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Turkey Trip report
a summary from 7-20th April 2005
I planned this trip with short notice during the 2004/2005 season in Egypt. I wanted to go to Lebanon but due to the political situation there I had to change my plans. Linus Blomqvist, a friend travelling in Turkey that Spring, was contacted and together we decided on this improvised, not-so-serious birding/culture trip through southern Turkey.
Itinerary
April 7th – me and Linus meet up in Istanbul in the evening.
April 8th – having a look around this amazing city, some birding along the Bosphorus.
April 9th - more sightseeing including hamam. In the evening the night bus towards Birecik.
April 10th – arrival at Birecik after lunch. The rest of the day birding around the village and the Euphrates. Two nights in Birecik.
April 11th – birding around Birecik the whole day.
April 12th – birding around the village Halfeti (30 km N Birecik) until the afternoon, then back to Birecik and on with bus to Gaziantep.
April 13th – we rent a car in Gaziantep and head west. Birding along the way and at Topprakkale. One night in Osmaniye.
April 14th – raptor watch at Topprakkale, then driving to the Göksu Delta/Akgöl. Some evening birding there. Two nights in Tasucu.
April 15th – birding the whole day around Akgöl and in the mountains above the area.
April 16th – early birding at the village Demircili above Tasucu, then driving to Adana and change car to bus for Nidge and from there taxi to Demirkazik. Two nights at Safak Pansion.
April 17th – birding the whole day in the mountains at Demirkazik.
April 18th – early birding at Emli Valley, Demirkazik, and in the afternoon bus to the Sultan Marshes. One night at Sultan Pansion.
April 19th – birding until the afternoon at the Sultan Marshes. In the afternoon bus to Kayseri. Here we finish our journey with hamam and local food. I leave with the overnight bus back to Istanbul and Linus heads for Cappadoccia.
April 20th – Flight back to Cairo.
Accomodation, transports, prices etc.
Turkey is a wonderful destination for birders and travellers alike. Accomodation is plentiful, prices often cheap, food is superb and birding sites basically anywhere. We travelled by bus several times and found the coach network just great. Modern buses, good service, cheap and frequent. Hiring a car was a bit of head ache if you haven´t booked ahead. Language problems and car availability made for some frustration in Gaziantep. We got a medium size Fiat at 190 USD for 4 days, and they picked it up in Adana (250 km away) afterwards. Petrol also quite expensive at the time (about 1.25 euro/litre). The traffic was not a problem outside the cities and towns, where it was dense and fast.
In Istanbul we stayed at a backpackers, Sultan Hostel in Sultanahmet. Lively, clean and centrally located. About 17 euro/double room.
In Birecik we found a very basic place, Otel Dogan, just north of the village centre. Very simple standard but enough for our kind of trip, and at only 10 euro/double room.
In Gaziantep we stayed at a nice place called Evin, right in the centre. Large room, clean bathroom and TV at only 12 euro!
In Osmaniye (city close to Topprakkale) we ended up at Otel Cinar, behind the petrol station along the main street. Ok standard at 12 euro/double room. Internet café and good food close by.
In Tasucu (Akgöl) of course the "birders hotel" Fatih. 15 euro/double room, good standard and internet and good fish restaurant close by.
In Demirkazik we didn´t have much of a choice, Safak Pansion. We bargained for the price, but with little luck. 20 euro per person per night with “full board” in the coldest room east of the Bosphorus. Food very basic but the place is charming and the veranda overlooks the Aladag snow-covered peaks. At another 15 euro per person we were trucked up on the mountain in the ancient tractor at dawn for the snowcocks.
In Ovalifcik, the village at the Sultan Marshes, we stayed at the Sultan Pansion. Also here bargaining for room price and boat trip price. We got a double room with breakfast for 12 euro and the short boat trip at about 25 euro.
List of interesting species
Since this was not a hard core WP-list-100% birding trip, I will not list every species we saw and skip the more common ones. Now in mid-April, we did not see some of the late-arriving species like Olive-tree Warbler and White-throated Robin. The numbers of shrikes, bee-eaters and marsh terns was also low, those should arrive in good numbers some weeks later. We recorded about 215 species.
