Birdwatching Trip Report from Dalyan, South West Turkey

I spent two weeks in the Dalyan area with my (non-birdwatcher) girlfriend at the beginning of June 2004. The plan was to combine activities such as biking, scuba diving, visiting archaeological sites and birdwatching with extensive lazing around on the beach. I'm a self-confessed raptorphile and held great hopes for seeing a wide variety of birds of prey while in Turkey.

We booked a cheap package deal from Thomas Cook on their website - Flight, 2 weeks B&B in 3* hotel for £380 each. The hotel was called Club Alla Turca and was of very good quality for 3* - it's also located relatively close to the edge of town providing easy access by foot to a number of habitats including reeds, river, farmland and hillside pine forest/scrub.

My guide for the area was Bob Swann's Birdtours report from April 2003 - absolutely invaluable although I did not match his number of species! Additionally I consulted Giorgos Giannatos's report about Lake Isikli on www.osme.org.

I hired a bike on four occasions (Kaunos Tours have good bikes as well as Club Alla Turca) and found this a great way to cover different areas near Dalyan. We hired a jeep for 2 days (also from Kaunos Tours, £32 a day) though I was forced to rely on my girlfriend to drive as I accidentally left my licence in England - many thanks to her for "agreeing" to drive me what turned out to be a very long way!

I saw 95 species which was a good haul given my relatively limited experience and time and lack of car on most days. I also lack a telescope which frequently prevented effective identification of a number of species. I saw 25 new species to me which perhaps shows my inexperience, but I was obviously extremely pleased with this total. Given the locations visited, I was surprised at the lack of wetland species - only the heron species are well represented in the list. I saw only one wader and not a single wild duck while in Turkey!

I was fairly happy with the variety of raptors seen, however I was rather concerned that on a two day 1000km+ road trip to Pamukkale and Isikli Golu I only saw three raptors. This seems quite worrying from a conservation point of view - I expected to see many soaring raptors from the road. The biggest surprise omission was Marsh Harrier - I felt sure I'd see several over reedbeds at Dalyan and Isikli but none seemed to be present. I did however see three new raptor species (Lammergeier, White Tailed Eagle and Booted Eagle) - so I was pretty happy overall.

I saw lots of reptiles - scores of tortoises, several snakes and many lizards. We got up early to see leatherback turtles one morning - well worth it. I recommend using the guide from the pancake shop next to the Chinese Restaurant - very knowledgeable and conservation-minded.

In conclusion, a great country to visit - for birdwatching and a general holiday. The Turks are fabulously friendly and hospitable and Dalyan itself is a pleasant quiet resort, albeit rapidly expanding outwards (at least building over two storeys is prohibited). I would like to return to Turkey and explore some of the locations further east, though I would also not rule out a return to Dalyan.

Sites visited:

Reedbed north of Dalyan - I got up early on several days and wandered around tracks in the reedbed a few hundred metres north of the hotel. Saw only Penduline Tits here.
Iztusu beach - this is the local beach to Dalyan where loggerhead turtles breed. We visited both the west end of the beach by boat and the east end by local bus. The boat ride through the reedbeds did not yield many interesting sightings and I found the east end far more productive due to the presence of pine forests/scrub and a lagoon.. Saw Pied Kingfisher here very briefly - an unmistakeable species though.
Caunos ruins - Lycian ruins to the south of Dalyan, reached via a row boat across the river and a forty minute walk down a road. Good scrub habitat and views over the Dalyan delta/reedbed. Only Sylvia warbler seen here - a mail Orphean Warbler.
Lake Koycegiz (pronounced Koyjeez) - a large lake just to the north of Dalyan surrounded by rocky hills, bordered by huge reedbeds on the eastern side. We cycled round the lake one day (80km+ very tiring in the heat especially on the steep mountain roads on the west side of the lake). Also took a boat trip around the lake including the mud baths on which we saw a pair of White Tailed Eagles here - an amazingly close aerial duel between them and a short toed eagle. Priceless.
Isikli Golu/Akdag - a large lake c.120km north east of Denizli. Bordered by marsh/extensive reeds at its south and north ends. Akdag is the 2500m peak rising sharply up from the lake. Four species of vulture and several eagles are reported to breed here. It looked like a fantastic area worth spending several days in but we were only able to spend an hour in the area - still saw some great birds including Lammergeier, Booted Eagle, Little Bittern and three marsh terns! I can wholeheartedly recommend visiting the lakeside café in Beydilli for deep fried battered fish, fresh from the lake. Great grub in a fantastic location.
Pamukkale/Hierapolis - a major tourist spot comprising natural white calcified travertines and a ruined city. Great scrub area with a very productive gorge to the East of the site. Saw Finsch's Wheatear- found out on our return that it's a renowned location for the species. Even better perhaps, I glimpsed a White Throated Robin from the road near the gorge - possibly not previously known from this site?
Okcular massif - a range of low hills to the east of Dalyan. Saw the trip's only Masked Shrike, Ortolan Bunting and Barred Warbler in this area - best access I found was via track opposite the Ley Ley restaurant on the Dalyan-Ortaca road.

