest to the east. Jandari Lake scan for Caucasian Black Grouse and listen for Just some of what we hope to see: is a great stop-over for migratory waterbirds Caucasian Snowcock calling from cliff-top perches. and anything can turn up. Imperial Eagle breeds, Güldenstädt’s Redstart and Great Rosefinch are Caucasian Snowcock White-throated Robin as do Pygmy Cormorants and we may see possible, plus Alpine Accentor and Rock Thrush our first Armenian Gulls. We head east to the Caucasian Black Rock Thrush and delightful Red-fronted Serin - and we’ll look Grouse Güldenstädt’s Redstart amazing rock monasteries of Davit Gareja, Lammergeier Citrine Wagtail for goat-like East Caucasian Tur. Steppe Eagle Finsch’s Wheatear Imperial Eagle Radde’s Accentor Levant Sparrowhawk Green Warbler Long-legged Buzzard Caucasian Chiffchaff Armenian Gull Menetries’s Warbler Slender-billed Gull Great Rosefinch Marbled Teal Common Rosefinch Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Red-fronted Serin Wallcreeper Crimson-winged Finch Rose-coloured Starling Grey-necked Bunting [email protected] | 01479 812498 www.speysidewildlife.co.uk “Georgia and Armenia have some spectacular birds, but it doesn’t end there. Carpets of wildflowers, great butterflies and the cuisine of both countries will have us drooling for more.” Duncan Macdonald where rock-hewn monastic cells were built in Gull-billed Tern, Bearded Tit, Moustached and the 6th century. The steppes hold Tawny Pipit, Paddyfield Warbler. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Calandra and Short-toed Larks and around the should be flying above us, while we look for Lesser monasteries Western Rock Nuthatch, Blue Rock Short-toed Lark, Black-headed Wagtail, Penduline Thrush and Pied Wheatear are possible. Tit and Menetries’s Warbler. May is perfect timing Leaving Georgia we cross the for thousands of migrants, which should include 7-9 border into Armenia, then a long but White-winged and Whiskered Terns, with maybe interesting drive lies ahead. We pass through the Black-winged Pratincole as a treat! impressive Debed canyon, where nearly every The 12th century monastery of Noravank village along the river has a church, chapel and old 10 and the gorge within which it sits, is one fort. We’ll look out for Griffon and Egyptian Vulture, of the most spectacular sites in Armenia. The Lesser Spotted Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard, complex of buildings is surrounded by beautifully arriving at our hotel in Yerevan, late afternoon. coloured cliffs, above which Golden Eagles soar. From our base in Yerevan we’ll explore the local Black-eared Wheatear and Eastern Rock Nuthatch can be seen from the grounds, while Nightingale area, starting with the arid cliffs and hills of Vedi. This magnificent area provides our chance for sing from the bushes. The surrounding area is Outline Itinerary seeing Grey-necked Bunting, Finsch’s Wheatear, a rich site for birds, with Red-fronted Serin, Eastern Rock Nuthatch, Trumpeter Finch, Upcher’s Warbler and Lammergeier all possible. Days 1-4 We arrive in Tbilisi early on day two Black-headed Bunting and Rufous-tailed Scrub Mt Aragats is the highest mountain in after an overnight flight. After a few Robin and, with luck, nomadic Mongolian Finch. Armenia. Driving up to 3200m (if snow hours rest we travel to Kazbegi. 11 The following two days are spent Our eyes will also be keen to look up as raptors allows), we pass small pockets of trees, where exploring the Gergeti Trinity Church use the valleys to pass northwards. Species Semi-collared Flycatcher breed. The road ends at area of the High Caucasus may include Pallid and Montagu’s Harriers, a small lake, where raptors may include Booted, 3 nights Rooms Hotel, Kazbegi Honey Buzzard and Short-toed Eagle. Armash fish Short-toed and Lesser Spotted Eagles. Fantastic Days 5-6 We travel to Tbilisi, stopping to bird ponds are one of Armenia’s richest ornithological birding here may produce Radde’s Accentor, at the spectacular Krestovy Pass. hot spots. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Ararat, White-throated Robin, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, The following day is spent exploring the extensive wetlands are an oasis in the arid lands magna Bluethroat (no central spot), Rock Thrush, Jandari Lake and the rock monasteries of south-western Armenia. The pools, natural salt Common Rosefinch, Rock and Ortolan Bunting, of Davit Gareja. marshes and extensive reedbeds, provide refuge Shorelark and Crimson-winged Finch. We shall 2 nights Hotel Kalasi, Tbilisi and breeding habitat for grebes, egrets, herons, also stop at the scenic and remarkable Amberd ducks, waders and terns. White-headed Duck, Fortress, built in the 11th century. Days 7-11 We cross the border into Armenia and travel to our base in Yerevan. Marbled Teal and White-tailed Lapwing breed In the morning we fly out from Yerevan We visit Mount Aragats, Noravank here, plus Pygmy Cormorant, Ferruginous Duck, back to the UK. and Arpi Valley, Armash Fish Ponds, Ruddy Shelduck, Glossy Ibis, Collared Pratincole, 12 Mount Ararat and surrounding areas. 5 nights Hotel Royal Plaza, Yerevan Day 12 Fly out from Yerevan back to UK Steve Batt: Güldenstädt’s Redstart, Black Vulture Attila Steiner: Amash Fish Ponds and Mount Ararat, Greater Rosefinch, Noravank Duncan Macdonald: White-throated Robin www.speysidewildlife.co.uk 01479 812498 | [email protected].