Apart from sunbathing and cocktailbars, the seacoast in and around Batumi also offers some good birding. The best areas are the Batumi boulevard park, some grassy parts of Batumi Harbour and the botanical garden. Especially on rainy days, these are good spots, because many migrants come down, and you are never far from a café when it starts pouring down. Moreover, seawatching from one of the cafes on the beach, like those to the north of Makhinjauri train station, can be very rewarding on bad weather days.
The botanical garden is the best site near Batumi for Krueper’s Nuthatch. Check the pine trees along the asphalted road that leads towards the entrance of the garden, and listen out for its characteristic sound. After you have found it, you can celebrate your lifer with a fresh beer at one of the seaside cafes. This area also has some of the most clean and natural beaches near Batumi, which make it a pleasant place for some relaxation.
Batumi itself has a very nice seaside boulevard and, next to it, a large grassy area which may disappear under construction in the future. The park, especially its north end, often teems with passerines, which are easy to find and observe. Red-breasted flycatchers can be superabundant, and Thrush Nightingales give very good views. Wrynecks, Redstarts, Green Warblers, Caucasian Chiffchaffs and Spotted Flycatchers are often numerous, and occasionally something rare turns up. Check the branches of the pines for resting Nightjars and Scops Owls. Going further north, you will find a grassy area near the ferris wheel. This is really good spot for all sorts of migrants, and always worth checking even if you only have an hour or so. Typical birds here include Quail, Turtle Dove, Ortolan and Black-headed Bunting, Barred Warbler, Bluethroat, Great Reed Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Red-throated Pipit, Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes. But again, this is Batumi, and you should always be prepared for a surprise!