TURKEY PHOTO TRIP REPORT
5th-19th June 2009
Participants
Peter Alfrey & Darryl Spittle INTRODUCTION
The primary objectives of this trip were to get as many Western Palearctic ‘ticks’ as possible, acquire as many satisfactory photographs of all birds encountered as possible, to increase our personal understanding of Turkish avifauna in terms of species identification, subspecies identification, taxonomy, vocalizations and breeding and migration ecology and also to record as many species as possible within our trip time frame to achieve a competitive mid-summer trip list.
Trip Blogs http://peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.com/ http://gwentbirding.blogspot.com/ ITINERARY
5th June Adana to Demirkazik
6th June Demirkazik. Evening Drive to Goksu Delta.
7th June Goksu Delta. Evening Drive to Adana
8th June Yesilce. Drive to Birecik.
9th June Birecik
10th June Halfeti. Drove to Mardin.
11th June Cizre. Drive to Tatvan.
12th June Tatvan to Van Road and Van Marshes
13th June Van and Ercek Golu
14th June Bendimahi, Calidran Ovasi and Dogubeyazit
15th June Dogubeyazit and Calidran
16th June Bulanik
17th June Nemrut Dagi 18th June Adana and Tarsus marshes
REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kirwan G.M. et al 2008. The Birds of Turkey. Helm.
Gosney D. 1991. Finding Birds in Turkey, Ankara to Birecik. A Gostour Guide.
Gosney D. 1994. Finding Birds in Western Turkey. A Gostour Guide.
Gosney D.1994. Finding Birds in Eastern Turkey. A Gostour Guide.
Green I. & Moorhouse N. 1995. A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Turkey. Bird Watchers’ Guide.
Porter R F et al, 1996. Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East. T & A D Poyser
Mullarney K et al, 1999. Bird Guide. Collins.
Forsman D 1999, The Raptors of Europe and The Middle East. A Handbook of Field Identification. T & A D Poyser.
Olsen K.M & Larsson. H. 2003. Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America. Helm.
OTHER TRIP REPORTS http://www.osme.org/osmetrip/tripreps.html http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=610
Ornithological Society of the Middle East Web Site
OSME http://www.osme.org/index.html DAILY ACCOUNT
Species names mainly follow, and photo captions gleaned from: Kirwan. G.M et al, 2009. The Birds of Turkey.
5th June 2009
Drove to Demirkazik from Adana.
6th June
Demirkazik
Highlights included: Golden Eagle, 6+ Caspian Snowcock, Radde’s Accentor, Alpine Accentor, Crimson- winged Finch, White-winged Snowfinch, Finsch’s Wheatear
Carmadi Road
Bimaculated Lark, White-throated Robin,
Bimaculated Lark, Carmadi Road. Alstrom considers M.bimaculata to be monotypic although others consider these Turkish birds to be M.b.rufescens.
Horned Lark, Demirkazik. Generally considered to be E.a.penicillata throughout Turkey. Ortolan Bunting, Demirkazik. A species in Turkey that is found breeding in uplands at 750-2600m.
7th June 2009
Goksu Delta
Highlights: Black Francolin, Purple Swamp Hen, Graceful Prinia, Marbled Duck, Lanner Falcon, Rufous- tailed Scrub Robin.
Other characteristic species: Spur-winged Lapwing, Ruddy Shelduck, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Black Tern, White-throated Robin, Great White Pelican, Moustached Warbler, Great Reed Warbler
Breeding Ruddy Shelduck with six young, also Marbled Duck with two young,
Spur-winged Lapwing, Goksu Delta. A local summer visitor to Turkey to most wetlands except the Black Sea Coastlands. Goksu delta is the most important breeding site. A marked decline has occurred in recent decades. Western Marsh Harrier, Goksu Delta. A breeding resident and partial migrant to Turkey.
Black-crowned Night Herons, Goksu Delta. About 150 pairs breed in the delta complex.
8th June
Yesilce Area
Highlights and speciality birds included: Eastern Rock Nuthatch, Desert Finch, Cinereous Bunting, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Upcher’s Warbler, Olive Tree Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Eastern Black- eared Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, White-throated Robin
White-throated Robin, Durnalik, Yesicle area. A monotypic species, summer migrant and increasing population in Turkey. Occurs mainly in the south.
