North Ossetia, july 2022

A trip for 4 days to Ossetia. Steppe and mountains.

Thursday, July 14. The time we arrived to Vladikavkaz the rain started and continued to the night. Though I was going to go to Chmi, I should walk in the town in order not to stay at hotel.

Friday. Trip to Balta and Chmi. As buses don't go there in suitable time for me, I arrived there by taxi. At first, and after that to Chmi. In Balta, I walked to meadow, forest and Terek floodplain asking Dmitry about birds that can be met. I hadn't much time for Chmi, and there is a long way to rock martin, so more interesting place was just undiscovered...

Saturday and sunday. Went to Cey walley, near Abaytikau. There is a nice pine forest, and higher alpine meadow. Possible to get to Aday-hoh by cable car, after that going on foot higher till the altitude of 2500 meters. On Sunday evening we went back to airport.

Great thanks to Dmitry for answers about where, when and which birds can be met.

1. View to the meadow from Balta, to Vladikavkaz.

2. Terek. In left side foothill of Ingush mountain Myat-lom, in right side Ossetian Arau-hoh.

3. Chmi. View to Malchechkort mountain.

4. Above this old bridge across Suargom river there is nest of rock martins.

5. Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). Balta.

6. Rock martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris). Chmi.

7. View to Aday-hoh from its foothill.

8. Fog rising to mountains in evening...

9. Seen ring ouzel some times in the walley.

10. Caucasian chiffchaff is a subspecies of mountain chiffchaff according to several studies.

11. View to Cey walley from Abaytikau. Some snowy mountains: Aday-hoh, Wilpata, Songuti, Ceyahoh...

12. Rhododendron blossoms in alpine clearing...