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A Report from birdtours.co.uk

South Western Turkey (Olu Deniz and surrounding area) 27th July - 10th Aug.,

Author

Site Guide:

OLU DENIZ- A small holiday resort south of Fethieye situated at the bottom of a vast valley bordered by scrub and wooded mountains and hills, and includes the famous lagoon.

HISARANOU- Small town to the north, and above Olu , surrounded by rolling mountainous pine woodsand scrub.

KAYAKOY- (Kaya) A near desserted area of farm land and small holdings in a flat bottomed valley to the west of Hisaranou. An excellent area.

DALYAN-An excursion here was undertaken specifically to visit a marshy site in the area, also included a visit to Turtle beach and mud baths at Cuanos.

SAKLIKENT- Another excurtion and excellent value. Included mountainous ruins, visit to a wooded trout farm and a deep impressive gorge with river leading to open delta.

5 BAY BOAT TRIP- An all day trip on a boat around the coastal bays near Olu

This two week trip was undertaken as a family holiday (hence the date) and not as a birding holiday . From my experiance, and the visit by Craig Williams during June , the area must surely be of great interest during spring with a wide range of habitats with easy access. The birding during July -August was extremely hard work, not so much thwarted by the extreme temperatures, but by the shear lack of numbers of birds (although anyone with an interest in insects would have a field day!).

Weather- temperatures during the day ranged from high 30s to mid 40s except one day when a hot wind off the land raised the temp to 55 ! ( this was apparently the hottest day for seventy years!). In the evening the temperature did not fall much below 30.

Species seen 27th July to 10th August

1. Cory's Shearwater - 3 seen well from boat on 5 bay tour.
2. Little Egret - 1 flew over Koycegiz Golu, Dalyan.
3. Purple Heron - Single flew over reed channel during boat ride, Dalyan.
4. White Stork - A dozen or more seen , not surprisingly, around Stork Paradise
lokanta on way to Dalyan.
5. Goshawk - 1 seen briefly over woodland near Kaya.
6. European Honey Buzzard - 1 seen with other raptors over Tlos.
7. Long legged Buzzard - seen regularly in ones and twos at most sites.
8. Booted Eagle - single seen above Tlos, a well marked light phase.
9. Short-toed Eagle - Usually seen singularly at most sites, often hovering over screes.
10. Lanner - One seen patrolling top of gorge at Saklikent .
11. Little-ringed Plover - three migrants seen going through Olu.
12. Common sandpiper - One around lagoon,Olu
13. Yellow-legged Gull - Only four seen , offshore from boat trip around Olu area.
14. White-winged Black Tern - 3 adults and a first year seen over Koycegiz Golu. 15. Rock Dove - as well as feral birds , wild ones on remote cliffs around Olu.
16. Collared Dove - widespread...too bloody widespread!
17. Turtle Dove - several seen around Dalyan and also Kaya.
18. Little Owl - one outside the departure lounge at Dalaman Airport.
19. Alpine Swift - a fine sight of 200+ moving over Hisaranou early one morning.
20. European Kingfisher - seen almost daily around Olu , lagoon and a single at Saklikent.
21. European Bee-eater - A memorable sight of c40 dropping from height during the 'hot' day to feed off of telegraph wires at Kaya, also c20 Tlos.
22. European Roller - A family party of 5 seen to the west of Kayakoy. Lurverly!
23. Crested Lark - 4 seen around Kaya, several seen from coach on excursions.
24. Crag Martin - the colony in the gorge at Saklikent did not dissappoint.
25. Red-rumped Swallow - locally common Olu , Kaya and Fethieye.
26. Barn Swallow - fairly common near human habitation.
27. House Martin - as above.
28. White Wagtail - Regular, breeding around hotels in Olu.
29. Black-eared Wheatear - 2 seen in woodland near Hisaranou,1 at Kaya.
30. Blue Rock Thrush - 2 first years in large gorge just south of Olu at small resort known as Kidirik.
31. Blackbird - locally common around hotels.
32. Zitting Cisticola - Several seen and heard in reed beds of Dalyan.
33. Olivaceous Warbler - Singles (migrants?) seen rarely at coastal localitys.
34. Ruppells Warbler - A pair seen well and heard at Kayakoy .
35. Orphean Warbler - A first year seen in coastal scrub close to Olu resort.
36. Blue Tit - 2 seen around Olu , not as common as the following.
37. Great Tit - Very common around hotels, and in woodland.
38. Coal Tit - Seen occationally in pine woodland around Hisaranou.
39. Long-tailed Tit - As with coal tit , the race tephronous alot darker than back home.
40. Krupers Nuthatch - Eventually managed to see three in woodland between Hisaranou and Kayakoy, feeding discreetly in tree tops.
41. Rock Nuthatch - fairly common in right habitat, upto 3 pairs Kidirik, and others seen (and more heard!) from 5 bay boat trip around Opanish Sparrow - several suspected in large group of sparrows at a small holding in Kayakoy , and at least 1 male at Tlos.
42. Red-backed Shrike - 2 first years seen around Hisaranou.
43. Woodchat - 2-3 seen at Kayakoy, and others seen from coach on trips.
44. Masked Shrike - A pair with 3 juveniles had a territory behind the Asena Beach hotel, Olu and could be seen daily. another seen at Kaya.
45. Jay - Very widespread and common, another interesting race, again very dark with near black cap.
46. Hooded Crow - 1 seen in Fethieye, and 40 seen at Saklikent on river delta.
47. House Sparrow - abundant and common.
48. Spanish Sparrow - several females/first years suspected at Kaya, One splended male at Tlos
49. Chaffinch - One herad in woods near Kayakoy.
50. Goldfinch - small groups seen in and around Fethieye.

Sibe - "family birder"
 

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