On day three we left the Caucasus mountains and headed south overnighting at Baku before heading far south to look for Shikra. On the way we stopped off at the famous Caspian Sea migration hot spot, Besh Barmag. Highlights at Besh Barmag included a low altitude Lammergeier (maybe attracted to the religious sacrifice spot at the base of the mountain), migrating Steppe Buzzards and Black kite, Short-toed Eagle, Lesser Kestrels and Black Vulture. Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Woodchats, Willow Warbler and Black-headed Bunting were in the bushes and there was Western Rock Nuthatch, Blue Rock Thrush and Eastern Black-eared Wheatears on the rocks.
For some information on the epic scale of the migration at Besh Barmag see the Trektellen data HERE. Would love to visit here in the autumn and take part in the organised migration watch. Birding Azerbaijan website with links to scientific papers, blog and more info HERE.
In the late afternoon we also stopped off at Candy Cane Mountains and quickly visited Altiagaj National Park.
Trip report HERE
Blue Rock Thrush, female (above) and a pair (below)
Western Rock Nuthatch
'Ehrenberg's Redstart' (samamisicus race of Common Redstart with it's diagnostic large pale secondary panel)
View from Besh Barmag over the Caspian Sea. The migration watch point is on the coastal plain so that migration along the coast and the mountain ridge can be monitored.
The Candy mountains- we also stopped off at the Candy mountains for Finsch's Wheatear and Chukar
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