Turkish Delight 2012 - Day 3

Wednesday 2^nd May

The day began with a pre-breakfast visit to the hide overlooking the large lagoon in the Goksu Delta in search of Grey-headed Swamphen, but as we headed out, uncharacteristically for this part of Turkey, the heavens opened. It rained continually whilst there, nonetheless we did manage to see several more White-winged Black Terns, Red-crested Pochard, a brief Little Bittern, several Marsh Harriers and a flock of 10 Glossy Ibis. With not much else to see and certainly no swamphens, we began to scan the scrub, a noisy Black Francolin was quickly picked up and showed very well, but other than a few Red-backed Shrikes and Graceful Prinias, the scrub was very quiet. 

After breakfast we stayed in the Goksu Delta, but headed north of the lagoon in search of Moustached Warbler. By this time the rain had stopped, but the wind had really got up, so not idea conditions for looking for warblers in reed beds. However, we persevered and as we worked our way through the arable fields were met with a flock of hundreds of Black-headed Buntings, swarming across the fields like a cloud of locusts, they were everywhere. Birding was difficult due to the wind and birds were staying very low in the reeds, but eventually we were able to get some good views of a Moustached Warbler as it chased off a pair of Graceful Prinias.  Whilst continuing to bird the area two flocks of Ruff, totalling around 80 birds, a single Hobby passed overhead and more White-winged Black Terns continued to patrol the reed edge.

Black-headed Bunting

Frustrated by the windy conditions and with birds proving difficult to see, we headed north to the old Roman remains at Diocaesarea. Our first stop en route was the graveyard at Demicili; the conditions were still breezy and rain was threatening, nonetheless we pressed on with our walk through the woods and to the viewpoint. Unfortunately the breezy conditions worked against us, we could hear a singing Rüppell’s Warbler but didn’t see it, and other than a couple of Blackbirds and a Short-toed Eagle there wasn’t much else to report. We continued on up the valley to the village of Imamali, where we stopped on the side of the road. Highlights in this area included a singing male Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Black-eared Wheatear, a male Blue Rock Thrush, and a Syrian Woodpecker. Western Rock Nuthatches were busy putting the finishing touches to their mud nests and Sombre, Coal, Great and Blue Tits were all recorded. Frustratingly though, we heard more singing Rüppell’s Warblers but they were proving to be extremely elusive, with one giving only brief views.

Black-eared Wheatear

    

Our next stop was a lunch time break at Uzuncaburch picnic site, which is a reliable site for Krüper’s Nuthatch, and we were not to be disappointed. As soon as we arrived and parked our vehicles a Krüper’s Nuthatch was spotted feeding on the ground. 

Krüper’s Nuthatch

Several birds were recorded in the pine trees but two individuals kept coming back to the same spot giving us all excellent views. Being fairly sheltered from the weather other bird species were soon picked up including more Black-eared Wheatears, Coal Tits, Chaffinchs, Blackcaps and a stunning Masked Shrike, whilst Woodlarks, Cuckoos and Hoopoes were all heard in the distance. 

The Roman ruins at Diocaesarea were our next stop, but by the time we got there it was raining heavily. We decided to go for a walk in the hope that the rain would stop, but with its increasing intensity we headed back to our vehicles; we did manage to see a Hoopoe but that was about it. We decided to head to a lower altitude in the hope of finding drier weather, and stopped just south of the village of Imamali as the sun broke through. This unscheduled stop was well worth it as we were soon rewarded with excellent views of a singing male Rüppell’s Warbler.

Rüppell’s Warbler 

This bird performed so well it was difficult to leave it, but we had to press on...but such a corker!

Rüppell’s Warbler  

Continuing south we stopped at a viewpoint, overlooking the next valley, for another unscheduled stop, which as it happened, proved to be another good choice. Our first bird was another Lesser Grey Shrike in the nearby trees, along with a singing Black-headed Bunting and more Thrush Nightingales. Looking out from the viewpoint a pair of Black-eared Wheatears performed well in the fields below, and three Short-toed Eagles, a Hobby, a Common (Steppe) Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk were immediately visible. But the star birds were three Eleanora’s Falcons, that headed north up the valley, giving excellent views as they passed. With the light now fading we decided to head back down to our Motel, for a well earned rest and the chance to pack in readiness for our onward journey.

To be continued...

Demirzixli and Uzuncaburç (Diocaesarea) - Southern Turkey May 2011 (Part 2)

After having spent a few days in the Göksu Delta we headed into the hills for the afternoon of our final day in the area of Taşucu. The area around Uzuncaburç is covered by dry marquis, ancient ruins and pine forests and is an excellent area for searching for migrants. Unfortunately, a combination of a late spring and the early date of our trip meant that the vegetation was only just beginning to sprout and very few migrants were present. 

Our first stop was to an area of pine forest, and a steep walk up to the peak for an excellent view over the surrounding area. An ancient tomb was set into the hillside, and this gave us our first opportunity to see Western Rock Nuthatch, along with single Black-eared Wheatears, Cretzschmar's Buntings and a very distant European Roller.

Western Rock Nuthatch, Uzuncaburç - May 2011

After a fairly uneventful walk up the hill, we headed back down, a Masked Shrike was our first of the trip and two Sombre Tits finally gave us decent views, after frustrating us up the hill earlier.

Masked Shrike - Turkey 2011

We moved on a picnic area known for its Krüper's Nuthatch, and were immediately rewarded with a pair. They were extremely vocal, constantly making contact calls as they fed and interacted together in preparation for breeding, presumably in one of the many nest boxes located in the area for the species. A Common Cuckoo, four Golden Orioles, Chaffinch's and Coal, Blue and Great Tits provided some additional interest, but generally with the exception of the nuthatch's there were few birds present. 

Krüper's Nuthatch - Turkey 2011

We continued up to the ancient ruins of Diocaesarea, and another excellent area for migrants, but again there were very few birds present. A male Black-eared Wheatear sang from the tallest ruin and a flock of House Sparrows included a lone Spanish Sparrow. In the most densely vegetated bits of scrub two Eastern Orphean and a single Sardinian Warbler were located, and two Wood Warblers and a Blackcap added to the migrant tally.

 The Ancient Ruins of Diocaesarea provided a Stunning Backdrop for Birding 

We decided to head back down to a lower altitude in search of migrants and stopped in a layby where the vegetation was more advanced. We were immediately greeted with two pairs of nuthatch's, one Western Rock and the other Krüper's, along with a stunning male Cretzschmar's Bunting, and an equally stunning male Blue Rock Thrush. We continued to bird along the road and suddenly heard a brief burst of song which was reminiscent of Ruppell's Warbler, and after much perseverance we were all rewarded with excellent views of a cracking male bird.

Starred Agama Agama stellio lazing in the Afternoon Sun

Having exhausted all of our birding opportunities for the day we headed back to Taşucu for our last overnight stop before moving on, all the time being watched by the Starred Agama's as they soaked up the late afternoon sun.