Ecological Tours
The company offers the organization of specialized ecological tours. These trips are both for nature lovers, and professional biologists, photographers and film crews. We invite you to visit Talan islands, filmed in an unparalleled chronicle of wildlife by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Koni Peninsula, Shelting Bay, Shantar and Yamskie Islands, Zavyalov and Spafareva Islands, as well as many other places which are worth of your attention. These places are real natural laboratories that provide excellent opportunities for observing colonies of sea birds, Steller’s sea eagles, sea lions, seals, brown bears, foxes and for filming wildlife. Short birdwatching car tours accompanied by a professional ornithologist can be carried out in Magadan vicinity at the Olsky estuary, in the area of Glukhoe Lake and also Yana/Khasin Rivers. Transfers between the areas can be organized by car, helicopter or boat, depending on your wishes and the chosen tour. The best time for these tours is from the middle of June till the middle of August.
Birdwatching tour to Ola Lagoon (auto tour)
Ola Lagoon is a shallow bay at the mouth of the Salmon River. It is low at tides, and it attracts a significant number of waterfowl in periods of their seasonal migration. It will take you about 1.2 hours to get there from Magadan ( ~ 45 km). One part of the road is asphalted, the other part is a barely passable country road. The lagoon has outlines of a trapezoid, turned towards the sea with its broad side. It is about 8 km long. Its north shore is 5 km away from the seacoast. 132 species of birds are registered on the banks of the lagoon. The observations in this place have added several new species to the list of birds of Magadan Region. Ola Lagoon is one of the main stopping points in the east - polearktical migration route. The migrants are mainly ducks and waders.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS IN OLA LAGOON
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see
PELECANIFORMES
PHALACROCORACIDAE
Phalacrocorax pelagicus
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Cygnus cygnus
Cygnus bewicki
Anser albifrons
Anser erythropus
Anser fabalis serrirostris
Anser fabalis middendorfi
Branta bernicla
Anas platyrhynchos
Anas crecca
Anas formosa
Anas faicata
Anas penelope
Anas acuta
Anas clypeata
Aythya fuligula
Aythya marila
Mergus serrator
Mergus merganser
FALCONIFORMES
PANDIONIDAE
Pandion haliaetus
ACCIPITRIDAE
Buteo lagopus
Buteo buteo
Haliaeetus pelagicus
FALCONIDAE
Falco subbuteo
GALLIFORMES
TETRAONIDAE
Tetrastes bonasia
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Squatarola squatarola
Pluvialis dominica
Charadrius hiaticula
Charadrius dubius
Charadrius mongolus
Arenaria interpres
Haematopus ostralegus
Tringa ochropus
Tringa glareola
Tringa nebularia
Tringa erythropus
Heteroscelus brevipes
Actitis hypoleucos
Xenus cinereus
Phalaropus lobatus
Philomachus pugnax
Eurynorhynchus pygmeus
Calidris ruficollis
Galidris subminuta
Calidris temmincki
Calidris ferruginea
Calidris alpina
Calidris acuminata
Calidris melanotos
Calidris tenuirostris
Calidris canutus
Calidris alba Pallas
Limicola falcinellus
Gallinago gallinago
Numenius madagascariensis
Numenius phaeopus
Limosa limosa
Limosa lapponica
STERCORARIIDAE
Stercorarius pomarinus
Stercoranius parasiticus
Stercorarius longicaudus
LARIDAE
Larus ridibundus
Larus argentatus
Larus schistisagus
Larus glaucescens
Larus hyperboreus
Larus canus
Rissa tridactyla
Pagophila eburnea
STRIGIFORMES
STRIGIDAE
Asio flammeus
Strix nebulosa
APODIFORMES
APODIDAE
Apus pacificus
PASSERIFORMES
HIRUNDINIDAE
Hirundo rustica
Delichon urbica
ALAUDIDAE
Alauda arvensis
MOTACILLIDAE
Anthus hodgsoni
Anthus cervinus
Anthus rubescens
Motacilla taivana
Motacilla cinerea
Motacilla alba
LANIIDAE
Lanius cristatus
CORVIDAE
Nucifraga caryocatactes
Corvus corax
Corvus corone
PRUNELLIDAE
Prunella montanella
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella certhiola
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus borealis
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Phylloscopus proregulus
Phylloscopus fuscatus
MUSCICAPIDAE
Ficedula parva
TURDIDAE
Saxicola torquata
Luscinia calliope
Tarsiger cyanurus
Turdus naumanni
AEGITHALIDAE
Aegithalos caudatus
PARIDAE
Parus montanus
SITTIDAE
Sitta europaea
FRINGILLIDAE
Fringilla montifringilla
Spinus spinus
Acantis flammea
Carpodacus erythrinus
