Birding in the West

Day 1: To Jargalant Hairkhan via Khovd

Pickup from your hotel and transfer to airport for flight to Khovd by Hunnu air. Check the pick up time with guide and driver. Arrive in Khovd. Meet at the airport by your expedition vehicles and drive to Jargalant Hairhan mountain /120 kms/with picnic lunch. Birding on the way and camping at Jargalant Khairkhan mountain.

Day 2: Jargalant Hairkhan Mountain

Tea and coffee very early morning and drive to the mountain and birding. Will have breakfast while birding. Come back to the camp for lunch.  Birding until dinner. Besides birding, there is also a chance to see some wild animals such as ibex, fox, wolf and snow leopard etc.

/At Jargalant Hairhan mountain – Cinereous vulture, Eurasian griffin, Lammergeyer, Golden eagle, Steppe eagle, Saker falcon, Gyrfalcon, Altai snow cock, Henderson’s ground jay, Saxual grey shrike, Isabeline shrike,  Rufous- tailed ruck thrush, Kozlov’s Brown Alpine and Altai accentors, Hodson’s bush chat, Black and Eversmann’s redstart, Goldcrest, Barred warbler/

Day 3: To Has Us Lake

Early breakfast. Drive to Har Us lake which is one of the 50 important migratory birding spot in the world. Full day birding at Har Us lake for a chance at some of its key species. Have a picnic lunch.

/At Har Us lake- Pallas’s fish eagle, Saker falcon Gyr falcon, Dalmatian pelican, Swan and bar-headed geese, Black-throated diver, Long-tailed duck, White headed duck*, Red crested pochard, Great egret, Purple heron, little owl, Great reed warbler, Musket wagtail/

Day 4-5: To Dorgon Lake

After early breakfast, drive to Dorgon/salty and sand dune/ lake /170 km/ which is bordered with Har lake and is being one of the remnants of a prehistoric lake. Also it is a quite salty because of non-outflow. The shore of the lake is more desert-like comparatively with other lakes.  Have a picnic lunch. Besides birds, there is also chance to see Saiga antelope. Full day birding on the second day.

Day 6: Ihes Lake

Early morning full day drive south to Ihes lake of Darvi soum /180 km/, through Tungalag bulag which is a small stream where can birding on the way.

/At Ihes lake- Big breeding colonies of gulls, terns, waders, Relict gull*, Pallas’s sand grouse, Mongolian finch/

Day 7: Hasagt Hairkhan Mountain

A half day drive east to Hasagt Hairkhan mountain, is a strictly protected area, and home to some endangered wild animals such as red deer, wild sheep, lynx, snow leopard and ibex. It has elevation of 3,578 meters/11,739ft/.

/Lower land: Maqueen’s bustard, Pallas’s  sand grouse, Henderson’s ground jay, Desert warbler, Mongolian finch Saker falcon, Greater sand plover,

Up on mountain (pine trees, alpine meadow, high peak):

Cinereous vulture, Himalayan griffin, Eurasian griffin, Golden eagle, Altai snowcock, Hodson’s bushchat, lammergeyer

Day 8: To Buyant River

After breakfast, drive east to Buyant river in Zavhan province through Hydroelectric power station of Taishir and Zavhan river.  The length of the Buyant river is 171,8 km and over 20 big and small rivers such as Chigertei, Rashaant …etc empty into it

/At Buyant river-Hodson’s bushchat/

Day 9: To Khöh Lake

A.m. morning birding at Buyant river. After breakfast drive east to Khöh Nuur /Blue lake 100 km/. Located on the top of a branch mountain of Undur Jargalant mountain in Gurvanbulag soum of Bayankhongor province, is elevated at 2649 m and 12.8 km length, 1km width and 15 depth, from which Bogino uulzvar river starts and empties into Har Us  river.

At Huh Nuur lake-Big numbers of Bar-headed goose, Mongolian gull, Altai snowcock, Rock ptarmigan, Daurian partridge, Common thrush, Red throated thrush, Altai and Alpine accentors, Hume’s leef warbler, Guldenstat’s redstart, Asian rosy finch, Hodson’s bushchat

Day 10: To Baidrag River

Early morning drive to Baidrag river which starts from the south side of Khangai mountain range and empties into Boontsagaan and Adgiin tsagaan lakes. 99 rivers and streams such as Zag river from right side/80 km/ and Ulziit river from left side/135 km/empties into the source of Baidrag river.

Day 11: Baidrag River

A.m. morning birding at Baidrag river. After breakfast, full day drive south to Boontsagaan nuur /Boontsagaan lake/.

Pallas’s fish eagle, Dalmatian pelican, Swan and Bar headed geese, Pallas’s and Relict gulls, Eurasian spoonbill, Pallas’s sandgrouse/

Day 12: To Boontsagaan Lake

Full day birding at Boontsagaan lake. Birding early and late in day.

Day 13:  To Ulaanbaatar

Full day drive towards Ulaanbaatar. Tarmac road has been competed most of the way.

Dates 2020 ex Ulaanbaatar:

Mid May to Mid June.
Mid August to Mid September.

PRICE 2020 ex Ulaanbaatar:

2 – 12 members: USD 4500 per person

Single supplement (12n):  USD 480

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 tentipi tents for the duration of this trip. These mobile tentipi tent 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 in a mobile restaurant during the tentipi accommodated days and picnic lunch.

Including:

All meals in outside Ulaanbaatar. Local guide. Cook. Camping equipment. Bus for max 12+1 persons.  Support vehicle from 8+1 pax. All entrance fees to national parks and monuments. All night accommodation in shared double Tentipi tents and Ger camp accommodations. Domestic flight ticket.

Excluding:

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