Birds seen:

Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	One on pond south of Caunos ruins
Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus	One on Isikli Golu
European Shag	Phalacrocorax aristotelis	One flying over sea near Dalyan Delta
Dalmatian Pelican	Pelecanus crispus	c30 seen at Acigol
Little Bittern	Ixobrychus minutus	One seen in bushes on Isikli Golu..
Black-crowned Night-Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Several seen over reeds in Dalyan and Isikli Golu
Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides	Several seen at Isikli Golu
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis	One seen at Isikli Golu
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	Several seen at Isikli Golu
Great Egret	Egretta alba	One seen at Isikli Golu
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	Several seen at a number of sites
Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea	Several seen at Isikli Golu and Dalyan
White Stork	Ciconia ciconia	Common everywhere
Lammergeier	Gypaetus barbatus	One 3-4 year seen soaring to the northeast of Isikli village
Booted Eagle	Aquila pennatus	One adult light phase seen briefly soaring over Akdag massif from road shortly after leaving town of Beydili
White-tailed Eagle	Haliaeetus albicilla	Fantastic views gained of adult pair harassing a short-toed eagle over Lake Koycegiz
Short-toed Snake-Eagle	Circaetus gallicus	One seen over Dalyan reeds with snake and one seen over Lake Koycegiz.
Northern Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis	One seen soaring low over hillside pine forest near Iztusu beach.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	One seen soaring over Okcular massif
Common Buzzard	Buteo buteo	A very vocal pair seen soaring low over hills behind Dalyan which I was able to compare well with a Long Legged Buzzard soaring in the same thermal - size difference quite marked.
Long-legged Buzzard	Buteo rufinus	Several seen: on islands near Gocek, plains near Civril, Iztusu beach and over Pamukkale ..
Lesser Kestrel	Falco naummani	One seen at Iztusu beach.
Common or Eurasian Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	Pair appeared to be breeding on the two small hills to the north of Dalyan.
Eleonora's Falcon	Falco eleonora	Several seen around Dalyan and Lake Koycegiz - both pale and dark phase birds.
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus	One seen soaring over crags above Dalyan
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Isikli Golu
Common Coot	Fulica atra	Pond at Caunos. Isikli Golu
Kentish or Snowy Plover	Charadrius alexandrinus	One at Iztusu beach
Black-headed Gull	Larus ridibundus	Several seen near Dalyan
Mediterranean Gull	Larus melanocephalus	Two seen perched at Iztusu beach.
European Herring Gull	Larus argentatus	Common over Dalyan especially when returning to roost near the sea in the evening.
Black Tern	Chlidonias niger	One seen at Isikli Golu
White-winged Tern	Chlidonias leucopterus	Two seen at Isikli Golu
Whiskered Tern	Chlidonias hybridus	40+ at Isikli Golu
Common Wood-Pigeon	Columba palumbus	One seen near deciduous woodland on road between Koycegiz and Dalyan
Eurasian Collared-Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	Common everywhere
European Turtle-Dove	Streptopelia turtur	One seen near Dalyan
Common or Eurasian Scops-Owl	Otus scops	Heard every night at Dalyan and one seen briefly when flushed from tree.
Little Owl	Athene noctua	Common in Dalyan.
Eurasian Nightjar	Caprimulgus europaeus	Heard and briefly seen one evening near the hotel in Dalyan.
Common Swift	Apus apus	Common on higher ground.
Pied Kingfisher	Ceryle rudis	One seen briefly at Iztusu.
European Bee-eater	Merops apiaster	Seen on telegraph wires on road between Kale and Denizli