Ruddy Shelduck a few pairs at Akgöl
Marbled Teal 2 at Akgöl
Red-crested Pochard fairly common at Akgöl and the Sultan Marshes
Caspian Snowcock 3 pairs and displaying at Demirkazik
Chukar fairly common at Demirkazik
See-see Partridge 3 at the wadi, Birecik, and 2 at the plateau, Halfeti
Black Francoline several displaying around Tasucu and Akgöl
Yelkouan Shearwater common at the Bosphorus, Istanbul
Northern Gannet 2 2-3cy birds fishing at sea off Akgöl
Shag several at the Bosphorus, Istanbul
Pygmy Cormorant fairly common at Birecik
Night Heron Birecik, Akgöl and the Sultan Marshes
Cattle Egret 5 at the Sultan Marshes
Great White Egret a few at Akgöl and the Sultan Marshes, a total of 10
Purple Heron a few at Akgöl and the Sultan Marshes, a total of 10
Black Stork several recorded
White Stork fairly common and 300 migrating north at Topprakkale
Glossy Ibis common at Akgöl and the Sultan Marshes
Bald Ibis easily seen at Birecik, about 25 birds
Spoonbill several recorded
Greater Flamingo Akgöl
Lammergeier 1 seen from Safak Pansion, Demirkazik
Egyptian Vulture 2 at Halfeti
Short-toed Eagle several recorded, a total of 8-10 birds
Pallid Harrier 1 m migrating north at Topprakkale and 1 2cy at the Sultan Marshes
Montagues Harrier several recorded, a total of about 7-8 birds
Long-legged Buzzard several recorded, a total of about 10-12 birds
Lesser Spotted Eagle migration seen at Halfeti and Topprakkale (125)
Greater Spotted Eagle 1 2-3cy at Akgöl
Golden Eagle a pair nesting at Demirkazik
Bonellis Eagle 1 2-3cy along the main road west of Gaziantep
Red-footed Falcon 1f Akgöl
Purple Swamphen 2 at Akgöl
Black-winged Stilt Akgöl and the Sultan Marshes
Stone Curlew 1 at Akgöl
Collared Pratincole 5 at the Sultan Marshes
Kentish Plover fairly common
Spur-winged Plover Akgöl
Marsh Sandpiper 30 at Akgöl
Mediterranean Gull fairly common at the Bosphorus, Istanbul
Slender-billed Gull Akgöl
Whiskered Tern Akgöl and the Sultan Marshes
White-winged Black Tern Akgöl and the Sultan Marshes
Black-bellied Sandgrouse two flocks at Birecik, about 20 birds
Laughing Dove common in cities and towns
Spotted Cuckoo 1 each at Birecik and Halfeti
Striated Scops Owl 2 at the known café in Birecik
Eagle Owl 1 at the gorge, Demirkazik
Alpine Swift fairly common
Little Swift small colonies at Birecik and Halfeti, 1 at Topprakkale
White-breasted Kingfisher 2 between Tasucu and Akgöl
Kingfisher Sultan Marshes
Pied Kingfisher 1 at Birecik
Bee-eater several migrating flocks
Hoopoe fairly common
Syrian Woodpecker several recorded
Calandra Lark fairly common at Halfeti and the Sultan Marshes
Bimaculated Lark fairly common at the high plains, flocks seen at Halfeti and Demirkazik
Short-toed Lark several recorded
Lesser Short-toed Lark common at the Sultan Marshes
Shore Lark seen at several places around Demirkazik
Crag Martin Demirkazik
Red-rumped Swallow fairly common
Red-throated Pipit at Akgöl an the Sultan Marshes
Water Pipit 2 at Demirkazik
Citrine Wagtail 6-7m at the Sultan Marshes
Yellow-vented Bulbul fairly common
Black-crowned Accentor 3-5 at Demirkazik
Alpine Accentor 8-10 at Demirkazik
Isabelline Wheatear fairly common in the high, arid plains
Black-eared Wheatear fairly common
Rock Thrush 2 pairs at Demirkazik
Blue Rock Thrush fairly common in the right habitat
Ring Ouzel Demirkazik
Cettis Warbler several recorded
Graceful Warbler Birecik och Akgöl
Savis Warbler 1 singing at the Sultan Marshes
Moustashed Warbler fairly common at the Sultan Marshes
Olivaceous Warbler several recorded
Menetries Warbler fairly common around Birecik and Halfeti
Rueppells Warbler 2 singing at Demircili
sylvia crassirostris 1 singing at Demircili
Eastern Bonellis Warbler 1 at Birecik
Collared Flycatcher 1m at Demircili
Sombre Tit several at Demircili
Krüpers Nuthatch at least 3 at Demircili
Eastern Rock Nuthatch common around Halfeti, also seen west of Gaziantep
Rock Nuthatch fairly common in the right habitat
Wallcreeper 2 at the gorge, Demirkazik
Golden Oriole 1 at Birecik
Woodchat Shrike several recorded
Masked Shrike 10-12 north of Tasucu and 4-5 at Demircili
Alpine Chough Demirkazik
Red-billed Chough Demirkazik
Spanish Sparrow several records
Rock Sparrow fairly common in the right habitat
Snowfinch several records around Demirkazik
Red-fronted Serin several records around Demirkazik
Serin fairly common
Crimson-winged Finch several, also singing, at Demirkazik
Rock Bunting seen at several sites at Demirkazik
Cretzmars Bunting 5-6 at Demircili
Corn Bunting common