South West Turkey October 2005 Trip Report

Peterborough Bird Club

Daily Itinerary
Saturday 22nd October 2005

Our second visit to Turkey, on this occasion fitting in with October half-term dates. We booked a week's holiday with a small package company, with convenient flights from Gatwick, staying at Dalyan, in a lovely family run hotel on the edge of the town with a river frontage and adjacent scrub and overgrown orchards. This meant that we could bird from our balcony! We hired a car for the whole week, which gave us the flexibility to regularly visit some of the local hotspots, as well as doing longer excursions to the mountains and the Menderes delta. We also managed a good balance of birding mixed with visits to some of the numerous ancient archaeological sites.

South West Turkey

22nd- 29th October 2005

Turkey Trip Report 2005

Participants: Bob & Sue Titman, Trevor, Jane & Jacob Williams

Despite the early flight from Gatwick, the length of flight and the change in time zones we did manage an afternoons birding around Dalyan. A stroll along the river from the hotel produced a pair of Griffon Vultures thermalling above the mountains across the river (this was to be our only sighting) as well as most of the common species such as Red-backed Shrike (right), Black Redstart, Cettis Warbler, Kingfisher and Jay. We left the river along an obvious path between cotton fields towards a rocky outcrop between Dalyan and Koycegiz Golu which produced two pairs of Rock Nuthatch and a Blue Rock Thrush. From the viewpoint overlooking the reed beds at the southern end of the lake we counted 13 Little Egret and one Great Egret, whilst a Marsh Harrier quartered over the area.

Sunday 23rd October 2005
Prior to departure on an early morning excursion to the turtle beach at Iztuzu, we added Great Reed Warbler to our tally of local species. On the way we stopped to observe a post- roost dispersal of about 100 Crag Martins from cliffs to the east of the road. On entering the pine woods we saw our first probable Levant's Sparrowhawk determinedly heading south. On reaching the beach we had exceptional views of another, particularly pale well-marked male, below Radar Hill. On the lake behind the beach was a group of 11 Great Egrets. On the way back we stopped to explore the pine woods, as suggested in Gosney, where we soon found Kruper's Nuthatch which proved rather elusive, but the Rock Nuthatch were more obliging. On wasteland close to the town of Dalyan, we encountered our first Crested Lark.

During the welcome address by Alison, our very helpful holiday rep, we were temporarily distracted by an Eastern Orphean Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher in the trees around the bar!

In the afternoon we made our first visit to the highly productive area of Hamitkoy on the northern shore of Koycegiz Golu. On the way we had three Common Buzzard soaring above the low-lying pine woods. From the 'promenade' at Koycegiz we had our first views of the amazing White-breasted Kingfisher perched in lakeside phragmites. Also seen on the muddy margins were two Dunlin.

At Hamitkoy, around the cow pastures intersected by dykes and ditches, we saw Zitting Cisticola, Whinchat, Stonechat, Lesser Whitethroat, Barred Warbler, Spanish Sparrow. Overhead a mixed hirundine flock of Barn Swallow, Sand Martin and a single Red-rumped Swallow. At the river bridge, west of the village mentioned in Gosney, there were no large kingfisher species but we did have our first views of Syrian Woodpecker.

Saturday 29th October 2005
Local birding at Hamitkoy and Dalaman produced no new species but overall, a weeks birding that surpassed all expectations!

Click here for a full annotated Species List.

Friday 28th October 2005

- from profile, colouration and habitat we considered it to be Spotted Eagle. The northern shore between Karin and Juzburgazi produced Mallard, Curlew, Common Tern and three Greenshank. Around the fishermen's hut, on the shores of Bafu Golu, we recorded Ruff and five Green Sandpiper. This was followed by another very long journey home.

Wednesday 26th October 2005

Tuesday 25th October 2005
An early morning start saw the group travelling up to the mountain plateau around Sogut, via Kemer, on the N350. The first stop was the old road at the pass of Karamel. A short walk into the pine woods produced Cirl Bunting, Mistle Thrush and 7 Wood Lark. Our route then took us towards the village of Seki where the surrounding cultivated areas held large mixed finch flocks which included Goldfinch, Linnet, Serin and our only Brambling. A small orchard, surrounded by poplar trees, produced a further Syrian Woodpecker and a small flock of Tree Sparrows. We then passed the village of Seki and climbed up to the pass at 1830 metre. Here the alpine pastures produced a splendid pair of Finsch's Wheatear, Sombre Tit, Rock Bunting and Ring Ouzel.

