Tuzla Gölü – Demirkazik 1st May: Demirkazik

Transcription

Southern & Central Turkey – 28th April – 11th May 2011
Tristan Reid, Derek Charles, Chris Hind & Chris Baines
Travel Information:
Flights:
We flew from Manchester to Istanbul and. We the all flew on to Adana from Istanbul. Flight costs
were as follows:
Manchester International – Adana (including internal flights) = £288.00 (including Travel Insurance)
Car Hire:
We hired a Ford Focus (saloon) via Economy Car Rentals for 12 days for a total of £398.00 (including
unlimited mileage and insurance).
Currency:
Although we were advised to take a mix of Euros and Turkish Lira (TL) we used TL almost exclusively
(except at the Safak Penysion).
Literature:
These were the core books we took with use:
Collins Bird Guide (2nd Edition), Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterström, HarperCollins
(ISBN 978 0 00 726726 2)
Advanced Bird ID Guide: The Western Palearctic, Nils van Duivendijk (in association with British
Birds), New Holland (ISBN 9781847736079)
Finding Birds in Central Turkey: Ankara to Biricek, Dave Gosney, Easybirder (ISBN 0-951792-06-7)
The birds of Turkey: the distribution, taxonomy and breeding of Turkish birds, Guy M Kirwan, Kerem
A Boyla, P Castell, B Demirci, M Ozen et al, Helm (ISBN-13: 9781408104750)
We also used the following trip reports for research:
http://www.fssbirding.org.uk/turkey2008trip.htm
http://www.fyldebirdclub.org/abroad.htm#TP
http://www.fyldebirdclub.org/abroad.htm#TK
http://www.birdfinders.co.uk/pdf/turkey-2010.pdf
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/pdf-area/Turkey-May-2009.pdf
Basic Outline of itinerary:
29th April: Manchester International – Adana
30th April: Karatas - Tuzla Gölü – Demirkazik
1st May: Demirkazik – Çamardı – Demirkazik
2nd May: Durnalik - Birecik – Bald Ibis Center & Main Wadi – Birecik (owls)
3rd May : Birecik Gravel Pits – Halfeiti Road – Birecik Gavel Pits – Birecik
4th May: Main Wadi -Birecik Fish Farm – Birecik Gravel Pits - Akpinar – Halfeiti Road –
‘Menetries Valley’ – Birecik Fish Farm – Birecik (owls)
5th May: Durnalik – Işiki – Göksu Delta
6th May: Göksu Delta
9th May: Demircili - Göksu Delta
10th May: Tuzla Gölü – Karatas
11th May: Adana – Manchester International
Southern & Central Turkey – 28th April – 11th May 2011 - Tristan Reid, Derek Charles, Chris Hind & Chris Baines
Contact: tristan@binocularface.co.uk
www.binocularface.co.uk
http://nibirding.blogspot.com/
Basic distance guide:
Adana – Karataş = 51.8km
Karataş - Tuzla Gölü = 45.7km
Tuzla Gölü – Demirkazik = 221km
Demirkazik – Durnalik = 377km
Durnalik – Birecik = 86.5km
Birecik – Akpinar = 19.3km
Durnalik – Işiki = 7.4km
Işiki - Göksu Delta (Taşucu) = 386km
Göksu Delta (Taşucu) - Tuzla Gölü = 230km
Main Commentary
Day 1: 29th April 2011 – Travel
The day was completely absorbed by travelling from the UK to Turkey. We flew with Turkish Airlines
which were really good. The food was great (as airplane food goes) even for a vegetarian! On arrival
in Istanbul we had to purchase a visa (for £10.00 or €15.00) prior to going through passport control.
This was all pretty straight forward (thankfully).
We arrived at Adana in the small hours and after a bit of searching found the car hire agent and our
car! There was a definite difficulty with communication (given the different languages) but Chris H
soon got things sorted; once the deposit was paid we were soon on our way to the Adana Airport
Hotel.
The accommodation was pleasant and suitable and cost €35.00 each for the night (we were also
booked in here for our last night).
Day 2: 30th April 2011 – Adana – Karataş - Tuzla Gölü - Demirkazik
Early morning from our balcony we had our first birds of the trip. Laughing Dove, Yellow-vented
Bulbul and Red-rumped Swallow were the highlights. The two former species being new ones for
me and the Bulbul being a new species for Derek!
We met up with the two Chris’s for breakfast and then tried to head off south! The Hotel staff had
moved our hire car overnight and after a bit of confusion Chris H tracked it down eventually allowing
us to continue on our travels!
From Adana we made our way southwards to Karataş Harbour. On the outskirts of Adana we
recorded our first Whiskered Tern of the trip and our only Egyptian Mongoose! Several White Storks
were noted in fields (and on nests) along the roadside!
Yellow-vented Bulbul ©Derek Charles
The road to Karataş was pretty good, though Karataş itself is full of pot holes! We made our way to
Karataş Harbour to see what birds were present. The area was pretty quiet for birds (fairly busy for
people), though there was a group of gulls present that were quite intriguing! The birds were
certainly Caspian-esque, but nothing like we have seen in the west, Could they be contenders for
barabensis? Any opinions greatly received!
Larus sp ©Tristan Reid 2011
Next we decided to explore the so called ‘migrant valley’ (as described in the Gosney Guide) that lies
past the three masts and between the large hotel and the villa complex. This area was very quiet for
birds. The only notables were Red-rumped Swallows and Black-headed Bunting!
We decided to head back north to Solakli to take the road towards Tuzla. After a short time on the
Tuzla road, we stopped just after crossing over a canal. We noticed a bird on the wires that looked
fantastically interesting! We were not disappointed as we were soon enjoying views of the first
White-breasted Kingfisher of the trip. These birds are absolutely stunning; this was another new bird
for me and Derek! There was also Nightingale, Reed Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler present at
this site.
We then continued along the road towards Tuzla. Once we reached Tuzla we continued along the
road the runs SSE from the village towards Tuzla Gölü.
This site proved to be superb! The dry area just before reaching the wetter areas (on the left);
hosted good numbers of Black-headed Wagtails. The area was also being used by Kentish Plovers,
Crested Larks (assumed to be form meridionalis ) and a small number of Lesser Short-toed Larks
(form niethammerii). The latter lark species being another new bird for me!
The first couple of pools on the right (alongside the road) held good numbers of Ruff, Little Stints
and a small number of Curlew Sandpipers. However the bonus was three superb adult Broad-billed
Sandpipers!
Just a bit further along the road we logged our first Graceful Prinia (form akyildizi) and our first Spurwinged Plover; both birds delightful in their own right!
Spur-winged Plover © Tristan Reid
Further checking of the pools added Black-winged Stilt, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Wood
Sandpiper and Garganey to our species tally. Marsh Harrier and Kestrel were also noted.
It was soon time to make our way into the mountains towards Demirkazik! Thankfully the roads
were all pretty good, so we made good time. We stopped off en route near to Kamışlı where we had
good views of Eastern Black-eared Wheatears, Finsch’s Wheatear, Serin, Whinchat, and Tawny
Pipits. Nearby we had views of our first Long-legged Buzzard (form rufinus) of the trip (and my first
ever)! In a nearby woodland we logged European Nuthatch (form levantina), Coal Tit (form
michalowski) and Firecrest .
