Birding Holidays

Day 1: To South Gobi

Pickup from your hotel and transfer to airport for flight to Dalanzadgad.  Meet your expedition vehicle(s) at the airport and drive to Yoliin Am /Lammergeier Valley/with packed lunch. The valley is located within Gobi Gurvansaikhan /Three Beauty/ National Park and named after the Lammergeier, which is called Yol in Mongolia and is very beautiful deep canyon with high rocky cliffs. Birding on the way to get there. Overnight in a Ger camp.

Open land and steppe: Cinereous vulture, Steppe eagle, Oriental plover, Greater sand plover, Desert and pied wheatear, Asian desert warbler. Mongolian finch,

Green wall tree nursing centers: MIGRANTS PASSING. Desert grey shrike, Dauring shrike, Oriental turtle dove, Eagle owl*,

Day 2: To Yol Valley

Early morning drive to Yoliin Am /70 km/.  Birding there until lunch time. Birding at the Poplars before and after dinner

Yoliin am: MIGRANTS PASSING. Lammergeier, Cinereous vulture, Himalayan and Eurasian griffin, Saker falcon, Little owl, Altai snowcock, Chukar, Kozlov’s brown alpine accentors, Great* and Chinese beautiful rosefinch Wallcreeper, White winged snowfinch.

Day 3: To Khongor Sand Dunes

Early morning drive to Khongor Sand Dunes/170 km/, also called Duut Mankhan is known as the “Singing Sands”, which extends about 180 km.  The bottom of the dunes is a small river named Khongoriin Gol, which is sourced by subterranean flows the mountains forming its valley. Have a packed lunch. Overnight at Ger Camp.

On the way to sand dunes:

Orientail plover, Pallas’s sandgrouse, Desert warbler, Henderson’s ground jay, Mongolian finch, Maqueen’s bustard

Hongor sand dune and Hongor river:

MIGRANTS PASSING. Saxual sparrow, desert grey shrike, Henderson’s ground jay, Pallas’s sandgouse,

Day 4: Khongor Sand Dunes

Full day birding at Khongor Sand Dunes and Khongor river.

Day 5: To Bayanzag

After breakfast, drive to Bayanzag, /100 km/ means rich in saxaul, also known as Flaming Cliffs, is most famous for yielding the first discovery of dinosaur eggs. Have a packed lunch. Overnight at Gobi Tour Ger camp.

On the way to Bayanzag: Oriental plover, Greater sandplover, Pallas’s sandgrouse,

Dal brigade (agricultural spot with trees):

MIGRANTS PASSING. Dark sided Taiga and Asian brown flycatcher, Daurian shrike, Oriental turtle dove.

Day 6: To Gun Galuut

Transfer to Dalanzadgad and fly by to Ulaanbaatar. After arrival at the airport transfer to Gun Galuut for a half day drive. Located in the south-east of Ulaanbaatar /130 km (80 ml) and has a great diversity of ecosystems. There are high mountains named Baits and Berkh where gray wolf, wild sheep, fox, vole  and ibex wide steppe and, river- Herlen, lakes- Ayaga and Tseng wetland and where water and wetland birds gather and lay their eggs.  There besides birding, also can see some wild animals. Have a packed lunch en route.

Day 7: Gun Galuut

Full day birding at Ayaga lake, Herlen river and Tseng burd wetland.

Twin lake and Ayaga lake birds: Whooper swan, Swan goose, Bar headed goose, Eurasian spoon bill, Red crested pochard, Falcated duck, Baikal teal, Black throated loon, Stejneger’s scoter, Great crested grebe, Slavonian grebe(horned grebe), Little grebe, Red throated grebe, Smew, White headed duck, Mongolian gull, Pallas’s gull, Relict gull, Arctic tern, Little tern, Whiskered tern, Black tern, White winged tern, Asian dowitcher, Eurasian curlew, Far east curlew, Little curlew, red necked phalarope, red necked stint, Ruff, Sharp tailed sandpiper, Marsh sandpiper. 

Steppe and Kherlen river birds: Cinereous vulture, Steppe eagle, Upland buzzard, Amur falcon, Merlin, Saker falcon, Eastern marsh harrier, Hen harrier, Osprey, Mongolian lark, Richard’s pipit, Tawny pipit, Daurian redstart, Siberian rubythroat, Paddy field warbler, Arctic warbler, Pallas’s grasshopper warbler, Common and Leaser whitethroat, Leaf warbler, Black faced bunting, Pallas’s read bunting, yellow breasted bunting*, Meadow bunting, Little bunting. Daurian jackdaw.

Day 8: To Jalman Meadows

Early morning drive to Jalman meadow ger camp which is located on the bank of Tuul river and is one of the best eco camp of Mongolia. About 320 km from Khurkh vally to there, but almost a half of which is asphaltic road. Picnic  lunch on the way.

Day 9:  Jalman Meadows

Full day birding at Tuul river sides and Bugat forested mountain side.

On the pass: Black billed capercaillie*, Eastern buzzard, Goshawk, Eurasian hobby, Peregrine falcon, Booted eagle, Ural owl*, Spotted nutcracker, Coal tit, Eurasian jay

Tuul river side: Black woodpecker, white- backed woodpecker, Greater and Leaser spotted woodpecker, Eurasian three toed woodpecker*, Grey headed woodpecker, Grey shrike, Brown Shrike, Azura tit, Daurian redstart, Daurian jackdaw, Common starling, White cheeked starling, Taiga flycatcher, Asian- brown flycatcher, Lanceolated warbler, Pallas’s grasshopper warbler,

Bugat forested mountain side: Black grouse, Hazel grouse*, Japanese quail*, Daurian partridge, Eurasian jay, Siberian jay, Red-flanked blue tail, Spotted nutcracker, Northern nuthatch, Little bunting.

Day 10: To Ulaanbaatar

Early morning birding. After breakfast , depart to Ulaanbaatar and transfer to your hotel.

Dates 2020 ex Ulaanbaatar:

Daily mid May to end of September.

PRICE 2020 ex Ulaanbaatar:

2 – 12 members: USD 3060 per person

Single supplement (9n): USD 360

Practicalities:

Transport:

This tour is supported by a jeep or minibus depending on the number of travelers. Dependent on flight times and days, the trip may be done in reverse direction.

Accommodation:

We stay in Ger (yurt) Camps for the duration of this trip. These permanent camps are equipped with a restaurant and shared bathroom and shower blocks.

Staff:

An English-speaking Mongolian guide will accompany you at all times. Other language guides such as Russian, French, German, Italian, Korean etc. available at additional cost, upon request.

Meals:

The meals will be provided in the ger camps, or as picnic lunches.

Including:

Guide, all meals outside Ulaanbaatar. All overnights in ger camps. All local transport and entrance fees. Domestic flight tickets.

Excluding:

Beverages. Visa, air or train tickets in and out Mongolia. Meals and hotel accommodations in Ulaanbaatar. Arrival and departure transfers.