Rufous- tailed Scrub Robin, Durnalik, Yesicle area. Turkish birds relate to one or other of the grey- backed forms. Common in Eastern Turkey especially around Birecik. 9th June
Birecik
Highlights and speciality species: Little Swift, Bald Ibis, Dead Sea Sparrow, Iraq Babbler, Chesnut- shouldered Sparrow, See-see Partridge, Menetries’s Warbler,
Characteristic species: Sand Martin and hirundines, European Roller, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Pygmy Cormorant, Ferruginous Duck, Coot, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe
Little Swifts, Birecik. The subspecies is A.a.galilejensis. A local and uncommon visitor. The largest colonies in Turkey are on the Euphrates.
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Birecik. Part of a taxonomic puzzle, Eastern and Western Olivaceous Warblers are widely recognized as separate species but problems presented by three North African forms of Eastern Olivaceous, reiseri, laeneni and nominate pallid (which may integrade with elaecia) have not been resolved. Also Helbig & Seibold (1999) prefer to put Olivaceous Warbler and Booted Warbler in the subgenus Iduna. Others suggest moving Olivaceous Warbler into Acrocephalus. Bald Ibis, part of a feral colony at Birecik. About 50-60 birds are present as part of a breeding program. Bald Ibis no longer occurs in a wild state in Turkey after suffering a population terminal decline mainly associated with poisoning by agricultural chemicals. The free flying birds are rounded up and kept in a compound during the winter to prevent the associated high mortalities that occur during the migrations to East Africa. The only wild birds in the Middle East occur in Syria- a tiny and declining colony at Palmyra.
European Roller, Birecik . A fairly common summer visitor to Turkey, breeding up to at least 2000m. Chestnut-shouldered Sparrow, Birecik. The subspecies is believed to be transfuga. Recently assigned to the resurrected genus Gymnoris. A scarce and local summer visitor to Southeast and East Anatolia. Breeds in pistachio orchards or groves of Oak.
10th June
Halfeti and drive to Mardin
Highlights: Pale Rockfinch, Cream-Coloured Courser, Lesser Short-toed Lark
Characteristic species: Desert Finch, Little Swift, Greater Short-toed Lark, European Turtle Dove, Eastern and Western Rock Nuthatch
Drive to Mardin:
Short-toed Snake Eagle, Lesser Kestrel
Black-headed Bunting, Halfeti. A very common and widespread summer visitor to all regions of Turkey except the Black Sea Coastlands. Breeds in all types of agricultural and scrubby areas usually below 2400m. Lesser Short-toed Lark, Halfeti. Cheleensis-type and rufescens-complex birds form a confusing situation in Turkey leading to the proposition that Asian Short-toed Larks were occurring in central areas of Turkey. Further research is required to clarify the situation.
Desert Finch, Halfeti. A species which appears to be increasing in Turkey. The range is mainly in Southeast Anatolia. Records in the past from Eastern Turkey around Van Golu may have actually related to Mongolian Finch – a species which has only ‘recently’ expanded into Turkey from the east. Pale Rockfinch, Halfeti. This highly unusual species appears, on the basis of jaw morphology, tongue apparatus and skull structure, to represent a modern day relict of an extremely early radiation of Passeridae, Emberizidae or Fringillidae. A local summer visitor over much of Southeast and East Anatolia.
11th June
Cizre and drive to Tatvan
Cizre
Highlights: 5 Red-wattled Lapwing, 12 Collared Pratincole, 6 Little Tern, 2 Pied Kingfisher, 1 Black Francolin
Drive to Tatvan
2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Booted Eagle, 2 Egyptian Vulture, 6 Lesser Kestrel,
Tatvan
Armenian Gull, Montagu’s Harrier, 10+ Bimaculated Lark, 2 Greater Short-toed Lark, 10+ Black-headed Bunting
12th June
Van
Highlights: White-headed Duck, Armenian Gull,
Characteristic birds: Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Black-headed Wagtail, Great Reed Warbler, Little Ringed Plover, Ruddy Shelduck,
Ruddy Shelduck, Lake Van. A widespread and reasonably common resident over much of Turkey. Large flocks assemble to moult at certain wetlands from July to September with a maximum count of 20,000 at Ercek Golu.
Adult Armenian Gull, Lake Van. Armenian Gull appears to be the relict of an early colonization event from the Atlantic via the Mediterranean Basin. Great Reed Warbler, Lake Van. A widespread and fairly common summer visitor to suitable habitat.
