Georgia

DAY 1: FLY UK TO TIBILISI

Our spring birdwatching tour to Georgia tour starts with a flight to Tbilisi where we will be met by our local guide and our adventure begins! Night Tbilisi

DAY 2: TRANSFER TO THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS

We will leave Tbilisi after breakfast and head north towards the magnificent mountains of the Greater Caucasus that loom ever larger in our view as we get closer. We will stop along the way to enjoy anything of interest and as we begin to climb higher, we will pause at Ananuri, where migrant birds rest in the foothills which are cloaked in oak and beech forest. In fine spring weather, Green Warblers and Red-breasted and Semicollared Flycatchers could be present and around a nearby monastery, migrant Ortolan Buntings often gather.

Our destination is the upland town of Stepantsminda, nestling in the Tergi Valley and dominated by the snow-capped mountains of the High Caucasus – notably that of Mount Kazbeg, which at just over 5,000m (16,400ft) is one of the highest peaks in Europe.

After checking in at our comfortable hotel, we will have our first chance to explore this interesting town. A wealth of birds await as we set out for a local patch of budding buckthorn, hoping to pick up our first Güldenstädt’s Redstart and Great Rosefinch.  High above, we may well see our first birds of prey spiralling over the mountains. Night Stepantsminda

DAYS 3 – 4: STEPANTSMINDA AND THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS

Rising early, we have our first chance before breakfast for two of the ‘star’ birds of the tour: Caucasian Grouse and Caucasian Snowcock. It is important to get out close to dawn, as these shy grouse are most active during the first hours of daylight and soon disappear as the sun rises.

The snowcocks are invariably high above on the grassy slopes and we should hear their eerie, diver-like calls echoing about the valley.  Caucasian Grouse, a lyre-tailed and all-black relative of the Black Grouse, strut about on the lower slopes and are generally easier to find. If we didn’t manage to spot one yesterday, we also have a further opportunity to look for Great Rosefinch – the gorgeous males’ deep crimson bodies flecked with white.

After breakfast, a stroll around town may reward us with more good species with the possibilities including a variety of migrants or ‘seconds’ of Great Rosefinch and the snow-capped Güldenstädt’s Redstart.  This region is the only location within the Western Palearctic that offers a chance of seeing these birds, so we may spend some time looking for them.

With Stepantsminda as our base for three nights, we can also explore the spectacular and winding roads that lead to the higher passes.

South at the Truso Valley, we should encounter a number of mountain birds, with tame flocks of Twite (of the race brevirostris), Shore Lark (race penicillata) and White-winged Snowfinches (here of the paler race alpicola) feeding beside the road and often giving excellent photographic opportunities.

As we scan the slopes, we should find Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture and Lammergeier above the hill tops.  Small parties of stunning Red-fronted Serins can be found amongst the boulders and crimson-winged Wallcreepers flutter about the sheer rock faces, while Red-billed and Alpine Choughs wheel above. ‘White-winged’ Ring Ouzels of the amicorum race are a sight to behold and other ‘montane specials’ include Alpine Accentor, ‘Caucasian’ Water Pipit (race coutellii), Northern Wheatear and Black Redstart.

If conditions are right, this region is a flyway for raptors heading north into the vastness of Russia.  Northern Goshawk and Steppe Buzzard, plus Steppe Eagle, Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers, and the season’s first Red-footed Falcons could well be passing through the valleys at this time.  Ortolan Buntings, Bluethroats and Barred Warblers can also be seen, while various races of Yellow Wagtails and Arctic-bound Red-throated Pipits feed in grassy fields.  Mountain Chiffchaff is common here and often calls from the birches about the hotel and we will take our time exploring the small copses, where we hope to see Semicollared and Red-breasted Flycatchers.

There are a number of interesting mammals in the region such as East Caucasian Taur and Chamois, and if we are incredibly fortunate, Eurasian Wolf and Brown Bear are very occasionally found up here. Two further nights Stepantsminda

DAY 5: STEPANTSMINDA TO DEDOPLISTSKARO

This morning we will make the most of our time in the mountains and get out early for one final chance to enjoy the snowcock or grouse.

After breakfast, we may check once more for migrants or try for Alpine Accentor or White-winged Snowfinch as we head over Jvari Pass or at the peace monument at Gudauri.

We may break for coffee or lunch near Ananuri, where the fortress and surrounding trees can hold smart, white-winged samamisicus Common Redstarts, often known as ‘Ehrenburg’s Redstart’, and a potential split.  Semicollared Flycatchers, Red-backed Shrikes, Barred Warblers and Ortolan Buntings are among other possible species to be found here in spring.

