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15 DAYS ITINERARY
Day 1:
Arrival to the city of Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Republic
of Buriatia.
Transfer by car (about 1 hr), then take a motor boat (20 min)
along channels into the Selenga river delta. Ornithological
excursions. Selenga river is the biggest tributary of Baikal Lake.
Delta of the Selenga (covering the area of about 5 thousand
hectares ) is included in the list of unique natural phenomena of
the planetary significance, it is the important North Asia key
point of migration routes of the birds of passage. There are large
areas of marshes, a lot of small and big channels and its
branches, hillocks overgrown with willow, and lakes and meadows
between. Selenga Delta is one of the main nesting places for the
Asian Dowitcher. The big quantity of White-winged tern is nesting
there as well. Other interesting species - black stork (does not
nest there), Garganey, Caspian and Whiskered Tern, Blue Hill
Pigeon, hoopoe, Сitrine Wagtail. You will have a chance to
see Ural Owl, Long-Eared Owl and perhaps Hawk Owl. Dinner and
overnight in the cordon (spacious wooden house).
*Note: Depending on your wishes, accommodation can
be arranged in the comfortable tourist cottage on the Baikal Lake
shore (facilities inside).
Day 2:
Ornithological excursions in Selenga delta. Overnight, as per
Day 1.
Day 3:
Transfer by car along the picturesque road on the Baikal
riverside to the village of Ust-Barguzin. The office of the
Zabaikalski National Park is located there. Bed & breakfast
accommodation in the private hotels (accommodation type: single,
double and triple; comfortable, WC inside, tasty home-made food,
made of local ecologically pure ingredients)
Day 4:
Trip to the Zabaikalski National Park. (transfer on a ferry,
then 30 min drive to the coast of the Barguzin bay, then along the
protected coast to the Svyatoi Nos peninsula). Entire day walking
excursion. Writers and poets call the Zabaikalsky National park
"Chivyrkuisky Legend", "Pearl in the Baikal
Crown". This is the famous Baikal "Podlemorye" ,
with snow-white mountains peaks, fast running rivers with abrupt
banks, high-mountain tundras and lakes, mysterious Ushkany islands
with its marble rocks and the biggest rookery of endemic Baikal
seal. 241 species of birds are registered in the Park. There are
such rare species as whooper swan, white-tailed sea eagle, Pallas'
sea eagle, osprey, hooded crane, black stork, peregrine falcon,
etc. One of the remarkable sights of the Chivyrkuisky isthmus is
its large sandy beach, dunes overgrown with the dwarf forms of
trees, and also marshes. This is one of the three biggest nesting
areas of aquatic birds of Baikal. Scientists are surprised about
the vegetation of the isthmus. Is there anywhere else such a place
where you can find cedar creeper and cedar pine growing side by
side, where you can touch cedar cones standing on the ground? Is
there a place anywhere else where in the same small area mountain
cedar creeper, desert astraghal and Popov' moss are growing? The
bird-cherry tree is spread out on the ground and even the pine
trees have taken the prostrate form. Many of pine trees and cedars
have flag-like tops. We will visit some big and small lakes of the
Zabaikal'sky National Park. These lakes are surrounded by
moss-sedge marshes, sparse growth of birch trees, and swamp
shrubs. In addition to a lot of shorebirds, you can watch Arctic
(black-throated) loon, huge old nests of white-tailed sea eagle.
Earlier, eagle owls were nesting there. It is also possible to
find bear footprints. Id, sazan, perch, pike, grayling are
abundant in the lakes and small bays. There are also small spa
springs. By evening, we will return to Ust-Barguzin. Overnight
stay in the private hotels.
*Note: Another option is accommodation in tents.
Also, accommodation in the drifting hotel is possible, on the
barge in the Krokhalinaya bay (single and double rooms, facilities
inside).
Day 5:
Cruise down the Chevykuisk bay on the small boat "Yaroslavetz".
Enjoy picturesque banks, a lot of small bays, wonderful beaches
and spa springs. Visit the Ushkany islands, observe the largest
rookery of endemic Baikal seal (it takes about 4-5 hours by boat
to get to the Ushkany islands). Hundreds of seals gather on the
islands in the summer time. You can taste dishes of the Buryat
national cuisine in the local village, visit the Buryat folk
concert. Overnight stay, as per Day 4.
Day 6:
After the morning excursion in the Zabaikalski National
Park, we take a car to Ulan-Ude (6-7 hours). Visit the biggest
Buddhist datzan (1 hour drive). Ornithological excursion (steppe
ornithofauna). Overnight at the hotel in Ulan-Ude (facilities
inside).
