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Southern Turkey
Anatolia and the Taurus Mountains

Saturday 10 - Saturday 17 May 2008 (8 days)

Southern Turkey offers some of the finest birdwatching to be had anywhere Europe and the Middle East, and yet remains surprisingly undiscovered amongst birdwatchers. It has all the ingredients: excellent wetlands, including that most productive of all habitats, a river delta; some fine arid habitats with several species at the extreme western edge of their range; and finally some wonderful snow-covered peaks, rising to 3,910m at the summit. All these habitats are within a few hours drive of each other in the south, making this the best area of this huge country to visit for a relatively short stay. Our itinerary aims to minimise the distances travelled each day in order to make the most of the birdwatching.

Price: £ 1,495
Single supp.: £ 145
Deposit: £ 300 per person

The price per person includes return scheduled flight from London Heathrow - Adana, airport taxes, accommodation, meals, incidental tips, coach transport and the services of the leaders.

The price excludes the cost of a Turkish visa (c£10 on arrival), holiday insurance, optional tips to the local driver and guides, drinks, and other items of a personal nature.

* The single supp. applies to the nights at Tasucu and Adana only

Leaders: Mike Langman with local guides

Itinerary
Days 1 - 2
We catch an early morning flight from London Heathrow via Istanbul to Adana, where we stay for two nights.

We spend our first full day around the Adana Delta and its productive marshes. Our first specialities of the trip, Yellow-vented Bulbuls, are a common sight around the villages and towns, as are Palm Doves. The rivers that have created the delta are rich in birdlife and are a superb place to see White-breasted Kingfisher (last year we saw fifteen on one morning!) and Pied Kingfisher together with numerous species of herons, warbler and Penduline Tit.

The wetlands south of Adana support Flamingos, Slender-billed Gulls, Caspian Tern and many passage wading birds; in mid-May these should include good numbers of Little Stint, Ruff and possible Red-necked Phalaropes, while resident Spur-winged Plover should be displaying. Last year there was a good passage of pratincoles including one Black-winged. The marshy edges hold Graceful Prinia and Savi’s Warblers while the villages have colonies of House and Spanish Sparrows, while surrounding agricultural areas hold four species of shrike including Masked and Lesser Grey, together with Rufous Bush Robins.

Overhead Long-legged Buzzard and Lesser Kestrel can occasionally be joined by Eleonora’s and Red-footed Falcons, or even a Saker or Lanner! Eastern Olivaceous Warbler are in full song and are common.
Two nights Adana

Days 3 - 4
Today we head for one of the richest birdwatching areas in Turkey, the Goksü Delta. This small delta is one of the main wetlands on the southern Turkish coast, and as such is a magnet for birds. Lesser Spotted Eagle, Ruddy Shelduck, Marbled Duck, Red-crested Pochard and Garganey, Purple Gallinule (of the grey headed race), Collared Pratincole, and Spur-winged Plover can all be found here along with the occasional White-winged Black and Whiskered Tern, Audouin's Gull and Eleonora's Falcon. Squacco and Night Heron, Little Bittern, Black Francolin, Stone Curlew and Short-toed Lark add to the amazingly varied possibilities at this site. Last year we also saw Rose-coloured Starling, Corncrake, Nightjar and Marsh Warbler on passage.

The hills inland covered with dry maquis scrub and peppered with ancient ruins are the haunt of Rock Nuthatch, Black-eared Wheatear, Olive-tree, Orphean and Rüppell's Warblers plus Ortolan, Black-headed and Cretzschmar's Buntings, while the pine woods may hold Krüper's Nuthatch and Syrian Woodpecker. The temple of Zeus holds White-throated Robin and Masked Shrike, while last year we also saw a passage of warblers, including, amazingly, River Warbler - so we hope the gods of birding are again in the right mood that day!
Two nights Tasucu


Days 5 - 6
We drive up into the mountains towards Nigde. On the way we’ll stop for a picnic, watching for eagles, Egyptian and Griffon Vultures in the air, while spectacular snow-covered limestone peaks tower above the pine forests. We stay at a small guest house in a stunning location with views up to the snow-capped peak of Mt. Aladag. Family-run, the “pansiyon” provides good home-made food, but not all the rooms are en-suite. However, we have chosen this accommodation for its excellent location and warm welcome. The owner is keen on wildlife, and will be taking us up to the high screes in the morning.

We depart early on the following morning, boarding a tractor and trailer – the only way to get to the best mountain areas! The scenery here is stupendous, with snow-covered peaks, scree slopes and jagged crags. The most sought-after bird here is Caspian Snowcock; last year we saw three birds, and several more were heard uttering their eerie Curlew-like call. Several Ibex were also seen. Raptors here can include Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture and Lammergeier, while the scree slopes may hold both Alpine and the very local Radde's Accentor together with Crimson-winged Finch, Shore Lark, the striking ochruros race of Black Redstart, Snow Finch and Finsch's Wheatear. The scrub and open grazed land here holds the spectacular Red-fronted Serin, Isabelline Wheatear and White-throated Robin.

Wallcreeper haunt the cliff faces here, but we shall have to have a good deal of luck to glimpse them. Lower down the fields hold five species of Lark including displaying Calandra Lark, Rock Sparrows and more Crimson-winged Finches. Given fine weather, the visit to this superb area may well prove to be one of the highlights of the trip.

The surrounding village and farmland makes for some good birdwatching with passage and resident birds present, and we saw a Beech Marten here on last year’s tour. Nightingales are common while golden Orioles frequent the poplar trees and Scops Owls can be heard from the bedrooms. Supper on the balcony can make for some interesting moments: in 2007 an Eleonora’s Falcon, Great-spotted Cuckoo and Purple Heron flew past!
Two nights near Nigde

Day 7
We leave the mountains to travel back to Adana, birdwatching en route. Given time we will visit the delta one last time to check Tuz Golu last year five new species for the trip were noted.
Overnight Adana

Day 8
There should be some time to do a little souvenir shopping and have a final Turkish Coffee before we catch the flight from Adana to London Heathrow via Istanbul.

Accommodation
We are based for five nights in medium-grade hotels with all rooms en suite. In the mountains we stay for two nights at a family-run guesthouse as described, with some rooms not en suite. Single rooms may not be available here.

Numbers: Max. 14 clients