EMBERIZIDAE
Emberiza pusilla
Calcarius lapponicus
Birdwatching tour in the interfluve of the Yana and Arman Rivers (auto tour)
The Arman River is ~ 50 km. away from Magadan. It is presented as many riverbeds and streams in a flat pebble valley. During the flood it is all filled up with water, so there are numerous large and small snags on it. The road crosses the wide wooded valley of the Arman River. In meadows you can see the sinuous Olkhovka and Shirokaya Rivers. In the lower course of the Oyira River there is a shallow lake called Glukhoe, which has a piedmont – lagoonal origin. This place serves as a nesting reserve for many species of waterbirds. The coast of the Sea of Okhotsk is almost always seen to the left of the road. To the right along the road there are Oyira and Rechka Rivers. The ferry over the Yana River is about 100 km. away from Magadan. This site is located on the flight route of many species of birds that nest in tundra, forest tundra and continental areas of the Far North.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS BETWEEN THE RIVERS YANA AND ARMAN
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see
GAVIIFORMES
GAVIIDAE
Gavia stellata
Gavia arctica
PODICIPITIFORMES
PODICIPITIDAE
Podiceps auritus
Podiceps griseigena
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Cygnus cygnus
Anser albifrons
Anser fabalis serrirostris
Anas platyrhynchos
Anas crecca
Anas formosa
Anas faicata
Anas penelope
Anas acuta
Anas clypeata
Aythya fuligula
Aythya marila
Mergus albellus
FALCONIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Buteo buteo
FALCONIDAE
Falco subbuteo
GALLIFORMES
TETRAONIDAE
Lagopus lagopus
Tetrao parvirostris
Tetrastes bonasia
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Squatarola squatarola
Pluvialis dominica
Charadrius hiaticula
Charadrius dubius
Charadrius mongolus
Arenaria interpres
Haematopus ostralegus
Tringa ochropus
Tringa glareola
Tringa nebularia
Tringa erythropus
Heteroscelus brevipes
Actitis hypoleucos
Xenus cinereus
Philomachus pugnax
Eurynorhynchus pygmeus
Calidris ruficollis
Galidris subminuta
Calidris temmincki
Calidris ferruginea
Calidris alpina
Calidris acuminata
Calidris melanotos
Calidris tenuirostris
Calidris canutus
Calidris alba Pallas
Gallinago gallinago
Numenius madagascariensis
Numenius phaeopus
Limosa limosa
Limosa lapponica
LARIDAE
Larus ridibundus
Larus argentatus
Larus schistisagus
Larus glaucescens
Larus hyperboreus
Larus canus
Xema sabini
STERNIDAE
Sterna hirundo
Sterna camtschatica
CUCULIFORMES
CUCULIDAE
Cuculus canorus
Cuculus saturatus
STRIGIFORMES
STRIGIDAE
Asio flammeus
Strix uralensis
Strix nebulosa
PASSERIFORMES
ALAUDIDAE
Alauda arvensis
MOTACILLIDAE
Anthus hodgsoni
Anthus cervinus
Motacilla taivana
Motacilla cinerea
Motacilla alba
LANIIDAE
Lanius cristatus
CORVIDAE
Nucifraga caryocatactes
Corvus corax
Corvus corone
PRUNELLIDAE
Prunella montanella
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella certhiola
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus borealis
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Phylloscopus proregulus
Phylloscopus fuscatus
MUSCICAPIDAE
Ficedula parva
TURDIDAE
Saxicola torquata
Luscinia calliope
Luscinia cyane
Tarsiger cyanurus
Turdus naumanni
AEGITHALIDAE
Aegithalos caudatus
PARIDAE
Parus montanus
SITTIDAE
Sitta europaea
FRINGILLIDAE
Fringilla montifringilla
Acantis flammea
Carpodacus erythrinus
EMBERIZIDAE
Emberiza pallasi
Emberiza pusilla
Emberiza aureola
Calcarius lapponicus
Birdwatching in the area of the Hasin River (auto tour)
The location of the Birdwatching excursion is the Hasin River (left tributary of the Arman River), near Stekolny Settlement, which is located 65 km away from Magadan. The floodplain of the Hasin River is well developed and rich enough for such a small river. It is connected with the fact that the valley is closed from the coastal climate by hills located south of the left tributary of the Uptar River. Throughout between Splavnaya and Stekolny Settlements there are willow, poplar, willow and willow-poplar-larch forests with a rich and varied shrub and grass-bush cover. In this area there is relatively high diversity of wildlife, especially birds. That is why we conduct ornithological tours in the floodplain of the river with dense vegetation.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS IN THE AREA OF THE HASIN RIVER
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see.