European Roller	Coracias garrulus	Seen in several places near Dalyan.
Eurasian or Common Hoopoe	Upupa epops	One seen near Isikli Golu
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos minor	Female seen well in tree next to Lake Koycegiz
Crested Lark	Galerida cristata	Common, especially at Hierapolis/Pamukkale.
Wood Lark or Woodlark	Lullula arborea	One heard and seen well near roadside café on road between Kale and Mugla.
Sky Lark or Skylark	Alauda arvensis	Common at Pamukkale and on coastal grasslands in Dalyan Delta
Sand Martin or Bank Swallow	Riparia riparia	Several seen in hills on road between Kale and Mugla.
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Common in Dalyan
Red-rumped Swallow	Hirundo daurica	One seen well near Isikli Golu
Northern House-Martin	Delichon urbica	Common in Dalyan
Tawny Pipit	Anthus campestris	One seen near river and reedbeds at Dalyan
White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	Common in Dalyan
Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin	Cercotrichas galactotes	Two seen in bushes near Dalyan
Common Nightingale	Luscinia megarhynchos	Common and easily heard. One seen well on road between Dalyan and Koycegiz
White-throated Robin	Irania gutturalis	One male seen well in gorge east of Pamukkale.
Black-eared Wheatear	Oenanthe hispanica	Common at Hierapolis and also seen near Iztusu beach and Lake Koycegiz.
Finsch's Wheatear	Oenanthe finschii	One seen at Hierapolis.
Eurasian or Common Blackbird	Turdus merula	Fairly common in scrub.
Cetti's Warbler	Cettia cetti	Very common in Dalyan.
Zitting Cisticola	Cisticola juncidis	One seen near Iztusu beach and in reeds near Dalyan.
Eurasian Reed-Warbler	Acrocephalus scirpaceus	Common in reeds near Dalyan
Great Reed-Warbler	Acrocephalus arundinaceus	One seen in reeds near Dalyan
Olivaceous Warbler	Hippolais pallida	Common in bushes in Dalyan
Orphean Warbler	Sylvia hortensis	One seen in scrub at Caunos.
Barred Warbler	Sylvia nisoria	Two seen in scrub on Okcular massif.
Common or Greater Whitethroat	Sylvia communis	One seen in scrub in Dalyan
Eurasian Penduline-Tit	Remiz pendulinus	A pair seen flitting around in reeds/bushes north of Dalyan.
Sombre Tit	Parus lugubris	One seen in pine forests by Iztusu beach.
Coal Tit	Parus ater	Several.
European Blue Tit	Parus caeruleus	Several.
Great Tit	Parus major	Common.
Krueper's Nuthatch	Sitta krueperi	Common in pine forest by Iztusu beach.
Western Rock-Nuthatch	Sitta neumayer	Common in all rocky habitats.
Lesser Grey Shrike	Lanius minor	One seen on telegraph wires on road between Kale and Denizli
Woodchat Shrike	Lanius senator	Common everywhere.
Masked Shrike	Lanius nubicus	One seen on telegraph wire near Okcular massif
Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius	Common
Eurasian Magpie	Pica pica	Not seen in Dalyan but commonly seen on roads between Dinar and Denizli.
Eurasian Jackdaw	Corvus monedula	Common
Hooded Crow	Corvus cornix	Common
Common or Northern Raven	Corvus corax	A pair seen over Iztusu beach.
Common Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	A flock seen in Denizli
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Common
Spanish or Willow Sparrow	Passer hispaniolensis	A flock seen on farmland near Dalyan.
Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs	Common
European Serin	Serinus serinus	Several individuals around Dalyan and Okcular massif.
European Greenfinch	Carduelis chloris	Common
European Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis	Common
Ortolan Bunting	Emberiza hortulana	One seen in scrub on Okcular massif
Cretzschmar's Bunting	Emberiza caesia	One seen in hills in between Kale and Mugla
Black-headed Bunting	Emberiza melanocephala	Common in scrubby areas.
Corn Bunting	Emberiza calandra	Common in suitable habitat.

Dom Bates.

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