To the northeast of Tbilisi lies a large reservoir (known locally as the ‘Tbilisi Sea’) where non-breeding Armenian Gulls over-summer.  We may drop by to look for them and hopefully also find migrant terns such as Gull-billed or White-winged feeding over the lake.

Continuing eastwards, the landscape changes as we enter a region of open and richly coloured rolling fields, with lines of vines amidst blood-red poppies. The birdlife changes too, and we should soon begin to see Long-legged Buzzards, Nightingales and hundreds of Corn Buntings singing their distinctive jangling song.

Arriving at Dedoplistskaro in the late afternoon, we may have time to explore the area around the hotel which will be our home for three nights. Night Dedoplistskaro

DAYS 6 – 7: IORI UPLANDS AND CHACHUNA

The Iori Uplands are a line of hills set amidst Georgia’s rolling grass plains and incised by several gorges.  Towns and hotels are few and far between in this far-flung, lightly populated corner of Europe, but at Depoplistskaro we are well placed to explore this tucked away land.  Birds typical of this region include Green and Barred Warblers, Golden Oriole, Hoopoe, Woodlark, Red-backed Shrike, Nightingale and Rock Sparrow.

At a nearby lake birds such as Lesser Spotted Eagle and Black Vulture can usually be found and sometimes, the water’s edge is home to Black-winged Stilts and Ruddy Shelducks, whilst Bee-eaters pass by and Rollers perch on isolated trees.  Yet more Corn Buntings sing from convenient perches and Quails call (invariably unseen!) from the fields.

A little to the north lies Eagle Gorge Natural Monument where Egyptian Vulture and Black Stork may be breeding.  A late afternoon walk here could produce Booted and Lesser Spotted Eagles, or maybe even an Eastern Imperial Eagle.  Alpine Swifts fly over the limestone crags and this area also harbours some superb wildflowers and a few early butterflies.

We also plan to make a day trip to the Chachuna Managed Reserve. The open steppe along the way can produce many great birds including a wide variety of larks such as Calandra, Greater Short-toed and Turkestan (Lesser) Short-toed.  White-throated Robins, Hoopoes and elegant Demoiselle Cranes can be found amidst the poppy studded hillsides, where Eastern Imperial Eagles breed and we also hope to find Rock Sparrow.  As the habitat becomes drier, Isabelline Wheatears and Woodchat Shrikes become increasingly common, with the former already feeding well-grown young.

At the Dali Reservoir, specialities such as Black Francolin, Chukar, Ménétries’s Warbler and Eastern Orphean Warbler could well be found in the scrub below the dam.  Penduline Tits call from the reeds, Ruddy Shelduck can be found at the water’s edge and the trees may reveal a Green Woodpecker looking somewhat incongruous out here on the steppe!  A small colony of Lesser Kestrels often occurs about an old dam building, usually giving fine views.

All the while, Egyptian, Black and Griffon Vultures soar overhead and the noisy flocks of Rosy Starlings – newly arrived from their winter quarters in India – are a joy to watch as they chase after grasshoppers or sing from bushes. Two further nights Dedoplistskaro

DAY 8: RETURN TO TBILISI VIA DAVID GAREJI

With the whole day to travel back west to Tbilisi, we will take our time today, perhaps visiting a breeding spot for Semicollared Flycatchers near Kakheti or investigating the shores of Kopaditze Lake before diverting south to the monastery at David Gareja which is another superb area of open steppe and hillside birding, close to the border with Azerbaijan.

Raptors often drift above the open landscape with the possibilities including Saker Falcon and Pallid Harrier. This will also probably be our last opportunity to spot migrating Demoiselle Cranes which pause here on their long journey north, before crossing over the high mountains.

The scrubby, rocky slopes beside the monastery at David Gareja could well provide us with our best chance of finding Pied, Finsch’s and Eastern Black-eared Wheatears, while Ortolan Buntings sing from the bushes. Blue Rock Thrushes can be found here too, and migrants such as Eastern Orphean Warbler and Lesser Grey Shrike sing as Bee-eaters pass over the fascinating rock formations.

As we arrive back in Tbilisi, we will take our evening meal at a typical Georgian restaurant, where we can sample some local dishes and also enjoy a glass of one (or more!) of the fine wines for which the country is rightly proud. Night Tbilisi

DAY 9: TBILISI TO JAVAKHETI PLAIN

We will drive for approximately 250 kms to the southwest of Tbilisi to the small town of Akhalkalaki which is located on the Javakheti Plain.  We plan to make strategic stops as we travel and species we could see include Lesser Grey Shrike, Crag Martin, Black-headed Bunting, Ortolan and Rosy Starling.