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Bucephala clangula
FALCONIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Accipiter gentilis
Accipiter nisus
FALCONIDAE
Falco subbuteo
GALLIFORMES
TETRAONIDAE
Lagopus lagopus
Tetrastes bonasia
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Tringa glareola
Tringa nebularia
Heteroscelus brevipes
Actitis hypoleucos
Gallinago gallinago
Gallinago stenura
STERNIDAE
Sterna hirundo
CUCULIFORMES
CUCULIDAE
Cuculus canorus
Cuculus saturatus
STRIGIFORMES
STRIGIDAE
Asio flammeus
Aegolius funereus
Surnia ulula
Strix uralensis
Strix nebulosa
PICIFORMES
PICIDAE
Jynx torquilla
Dryocopus martius
Dendrocopos major
Dendrocopos minor
Picoides tridactylus
PASSERIFORMES
HIRUNDINIDAE
Riparia riparia
ALAUDIDAE
Alauda arvensis
MOTACILLIDAE
Anthus hodgsoni
Motacilla taivana
Motacilla cinerea
Motacilla alba
LANIIDAE
Lanius cristatus
CORVIDAE
Nucifraga caryocatactes
Corvus corax
Corvus corone
BOMBYCILLIDAE
Bombycilla garrulus
CINCLIDAE
Cinclus pallasii
PRUNELLIDAE
Prunella montanella
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella certhiola
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus borealis
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Phylloscopus inornatus
Phylloscopus proregulus
Phylloscopus fuscatus
MUSCICAPIDAE
Ficedula parva
Muscicapa sibirica
Muscicapa griseisticta
TURDIDAE
Saxicola torquata
Luscinia calliope
Luscinia svecica
Luscinia cyane
Luscinia sibilans
Tarsiger cyanurus
Turdus obscurus
Turdus sibiricus
Turdus naumanni
PARIDAE
Parus montanus
SITTIDAE
Sitta europaea
FRINGILLIDAE
Fringilla montifringilla
Spinus spinus
Acantis flammea
Carpodacus erythrinus
Pinicola enucleator
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
EMBERIZIDAE
Emberiza rustica
Emberiza pusilla
Emberiza spodocephala
Emberiza aureola
Talan Island. Foxes & Bird watching tour
Talan Island is a small remnant of the mountain. Its size is only 2.5 x 1 km. The distance from the mainland coast is about 8 km. It rises for 220 meters above the sea, about 2/3 of the coastline are cliffs falling down to the sea. The island has marine cold climate. It is under the constant influence of the winds. The number of windless days is no more than 15-18% per year. Talan Island is deprived of woody vegetation. Just on the top plateau there are some trees: Dahurian larch, stone birch and thickets of cedar. Only three species of land mammals permanently live on the island. They are a red-backed vole, fox and ermine. Sometimes a brown bear can walk on the ice from the mainland. In the waters around the island there are at least 30 species of marine fish, some of which (herring, capelin, sand lance) play an essential role in the diet of birds living on the island. Talan bird population is diverse and abundant. At the present time we know nearly 150 species of birds. Most of them are stray and migratory (including such exotic as a pochard, merlin, pink gull, horn-billed puffin and Japanese waxwing). 19 species nest on the island.
The most numerous birds on the island are marine colonial birds. The most common species on the island is the large auklets (Aethia cristatella). Its population is more than a million birds. They nest in stone piles as groups of several hundred to several thousand pairs. In the beginning of nesting (from mid-June to early July) in the morning and evening the birds are most active. At this time auklets make an amazing spectacle known as "swarming". They are especially active in the evening. At dusk small groups of birds gradually gather into huge, sometimes numbering up to several tens of thousands of birds. The swarms rise in the air and begin rushing over the water in different directions. The reason of this phenomenon is still not clear. Perhaps this is the way how they demonstrate their communication. It is amazing but birds never hurtle together in the air.
On Talan Island you can often see the world's largest hunting bird- Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus). These giants can reach two meters in wingspan and a weight of 9 kilos! In summer and autumn on Talan Island you can see up to 20 young and adult eagles. Two or three couples nest here almost every year. There are two or even three eaglets in their nests due to the abundance of food! Typical inhabitants of island bird colonies are also presented by puffins (Lunda cirrhata) and horned puffins (Fratercula corniculata), popularly nicknamed "a sea parrot".
The island is a home to about 70 thousand pairs of puffins, and not less than 50 thousand pairs of horn puffins. Both species prefer to settle large clusters, but, unlike to horn puffins nesting in a heap of stones and in crevices in the cliffs, they usually dig burrows in the turf-covered areas. Walking along the slopes of the island is accompanied by a disgruntled grumbling of "sea parrots" almost at every step. On the cliffs of the island you can see nesting guillemots - the largest representatives of the auk suborder (Alcidae). They have a relatively long, sharp beak, chocolate-brown back and white chest and belly. They are two species - Uria aalge (about 30 thousand pairs) and Uria lomvia (half).
There are also parakeet auklets (Cyclorhynchus psittacula) on Talan Island. The island is a home to no less than 12-15 thousand pairs of parakeet auklets nesting in a variety of habitats - from the slope border with the coastline up to the very top, in a heap of stones, and in the crevices of coastal cliffs. The most interesting species of birds that live on the island is Synthliboramphus antiquus. The island contains about 10 thousand pairs of these birds. They are night birds. So during the day they can be found only in the sea, often far away from the shore. The spectacled guillemot (Cepphus carbo) - a medium-sized dark brown bird with a distinctive white patch around the eye is referred to few inhabitants of Talan colonies. As a rare and irregularly nesting species Aethia pusilla - the smallest member of the suborder is sometimes recorded on the island. It is amounted to separate pairs on Talan, while their amount on Yamskie Islands is several million. As for the gulls on Talan Island there is a kittiwake gull (Rissa tridactyla). It is the smallest of the gulls that live in our region. A pacific gull (Larus schistisagus ) dwells also on Talan Island, although its amount is considerably lower to that of the other species. An average of 600 pairs of this species nest every year on the island. They are familiar to most citizens of Magadan. There are a lot of them in estuaries of the Ola, Dukcha, Magadanka Rivers, etc. Finally, up to 100-130 pairs of the Bering cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) - large blue-black bird with a purple throat from the order Pelecaniformes nest on the coastal cliffs of the island every year. They are also familiar to most citizens of Magadan who spend summer holidays on the coast of the Gertner Bay.
