Both the breeding bird population and the potential of migratory birds are unexplored in Azerbaijan compared to other places in the Middle East which made this trip very exciting. Besh Bermag is one of the most famous mountains in the Caucasus and a sacred place for regular visitation by pilgrims. My short stay in late autumn was a collaboration with the youth organization for Swedish Birdlife with the interest in the location as a bottleneck for birds. A bottleneck means that the migratory birds are forced to pass over the site as they are pushed in from both sides, the mountains to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east. The place has become famous in recent years for the large numbers of Little Bustards and larks during the autumn. Above that our group found the very rare Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) which was only the 5th record for Azerbaijan at the time. But also, a Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus), which was later published as the 1st record of the country in the scientific magazine Sandgrouse by OSME.
