Antalya area, Turkey (1 Viewer)

Notes on Turkey 5-11 June 2015
John Kirby, Michael Bell and Tim Norman
A few notes of our experiences in Turkey around Antalya/Side that may prove useful.
1. We were based at Hannay Suite Hotel in Side. It is a modern, clean and comfortable hotel and a triple room cost E190 for 5 nights, booked through Booking.com.

2. There is a lot of road construction going on and this makes any report over 3 years old a bit dubious. We used Gosney Guide- South-West Turkey 2014 (yellow cover) and a report by Wolfbirder on Birdforum, Birding Around Antalya.


3. New roads are dual carriageways with fast traffic and few places to stop safely.

4. Titreyen Golu.
This area has been turned into an ‘Eco-Park’. A gravel track runs around the lake with a white ornamental bridge at the inland end. Only a fringe of reeds borders the lake with Little Grebe and Coot present. However, we did find 4 Graceful Warblers and Olivaceous Warbler in scrub between the lake and River Side hotel, were we parked.

5. Oymapinar Lake, Brown Fish Owl site.
There is a brown sign for this site off the D400 at Side junction. The Gosney directions are still good. I originally booked via e-mail with Ismet Tayfun as per the Gosney Guide. We exchanged a few e-mails about arrangements (E200 for 3 people) but a few weeks before the trip replies to my e-mails stopped. I tried the telephone number in Gosney but got a discontinued tone. Has anyone any ideas?
Anyway, we decided to make our own way to the Green Restaurant to see what could be done locally. At the police check point we were waved through and did not pay any entrance fees. We drove past the jetty where tour coaches arrive, down a rough track to the restaurant, arriving about 07 15 to find the place deserted. We waited and staff began arriving about 08 15. We asked about the owl and were told it was possible to be taken to see it. We agreed a price of E40 each. We then waited until 09 30 when told to board the boat ‘Canyon 2’. We checked with the captain about seeing the owl and assured we would. The boat then sailed down the lake (away from the canyon!) only to moor at the jetty to pick up a coach load of tourists. We reconfirmed with the captain about the owl as the boat sailed (it was about 10 15 now) back past the restaurant and entered the Little Canyon. A rep. then shouted over the tannoy that passengers were now going to see a special owl at which they started making hooting noises. About 50 metres into the canyon on the left side half way up the cliff is a Strawberry tree (with several red trunks) with 2 owls seemingly unperturbed by the noise.
The captain turned the boat around (the canyon is quite short) and stopped under the tree for about 10 minutes giving us excellent views down to 30 metres.
The boat then sailed to a pontoon for the tourists to have a swim for half an hour before going back to the restaurant. We had a nice fish lunch included in the price. We then left to drive back, the tourists going back to the coaches by boat. Perhaps this is the best and cheapest way to see the owl, just make sure you emphasise you want to see the owl. Of the 6 boats only 2 went into Little Canyon.
Pics: Graceful Warbler



Brown Fish Owls

6. Akseki Graveyard and Dutluca
The graveyard is easily found opposite the Akseki Football Stadium. It was disappointing with only Redstart, Black eared Wheatear and Jays.
We continued on the road to Dutluca, stopping at some pines with a large lay-by used for fly tipping. No Kruper’s Nuthatch. We did not see any Kruper’s Nuthatch on this trip despite searching some likely spots.
Continuing on this road, after about 2-3 km, there is an area of vines on the right. On the left is a small garden with a wire fence and a gate with two “Roman pillars” as gate posts. Around this area we had 3 pairs of Olive Tree Warblers. We continued to Dutluca Village and took the road downhill on the right, and parked in an obvious pull-in in front of a semi cultivated area backed by low hills. A very “birdy” area with Masked Shrike, Woodlark, Rock Nuthatch, Cretzschmar’s Bunting (breeding), Finsch’s Wheatear, Black headed Bunting and Orphean Warbler.

7. Korkutelli to Seki
Just past Korkutelli we called at the Radio masts as in Gosney. Some road construction is going on near the entrance road to the hill. We birded to the top just past the radio masts. A very good spot. We saw Finsch’s Wheatear, Northern Wheatear (libanotica race), Isabelline Wheatear, Ortolan Bunting, Black eared Wheatear, Rock Sparrow and Greater Short Toed Lark.
We drove from Korkutelli to Seki and turned right at the famous Apple Sculpture. After about 200 metres we searched the scrub on the right side. Walking into the scrub we reached a rusty wire fence. A male White Throated Robin appeared, then a female, probably had a nest nearby. We had good views for about 15 minutes.

8. Koprulu Canyon.
On the way, each side of the River Hamam bridge at Semeler, we had European Roller and Alpine Swifts.
After that, all the way to the canyon, it was birdless. At the canyon we crossed over a very narrow bridge and were pestered to go rafting. We declined, had a look for Kruper’s Nuthatch (failed) and drove back.

9. Gogu Beli Pass
The road appears to have been resurfaced. We could only find one drinking trough but there were many Serins, Fire fronted Serins, Greenfinch, Mistle Thrush and Rock Thrush.
Masked Shrike

Cretzschmars Bunting

Isabelline Wheatear

10. Tasagil
The site as shown in Gosney is still present but we didn’t see Olive Tree Warbler.
We took a new road out of Tasagil (the road past the one for Beskonak) and parked after about 1 Km. There is a large area of scrub and low trees on the left. Here we had Levant Sparrowhawk, White eyed Bulbuls, Masked Shrike, Turtle Dove and Great Tit.






Conclusion.

June is probably too late for most species. Most had all but stopped singing and were well into breeding cycle.
We did not see any Woodpeckers, Herons, Egrets, Sandpipers, Kruper’s Nuthatch. No Larks except Short Toed at the Radio Towers. Very strange! Many of the birds were skulking, however we did eventually have good views of most species. Raptors were also disappointing.
Our target birds were seen very well :- Levant Sparrowhawk, Olive Tree Warbler, White Throated Robin, Fire (Red) Fronted Serin, Brown Fish Owl and Finsch’s Wheatear.

As suggested in Wolfbirders report, do not follow any signs to “Sehir Merkezi” as it leads to the town centre only.

Female White Throated Robin

Female White Throated Robin

Olive Tree Warbler

You seem to have done well. I've never seen Levant Sparrowhawk. Nice one.

I hope my report helped not hindered, road changes seem to be occurring all the time, and of course birding can change day to day. So you worry about giving duff information.

Your report was very useful thanks, especially with the road pictures ,combined with Gosney. We found Turkish drivers to be very unpredictable and needed watching carefully. We had several close shaves.

monkir said:

Your report was very useful thanks, especially with the road pictures ,combined with Gosney. We found Turkish drivers to be very unpredictable and needed watching carefully. We had several close shaves.

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That's good, I recommended Ancient Perge too, but someone else reported back that there was nowt to see there - I guess everything is dependent on time of year, just like here in the UK.

Its an area I would like to return to. The Gogu-Beli pass is spectacular.