Every year a small team of ornithologists from the Institute of Biological Problems of the North works on the island during summer. They study the biology of individual species and the role of seabird colonies in the life of the island ecosystem. Taking into consideration the uniqueness of the island ecosystems Talan Island has been announced as the State natural monument of national importance.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS ON TALAN ISLAND
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see.
GAVIIFORMES
GAVIIDAE
Gavia stellata
Gavia arctica
Gavia adamsi
PROCELLARIIFORMES
PROCELLARIIDAE
Fulmarus glacialis
PELECANIFORMES
PHALACROCORACIDAE
Phalacrocorax pelagicus
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Aythya marila
Histrionicus histrionicus
Clangula hyemalis
Melanitta americana
Melanitta deglandi
FALCONIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Haliaeetus pelagicus
FALCONIDAE
Falco peregrinus
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Phalaropus fulicarius
Phalaropus lobatus
STERCORARIIDAE
Stercorarius pomarinus
Stercoranius parasiticus
Stercorarius longicaudus
LARIDAE
Larus schistisagus
Larus glaucescens
Larus hyperboreus
Larus canus
Rissa tridactyla
ALCIDAE
Alle alle
Uria aalge
Uria lomvia
Cepphus carbo
Brachyramphus marmoratus
Brachyramphus brevirostris
Synthliboramphus antiquus
Aethia cristatella
Aethia pusilla
Cyclorhynchus psittacula
Fratercula corniculata
Lunda cirrhata
PASSERIFORMES
MOTACILLIDAE
Motacilla alba
CORVIDAE
Corvus corax
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus fuscatus
TURDIDAE
Luscinia calliope
FRINGILLIDAE
Acantis flammea
The Koni Peninsula. Bears & Bird watching tour
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the largest and highly productive seas of our country. In some parts of the sea coast the combination of a number of environmental factors (shape of the coastline, seabed topography, the nature of ocean currents, especially the river flow, etc..) caused the highest biological productivity. One of these marine "oases" is the Koni peninsula. Visiting the Koni Peninsula offers the chance to watch brown bears, seals and sea-bird colonies in their natural habitat on remote islands in the Sea of Okhotsk. Fishing for salmon in the river and for rockfish, flounder and crab in the sea is optional. If we say that you will see as many bears as at the zoo, it is not true, because there are not so many bears in any zoo!
Our guests will visit the Odyan Wildlife refuge, created in 1995 to protect the bear population. State Odyan Wildlife refuge on the Kony Peninsula is one of the places with the largest numbers of brown bears in Russia. While walking it is possible to encounter brown bears eating grass, fishing or wandering through the tundra. No more than two kilometers away from the shore the land begins to rise and the vegetation changes with the altitude. The slopes are covered with a Siberian dwarf pine, then they turn into mountain meadows and end in jagged rocks that mark the entrance to the mountainous tundra. In Magadan region these slopes are considered to be the most beautiful as well as the most unapproachable. Along the banks of the river there is an indigenous willow called Chosenia.
n addition to bear watching, 15 minutes by boat from the tent camp and our visitors can observe sea lions resting on the shores of the Koni peninsula. Rocky cliffs and slopes of the Umara Island are inhabited by Slaty-backed gulls, Kittiwakes, both species of Murres, Tufted and Horned Puffins, Spectacled Guillemots (one of the biggest colonies in the Sea of Okhotsk) and Pelagic Cormorants. Almost every year a pair of Steller’s sea eagles nests there.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS ON KONI PENINSULA
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see
The species of birds marked yellow are seldom to see.