Map to Ozsafak Paniyson © Basar Safak
The only tricky part of the journey was when you reach Pozanti! The best way to make sure you get
onto the right road is to leave the motorway at the junction sign posted ‘Pozanti (guney)’. You will
enter Pozante fairly quickly; follow this road for a further 6km and take the Çarmardi road that runs
NW.
Once beyond Pozante we found the Özsafak Penysion fairly easily (especially as our host and guide
was waiting on the road for us)! We were welcomed by Başar; he instantly came across as a very
friendly and enthusiastic person (he also spoke very good English). As there was still a good few
hours of daylight left we were keen to do some more birding. Basar directed us to the Gorge beyond
the Ski Centre at Demirkazik, which we promptly travelled the short distance to.
This area proved to be superb; as soon as we arrived we could hear Western Rock Nuthatch (form
zarudnyi) singing from the crags. Crag Martins and Red-billed Chough (form docilis) were both very
much in evidence! The red-bellied form of Black Redstart (ochurus) was also giving reasonable views
perched on the cliffs. I was personally pleased to get views of Blue Rock Thrush (form longirostris)
and my long awaited first Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush! There were also both Eastern Black-eared
Wheatear and Northern Wheatear (form libanotica) present. A walk up the gorge gave me my
biggest surprise as a Wallcreeper flew over my head and began feeding along the cliff face in front of
me! The small wadi below the gorge was great for the delightful Red-fronted Serin, Linnet (form
bella) and Goldfinch (form niediecki). Stonechat (form rubicola) was also present.
This was a fantastic introduction to mountain birding for me; I could not believe the range of high
quality birds we had seen in such a small space of time!
We returned to the Penysion where we were again greeted by Başar. We were staying here for two
nights, so we were pleased to find the place so welcoming. The plan was to get up at 0330hrs and
set up the Aldag Mountains led by Başar in the hope of seeing the mythical Caspian Snowcock!
However Başar informed us that the weather was not looking great for the morning, so we may have
to postpone until the following morning! Basar called us outside as there was a very vocal Scops Owl
(assumed to be of the form cycladum) calling from the garden!
Day 3: 1st May 2011 – Demirkazik
Given the previous night’s discussion, we were pleasantly surprised (as pleasant as you can be in the
small hours of the morning) when Başar knocked on our door at 0330 hrs informing us that the
Snowcock trip was on!
Togged up to the hilt with as many layers of clothes, hats & gloves that we could find we were soon
on our way to meet the tractor and driver who were taking us up the mountain!
Still in the dark all five of us (six including Sinan, the driver) piled onto the tractor and made our way
up the the mountain track! There had been a lot of rain over the previous days, so the track was
pretty slippy in places! Thanks to Sinan’s careful driving we arrived at the residual snowline safely!
Conditions were not looking great as we came closer to our vantage point; as the cloud base was
quite low. However as we approached the site visibility was much better and things were looking
more optimistic! We were soon greeted by the evocative call of our first Snowcock. We set up our
scopes and began scanning the nearby cliffs and mountain tops! Wild Goats were the first
interesting thing we saw, this was closely followed by our first views of a Caspian Snowcock (form
tauricus). This was an amazing sight; the early wake up and tractor ride was well worth the effort!
Chris H located a second bird slightly closer; this individual appeared to be slightly better marked
than the first one. These are truly magical birds! Next, with the help of Başar we soon began to
explore the surrounding habitat (at c2,200m above sea level the air was quite thin making trampling
about on rocks a bit more hard work than usual)! We were soon enjoying views of White-winged
Snow Finch (form leucura). These superbly charismatic birds were really easy to see!
White-winged Snow Finch ©Tristan Reid 2011
A couple of Wallcreepers flew overhead adding to the spectacle! Both Red-billed Chough and Alpine
Chough (form digitatus) were present in the valley below and Chris H picked out the first of several
Alpine Accentors (form subalpina). Derek (sharp as ever) located the first of about ten Radde’s
Accentor’s present. These were stunning birds, especially the males as they sang from the tops of
boulders!
Radde’s Accentor ©Tristan Reid 2011
Radde’s Accentor ©Tristan Reid 2011
Mountain Birding © Chris Hind
Derek also located our only Crimson-winged Finches (form sanguineus) of the trip. These are really
striking birds and look stunning feeding in their rocky habitat. Chris H also located our second
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush of the trip! We also saw a pair of Chukar Partridge (form cypriotes) on
our way back down the mountain! I had seen six new species of bird; and all before breakfast!
We arrived back at the Penysion and were soon tucking into a fantastic breakfast spread, prepared
by Özcan!
Once we were fed and watered we decided to check out a sight for Bimaculated Lark that had been
given to us my two Finnish birders we had met the previous day.
The site was located by taking the Çamardı Yolu road that initially runs north from Çamardı and
following this for a short time until you come to suitable habitat (on the left).
This was a superb area with at least twenty Bimaculated Larks (form rufescens) present. This was yet
another new bird for several of us and a real education!
These birds gave great views as they sang and displayed overhead. There was a great supporting
cast of Rock Bunting (form cia), Isabelline Wheatear, Rock Sparrow (form petronia), Greater Shorttoed Lark (form artemisiana) and Eastern Black-eared Wheatears.
Bimaculated Lark © Tristan Reid 2011
Greater Short-toed Lark ©Tristan Reid 2011
Our next site was a valley not far from the Ski Centre where. Here we enjoyed views of several
Golden Eagles (form homeyeri), a superb Goshawk (form marginatus) and several Long-legged
Buzzards. We also observed another couple of Greater Short-toed Larks and several of the exquisite
penicillata form of Shorelark. We also managed our first views of Anatolian Sousliks!
We found a great orchard that had good numbers of Ortolan Buntings; some of which showed
exceptionally well! Nearby we had nice views of the very distinctive local subspecies of Jay (form
anatoliae)
Ortolan Bunting ©Derek Charles 2011
We returned to the Peniysion for lunch and scanned the mountains from the terrace. We saw
another Golden Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard. Also a Booted Eagle was observed. Tree Sparrows
were very much in evidence and Wryneck and Nightingale were both singing!
We decided to finish the days birding off exploring the area in and around the Demirkazik Gorge. We
enjoyed yet more views of Wallcreeper, Red-fronted Serin, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and Blue
Rock Thrush. There were also good numbers of Anatolian Sousliks present!
Wallcreeper © Tristan Reid 2011
Wallcreeper © Tristan Reid 2011
The Western Rock Nuthatches also gave us nice views.
Western Rock Nuthatch © Tristan Reid 2011
Western Rock Nuthatch © Tristan Reid 2011
There were a few Isabelline Wheatears further up the road. We also managed more views of Rock
Bunting, Black Redstart and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. A Golden Eagle also stirred up the Redbilled Choughs as it appeared over the ridge of the gorge!
Isabelline Wheatear © Derek Charles 2011
Rock Bunting ©Tristan Reid 2011
I also located a small group of White-winged Snow Finches feeding above the gorge. This was a
superb end to an epic days birding!
White-winged Snow Finch © Tristan Reid
Anatolian Souslik ©Tristan Reid
We returned to the Peniysion for our evening meal and a much needed early night! Başar kindly
phoned ahead and booked us into suitable accommodation at Biricek!
The total cost for two nights’ accommodation, breakfast & evening meal and guiding for the
Snowcocks came to a very reasonable €390.00 for four people.