Day 7:
Car transfer to the Borgoi Hollow ("Kotlovina") (250
km). Accommodation in the private sector or in tents (depending on
your wish).
Days 8-9:
Ornithological excursions in the Borgoi area. The largest
accumulations of ruddy sheldducks (about 4-7 thousands of birds)
and gray cranes (up to 4 thousand) can be found there. You can
come across the individuals or small groups of demoiselle cranes
and whooper swans. There is also a great variety of ducks: 10-15
species in flocks of 3-5 thousand of birds ( gadwall, mallard,
garganey, green-winged teal, northern pintail, northern shoveler,
common (European) pochard, tufted duck, common goldeneye, common
shelduck). In September, there are still flocks of coots,
black-necked (eared) grebes, shorebirds (lapwing, wood sandpiper,
green sandpiper, spotted redshank and some others). Small flocks
of bean goose stay there. From time to time, Bewick's swan, Baikal
teal, swan goose can be seen. Birds of prey are numerous, as
white-tailed sea eagle, tawny eagle, imperial eagle, greater
spotted eagle, saker falcon, upland buzzard, even black vulture.
Hen harrier, kestrel, European hobby can be observed ( in the
period throughout the end of September ). You will even get a
chance to see great bustard - this is the last place in
Pribaikalie (including Irkutsk region and Buriatia) where it used
to inhabit. Last registration of this species are dated to 1998.
Mongolian larks and pipits are rather numerous. Red-billed choughs
can be seen even in the villages. Fauna of steppe mammals is the
richest in Pribaikalie. In the autumn time "prints" of
Daurian pika can be clearly seen. You can see the holes of
tarbogan marmot, if you are lucky - you can meet tolai hare,
corsac fox, and even Pallas' cat. In some places, Chinese vole is
very numerous. In Russia, this species is found in Russia only in
the steppes of the Southern Buratia.
Day 10:
Transfer by car to the extreme southern part of Baikal, the
Kultuk village. Visit to the unique private museum of minerals in
the village Sludyanka is possible. Walking excursion to the
marshes near the border of the Pribaikal'sky National Park for
watching shorebirds, ducks, some passerines. Altogether there are
340 species of birds in the Pribaikal'sky Park. 47 of them are
enlisted in the Red Data Books of different range, including such
globally rare eagle species as the imperial, golden, tawny,
greater spotted, little, and white-tailed sea eagle. You cannot
find so rich composition of eagle species anywhere else in the
Eastern Siberia. One of the largest populations of imperial eagle
in Russia is located in Pribaikalie (in the recent years it is
diminishing quickly). Earlier, great bustard and white-tailed sea
eagle used to be nesting there, but during the recent years they
can be seen only periodically. Dinner and accommodation at the
comfortable tourist cottages (facilities inside). If you prefer,
accommodation in the tented camp can be organized.
Days 11-12:
Watch the bird migration. In the first half of September, the
south-western Baikal coast becomes the "passage" of the
mass autumn migration of raptorial birds. The most interesting
species are: crested honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus), greater
spotted eagle (Aquila clanga), black stork ( Ciconia nigra); mass
migration of common buzzard (Buteo buteo), northern goshawk (Accipiter
gentilis) and European sparrowhawk. Various species of passerine
birds are of interest, including numerous typical Siberian
species. Big flocks of Siberian rosy (Arctoa mountain) finch
(Leucosticte arctoa),
снигери, thrushes,
Pallas' rosefinch, Lapland bunting, mass of Bohemian waxwing can
be seen there. In the surroundings of Sludianka village, there is
a lot of common dipper. Only in this area the red-throated thrush
and Naumann's thrush are wintering, consuming nymphs of aquatic
insects and cancers. Starting from November, the Alpian and
Himalayan accentors come down to the area of Slyudianka and Kultuk
from highlands. All year round, you can meet the Godlewski's rock
bunting, an all-Siberian and Sayan endemic, an analogue to the
European rock bunting. Up to October-November, the Eversmann's (rufous-backed)
and Guldenstadts' redstarts can be seen on its migration way (in
the Sayans, these species are usually found only in the
highlands). Overnight, as per Day 10.
Day 13:
Transfer to Listvianka village by motor boat or by train along
the renovated railway road - the unique site of the engineering
state of the art. It was actually cut through the rocks above Lake
Baikal in 1902-1905. It runs 84 km and includes 424 engineering
objects. Among them are 39 tunnels of 8994 m in length, 47 stone
galleries, 14 km of supporting walls. In the beginning of the
century, this section of the road was called "golden buckle
on the steel belt of Russia". The railway road runs along the
border of Pribaikal'sky National Park. On the Baikal banks, there
are a lot of grand rocks and cliffs, as well as natural caves.