Black-headed Wagtail, Lake Van. The current hypothesis of a deep split between eastern forms and the other western taxa of Yellow Wagtails is in vogue, while retaining Black-headed Wagtail as a subspecies within M.flava.
Black-winged Stilt, Lake Van. 13th June
Van and Ercek Golu
Highlights: Paddyfield Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Eurasian Penduline Tit,
Characteristic species: Greater Flamingo, Ruddy Shelduck, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Common Redshank, Bearded Tit
1st summer Armenian Gull, Lake Van area. Active primary and secondary moult showing contrast between very worn and new remiges. Presumably the saline conditions, heat and intense sun is responsible for the obvious intense wear.
Chukar, Van Hills
14th June
Bendimahi
1 Gull-billed Tern, 1 Common Quail
Caldiran Ovasi
4 Crimson-winged Finch, 4 White-winged Snowfinch,
Dogubeyazit
2-3 Grey-necked Bunting, 1 Red-fronted Serin, 1 Crimson-winged Finch, 2 Chukar, 2 Common Cuckoo,
Crimson-winged Finch, Serpmentas Lava Fields
Grey-necked Bunting, Dogubeyazit
15th June
Dogubeyazit and Serpmentas Lava Fields
Dogubeyazit
2-3 Grey-necked Bunting, 2 Red-fronted Serin, 5 Common Cuckoo, 2 Eurasian Hoopoe
Serpmentas Lava Fields
10+ Mongolian Finch, 4 Crimson-winged Finch, 6+ White-winged Snowfinch, 3 Black Redstart, 1 Twite
Snowfinch, Serpmentas Lava Fields
Mongolian Finch, Serpmentas Lava Fields
16th June
Bulanik
4-5 Montagu’s Harrier, 4 Long-legged Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harrier, 10+ Gull-billed Tern, 25+ Rose-coloured Starling
17th June
Nemrut Dagi
3 Red-tailed Wheatear, 8+ Horned Lark, 10+ Rock Sparrow, 4 White-winged Snowfinch, 6+ Black-eared Wheatear and 15+ Northern Wheatear. 6 Black Storks on ferry crossing.
Red-tailed Wheatear, Nemrut Dagi
18th June
Ceyhan Delta and Tarsus Eucalyptus ‘forest’
Highlights: White-breasted Kingfisher, Greater Sand Plover
Characteristics species at delta: Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Kentish Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, herons,
Characteristic species at ‘forest’: White-breasted Kingfisher, Masked Shrike, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Eurasian Penduline Tit
TRIP RECORDS
Species Demirkazi Goks Yesilce Biricek Halfeti Lake North Van Caldiran Bulanik Nemrut Adana k and u and to Van and and Ercek and Dagi region Carmadi Delta Halfeti Tatvan Van Golu and Dogubeyazit Road via Marshes Bendimahi Cizre Little Grebe 4 10+ 2 6 Black-necked 3 Grebe Great Crested 10 20+ 3 40+ at Grebe Bendimahi Pygmy 20+ Cormorant Little Bittern 1 1 1 Great White 1 Pelican Black-crowned 15 10 2 Night Heron Cattle Egret 2 2 1 1 Squacco Heron 6 2 3 1 3 Little Egret 20 1 1 20+ Great White 1 Egret Grey Heron 4 4 4 Purple Heron 10 1 2 1 White Stork 6 Carmadi 6 2 1 2 Black Stork 6 (Northern 60+ Bald Ibis) Greater 1 2700+ 4 Flamingo Common 1 2 Shelduck Ruddy 9+ 10 + 12 200+ inc 4 Shelduck young 2-3 +6 broods young Mallard 20+ 8 3 Northern 4 Pintail Eurasian 2 Wigeon Garganey 2 2 8 Northern 2 Shoveler Marbled Teal 10+ Red-crested 8 4 Pochard Ferruginous 4 6 2 2 Duck Common 4 ads 