For more information on the Caspian Snowcock and Özsafak Penysion you can visit the website at
http://www.ozsafak.net/bird.html
I would also highly recommend Başar Şafak as a very pleasant, knowledgeable and enthusiastic
guide. You can contact Başar directly via the following email address: ozsafak@hotmail.com
Day 4: 2nd May 2011 – Demirkazik – Durnalik – Birecik
We got up for an early breakfast as we had a lot of kilometres to cover today! Once we had thanked
our hosts we made our way back down towards Adana. Just a mile or so down the road we
managed great views of Syrian Woodpecker (yet another new species for me). Next we stopped at
the ‘Finsch’s Wheatear site’ that we had located a few days previously; we did not log any new
species and the rain falling made this a fairly brief stop!
We continued on the long journey to Durnalik (thankfully the roads were very good – it was
motorway over most of the distance. Booted Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard were looked en route!
Not far from Gazientep, Chris B located a large falcon that was almost certainly a Saker Falcon.
We arrived at Durnalik and parked up opposite the entrance to the quarry. The main areas we
explored were the orchards and slopes below the quarry road.
The orchards were alive with birds, this was a truly amazing site. After seeing the expected Blackheaded Bunting we managed views of two Ortolan Buntings. The first warbler we observed was a
superb Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (another new one for me)! The orchards were full of Lesser
Whitethroats; it seemed there must have been a fall of migrants. Redstarts were also present in
good numbers.
Krüper's Nuthatch was my next new species of the day; although vocal, this species seemed very
elusive! As we moved deeper into the orchard I noticed a massive grey hippolais warbler moving in
front of me. The bird popped out in the open; I was watching my first Olive-tree Warbler! This was
also a new bird for Chris B (a rarity in itself)!
As we explored the rocky slopes above the lower track (below the main quarry track) we were
rewarded with views of Eastern Orphean Warbler and the absolutely stunning White-throated
Robin (new birds for me were falling thick and fast)! We could hear Cretzchmar’s Buntings singing,
but I could not see one anywhere! Derek had located a nest site for a pair of Eastern Rock
Nuthatches; so we were soon all enjoying views of these spectacular birds! We also had views (albeit
brief) of a very vocal Sombre Tit (form anatoliae)!
Next we drove along the main quarry track so that we could view further along the valley. We
managed nice views of Cinereous Buntings (form semenowi) and were entertained by a vocal pair of
Western Rock Nuthatches!
Eastern Black-eared Wheatears were also very frequent throughout this area. Rock Sparrows were
calling from the cliffs behind us.
Eastern Rock Nuthatch © Tristan Reid 2011
Eastern Rock Nuthatch © Tristan Reid 2011
As the thunder storms loomed we continued on our journey to Birecik. As we crossed the bridge
over the Euphrates our first Pygmy Cormorants of the trip flew overhead. This was a new species for
me (no surprises there)!
We promptly located our hotel (Merkelam Motel) and off loaded our luggage. We were booked in
here for three nights at a total cost of 67.5TL each!
Next we made our way towards the Bald Ibis centre, stopping first at the Little Swift colony!
This is the area where you can view the Little Swift Colony
We managed views of the Little Swifts as they flew above the colony. These chunky yet diminutive
birds were dwarfed by a couple of Alpine Swifts also present!
A little further along the road we visited the Northern Bald Ibis Centre. We were greeted by the very
enthusiastic Mustafa; who showed us the Northern Bald Ibis that were just beginning to come into
roost. It was great to see these birds with chicks in their nest boxes! Derek also located a good
contender for a Caucasian Chiffchaff; this was a species we were not expecting to encounter here.
We can only assume that they occur in this area on passageii?
Next we decided to have a look up the Main Wadi. Birding was a little harder work here, but we did
get good views of Bee-eaters, Rollers, Hoopoe, Rock Sparrow (form puteicola) and our first
Ménétriés's Warbler (form rubescens).
We then made our way further up the road to explore some more habitats that looked good for
warblers. The weather was not great and the best we managed was a rather bedraggled Crested
Lark (form subtaurica), this was almost certainly a different subspecies to those we had seen further
west!
Crested Lark ©Derek Charles 2011
We returned to Birecik and located the Gülhane Tea Garden where we hoped to locate the Pallid
Scops Owls that are present in this area. We did not get any help from anyone in the Tearoom, so we
searched the area ourselves. Unfortunately we did not locate any owls; the best we managed was an
Icterine Warbler!
We decided to get some food for our evening meal and return as it was getting dark in the hope that
we would at least hear one of the owls calling!
On our return, we split up into two groups (bad idea) to search the area both sides of the road. Chris
B & Derek scored with views of the Pallid Scops Owls; but the best Chris H and I managed were
some juvenile Long-eared Owls and some vocal Night Herons! We have to give it a try on another
evening!
Day 5: 3rd May 2011 - Birecik
This morning we went out for a pre-breakfast exploration of the Gravel Pits to the north of Birecik
(on the southern banks of the Euphrates).
Checking one of the first pools we came to was rewarding with views of Caspian Reed Warbler and
Purple Heron! Graceful Prinia (form irakensis ) were also very much in evidence here; as were Great
Reed Warblers!
We did not have to wait long to see our first Iraq Babblers of the trip (and our lives); these birds
were far more charismatic than I was anticipating! Whilst trying to work out what bird was making a
very loud and noticeable call we stumbled upon a Little Crake, this was a real bonus as views were
pretty good!
Excitement heightened as our first Pied Kingfishers (form syriacus) put in an appearance, both
perching on wires and hovering above pools in search of food!
Pied Kingfisher ©Tristan Reid 2011
Pied Kingfisher ©Tristan Reid 2011
We eventually tracked down the bird giving the mad call. It was of course a Black Francolin! These
birds are really striking when seen well; another bird that was better in life than I ever imagined!
Black Francolin © Tristan Reid
Black Francolin © Tristan Reid
Our next surprise was finding a Dead Sea Sparrow (form mesopotamicus) building a nest in some
small bushes at the edge of a reedbed. These birds are stunning! The other bonus was a vocal
Caspian Tern flying overhead! With all these birds and a supporting cast of Squacco Heron, Little
Egret, Purple Heron, Little Bittern and Pygmy Cormorant it had been an amazing pre-breakfast
exploration!
The hotel we were staying in did not provide breakfasts, so we made our way into Birecek to find our
own! We located a fantastic small restaurant where the food was great (even for vegetarians) and
the people were very friendly. This was to be our regular breakfast spot!
Post-breakfast we returned to the Bald Ibis Centre. The guide here (Mustafa) was as welcoming and
enthusiastic as ever! He pointed to See See Partridge, Bimaculated Lark, Desert Finch and a few
other species in his field guide and informed us that a friend of his owned a farm that had all of
these species (See See Partridge was guaranteed) and for 50TL his friend would guide the four of us
to see these species! It sounded tempting, so we agreed and a call was made! We were due to meet
Ahmed at Akpinar at 1300hrs. Mustafa sketched out a map, so we could find our way (or so we
hoped)!
We had some time before out meet up (it was only 18km away) so we decided to revisit the Little
Swift colony and then explore some of the suitable habitat further up the road.
Little Swift © Tristan Reid 2011
We checked some suitable habitat near a vacant house; this was quite productive as Derek located
our first Upcher’s Warbler and we also observed Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and a Spotted
Flycatcher (form neumanni ). We were politely told that bird watching was not allowed in this area
by a group of suited men; so we moved on!
