Voyage ornithologique printanier en Azerbaïdjan – Deuxième partie

Despite its small size, Azerbaijan offers an exceptional range of habitats, from the inland steppe and semi-desert to the high snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus, through the large wetlands bordering the Caspian Sea and the lush forests near Iran.
The avifauna of Azerbaijan is therefore rich and diversified, and it is surprising that this nation is not more often on the agenda of Western European birders who prefer Georgia and Turkey. One can watch there some bird species that are difficult to see elsewhere in the Western Palearctic, such as the Green Warbler, the Shikra, Radde’s Accentor, the Caucasian Black Grouse, the Caucasian Snowcock, the Great Rosefinch or the Güldenstädt Redstart. Other ornithological « specialties » may be observed in the autonomous republic of Nakhichevan, a region separated from the rest of the country by Armenia, such as the Mongol Rosefinch, the Caspian Snowcock, the Upcher’s Warbler or the Persian Wheatear. Spring, and especially May, is a good period to visit the country to watch the most typical breeding birds and many migrants while avoiding the heat of summer.
Ashley Howe, Josh Jones, David Monticelli and Dan Pointon visited Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan from the 3rd to the 17th of May 2015, and we propose you French version of the richly illustrated report written by Josh Jones (website: : Josh’s blog). Here are the second part of their report, from the 11th to the 17th of May 2015, and some notes about some remarkable species watched during the trip.