8 4 Pochard and 7 juv White-headed 5 Duck European 1 Honey Buzzard Golden Eagle 1 1 Griffon Vulture 1 en 1 route Egyptian 2 en 1 1 Vulture route Species Demirkazi Goks Yesilce Biricek Halfeti Lake North Van Caldiran Bulanik Nemrut Adana k and u and to Van and and Ercek and Dagi region Carmadi Delta Halfeti Tatvan Van Golu and Dogubeyazit Road via Marshes Bendimahi Cizre Short-toed 1 en 1 Snake Eagle route Booted Eagle 1 en route Western 12+ 1 3 1 1 2 Marsh Harrier Montagu’s 1 4 Harrier Tatvan Long-legged 2 1 2 6 en 1 1 2 4 1 Buzzard route Common 2 2 nc 3 3 2 2 Kestrel Lesser Kestrel 4 + 6 2 en route Lanner Falcon 1 (probable) Eurasian 2 3 Hobby Peregrine 1 1 Falcon Caspian 6 Snowcock Black 6 2 1 Cizre Francolin Common Quail 1 1 2 1 Chukar 2 2 2 See-see 4 Partridge Eurasian Coot 40+ 40+ 40+ Common 5 2 4 2 Moorhen Purple Swamp 3 Hen Black-winged 12 50+ 30+ 15+ Stilt Pied Avocet 30+ 20+ 6 Eurasian 2 6 Oystercatcher Stone -Curlew 1 Cream- 1 Coloured Courser Collared 15 1 Pratincole Cizre Common 1 Ringed Plover Little Ringed 2 8 2 1 Plover Greater Sand 5 Plover Kentish Plover 15 100+ Grey Plover 1 Spur-winged 30+ 2 Plover Red-wattled 6 Cizre Lapwing Northern 1 Cizre 10+ 20+ 10+ lapwing Species Demirkazi Goks Yesilce Biricek Halfeti Lake North Van Caldiran Bulanik Nemrut Adana k and u and to Van and and Ercek and Dagi region Carmadi Delta Halfeti Tatvan Van Golu and Dogubeyazit Road via Marshes Bendimahi Cizre Little Stint 4 Curlew 1 20+ Sandpiper Dunlin 1 Ruff 5 1 Common 40+ 20+ 1 2 6 Redshank Marsh 6 Sandpiper Black-tailed 1 10 Godwit Green 1 2 1 1 Sandpiper Wood 1 Sandpiper Common 2 en 1 Sandpiper route
Yellow-legged 8 2 Gull Lesser Black- 1 backed Gull (fuscus) Armenian Gull 20+ 150+ 300+ Tatvan 500+ at Bendimahi Black-headed 1 3 8 Gull Mediterranea 3 n Gull Slender-billed 1 1 Gull Common Tern 20+ 30+ 3 4 Halfeti Little Tern 6 Cizre 1 2 25+ Whiskered 6 15+ Tern Gull-billed 1 at 10+ Tern Bendimahi White-winged 10 1 3 Black Tern Black Tern 1 Rock Dove 5 Nc nc 200+ nc 100+ Nc Nc nc Nc Nc Eurasian Nc Nc Nc 20+ nc Nc Nc Nc nc Nc Nc Collared Dove European 2 10 15+ 1 1 Turtle Dove Laughing Dove 2 6 1 2 6 Common 3 1 Woodpigeon Common 5 Cuckoo European 1 Scops Owl Striated Scops 1 Owl Little Owl 2 1 1 1 Long-eared 1 Owl Species Demirkazi Goks Yesilce Biricek Halfeti Lake North Van Caldiran Bulanik Nemrut Adana k and u and to Van and and Ercek and Dagi region Carmadi Delta Halfeti Tatvan Van Golu and Dogubeyazit Road via Marshes Bendimahi Cizre European 1 Nightjar Alpine Swift 4 8 100+ 30+ Common Swift Nc Heard 40+ 200+ 300+ 10+ 1 Mardin Little Swift 30+ Birecik 10 Halfeti Eurasian 1 8 2 en 6+ 2 6 4 3 Hoopoe route European Bee- 1 Camadi 1 6 4 10+ 2 2 eater European 1 10+ 20+ en 6 2 20+ en Roller route route Pied Kingfisher 4 White- 3 breasted Kingfisher Syrian 1 Camadi 1 7 1 1 Woodpecker Crested Lark Nc 100+ 2 20+ 100’s Nc Nc 5 10+ en route Woodlark 2 5 2 Eurasian 2 Skylark Greater Short- 6 Camadi 1 6 2 1 1 toed Lark Halfeti Lesser Short- 1 toed Lark Halfeti Bimaculated 12+ 15+ Lark Camadi Tatvan Calandra lark 1 4 3 Horned Lark 20+ and 1 2 8+ 15+ Tatvan Camadi Eurasian Crag 