Altitude vegetation zones are very well expressed: highland tundra
and alpine meadows, under-the-golets creepers and sparse growth of
trees, coniferous forests, taiga-steppe complexes. Pine forests
with admixture of larch dominate there. On the watersheds, some
areas are covered with cedar and cedar- fir forests, in the river
valleys and very seldom on the rocks - spruce forests. Arrival in
the village of Listvianka. Visit to one of the museums (of your
choice): Baikal Museum in Listvianka or architecture-ethnographic
museum in Tal'tsy (40 architectural monuments of the republic
significance, 800 exhibits (for example, Spasskaya Tower dated
from 1667). Car transfer to Irkutsk (70 km). Accommodation in the
hotel (double type rooms).
Day 14:
Brief sightseeing tour about Irkutsk, an old Siberian town.
Visit to various museums, depending on your choice. Trip by bus to
the Novoleninskoe Marsh or to the floodland of the Angara river in
the Irkutsk suburbs. There you can watch a lot of passerines,
ducks and shorebirds. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 15:
Transfer to the airport, departure.
Possible Extensions:
1. "Birds' Cross-Roads" (visiting Olkhon island -
territory of the Pribaikal'sky National Park).
4 days before the tour. Watching the autumnal migration of
various shorebirds, aquatic and raptorial birds. Bays of thw Maloe
Sea, pebbly sea points and delta of the Sarma river are the stop
place for many birds flying from tundra and Northern taiga. The
most interesting species are: various types of sandpipers Calidris
and other northern species (Limicolae), white-winged (velvet)
scoter (Melanitta fusca), Baikal teal (Anas formosa), migrating
Aquila and Falco. Olkhon is a nesting place for eagles and eagle
owls. In Baikal area, only the delta of Sarma river (opposite to
Olkhon) provide nesting grounds for the
тонкопалый
песочник. The rock
capes of the Maloe Sea (a channel which separates the Olkhon
Island) coast are very beautiful. Relic steppes are of a especial
interest. In the Baikal area, its massifs are located only in the
Pribaikal'sky National Park. These are the remains of
tundra-steppes of late Kainozoi period. Geographists call this
region as a refuge of the desert-steppe species of plants and
animals. Low rocky edges, rocky cliffs, hollows with salty lakes
carry the mysterious magic of the ancient nature of the Central
Asia. Steppes of the Pribaikal'sky National Park are the habitat
for many relic species of animals. Among them are: amphibians -
Mongolian toad, reptiles -
узорчатый
полоз, mammals - endemic Olkhon vole
(Alticola olchonensis), steppe polecat, birds - saker falcon,
imperial eagle, tawny eagle, demoiselle crane, Daurian partridge,
ruddy shelduck and some others. The biggest colonies of herring
gull on Baikal are situated on small rocky islands of the Maloe
Sea, as well as rather big nesting grounds of white-winged scoter,
common and red-breasted mergansers)
As concerns the archaeological monuments, the Olkhon and
surroundings outnumber any other region in Baikal. Only on the
Olkhon island, 143 such objects are known (ancient settlements,
remains of stone walls, graves, etc.) Drawings on the rocks in
Sagan-Zaba have become world-famous. It is remarkable that the
local Buriat people still continue to preserve "relics of the
ancient ideology" - legends, traditions and ceremonies
related to shamanism, including "cult of the Eagle".
2. Visit to Daurian Nature Reserve.
Variants of ornithological tours to the Baikal Lake during the
other seasons:
1) Olkhon Island, Borgoi Hollow and Zabaikal'sky National park
in May-June and July-August. In the Borgoi hollow, common
shelducks can be seen nesting, as well as pied avocets
Recurvirostra avosetta, black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus),
Eastern hen harrier, lesser kestrel Falco naumanni (one of the
last nesting places in Russia), Amur red-footed falcon, and also
buntings (Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides, pine bunting
E.leucocephala, perhaps Godlewski' rock bunting E.godlewskii),
краснохвостого
сорокапута,
isabelline wheatear Oenanthe isabellina, pied wheatear
O.pleschanka, different pipits (including Godlewski's pipit),
hoopoe, terns and gulls.
2) Southern section of Lake Baikal in winter time. Watching the
largest "cold wintering" of waterfowl in the Eastern
Siberia. Big air-hole forms at the place where the river Angara
outflows from Lake Baikal; about 10-15 thousand of ducks winter
there (common goldeneye dominates). The most interesting in the
region complex of wintering birds can be observed there: rosy (Arctoa
mountain) finch, Godlewski's bunting, Alpine accentor, dipper,
Pallas' rosefinch (till December), thrushes, bullfinches, northern
(great gray) shrike, golden eagle, gyrfalcon.
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