The plain itself is an area of mountain grassland in southern Georgia not far from the border with Armenia and Turkey and during our time in the area, we will explore grasslands, lakes, marshes and mountains.

The lakes provide the opportunity to see a good variety of waterfowl with the headline possibility being White-headed Duck, however, other waterbirds include Dalmatian and Great White Pelicans, Squacco Heron, Ruddy Shelduck and Ferruginous Duck.  Night Akhalkalaki 

DAY 10: JAVAKHETI PLAIN

We are likely to start the day with a visit to Lake Khanchali which can be rich in birds with both pelican species, Glossy Ibis, Great Egret and Squacco Heron amongst the species we could find around the water’s edge.  A good selection of waders, gulls and terns can also be expected with Marsh and Terek Sandpipers, Pallas’s (Great Black-headed) Gull and White-winged Tern amongst the possibilities.  With migration underway, there is also a chance for something special and both White-tailed and Sociable Lapwings are possible.

The surrounding fields can hold Corncrake, Montagu’s Harrier and a wide selection of passerines and we may then venture onto the extinct volcanic mountains of Javakheti where we hope to find Crimson-winged Finch.  There is also a chance for Radde’s Accentor here too, although this species is always tough to find.  Second night Akhalkalaki

DAY 11: JAVAKHETI PLAIN TO TBILISI

We plan to return to Tbilisi via a different route which will allow time to explore the areas around the famous Vardzia cave monastery.  Construction of this amazing complex took place mainly in the second half of the twelfth century and the caves stretch along the cliff for 500m with nineteen separate tiers.

The monastery was once an important cultural centre and the surrounding area is rich in birds of the east Mediterranean region.  There are invariably good numbers of vultures with Griffon, Egyptian and Lammergeier all possible along with birds of prey such as Golden Eagle, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard and Levant Sparrowhawk.

Other species we could see include Western Rock Nuthatch, Crag Martin, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Lesser Grey Shrike, Rosy Starling, Rock Sparrow and Black-headed Bunting giving us the possibility to finish our birding in Georgia with some fantastic species.  Night Tbilisi

DAY 12: FLY TBILISI TO UK

We depart Tbilisi in the morning for our flight back to London, where our spring birdwatching tour to Georgia concludes.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Run in association with our sister brand Limosa Holidays, our tour to Georgia and the High Caucasus is timed to start when the mountains are accessible but there is still a good chance of lying snow which means the high mountain specialities are at lower elevations allowing us to find them!  Although we have chosen the optimum period to visit, if the weather has been unseasonably warm, please note that Great Rosefinch and Güldenstädt’s Redstart can head higher into the mountains early and so can occasionally be missed.

Birding in the High Caucasus Mountains will require some physical effort, so a reasonable degree of fitness is required for this tour. We will be spending most of our time here at altitudes of around 1,900-2,200m (6,200-7,200ft), although depending on snow conditions at the time of our visit, we may reach 2,500-3,000m (8,200-9,800ft).

We shall be birding at lower elevations, around 300-800m (1,000-2,600ft), in the hills and steppe during the second part of the holiday and the weather should be warm to hot.

We shall naturally want to make the most of our days at the peak of early morning bird activity, so we will be starting early each day (around 6.00am) with optional early birding, usually returning for breakfast.

We will experience a difference in climate. In the high mountains, the weather is usually cold-cool and changeable, and with the winter snows beginning to melt. Daytime temperatures will typically vary from 5-15°C (41-59F), but drop quickly at night.

The southern steppes average rather warmer, with daytime temperatures typically in the range of 13-26°C (55-79F) and periods of sunny skies and more overcast or rainy conditions and it can feel cool, especially at night.

There is a high chance of some precipitation on this tour and whilst this is most likely to fall as rain, snow is still possible in the mountains.

BIRDS

160-190 species

MAMMALS

5-10 species

ACCOMMODATION

Eleven nights accommodation in Georgia subject to flight times.  We stay in a modern hotel at Tbilisi and in smaller, more simple yet comfortable hotels elsewhere.

MEALS

All main meals are included in the tour price, commencing with dinner on arrival in Georgia on the evening of Day 1 and concluding with breakfast in Tbilisi on Day 12.

Most lunches will be sit-down meals at a local restaurant, with some packed lunches.  Continental-style breakfasts. Evening meals at the hotels tend to be simple but filling.

WALKING

Easy to moderate walking on this tour.  Some uphill walking is inevitable in the mountains, although precisely what we do and where we go is dependent upon weather conditions at the time as well as the snowline.

GROUND TRANSPORT

Minibus with local driver.