6 1 en 1 1 2 Martin route Sand Martin 50+ 2000+ 2 en 2 100+ 4 20+ 200+ route Red-rumped 3 1 3 6 en 3 20+ Swallow Halfeti route Barn Swallow 50+ 10 50+ Nc nc 20+ 6 Common 10 10 250+ 10+ House Martin Tawny Pipit 1 Camadi 1 2 2 Water Pipit 1 White Wagtail 1 1 2 en 2 1 route Grey Wagtail 1 ‘Black-headed’ 40+ 1 60+ 20+ 5+ 5+ 6 Wagtail Citrine Wagtail 2 1 1 Winter Wren 1 Yellow-vented 20+ 10+ 20+ Bulbul Alpine 4 Accentor Species Demirkazi Goks Yesilce Biricek Halfeti Lake North Van Caldiran Bulanik Nemrut Adana k and u and to Van and and Ercek and Dagi region Carmadi Delta Halfeti Tatvan Van Golu and Dogubeyazit Road via Marshes Bendimahi Cizre Radde’s 1 Accentor White- 3 Camadi 10+ 2 en throated route Robin Nightingale 4 Camadi 3 Rufous-tailed 3 6 25+ 2 en 6 Scrub Robin route Black Redstart 2 2 8 1 Northern 20 4 5 10+ 30+ 15+ Wheatear Tatvan Isabelline 3 and 15 1 6 4 6+ 6 Wheatear Camadi Halfeti Tatvan Finsch’s 6 Wheatear Eastern Black- 6 20+ en 6 8+ 6+ eared route Wheatear Red-tailed 3 Wheatear Rufous-tailed 2 Rock Thrush Blue Rock 1 1 1 en 2 Thrush Halfeti route Common 4 1 10+ 1 Blackbird Lesser 6 Camadi 30+ Whitethroat Menetries’s 10+ Warbler Eastern 4 Orphean Warbler Common 3 2 1 2 Whitethroat Graceful Prinia 30+ 2 3 Moustached 2 3 Warbler European 20+ 4 1 Reed Warbler Paddyfield 3 Warbler Marsh 1 Warbler Sedge Warbler 3 Great Reed 2 20+ 30+ 4 4 Warbler Olive-tree 1 Warbler Upcher’s 10+ 2 Warbler Eastern 1 and 5 1 1 15+ 2 Olivaceous Camadi Warbler Cetti’s Warbler 1 and 3 2 2 3 Camadi Great Tit 1 Camadi 1 Blue Tit 1 Sombre Tit 3 1 Species Demirkazi Goks Yesilce Biricek Halfeti Lake North Van Caldiran Bulanik Nemrut Adana k and u and to Van and and Ercek and Dagi region Carmadi Delta Halfeti Tatvan Van Golu and Dogubeyazit Road via Marshes Bendimahi Cizre Bearded 4 1 2 Reedling Eurasian 1 2 Penduline Tit Iraq Babbler 3 Eastern Rock 4 10? Nuthatch Halfeti Western Rock 2 10 4 6 4 Nuthatch ?Halfeti Red-backed 1 1 1 en 1 Shrike route Woodchat 2 6 1 4 en 1 Shrike route Lesser Grey 3 Camadi 2 1 Shrike Masked Shrike 1 Camadi 1 15+ Red-billed 20 2 4 Chough Alpine Chough 5 Common 4 10+ 20+ 20+ 6 Magpie Tatvan Western 15+ 30+ Nc Nc 40+ 10+ Jackdaw Tatvan Rook 30+ 50+ 30+ 100+ 200+ Tatvan Hooded Crow 1 1 5 20+ 10 en 4 10 2 3 6 route Eurasian Jay 1 1 Common 100+ 2 4 10 4 en 300+ 100+ 100+ 40+ Nc Nc Starling route Rose Coloured 4 25+ en 25+ Starling route Eurasian 1 Camadi 1 1 Golden Oriole House Nc Nc 30 100+ nc Nc Nc Nc Nc Nc Nc Sparrow Spanish 1 5 1 30+ en 1000+ Sparrow Halfeti route Eurasian Tree 5 Sparrow Rock Sparrow 4 2 6 3 2 4 4 10+ Tatvan Chestnut- 6 shouldered Sparrow Pale Rockfinch 3 Halfeti Dead Sea 2 Sparrow White- winged 20+ 10+ 5 Snowfinch Common 7 Chaffinch Common 6 15+ 2 10+ Linnet Twite 1 European 6 10 5 2 5 2 4 Goldfinch Species Demirkazi Goks Yesilce Biricek Halfeti Lake North Van Caldiran Bulanik Nemrut Adana k and u and to Van and and Ercek and Dagi region Carmadi Delta Halfeti Tatvan Van Golu and Dogubeyazit Road via Marshes Bendimahi Cizre European 3 15 4 8 Greenfinch Red-fronted 1 2 Serin European 1 Serin Mongolian 10 Finch Crimson- 4 and 1 10+ winged Finch Camadi Desert Finch 2 5 Ortolan 2 and 4 Bunting Camadi Cretzschmar’s 2 Bunting Grey-necked 3-4 Butning Cinereous 1 3 6+ Bunting Black-headed 2 and 10 10+ 8 15+ 40+ 6 10+ 10+ 4 Bunting Camadi Tatvan Rock Bunting 1 1 Reed Bunting 2 Corn Bunting 1 and 15+ 1 2 4 10+ 20+ Camadi
