Where to Watch Birds in Armenia
Vedi Hills
There is no topographic feature with
such a name, and you will not find it on maps. The  area
lacked any specific name and in our first trip reports
it was mentioned as Vedi Gorge, after the name of the
nearest town. The current term first appeared in Chris
Batty’s report - when we were at the site
he asked how to name this area, and Vedi Hills was suggested.
Since then it has been widely used and is the name already
in wide usage among birders.
For the average person Vedi Hills may
seem dead and lifeless, but a birder and any naturalist
will immediately be attracted to the area, even from
a distance. This arid hillside is characterized by low
ridges with clayey and loose rocky slopes barely covered
with short semi-desert vegetation and scrub. There are
several gorges here with dry river beds, rocky walls
and outcrops that are gradually crumbling away, even
with a light gust of wind or under the clumsy step of
a Chukar. Water sources in the area are localized and
in the hot summer months attract the local fauna like
a magnet. Some such gorges with natural mineral springs
are found just a few km north of Vedi town.
For birders, there are several main
attractions in this area. Mongolian Finch,
which was first found in Armenia in 2001, was subsequently
proved to breed here, and the site remains the only
known place in the country, where the species can be
observed regularly, albeit with variable success due
to the low number of breeding pairs and 'birder unfriendly'
habits. Trumpeter Finch is seen here
more frequently and regularly and is far more 'cooperative',
nevertheless it displays an equally enigmatic pattern
of occurrence - common in some years and not found in
others. One of the most sought-after West Palearctic
birds, Grey-necked Bunting, in contrast
to the previous two species, is hard to miss at this
site and in the heat of the day it is the only bird
that continues to sing, pausing for only short breaks.
Breeding stars of this area also include Finsch's
Wheatear, Upcher's Warbler,
Eastern Rock Nuthatch, Woodchat
Shrike, and Pale Rockfinch,
irregularly Eastern Orphean Warbler and
with luck the Eagle Owl. Common breeders
here are Chukar, Crag Martin,
Blue Rock Thrush, Black-eared
Wheatear, Rock Sparrow and
Black-headed Bunting. From nearby areas
the water source is visited by Ortolan
and Rock Buntings and occasionally
by Crimson-winged Finch.
On the way to the hills from Vedi town
the road passes between orchards and vineyards, where
Ménétries's Warbler,
Lesser Grey Shrike and restless flocks
of Rosy Starling can be found. Further
along the way, at an open badland area common birds
include Hoopoe, European Bee-eater,
Roller, Crested Lark,
Rufous Bushchat and Isabelline
Wheatear. Gentle slopes with ridges hold Woodlark,
Short-toed Lark and Tawny Pipit,
a riverbed with meagre amounts of water supports breeding
Little Ringed Plover. Regularly breeding
raptors of the area include Egyptian Vulture
and Long-legged Buzzard, while a good
selection of them, such as Lammergeier,
Griffon and Black Vultures,
Golden, Lesser Spotted,
Short-toed and Booted Eagles,
visit from the nearby Khosrov State Reserve.
Getting there. Vedi
town is less than 48 km SE of Yerevan and is reached
in an hour or so. From Vedi take any decent road heading
north towards the town's outskirts, vineyards, old chicken
farm and barns, sand quarry and on towards the ridges.
We recommend combining a trip to Vedi Hills with a visit
to Armash Fish Farm, which is within 30 - 45 minutes
drive from here. This combination with the start and
end in Yerevan easily fits into a long summer day.
Essentials. 4WD is recommended, as some parts of off road tracks are barely accessible by a regular car. Feel free to ask directions from local people. Be aware that there may be unleashed shepherd dogs near the barns. Have plenty of drinking water and some essentials to protect yourself from sun as it is hard to find shade in the area. Watch out for snakes - the Blunt-nosed Viper is frequently attracted to water sources here in search of prey. |