We decided to make our way to Akpinar (following our sketched directions)! We ended up on the
Halfeiti road where we encountered our only Lesser Kestrel of the trip and a small population of
Calandra Lark (form hebraica). Additionally we had more views of Long-legged Buzzard and a single
Booted Eagle! As expected, White Storks were also observed.
Before too long we realised we were not in the right area, so we back-tracked and tried a whole host
of different roads. However it was clear to us that the sketched map we were relying on did not
really take into account the rabbit warren or roads; in fact the map was pretty inaccurate!
Calandra Lark ©Tristan Reid 2011
We decided to head back to the Bald Ibis Centre to let Mustafa know that we had failed to reach our
rendezvous! On arrival Mustava gave us some more detailed directions and he rearranged our visit!
We headed back out again to try and find Akpinar; we failed! However, we did find a brilliant area of
agricultural land that was full of birds!
We could see that there were at least 300 Black-headed Buntings and over 150 Spanish Sparrows
present in the field. As we searched through the birds we located two Chestnut-shouldered
Pretonias amongst the Spanish Sparrows. There was also several Bee-eaters and Corn Buntings in
the area. As I began wandering around the site I could not believe my eyes when a stunning male
Desert Finch landed In front of me! We soon saw about twenty of these birds; mostly as they flew
overhead (we soon became very familiar with their distinctive call)! The other guys also located two
Trumpeter Finches!
Chestnut-shouldered Pretonia & Corn Bunting ©Tristan Reid 2011
Derek and Chris B located a field not far away where there were two Pale Rock Sparrow perching up
in a hedgerow. A superb male Chestnut-shouldered Pretonia also showed nicely in the nearby
orchard!
We decided to finish the days birding off at the Gravel Pits (where we had started the day). We did
not see any new species, but it was great to have the time to re-visit many of the species that we
had seen during the morning!
We had our evening meal at the comparatively expensive (though we didn’t know this until we got
our bill) Kaya Restaurant! The food was great among nice surroundings; there was Upcher’s Warbler
singing in the garden’s and Night Herons passing over the Euphrates. This was certainly a pleasant
end to another epic days birding!
Day 6: 4th May 2011 - Birecik
The pre-breakfast adventure was going to take the two Chris’s and yours truly on another trek up
the main wadi behind the Bald Ibis Centre, whilst Derek investigated the Fish Farm. The main aim
was to find the elusive See See Partidge! We failed; though with consolation prizes of Hoopoe,
Rollers, Bee-eaters, Ménétriés's Warbler, Rock Sparrow and Upcher’s Warbler there were no real
complaints! Probably the biggest bonus was seeing (albeit briefly) a Rufous-tailed Bushchat (form
syriaca)
Once we had breakfasted we made our way towards the Fish Farm about 5km from Birecik (thanks
to Alan Lewis for the directions and info on this site). En route we happened upon a couple of Lesser
Grey Shrikes, a female Red-backed Shrike (form kobylini) and a Whitethroat (form icterops).
Lesser Grey Shrike © Tristan Reid 2011
Lesser Grey Shrike © Tristan Reid 2011
Red-backed Shrike © Tristan Reid 2011
Red-backed Shrike © Tristan Reid 2011
There were also good number of Rollers and Bee-eaters in the area. The next bonus our first Lilith’s
Owl (form lilith); one of the species we had hoped to see!
Lilith’s Owl © Tristan Reid 2011
Lilith’s Owl © Tristan Reid 2011
We soon arrived at the fish farm and were promptly enjoying views of thirty or so Armenian Gulls.
There was at least one adult present; but the majority were 2nd and 3rd cy birds. These were really
good birds to have the opportunity to see.
Armenian Gulls ©Tristan Reid 2011
Armenian Gulls ©Tristan Reid 2011
There was also an interesting dark mantled bird present that was either fuscus or intermedius Lesser
Black-backed Gulliii. In addition to the gulls there were large numbers of White-winged Black Terns
present along with Caspian Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Great Crested Grebe. We also
observed Pygmy Cormorant, Glossy Ibis and Purple Heron at this point.
To access the fish farm you need to take the road that runs south of Birecik on the west side of the
Euphrates. Continue on this road for several kilometres (you will cross the railway track twice) until
you reach a fork in the road. Take the left hand fork and after a short time take the track on the left
that takes you down to the gravel workings. The fish farm can be viewed from here. The gulls roost
on the gravel spit on the near edge.
As we had failed to find the See See Partridge earlier, we decided to give Mustava another visit at
the Bald Ibis Centre and see if he could give us usable directions to Akpinar!
Mustava was very helpful and agreed to show us the way (we were to follow him as he zipped up on
his motorbike) once he’s had his lunch!
Whilst we waited we were able to enjoy great views of an Upcher’s Warbler in bushes behind the
gifts shop and café. I also managed great views of a Lesser Emperor that was hawking over the small
pool below!
Upcher’s Warbler © Tristan Reid 2011
Lesser Emperor © Tristan Reid 2011
Once Mustava was ready, we followed him up to Akipinar. We were then directed down a track
where we enjoyed views of Bee-eater and Short-toed Lark (form woltersi). We began ‘scoping’ the
hill sides and Derek soon picked out two See See Partidges! Chris H and I walked up the track for
closer views; we were not disappointed as we had close views as two of them flew past us! We also
enjoyed views of Woodchat Shrike (form niloticus), Rock Sparrow, Isabelline Wheatear and Desert
Finch!
It had been a successful visit to this site (big thanks to Mustava and Ahmed).
For anyone wanting to visit this area (please ensure you make prior arrangements via Mustava) the
following map should get you there:
.
The See See Partridges were on the hillside orchards above the wadi to the south of the village.
We decided to pass on the tractor ride and explore the area to the north. A drive along this area was
very productive with views of Long-legged Buzzard, Grey-headed Wagtail, Bimaculated Lark,
Calandra Lark and an immature male Montagu’s Harrier. I had without a doubt, my best views of
Calandra Lark!
Montagu’s Harrier ©Tristan Reid 2011
Calandra Lark © Derek Charles 2011
The excitement didn’t end here! As we were leaving the town of Böğürtlen we were stopped by the
Turkish Army; four guys with cameras and binoculars near to a military area, it was no wonder!
Despite our lack of Turkish and their lack of English we managed to convey (thanks to Chris H) that
we were birders and not spies and they were very pleasant and allowed us on our way!
We also got superb views of a Byzantine Owliv that was perched up on some wires!
Byzantine Owl © Tristan Reid 2011
Next we stopped at the Pale Rock Sparrow site again, in the hope of gaining more views of this
species! We were not disappointed, as one of the birds showed again!
Next we returned to the Gravel Pits where we enjoyed views of Iraq Babbler , Little Bittern, Black
Kite and some very showy Dead Sea Sparrows!
Iraq Babbler © Chris Baines 2011
Dead Sea Sparrow © Tristan Reid 2011
We also managed views of both Red-crested Pochard and Ferruginous Duck! We returned to the
other side of the river to explore the small valley behind the garage. This was very productive as we
enjoyed views of Barred Warblers, Chestnut-shouldered Pretonia and more Dead Sea Sparrows!
However this was another area that we were soon asked to leave!
Chestnut-shouldered Pretonia ©Derek Charles 2011
We moved on and decided to revisit the fish farm. We had more views of the Armenian Gulls and
many of the same species as we had seen on our earlier visit. The light was better allowing us more
useful views of the gulls! On our way back we recorded our one and only Red-footed Falcon of the
trip!