205 species
APPENDIX
1. Selected record shots of various targeted species
Caspian Snowcock, Demikarzik
Menetries’s Warbler, Birecik
Eastern Orphean Warbler, Yesilce Dead Sea Sparrow, Birecik
Striated Scops Owl, Birecik
Eastern Rock Nuthatch, Yesilce
Paddyfield Warbler, Ercek Golu
2. Some Local Forms
Common Linnet. Breeding-season birds are considered to be bella which is sometimes afforded the name Turkestan Linnet being larger and paler than nominate with a virtually unstreaked white rump and uppertail-coverts, and a paler and less extensive rosy-red forehead than nominate.
Northern Wheatear. Breeding birds generally referred to libanotica.
European Greenfinch. The categorization of Greenfinch forms across Turkey is an ongoing work. The forms involved include muehlei, chlorotica and bilkevitchi. Common Starling. The subspecies situation is complex and unclear with tauricus in Inner Anatolia, purpurascens in eastern Turkey and perhaps oppenheimi in Southeast Anatolia from Nizip and Birecik east to Cizre. The above photo was taken in Bulanik so presumably this bird is purpurascens. 3.PEOPLE SHOTS
Christain Jensen Terry Richardson (rear)- Darryl Spittle Author of The Turkey Rough Guide
Ali Safak ‘Ojenni’ Peter Alfrey
4.LANDSCAPES
Carmadi Road
The Gorge, Demikarzik
The Euphrates near Birecik Isak Pasha
View from Safak Pension
Goksu Delta
5.OTHER WILDLIFE
Spur-thighed Tortoise
Golden Jackal
Stripe-necked Terrapin
Also recorded Red Fox, Hare sp, European Pond Terrapin- numerous Lepidoptera and odonata. 6.Targeted species not recorded
Demosielle Crane (Bulanik)
Common Crane (Bulanik)
Great Bustard (Bulanik)
Saker (Van)
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Van area)
7.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
All information and directions for sites are well documented. Perhaps the following additional bits of information are useful.
Condition of wetlands
Heavy pollution at Edremit Marsh, Northern Van Marshes in very poor condition, most river systems being quarried for aggregate including Bulanik, some areas south of Adana appear to have been drained, shot gun cartridges at Goksu and extensive quarrying at Birecik in large areas of the Euphrates.
Emerging wetlands in several areas due to dam building projects.
Additional sites for species that we couldn’t find at favorite sites:
Pale Rockfinch: Drinking pool at N370 10’ 14.9”, E0370 57’ 51.7”, acc 15 meters, not only attracted this species to within several meters but also Lesser Short-toed Lark, Desert Finch, Short-toed Lark and commoner species.
Paddyfield Warbler: Ercek Golu at N380 41’ 51.2”, E0430 38’ 52”, acc 5 meters.
Hotels
Palmiye Otel, Adana, great for stop over and access to sites in this region: www.mesipalmiye.com
Military
A lot less than anticipated and no problems at road blocks. No problems at Cizre.