GAVIIFORMES
GAVIIDAE
Gavia stellata
Gavia arctica
Gavia adamsi
PROCELLARIIFORMES
PROCELLARIIDAE
Fulmarus glacialis
PELECANIFORMES
PHALACROCORACIDAE
Phalacrocorax pelagicus
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Aythya fuligula
Aythya marila
Histrionicus histrionicus
Clangula hyemalis
Melanitta americana
Melanitta deglandi
FALCONIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Haliaeetus pelagicus
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Phalaropus fulicarius
Phalaropus lobatus
STERCORARIIDAE
Stercorarius pomarinus
Stercoranius parasiticus
Stercorarius longicaudus
LARIDAE
Larus schistisagus
Larus glaucescens
Larus hyperboreus
Larus canus
Rissa tridactyla
ALCIDAE
Uria aalge
Uria lomvia
Cepphus columba
Brachyramphus marmoratus
Brachyramphus brevirostris
Fratercula corniculata
Lunda cirrhata
PASSERIFORMES
MOTACILLIDAE
Motacilla cinerea
Motacilla alba
CORVIDAE
Corvus corax
Corvus corone
PRUNELLIDAE
Prunella montanella
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella certhiola
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus borealis
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Phylloscopus inornatus
Phylloscopus proregulus
Phylloscopus fuscatus
MUSCICAPIDAE
Ficedula parva
TURDIDAE
Saxicola torquata
Luscinia calliope
Luscinia cyane
Tarsiger cyanurus
Turdus naumanni
PARIDAE
Parus montanus
SITTIDAE
Sitta europaea
FRINGILLIDAE
Fringilla montifringilla
Acantis flammea
Carpodacus erythrinus
Pinicola enucleator
EMBERIZIDAE
Emberiza pusilla
Emberiza aureola
Birdwatching tour to Ola Lagoon (auto tour)
Ola Lagoon is a shallow bay at the mouth of the Salmon River. It is low at tides, and it attracts a significant number of waterfowl in periods of their seasonal migration. It will take you about 1.2 hours to get there from Magadan ( ~ 45 km). One part of the road is asphalted, the other part is a barely passable country road. The lagoon has outlines of a trapezoid, turned towards the sea with its broad side. It is about 8 km long. Its north shore is 5 km away from the seacoast. 132 species of birds are registered on the banks of the lagoon. The observations in this place have added several new species to the list of birds of Magadan Region. Ola Lagoon is one of the main stopping points in the east - polearktical migration route. The migrants are mainly ducks and waders.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS IN OLA LAGOON
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see
PELECANIFORMES
PHALACROCORACIDAE
Phalacrocorax pelagicus
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Cygnus cygnus
Cygnus bewicki
Anser albifrons
Anser erythropus
Anser fabalis serrirostris
Anser fabalis middendorfi
Branta bernicla
Anas platyrhynchos
Anas crecca
Anas formosa
Anas faicata
Anas penelope
Anas acuta
Anas clypeata
Aythya fuligula
Aythya marila
Mergus serrator
Mergus merganser
FALCONIFORMES
PANDIONIDAE
Pandion haliaetus
ACCIPITRIDAE
Buteo lagopus
Buteo buteo
Haliaeetus pelagicus
FALCONIDAE
Falco subbuteo
GALLIFORMES
TETRAONIDAE
Tetrastes bonasia
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Squatarola squatarola
Pluvialis dominica
Charadrius hiaticula
Charadrius dubius
Charadrius mongolus
Arenaria interpres
Haematopus ostralegus
Tringa ochropus
Tringa glareola
Tringa nebularia
Tringa erythropus
Heteroscelus brevipes
Actitis hypoleucos
Xenus cinereus
Phalaropus lobatus
Philomachus pugnax
Eurynorhynchus pygmeus
Calidris ruficollis
Galidris subminuta
Calidris temmincki
Calidris ferruginea
Calidris alpina
Calidris acuminata
Calidris melanotos
Calidris tenuirostris
Calidris canutus
Calidris alba Pallas
Limicola falcinellus
Gallinago gallinago
Numenius madagascariensis
Numenius phaeopus
Limosa limosa
Limosa lapponica
STERCORARIIDAE
Stercorarius pomarinus
Stercoranius parasiticus
Stercorarius longicaudus
LARIDAE
Larus ridibundus
Larus argentatus
Larus schistisagus
Larus glaucescens
Larus hyperboreus
Larus canus
Rissa tridactyla
Pagophila eburnea
STRIGIFORMES
STRIGIDAE
Asio flammeus
Strix nebulosa
APODIFORMES
APODIDAE
Apus pacificus
PASSERIFORMES
HIRUNDINIDAE
Hirundo rustica
Delichon urbica
ALAUDIDAE
Alauda arvensis
MOTACILLIDAE
Anthus hodgsoni
Anthus cervinus
Anthus rubescens
Motacilla taivana
Motacilla cinerea
Motacilla alba
LANIIDAE
Lanius cristatus
CORVIDAE
Nucifraga caryocatactes
Corvus corax
Corvus corone
PRUNELLIDAE
Prunella montanella
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella certhiola
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus borealis
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Phylloscopus proregulus
Phylloscopus fuscatus
MUSCICAPIDAE
Ficedula parva
TURDIDAE
Saxicola torquata
Luscinia calliope
Tarsiger cyanurus
Turdus naumanni
AEGITHALIDAE
Aegithalos caudatus
PARIDAE
Parus montanus
SITTIDAE
Sitta europaea
FRINGILLIDAE
Fringilla montifringilla
Spinus spinus
Acantis flammea
Carpodacus erythrinus
EMBERIZIDAE
Emberiza pusilla
Calcarius lapponicus
Birdwatching tour in the interfluve of the Yana and Arman Rivers (auto tour)
The Arman River is ~ 50 km. away from Magadan. It is presented as many riverbeds and streams in a flat pebble valley. During the flood it is all filled up with water, so there are numerous large and small snags on it. The road crosses the wide wooded valley of the Arman River. In meadows you can see the sinuous Olkhovka and Shirokaya Rivers. In the lower course of the Oyira River there is a shallow lake called Glukhoe, which has a piedmont – lagoonal origin. This place serves as a nesting reserve for many species of waterbirds. The coast of the Sea of Okhotsk is almost always seen to the left of the road. To the right along the road there are Oyira and Rechka Rivers. The ferry over the Yana River is about 100 km. away from Magadan. This site is located on the flight route of many species of birds that nest in tundra, forest tundra and continental areas of the Far North.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS BETWEEN THE RIVERS YANA AND ARMAN
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see
GAVIIFORMES
GAVIIDAE
Gavia stellata
Gavia arctica
PODICIPITIFORMES
PODICIPITIDAE
Podiceps auritus
Podiceps griseigena
