The south of Kazakhstan in September offers autumn migration of raptors and passerine birds. Since 1966 the Chokpak ringing station is situated in this area. It is a unique ornithological station in the Asian part of the former Soviet Union. It is located in the foothills of the Western Tien-Shan Mountains at Chokpak Pass between Dzabaglytau and Boroldai Ridges being of part of Talassky Alatau. Every autumn a few million birds migrate through the pass. Besides the ringing station we will also visit Aksu-Dzhabagly, Kyzylkol Lake and Big Almaty Lake.

After arrival at the Almaty Airport we will transport to the guesthouse in the mountains near Almaty. On the first birding day of the trip we will visit Ile Alatau National Park instead of undertaking immediately the intense travel, 600 km to Dzhabagly. In the park we will encounter the first Hume’s Leaf Warblers, Blyth's Reed Warblers and Azure Tits.

After a good night sleep we will travel 600 km to the south-west of Kazakhstan. During this transport day we will stop a few times at some interesting spots. At lunch we will have one hour to do some birding with the group or if you prefer on your own. We will arrive late at the hotel near Aksu Dzhabagly.

The next days the wind will be the main factor of what our activity will be for the day. If there is a good wind for migrating birds we will go to the Chokpak pass and watch the raptors and passerines migrate through the pass. We can spot the raptors from the surrounding hills, flocks with thousands of Steppe Buzzards, Honey Buzzards with occasionally the Asian equivalent Crested Honey Buzzard will pass by!! Also many Steppe Eagles, Imperial Eagles, Booted Eagles, Short-toed Eagles, Lesser Kestrels, Shikra's and Harriers (4 species!!) can be spotted during these days.

The alternative for visiting Chokpak are visiting some little steppe lakes where we have good chance to spot : Great Black-Headed Gull, Steppe Gull, Dalmatian and White Pelican, Paddyfield- and Clamorous Reed-Warbler, Saker Falcons and White-tailed Eagles. In the forests nearby the lakes we can encounter, White-winged Woodpecker, Songar and Yellow-breasted Azure-Tits.

(20% of the world population), over 5000 of Red-necked Phalaropes, 2000 Rudy Shelducks and hundreds of Greater Short-toed-, Lesser Short-toed-, Calandra- and Bimaculated Larks are usual.  We will stop near some reed beds to spot Moustached-, Blyth's-, Booted- and Paddyfield Warblers. On the steppe we will have a possibility to spot Desert Wheatear, Daurian, Turkestan and Steppe Grey Shrike. After these days at Kyzylkol we will travel back to Chokpak and again the winds will decide our destinations. With good winds we will go to the Chokpak pass and do some birding in this spectacular area. After this immense show of a relatively unknown eastern migration route we travel back to Almaty with of course stops along the way for birding.

The next morning we will depart from Almaty into the mountains for a 2 night stay in an old Astronomical observatory. From the observatory we have a beautiful view on the Big Almaty Lake. After arriving we will do some birding around the observatory in the juniper bushes. This is the place for Himalayan Rubythroat, White-browed Tit-Warbler, White-winged Grosbeaks and Rosefinches (Common and Red-Mantled). The next day we will go visit the Cosmic Ray Station. Special species like Güldenstädt’s Redstart, Accentors (Brown and Altai) can appear on this altitude. Also migrating raptors can appear here. For example 2 Crested Honey Buzzards where seen in 2003. In the afternoon we will drive down to Big Almaty Lake with a special purpose, Ibisbill. We will have a chance to spot this fantastic and very mysterious bird at this high mountain lake.

After this visit to the Tien-Shan Mountains we will head back to Almaty, birding en-route, to prepare again for your flight back home….