Back to the Southern forests

So, it is that time of the year again, when Karen and I need to catch up, shake the winter off (especially after Canada - I’m talking about the extra weight from the food, not the snow) and just have a good time. So, in keeping with a sort of tradition of ours, South we went, to Kara-Alma. Why? Well, we’ve been to Arslanbob a few times and wanted something new, but getting another chance at the tawny owls was too promising to miss. Kara-Alma has the second, slightly smaller part of the famous walnut forest. From our base in a CBT guesthouse and to our host’s dismay -– Why did you come in March, when all is grey!? Come back in May, then there will be birds! –- we enjoyed three days of walking, two in the walnut forests and one lower in the pistachio forest.

We were rewarded with loads of activities as birds fought, courted each other (sometimes with success, see below!) and built nests. Three of my four targets showed themselves well. First, we saw two owls, one in flight during the day (it flushed at +-400m around noon, strange) and the other posing for us while looking at that tempting azure tit below before deciding it was not late enough yet to hunt. Second, I finally got a look at these stock doves that live in the forests here. Finally, a desert finch pair sat on a bush long enough for Karen to take a photo, at exactly the same spot a friend saw them a few years ago. All in all, a very nice trip, except for that *** hawfinch that still eluded us. To be continued!

The photos below are in rough chronological order. Don't ask me why the quality is so low...

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