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Cygnus cygnus
Anser albifrons
Anser fabalis serrirostris
Anas platyrhynchos
Anas crecca
Anas formosa
Anas faicata
Anas penelope
Anas acuta
Anas clypeata
Aythya fuligula
Aythya marila
Mergus albellus
FALCONIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Buteo buteo
FALCONIDAE
Falco subbuteo
GALLIFORMES
TETRAONIDAE
Lagopus lagopus
Tetrao parvirostris
Tetrastes bonasia
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Squatarola squatarola
Pluvialis dominica
Charadrius hiaticula
Charadrius dubius
Charadrius mongolus
Arenaria interpres
Haematopus ostralegus
Tringa ochropus
Tringa glareola
Tringa nebularia
Tringa erythropus
Heteroscelus brevipes
Actitis hypoleucos
Xenus cinereus
Philomachus pugnax
Eurynorhynchus pygmeus
Calidris ruficollis
Galidris subminuta
Calidris temmincki
Calidris ferruginea
Calidris alpina
Calidris acuminata
Calidris melanotos
Calidris tenuirostris
Calidris canutus
Calidris alba Pallas
Gallinago gallinago
Numenius madagascariensis
Numenius phaeopus
Limosa limosa
Limosa lapponica
LARIDAE
Larus ridibundus
Larus argentatus
Larus schistisagus
Larus glaucescens
Larus hyperboreus
Larus canus
Xema sabini
STERNIDAE
Sterna hirundo
Sterna camtschatica
CUCULIFORMES
CUCULIDAE
Cuculus canorus
Cuculus saturatus
STRIGIFORMES
STRIGIDAE
Asio flammeus
Strix uralensis
Strix nebulosa
PASSERIFORMES
ALAUDIDAE
Alauda arvensis
MOTACILLIDAE
Anthus hodgsoni
Anthus cervinus
Motacilla taivana
Motacilla cinerea
Motacilla alba
LANIIDAE
Lanius cristatus
CORVIDAE
Nucifraga caryocatactes
Corvus corax
Corvus corone
PRUNELLIDAE
Prunella montanella
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella certhiola
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus borealis
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Phylloscopus proregulus
Phylloscopus fuscatus
MUSCICAPIDAE
Ficedula parva
TURDIDAE
Saxicola torquata
Luscinia calliope
Luscinia cyane
Tarsiger cyanurus
Turdus naumanni
AEGITHALIDAE
Aegithalos caudatus
PARIDAE
Parus montanus
SITTIDAE
Sitta europaea
FRINGILLIDAE
Fringilla montifringilla
Acantis flammea
Carpodacus erythrinus
EMBERIZIDAE
Emberiza pallasi
Emberiza pusilla
Emberiza aureola
Calcarius lapponicus
Birdwatching in the area of the Hasin River (auto tour)
The location of the Birdwatching excursion is the Hasin River (left tributary of the Arman River), near Stekolny Settlement, which is located 65 km away from Magadan. The floodplain of the Hasin River is well developed and rich enough for such a small river. It is connected with the fact that the valley is closed from the coastal climate by hills located south of the left tributary of the Uptar River. Throughout between Splavnaya and Stekolny Settlements there are willow, poplar, willow and willow-poplar-larch forests with a rich and varied shrub and grass-bush cover. In this area there is relatively high diversity of wildlife, especially birds. That is why we conduct ornithological tours in the floodplain of the river with dense vegetation.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS IN THE AREA OF THE HASIN RIVER
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see.
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Bucephala clangula
FALCONIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Accipiter gentilis
Accipiter nisus
FALCONIDAE
Falco subbuteo
GALLIFORMES
TETRAONIDAE
Lagopus lagopus
Tetrastes bonasia
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Tringa glareola
Tringa nebularia
Heteroscelus brevipes
Actitis hypoleucos
Gallinago gallinago
Gallinago stenura
STERNIDAE
Sterna hirundo
CUCULIFORMES
CUCULIDAE
Cuculus canorus
Cuculus saturatus
STRIGIFORMES
STRIGIDAE
Asio flammeus
Aegolius funereus
Surnia ulula
Strix uralensis
Strix nebulosa
PICIFORMES
PICIDAE
Jynx torquilla
Dryocopus martius
Dendrocopos major
Dendrocopos minor
Picoides tridactylus
PASSERIFORMES
HIRUNDINIDAE
Riparia riparia
ALAUDIDAE
Alauda arvensis
MOTACILLIDAE
Anthus hodgsoni
Motacilla taivana
Motacilla cinerea
Motacilla alba
LANIIDAE
Lanius cristatus
CORVIDAE
Nucifraga caryocatactes
Corvus corax
Corvus corone
BOMBYCILLIDAE
Bombycilla garrulus
CINCLIDAE
Cinclus pallasii
PRUNELLIDAE
Prunella montanella
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella certhiola
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus borealis
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Phylloscopus inornatus
Phylloscopus proregulus
Phylloscopus fuscatus
MUSCICAPIDAE
Ficedula parva
Muscicapa sibirica
Muscicapa griseisticta
TURDIDAE
Saxicola torquata
Luscinia calliope
Luscinia svecica
Luscinia cyane
Luscinia sibilans
Tarsiger cyanurus
Turdus obscurus
Turdus sibiricus
Turdus naumanni
PARIDAE
Parus montanus
SITTIDAE
Sitta europaea
FRINGILLIDAE
Fringilla montifringilla
Spinus spinus
Acantis flammea
Carpodacus erythrinus
Pinicola enucleator
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
EMBERIZIDAE
Emberiza rustica
Emberiza pusilla
Emberiza spodocephala
Emberiza aureola
Talan Island. Foxes & Bird watching tour
Talan Island is a small remnant of the mountain. Its size is only 2.5 x 1 km. The distance from the mainland coast is about 8 km. It rises for 220 meters above the sea, about 2/3 of the coastline are cliffs falling down to the sea. The island has marine cold climate. It is under the constant influence of the winds. The number of windless days is no more than 15-18% per year. Talan Island is deprived of woody vegetation. Just on the top plateau there are some trees: Dahurian larch, stone birch and thickets of cedar. Only three species of land mammals permanently live on the island. They are a red-backed vole, fox and ermine. Sometimes a brown bear can walk on the ice from the mainland. In the waters around the island there are at least 30 species of marine fish, some of which (herring, capelin, sand lance) play an essential role in the diet of birds living on the island. Talan bird population is diverse and abundant. At the present time we know nearly 150 species of birds. Most of them are stray and migratory (including such exotic as a pochard, merlin, pink gull, horn-billed puffin and Japanese waxwing). 19 species nest on the island.