It was time to make our way back to Birecik for our evening meal! After food Chris H and I made our
second and final attempt to see the Pallid Scops Owl! We positioned ourselves opposite the tea
gardens and waited! A long-eared Owl put in an appearance briefly! After a relatively short wait I
glimpsed a small pale owl in flight over the tea gardens; then we could hear the very distinctive call
of the Pallid Scops Owl! We made our way to the Tea Gardens and located the bird perched up in a
tree, the bird was nicely illuminated by the street lights. This was a very memorable and exciting
finish to another amazing days birding!
Day 7: 5th May 2011 - Birecik – Durnalik – Işıklı – Taşucu
An early start saw us leaving Birecik and heading back towards Durnalik. We decided to spend the
first few hours of the birding day exploring this area that had been so productive on our previous
visit. Amazingly (and unlike our first visit) Cretzchmar’s Bunting was one of the first birds we clapped
our tired eyes on!
Cretzchmar’s Bunting ©Tristan Reid 2011
Cinereous Buntings were also very much in evidence during this visit!
Cinereous Bunting ©Derek Charles 2011
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Olive Tree Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat
were all present and correct! We managed more views of the striking White-throated Robin which
were very vocal! Eastern Rock Nuthatches were also very showy!
Eastern Rock Nuthatch ©Tristan Reid 2011
A walk further up the valley also produced views of Long-legged Buzzard and fly-over Rock
Sparrows. Both Sparrowhawk and Syrian Woodpecker gave brief views as they flew between trees
in the orchard.
A large swarm of Bee-eaters were moving overhead; presumably these were passage birds. A
Sombre Tit showed very well as it called from the top of a tree; it was great to finally get decent
views of this species!
Sombre Tit © Tristan Reid 2011
Next we made our way to the nearby village of Işıklı. We parked up in village and made our way up
the hillside along the footpath (above the small orchard). Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Rock
Sparrow, Western Rock Nuthatch, Cretzchmar’s Bunting, Cinereous Bunting and Blue Rock Thrush
were all observed as we made our way to the more open plateau.
After some patience we were all soon enjoying great views of our first Kurdish Wheatears. These are
subtle but superb birds and a very good species to have the opportunity to see!
Kurdish Wheatear ©Tristan Reid 2011
Kurdish Wheatear ©Tristan Reid 2011
After watching these birds for some time, it was time to head west after finding somewhere for a
late breakfast! Whilst en route to breakfast we achieved fantastic views of a Long-legged Buzzard
perched up on a pole!
Long-legged Buzzard ©Tristan Reid 2011
Post-breakfast we made our way east to Taşucu.
On arrival to Taşucu we began to explore the Göksu Delta. This was a bigger challenge than we had
anticipated; as large areas of the delta have been drained for agriculture. The arable land hosted
several Marsh Harriers and Graceful Prinia!
We located a substantial pool to the north of the main lake that proved to be fantastic. Here we saw
Black-headed Wagtails, Wood Sandpipers (30+), Ruff, Little Stints, Little Ringed Plovers, BlackSouthern & Central Turkey – 28th April – 11th May 2011 - Tristan Reid, Derek Charles, Chris Hind & Chris Baines
winged Stilts, Squacco Herons, Little Egrets (including a presumed Little Egret x Western Reef Heron
hybrid), Great White Egret, Purple Herons, Glossy Ibis (75) and Spur-winged Plovers!
We would certainly be revisiting this site in the morning!
Next we returned to Taşucu where we booked ourselves into the Lades Hotel. We booked in for four
nights; this cost us 200TL each in total. The hotel was very nice and each room had a sea view! We
recorded Yellow-legged Gull, Audoin’s Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Yellow-vented Bulbul
and Laughing Dove from the hotel balcony!
Day 8: 6th May 2011 Göksu Delta
After a rather late night on the rakki (beware: the bar prices are quite steep at this hotel) we had a
slower start to the days birding! After breakfast we made our way back to the pool we had located
the previous morning! In addition to what we had observed here the previous evening we located
eight Temminck’s Stint feeding amongst the Little Stints. Nearby our first Masked Shrike of the trip
was perched up on wires!
Temminck’s Stint ©Tristan Reid 2011
Masked Shrike ©Derek Charles 2011
It was certainly a day for raptors as we logged over 50 Short-toed Eagles, several Black Kite, a single
Hobby and a fantastic adult female Pallid Harrier; as well as the usual Marsh Harriers!
Short-toed Eagle ©Chris Baines 2011
Pallid Harrier ©Tristan Reid 2011
Pallid Harrier ©Tristan Reid 2011
We also logged Little Bittern, Great Reed Warbler and Eurasian Teal! On the gravel spits on the
seaward pool were Grey Plover and a Eurasian Curlew that looked a good contender for orientalis.
Considering this day had been a bit of a right off due to a few of us having severe hangovers, we
managed pretty well and saw some high quality birds!
It was an early start today (compared to the previous morning) and we were all hangover-free! Redbacked Shrike (form collurio), Yellow-vented Bulbul, Spotted Flycatcher (form striata) and a female
black and white flycatcher that looked a good contender for Collared Flycatcher were all present in
bushes near the main pool. Eastern Olivaceous Warbler was also very much I evidence!
A pair of Stone Curlew (form saharae) also put in an appearance! Short-toed Lark and Crested Lark
(form meridionalis) were both present on the short turf. Spur-winged Plovers were every present!
At least eight Spoonbills were also present in this area.
Derek located a cracking male Citrine Wagtail feeding along the edge of a pool.
Citrine Wagtail ©Chris Baines 2011
Several Black-headed Wagtail were present as well as a female wagtail that was most likely a Blueheaded Wagtail. Spotted Redshank and Common Redshank were also present.
Black Kite and a small number of Short-toed Eagles were also logged for the day!
Black Kite ©Tristan Reid 2011
The pool near the fish ponds still held a great selection of waders and herons. There were still at
least five Temminck’s Stints present!
A Lesser Grey Shrike showed well on the side of one of the tracks.
Lesser Grey Shrike ©Tristan Reid 2011
Caspian Tern, Gull-billed Terns, Little Terns, White-winged Black Terns and Slender-billed Gulls were
all roosting on the shingle spit on the seaward pool. We stopped to watch these birds in the evening
sun, whilst some of the birds flew off overhead!
White-winged Black Tern ©Tristan Reid 2011
Gull-billed Tern ©Tristan Reid 2011
Slender-billed Gull ©Derek Charles 2011
Another amazing days birding came to an end and we made our way back to the town for our
evening meal!
Another day on the marshes and we were hoping for some good stuff! A rather worn looking Black
Kite had us confused for a little while!
The edge of the main lake was also very productive, with flight views of a pair of Marbled Duck and
our first Grey-headed Swamphen. We also had views of both a pale phase and dark phase
Eleanora’s Falcon. This was a species that had been on my ‘most wanted’ for many years! This is
another species that is far better in life than I ever anticipated! Derek and Chris B had brief views of
nine White Pelicans distantly; we hoped to locate them later in the day. The Caspian Tern, Gullbilled Terns and Slender-billed Gulls were still roosting on the spit on the seaward pool. A 2nd
summer Mediterranean Gull was also keeping them company! White Storks were in the area in
good numbers also!