Monday 24th October 2005

An early morning walk from the hotel produced more of the common species, including Blackcap, Robin and Hooded Crow. After breakfast we took the rowing boat ferry across the river to visit the ancient settlement and rock tombs of Kaunos (left). On the walk there we saw at least seven Black Redstart, Raven and a female Goshawk. Amongst the ruins were three pairs of Sardinian Warbler, two large tortoises, several lizard species and a Red Squirrel. In the pines in the cemetery on the walk back to the boat we saw a Coal Tit.

A trip to the uplands around Ula produced a limited range of common mountain species. We returned via Hamitkoy, providing improved views of White-breasted Kingfisher, and returning

to Koycegiz Golu, a single first winter Mediterranean Gull was with the regular flock of Black-headed Gulls. On the nearby river bed a pre roost gathering of in excess of 100 White Wagtails.

On the road east of Sogut, at the fist water trough opposite a cemetary, we had our only Northern Wheatear and more views of Syrian Woodpecker. Nearby, excellent views of a Long-legged Buzzard (above) sitting in a field, subsequently joined by a second bird. Along a tree lined water course a single Snipe and a Dipper under a road bridge. The roadside canyon at the 22km mark produced another Sombre Tit. To the west of Sogut, at Comack Gek summit, we had distant views of seven Chukar and another pair of Rock Bunting. At Bolmepinar we had our third Long-legged Buzzard of the day. Then followed the long drive home!

The early morning walk around the hotel produced all the usual species and additionally, a Yellow-legged Gull overhead. After breakfast, a return visit to Hamitkoy proved to be our most productive in terms of both numbers and variety. Walking north from the bridge produced a number of additional species including four Teal, Meadow Pipit, Sedge Warbler, Water Rail, Wryneck and five Black Stork. By the bridge, skulking in the juncus, was a superb Bluethroat. Also new for the trip were Reed Bunting and Penduline Tit.

In the afternoon we explored the mountain tracks up to Radar Hill and the area towards the Dalaman delta. Beyond Dalaman airport is an interesting wetland area immediately adjacent to the perimeter fence. (Please beware that this is a military as well as civil airport

so is a sensitive site!). Here we saw Redshank, Yellow Wagtail, Spur-winged Plover (above), Spotted Redshank, Black-winged Stilt, Black Tern and a possible Whiskered Tern and Black-headed Bunting. In the evening we ate at Ley Ley restaurant, on the approach road to Dalyan, where they introduced us to their resident recovering White Storks.

Thursday 27th October 2005
Another early start to visit the Menedres delta, Bafa Golu and the archaelogical site of Euromos and Milet. On the outskirts of Dalyan we saw a Little Owl on the roof of a local house. In the town of Yatagan, Jackdaws were seen. At Euromos (right) we saw our first Blue Tit and Song Thrush in the olive groves. A brief stop on the shores of Bafu Gola produced Great Crested Grebes, Common Sandpiper, Pochard and Tufted Duck within the large Coot flock. The southern delta of the Menderes produced Kentish Plover, Sanderling, Spoonbill, Red-throated Pipit, Dalmatian Pelican, Slender-billed Gull, Little Stint, Greater Flamingo and Grey Plover.

We then visited the spectacular site of Milet. Crossing the delta to reach the northern sites we saw a large Aquila sp.

Our last full day. We hired a boat in the morning to explore up river around the southern shores of Koycegiz Golu. Within minutes of departure we had spectacular views of a perched, Spotted Eagle (left)- later seen well in flight. Kingfisher sightings were numerous and there were plenty of the usual water birds. In the afternoon we stopped off at the deciduous woods at Teperasi. Here we saw two pairs of Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit and Green Woodpecker.

We continued to beyond Hamitkoy to the northwest corner of Koycegiz Golu on the road towards the mud baths. Good views of the northern end of the lake produced a single female Red-crested Pochard in amongst the Coot and brief views of a probable Pied Kingfisher. Our last visit to Hamitkoy produced all the usual species plus Starling.