The most numerous birds on the island are marine colonial birds. The most common species on the island is the large auklets (Aethia cristatella). Its population is more than a million birds. They nest in stone piles as groups of several hundred to several thousand pairs. In the beginning of nesting (from mid-June to early July) in the morning and evening the birds are most active. At this time auklets make an amazing spectacle known as "swarming". They are especially active in the evening. At dusk small groups of birds gradually gather into huge, sometimes numbering up to several tens of thousands of birds. The swarms rise in the air and begin rushing over the water in different directions. The reason of this phenomenon is still not clear. Perhaps this is the way how they demonstrate their communication. It is amazing but birds never hurtle together in the air.
On Talan Island you can often see the world's largest hunting bird- Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus). These giants can reach two meters in wingspan and a weight of 9 kilos! In summer and autumn on Talan Island you can see up to 20 young and adult eagles. Two or three couples nest here almost every year. There are two or even three eaglets in their nests due to the abundance of food! Typical inhabitants of island bird colonies are also presented by puffins (Lunda cirrhata) and horned puffins (Fratercula corniculata), popularly nicknamed "a sea parrot".
The island is a home to about 70 thousand pairs of puffins, and not less than 50 thousand pairs of horn puffins. Both species prefer to settle large clusters, but, unlike to horn puffins nesting in a heap of stones and in crevices in the cliffs, they usually dig burrows in the turf-covered areas. Walking along the slopes of the island is accompanied by a disgruntled grumbling of "sea parrots" almost at every step. On the cliffs of the island you can see nesting guillemots - the largest representatives of the auk suborder (Alcidae). They have a relatively long, sharp beak, chocolate-brown back and white chest and belly. They are two species - Uria aalge (about 30 thousand pairs) and Uria lomvia (half).
There are also parakeet auklets (Cyclorhynchus psittacula) on Talan Island. The island is a home to no less than 12-15 thousand pairs of parakeet auklets nesting in a variety of habitats - from the slope border with the coastline up to the very top, in a heap of stones, and in the crevices of coastal cliffs. The most interesting species of birds that live on the island is Synthliboramphus antiquus. The island contains about 10 thousand pairs of these birds. They are night birds. So during the day they can be found only in the sea, often far away from the shore. The spectacled guillemot (Cepphus carbo) - a medium-sized dark brown bird with a distinctive white patch around the eye is referred to few inhabitants of Talan colonies. As a rare and irregularly nesting species Aethia pusilla - the smallest member of the suborder is sometimes recorded on the island. It is amounted to separate pairs on Talan, while their amount on Yamskie Islands is several million. As for the gulls on Talan Island there is a kittiwake gull (Rissa tridactyla). It is the smallest of the gulls that live in our region. A pacific gull (Larus schistisagus ) dwells also on Talan Island, although its amount is considerably lower to that of the other species. An average of 600 pairs of this species nest every year on the island. They are familiar to most citizens of Magadan. There are a lot of them in estuaries of the Ola, Dukcha, Magadanka Rivers, etc. Finally, up to 100-130 pairs of the Bering cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) - large blue-black bird with a purple throat from the order Pelecaniformes nest on the coastal cliffs of the island every year. They are also familiar to most citizens of Magadan who spend summer holidays on the coast of the Gertner Bay.
Every year a small team of ornithologists from the Institute of Biological Problems of the North works on the island during summer. They study the biology of individual species and the role of seabird colonies in the life of the island ecosystem. Taking into consideration the uniqueness of the island ecosystems Talan Island has been announced as the State natural monument of national importance.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS ON TALAN ISLAND
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see.