White Stork ©Tristan Reid 2011
White Stork ©Tristan Reid 2011
Another major highlight was finding our one and only Spur-thighed Tortoise, feeding on the edge of
one of the tracks!
Spur-thighed Tortoise ©Tristan Reid
Spur-winged Plovers were ever present, you never tire of seeing these amazing looking birds!
Spur-winged Plover ©Tristan Reid 2011
Spur-winged Plover ©Tristan Reid 2011
After a bit of off-roading we located the far end of the main lake. The nine White Pelicans were
showing well as they were feeding in the middle of the lake. It was great to see these birds cooperative feeding! An unexpected Pied Kingfisher put in an appearance as it began hovering over
the water!
Greater Flamingoes ©Tristan Reid 2011
A small group of Greater Flamingoes were present on a smaller pool; these birds had been present
on most days, however we managed to get reasonably close to them this time!
Hirundines and Swifts were definitely on the move today as we logged Alpine Swifts, Red-rumped
Swallows and Pallid Swifts amongst the commoner species!
We decided that our best chance of getting good views of the Swamphens was to scan from one of
the high platforms! This proved a good plan as Chris H promptly picked out a super Grey-headed
Swamphen as it fed on reed stems! Whiskered Terns were also viewable distantly from here!
This was a brilliant end to another great days birding!
Day 11: 9th May 2011 Demircili - Göksu Delta
We decided to head up into the hills for our pre-breakfast exploration today! We made the short trip
to Demircili. We quickly located the graveyard on the edge of the village and began exploring the
habitat either side of the road. This was superb habitat and seemed alive with birds! Sombre Tits
were very vocal and seemed to be pretty widespread in this area. We also promptly logged Redbacked Shrike, Masked Shrike, Nightingale, Rufous-tailed Bushchat and Golden Oriole!
A walk down one of the tracks opposite the grave yard produced an Eastern Orphean Warbler;
however the best was yet to come! I was astounded when my first ever Rüppell's Warbler popped
up on the top of a bush and began singing, these are stunning birds!
Rüppell's Warbler ©Tristan Reid
Rüppell's Warbler ©Tristan Reid
A Wood Warbler also showed in the bushes beyond, this was another unexpected bonus!
We decided to head back to the hotel for breakfast and then return to the area for some more
exploring!
Breakfast was far from birdless as Derek located an Eleanora’s Falcon coming in off the sea. There
was also a Shag (form desmarestii) present in the harbour bay!
Next we made our way back up into the hills near Demircili, this time we explored the area near to
the second graveyard beyond the village. This area was superb! Golden Oriole, Eastern Orphean
Warbler, Nightingale, Sombre Tit, Masked Shrike and Cretzchmar’s Bunting were all logged fairly
swiftly! We also managed views of several more Rüppell's Warblers and Eastern Olivaceous
Warblers.
The by now expected Bee-eaters were busy hawking overhead. It was great to have opportunity to
explore this area and spend time looking at the high quality of birds it had to offer! Wrens (form
seilerni) were also present in this area.
We located an area of coniferous woodland to the south of the village. Here we saw our first Orchid
of the trip; Kurdish Helleborine. We recorded our first Short-toed Treecreeper; this was singing from
trees at the side of the track. Eastern Black-eared Wheatears were present even in this habitat!
Both Derek and Chris B logged a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and I managed good views of another
Syrian Woodpecker. We were surprised to see a Coal Tit of the form cypriotes feeding in the
canopy; however given the close proximity we were to Cyprus I would suggest this may not be that
unusual.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker © Chris Baines
Masked Shrikes seemed to be pretty much everywhere in this area. We had amazing views of two
mobbing a Jay (form anatoliae).
Masked Shrike ©Tristan Reid 2011
Kurdish Helleborine ©Tristan Reid 2011
A family group of Long-tailed Tits (form tephronotus) showed well in the company of some more
Sombre Tits. This was another intriguing subspecies that we had hoped to see on this trip!
We decided to spend the remainder of the day back on the delta. The rather odd looking Black Kite
that we had seen on previous visits put in some more appearances.
Black Kite © Derek Charles 2011
We also had very good views of a Buzzard; this bird looked very much like a Common Buzzard, but
given the location is it most likely to be of the form vulpinus.
Steppe Buzzard (presumably) ©Tristan Reid 2011
A superb Night Heron also gave us amazing views!
Night Heron ©Tristan Reid 2011
We finished the days birding at the pool near the fish pools. We enjoyed the same mix of birds that
we had seen on our previous visits. In addition to these both Chris B and Derek located two different
Citrine Wagtails. Derek was on fire as he also located a Red-throated Pipit and our only Moustached
Warbler (form mimica) of the trip!
Day 12: 10th May 2011 - Tuzla Gölü – Karataş – Adana
We had a reasonably early start ready for our final days birding in Turkey. The plan was to revisit the
same sites covered on the first day.
Arriving at Tuzla Gölü the roadside pools held Little Stint, Ruff and Black-winged Stilts. Spur-winged
Plovers were of course ever present! We spent some time checking some of the isolated bushes to
the south and were surprised to find two Thrush Nightingales, Nightingale and White-throated
Robin. The Thrush Nightingales were typically tricky, but the White-throated Robin gave us fantastic
views!
White-throated Robin ©Chris Baines
White-throated Robin ©Tristan Reid
Checking the drier areas of the saltmarsh afforded us good views of more Black-headed Wagtails,
Lesser Short-toed Larks and Kentish Plovers!
We decided to explore the more extensive bushes to the south and we astounded with the amount
of birds present. There had clearly been a ‘fall’ as we logged 50+ Thrush Nightingales, 10+
Nightingales, 50+ Barred Warblers, 10+ Olive Tree Warblers, 1 Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, 1
Rufous-tailed Bushchat, 15+ Masked Shrikes, 2 Red-backed Shrikes and 3 Sykes’s Wagtails!
Thrush Nightingale ©Tristan Reid 2011
This was an incredible sight! As you can imagine, we spent a good while watching this spectacle!
Next we decided to revisit Karataş Harbour. The intriguing Caspian Gulls types were still present. The
valley to the north produced another Thrush Nightingale, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Reed
Warbler, Red-rumped Swallows and of course Black-headed Buntings!
Larus sp © Tristan Reid 2011
Larus sp Gull © Tristan Reid 2011
We stopped on the edge of Karataş and jammed in on a flock of predominantly Collared Pratincoles
flying overhead. At least two birds in the flock were Black-winged Pratincoles, this was a real bonus!
We spent some time watching the birds hawking over fields. We also located several Short-toed
Larks (form artemisiana)
We finished the day back at the site near Solakli where we enjoyed superb views of the Whitebreasted Kingfishers!
White-breasted Kingfisher ©Tristan Reid 2011
This was a superb end to an amazing birding trip!
Summary
As I have only started embarking on birding abroad in the last few years, this adventure ranks no
lower than epic on my personal scale! The range, quality and variation of birds are best described as
immense! We did very well with the species we hoped to encounter, only missing Levant
Sparrowhawk and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. The latter species were late arriving back to their
breeding grounds.
The roads between Adana and Birecik were of good quality allowing travel to be very straight
forward. The Turkish people were very friendly, welcoming and accommodating, especially in the
rural areas. Turkey is an amazing country with fantastic scenery, interesting culture and a rich range
of wildlife!
This birding trip has been an amazing experience that was a pleasure to share with my friends!
Species Listv:
Ruddy Shelduck
Common Shelduck
Eurasian Teal
Mallard
Garganey
Marbled Duck
Red-crested Pochard
Ferruginous Duck
Caspian Snowcock
Chukar Partridge
See-See Partridge
Black Francolin
Common Quail
Northern Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
Pygmy Cormorant
Great White Pelican
Little Bittern
Black-crowned Night Heron
Squacco Heron
Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
Family
Tadorna
Tadorna
Anas
Anas
Anas
Marmaronetta
Netta
Aythya
Tetraogallus
Alectoris
Ammoperdix
Francolinus
Coturnix
Morus
Phalacrocorax
Phalacrocorax
Phalacrocorax
Pelecanus
Ixobrychus
Nycticorax
Ardeola
Bubulcus
Egretta
Ardea
Ardea
Species
ferruginea
tadorna
crecca
platyrhynchos
querquedula
angustirostris
rufina
nyroca
caspius
chukar
griseogularis
francolinus
coturnix
bassanus
carbo
aristotelis
pygmeus
onocrotalus
minutus
nycticorax
ralloides
ibis
garzetta
cinerea
purpurea
Subspecies
--crecca
platyrhynchos
----tauricus
kurdestanica
-francolinus
coturnix
-sinensis
desmarestii
--minutus
nycticorax
-ibis
garzetta
-purpurea
White Stork
Glossy Ibis
Northern Bald Ibis
Eurasian Spoonbill
Greater Flamingo
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Black Kite
Short-toed (Snake) Eagle
Western Marsh Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Northern Goshawk
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Common Buzzard
>> Steppe Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard
Booted Eagle
Golden Eagle
Lesser Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Red-footed Falcon
Hobby
Eleonora's Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Little Crake
Moorhen
Grey-headed Swamphen
Eurasian Coot
Black-winged Stilt
Stone Curlew
Collared Pratincole
Black-winged Pratincole
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
European Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Spur-winged Plover
Little Stint
Temminck's Stint
Curlew Sandpiper
Dunlin
Ciconia
Plegadis
Geronticus
Platalea
Phoenicopterus
Tachybaptus
Podiceps
Milvus
Circaetus
Circus
Circus
Circus
Accipiter
Accipiter
Buteo
ciconia
falcinellus
eremita
leucorodia
roseus
ruficollis
cristatus
migrans
gallicus
aeruginosus
macrourus
pygargus
gentilis
nisus
buteo
Buteo
Aquila
Aquila
Falco
Falco
Falco
Falco
Falco
Falco
Porzana
Gallinula
Porphyrio
Fulica
Himantopus
Burhinus
Glareola
Glareola
Charadrius
Charadrius
Charadrius
Pluvialis
Pluvialis
Vanellus
Calidris
Calidris
Calidris
Calidris
rufinus
pennata
chrysaetos
naumanni
tinnunculus
vespertinus
subbuteo
eleonorae
peregrinus
parva
chloropus
porphyrio
atra
himantopus
oedicnemus
pratincola
nordmanni
dubius
hiaticula
alexandrinus
apricaria
squatarola
spinosus
minuta
temminckii
ferruginea
alpina
ciconia
--leucorodia
roseus
ruficollis
cristatus
migrans
-aeruginosus
--marginatus
nisus
buteo
vulpinus
rufinus
-homeyeri
-tinnunculus
-subbuteo
-brookei
-chloropus
caspius
atra
himantopus
saharae
pratincola
-curonicus
tundrae
alexandrinus
------alpina
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Ruff
Jack Snipe
Common Snipe
Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Spotted Redshank
Greenshank
Wood Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Slender-billed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Audouin's Gull
Baltic Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Armenian Gull
Caspian Gull
Little Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Whiskered Tern
Black Tern
White-winged Black Tern
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Rock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Turtle Dove
Laughing Dove
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Common Cuckoo
Pallid Scops Owl
Scops Owl
Lilith's Owl
Byzantine Owl
Long-eared Owl
Alpine Swift
Pallid Swift
Little Swift
Limicola
Philomachus
Lymnocryptes
Gallinago
Numenius
Numenius
Actitis
Tringa
Tringa
Tringa
Tringa
Tringa
Chroicocephalus
Chroicocephalus
Ichthyaetus
Ichthyaetus
Larus
Larus
Larus
Larus
Sternula
Gelochelidon
Hydroprogne
Chlidonias
Chlidonias
Chlidonias
Sterna
Sterna
Columba
Columba
Streptopelia
Streptopelia
Streptopelia
Clamator
Cuculus
Otus
Otus
Athene
Athene
Asio
Tachymarptis
Apus
Apus
falcinellus
pugnax
minimus
gallinago
phaeopus
arquata
hypoleucos
ochropus
erythropus
nebularia
glareola
totanus
genei
ridibundus
melanocephalus
audouinii
fuscus
michahellis
armenicus
cachinnans
albifrons
nilotica
caspia
hybrida
niger
leucopterus
sandvicensis
hirundo
livia
palumbus
decaocto
turtur
senegalensis
glandarius
canorus
brucei
scops
glaux
glaux
otus
melba
pallidus
affinis
falcinellus
--gallinago
phaeopus
orientalis
-----totanus
----fuscus
michahellis
--albifrons
nilotica
-hybrida
niger
--hirundo
livia
palumbus
decaocto
turtur
phoenicophila
glandarius
canorus
obsoletus
cycladum
lilith
indigena
otus
melba
brehmorum
galilejensis
White-breasted Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
Bee-eater
Roller
Wryneck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Syrian Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Red-backed Shrike
>>
Lesser Grey Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
>>
Masked Shrike
Alpine Chough
Chough
Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
>>
Common Raven
Firecrest
Blue Tit
>>
Great Tit
Coal Tit
>>
Sombre Tit
Calandra Lark
Bimaculated Lark
Short-toed Lark
Halcyon
Ceryle
Merops
Coracias
Jynx
Dendrocopos
Dendrocopos
Dendrocopos
Lanius
smyrnensis
rudis
apiaster
garrulus
torquilla
major
syriacus
minor
collurio
Lanius
Lanius
minor
senator
Lanius
Pyrrhocorax
Pyrrhocorax
Pica
Garrulus
Corvus
Corvus
nubicus
graculus
pyrrhocorax
pica
glandarius
monedula
cornix
Corvus
Regulus
Cyanistes
corax
ignicapilla
caeruleus
Parus
Periparus
major
ater
Poecile
Melanocorypha
Melanocorypha
Calandrella
lugubris
calandra
bimaculata
brachydactyla
Lesser Short-toed Lark
Crested Lark
>>
Woodlark
Shore Lark
Sand Martin
Eurasian Crag Martin
Barn Swallow
House Martin
Red-rumped Swallow
Calandrella
Galerida
rufescens
cristata
Lullula
Eremophila
Riparia
Ptyonoprogne
Hirundo
Delichon
Cecropis
arborea
alpestris
riparia
rupestris
rustica
urbicum
daurica
smyrnensis
syriacus
-garrulus
torquilla
paphlagoniae
syriacus
danfordi
collurio
kobylini
-senator
niloticus
-digitatus
docilis
bactriana
anatoliae
soemmeringii
sharpii
pallescens
laurencei
ignicapilla
caeruleus
persicus
major
abietum
cypriotes
lugens
hebraica
rufescens
artemisiana
wolsteri
niethammeri
zion
subtaurica
pallida
penicillata
riparia
-rustica
urbicum
rufula
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Cetti's Warbler
Long-tailed Tit
Iraq Babbler
Wood Warbler
Chiffchaff
Caucasian Chiffchaff
Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Barred Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Eastern Orphean Warbler
Whitethroat
Rüppell's Warbler
Ménétriés's Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Upcher's Warbler
Olive-tree Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Moustached Warbler
Sedge Warbler
(European) Reed Warbler
>> Caspian Reed Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Graceful Prinia
>>
Wallcreeper
Krüper's Nuthatch
Nuthatch
Eastern Rock Nuthatch
Western Rock Nuthatch
>>
Short-toed Treecreeper
Wren
Common Starling
>>
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
Spotted Flycatcher
>>
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
>> African Scrub Robin
Pycnonotus
Cettia
Aegithalos
Turdoides
Phylloscopus
Phylloscopus
Phylloscopus
Sylvia
Sylvia
Sylvia
Sylvia
Sylvia
Sylvia
Sylvia
Sylvia
Locustella
Iduna
Hippolais
Hippolais
Hippolais
Acrocephalus
Acrocephalus
Acrocephalus
xanthopygos
cetti
caudatus
altirostris
sibilatrix
collybita
sindianus
atricapilla
borin
nisoria
curruca
crassirostris
communis
rueppelli
mystacea
naevia
pallida
languida
olivetorum
icterina
melanopogon
schoenobaenus
scirpaceus
Acrocephalus
Prinia
arundinaceus
gracilis
Tichodroma
Sitta
Sitta
Sitta
Sitta
muraria
krueperi
europaea
tephronota
neumayer
Certhia
Troglodytes
Sturnus
brachydactyla
troglodytes
vulgaris
Turdus
Turdus
Muscicapa
merula
viscivorus
striata
Cercotrichas
galactotes
-orientalis
tephronotus
--collybita
lorenzii
dammholzi
woodwardi
nisoria
caucasica
crassirostris
icterops
-rubescens
naevia
elaeica
---mimica
-scirpaceus
fuscus
arundinaceus
akyildizi
irakensis
muraria
-levantina
dresseri
zarudnyi
syriaca
stresemanni
seilerni
tauricus
oppenheimi
syriacus
viscivorus
striata
neumanni
familiaris
syriacus
Robin
Thrush Nightingale
Nightingale
White-throated Robin
Black Redstart
Redstart
>> Ehrenberg's Redstart
Whinchat
Stonechat
Isabelline Wheatear
Northern Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Finsch's Wheatear
Kurdish Wheatear
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush
Blue Rock Thrush
Pied Flycatcher
Radde's Accentor
Alpine Accentor
Pale Rock Sparrow
Yellow-throated Sparrow
Rock Sparrow
>>
>>
White-winged Snow Finch
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
Dead Sea Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Grey-headed Wagtail
Sykes's Wagtail
Black-headed Wagtail
Blue-headed Wagtail
Citrine Wagtail
White Wagtail
Tawny Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Chaffinch
Red-fronted Serin
European Serin
Greenfinch
>>
Erithacus
Luscinia
Luscinia
Irania
Phoenicurus
Phoenicurus
rubecula
luscinia
megarhynchos
gutturalis
ochruros
phoenicurus
Saxicola
Saxicola
Oenanthe
Oenanthe
Oenanthe
Oenanthe
Oenanthe
Monticola
Monticola
Ficedula
Prunella
Prunella
Petronia
Petronia
Petronia
rubetra
torquatus
isabellina
oenanthe
hispanica
finschii
xanthoprymna
saxatilis
solitarius
hypoleuca
ocularis
collaris
brachydactyla
xanthocollis
petronia
Montifringilla
Passer
Passer
Passer
Passer
Motacilla
Motacilla
Motacilla
Motacilla
Motacilla
Motacilla
Anthus
Anthus
Anthus
Fringilla
Serinus
Serinus
Carduelis
nivalis
domesticus
hispaniolensis
moabiticus
montanus
flava
flava
flava
flava
citreola
alba
campestris
pratensis
cervinus
coelebs
pusillus
serinus
chloris
rubecula
-megarhynchos
-ochruros
phoenicurus
samamisicus
-rubicola
-libanotica
melanoleuca
finschii
-saxatilis
longirostris
hypoleuca
-subalpina
-transfuga
petronia
exigua
puteicola
leucura
balearoibericus
transcaspicus
mesopotamicus
transcaucasicus
thunbergi
beema
feldegg
flava
citreola
alba
campestris
pratensis
-syriaca
--muehlei
chlorotica
Goldfinch
Linnet
Crimson-winged Finch
Desert Finch
Trumpeter Finch
Common Rosefinch
Rock Bunting
>>
Cinereous Bunting
Ortolan Bunting
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Reed Bunting
Black-headed Bunting
Corn Bunting
>>
Carduelis
Carduelis
Rhodopechys
Rhodospiza
Bucanetes
Carpodacus
Emberiza
carduelis
cannabina
sanguineus
obsoleta
githagineus
erythrinus
cia
Emberiza
Emberiza
Emberiza
Emberiza
Emberiza
Emberiza
cineracea
hortulana
caesia
schoeniclus
melanocephala
calandra
niediecki
bella
sanguineus
-crassirostris
kubanensis
cia
prageri
semenowi
--reiseri
-calandra
buturlini
Acknowledgements
Firstly I would like to thanks my good friends Chris Baines, Chris Hind and Derek Charles for the
chance to share such an amazing experience with them. Huge thanks also to Başar Şafak (&Özcan)
for making our first few days in Turkey such a memorable experience. Thanks also to Sinan for
driving us safely up (and back down) the mountain in such slippery conditions! Mustafa Çulcuoğlu
and his friend Ahmed also deserve massive thanks for the help they gave us during our visit to the
Birecik area (we wouldn’t have seen See See Partridge without them)! Thanks also to Alan Lewis for
the Armenian Gull site info! During preparation for the trip I had great help from Richard Bonser and
Richard Klim, many thanks for this! Thanks also to Joe Hobbs for guidance on taxonomy.
Thanks to everyone who is or will be helping me sort out all those tricky sub-species identifications!
i
Following identification set out by Nils Van Duivendijk (NVD) in his Advanced Bird ID Guide (pp 191) these
Lesser Short-toed Lark fit the criteria for identification as Asian Short-toed Lark (Calandrella cheleensis). NVD
ii
This individual looked and sounded like a great contender for Caucasian Chiffchaff. However as this species is
not known to regularly occur in this area caution of the identity must be taken on board. It is perhaps feasible
that this individual could have been an extreme brevirostris assuming that they can closely approach lorenzi in
both appearance and vocalisation. It is worth noting that all other Chiffchaffs encountered in this area
appeared closer to collybita than any other form.
iii
Although on the larger end of the scale size-ways this bird showed very good features for fuscus. However
ruling out an extreme intermedius would be impossible. On range the balance of probability is that the bird
was most likely a fuscus. Kirwen et al suggest that intermedius is either rarely recorded in Turkey or (perhaps
more likely) under recorded.
iv
Byzantine Owl is the default ‘Little Owl’ in Turkey; it is of the form indigena. CDNA currently classify this form
under Lilith’s Owl (Athene glaux).
v
Note that the subspecies list was compiled predominantly on range rather than solid identification, if I have
made any obvious errors please contact.

Tuzla Gölü – Demirkazik 1st May: Demirkazik

Transcription

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