GAVIIFORMES
GAVIIDAE
Gavia stellata
Gavia arctica
Gavia adamsi
PROCELLARIIFORMES
PROCELLARIIDAE
Fulmarus glacialis
PELECANIFORMES
PHALACROCORACIDAE
Phalacrocorax pelagicus
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Aythya marila
Histrionicus histrionicus
Clangula hyemalis
Melanitta americana
Melanitta deglandi
FALCONIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Haliaeetus pelagicus
FALCONIDAE
Falco peregrinus
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Phalaropus fulicarius
Phalaropus lobatus
STERCORARIIDAE
Stercorarius pomarinus
Stercoranius parasiticus
Stercorarius longicaudus
LARIDAE
Larus schistisagus
Larus glaucescens
Larus hyperboreus
Larus canus
Rissa tridactyla
ALCIDAE
Alle alle
Uria aalge
Uria lomvia
Cepphus carbo
Brachyramphus marmoratus
Brachyramphus brevirostris
Synthliboramphus antiquus
Aethia cristatella
Aethia pusilla
Cyclorhynchus psittacula
Fratercula corniculata
Lunda cirrhata
PASSERIFORMES
MOTACILLIDAE
Motacilla alba
CORVIDAE
Corvus corax
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus fuscatus
TURDIDAE
Luscinia calliope
FRINGILLIDAE
Acantis flammea
The Koni Peninsula. Bears & Bird watching tour
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the largest and highly productive seas of our country. In some parts of the sea coast the combination of a number of environmental factors (shape of the coastline, seabed topography, the nature of ocean currents, especially the river flow, etc..) caused the highest biological productivity. One of these marine "oases" is the Koni peninsula. Visiting the Koni Peninsula offers the chance to watch brown bears, seals and sea-bird colonies in their natural habitat on remote islands in the Sea of Okhotsk. Fishing for salmon in the river and for rockfish, flounder and crab in the sea is optional. If we say that you will see as many bears as at the zoo, it is not true, because there are not so many bears in any zoo!
Our guests will visit the Odyan Wildlife refuge, created in 1995 to protect the bear population. State Odyan Wildlife refuge on the Kony Peninsula is one of the places with the largest numbers of brown bears in Russia. While walking it is possible to encounter brown bears eating grass, fishing or wandering through the tundra. No more than two kilometers away from the shore the land begins to rise and the vegetation changes with the altitude. The slopes are covered with a Siberian dwarf pine, then they turn into mountain meadows and end in jagged rocks that mark the entrance to the mountainous tundra. In Magadan region these slopes are considered to be the most beautiful as well as the most unapproachable. Along the banks of the river there is an indigenous willow called Chosenia.
n addition to bear watching, 15 minutes by boat from the tent camp and our visitors can observe sea lions resting on the shores of the Koni peninsula. Rocky cliffs and slopes of the Umara Island are inhabited by Slaty-backed gulls, Kittiwakes, both species of Murres, Tufted and Horned Puffins, Spectacled Guillemots (one of the biggest colonies in the Sea of Okhotsk) and Pelagic Cormorants. Almost every year a pair of Steller’s sea eagles nests there.
LIST OF BIRDS YOU CAN OBSERVE DURING BIRDWATCHING TOURS ON KONI PENINSULA
The species of birds marked red are seldom to see
The species of birds marked yellow are seldom to see.
GAVIIFORMES
GAVIIDAE
Gavia stellata
Gavia arctica
Gavia adamsi
PROCELLARIIFORMES
PROCELLARIIDAE
Fulmarus glacialis
PELECANIFORMES
PHALACROCORACIDAE
Phalacrocorax pelagicus
ANSERIFORMES
ANATIDAE
Aythya fuligula
Aythya marila
Histrionicus histrionicus
Clangula hyemalis
Melanitta americana
Melanitta deglandi
FALCONIFORMES
ACCIPITRIDAE
Haliaeetus pelagicus
CHARADRIIFORMES
CHARADRIIDAE
Phalaropus fulicarius
Phalaropus lobatus
STERCORARIIDAE
Stercorarius pomarinus
Stercoranius parasiticus
Stercorarius longicaudus
LARIDAE
Larus schistisagus
Larus glaucescens
Larus hyperboreus
Larus canus
Rissa tridactyla
ALCIDAE
Uria aalge
Uria lomvia
Cepphus columba
Brachyramphus marmoratus
Brachyramphus brevirostris
Fratercula corniculata
Lunda cirrhata
PASSERIFORMES
MOTACILLIDAE
Motacilla cinerea
Motacilla alba
CORVIDAE
Corvus corax
Corvus corone
PRUNELLIDAE
Prunella montanella
SYLVIIDAE
Locustella certhiola
Locustella ochotensis
Locustella lanceolata
Phylloscopus borealis
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Phylloscopus inornatus
Phylloscopus proregulus
Phylloscopus fuscatus
MUSCICAPIDAE
Ficedula parva
TURDIDAE
Saxicola torquata
Luscinia calliope
Luscinia cyane
Tarsiger cyanurus
Turdus naumanni
PARIDAE
Parus montanus
SITTIDAE
Sitta europaea
FRINGILLIDAE
Fringilla montifringilla
Acantis flammea
Carpodacus erythrinus
Pinicola enucleator
EMBERIZIDAE
Emberiza pusilla
Emberiza aureola