[ESTEBANNIC]

Hi guys,
Off to Istanbul next week for a few day working. Can anyone recommend any places in the city like parks etc where I could see a few birds?? I won't have much time off, so any info as always appreciated

Cheers

Steve

[turkeylandman]

Hi all,

I am also off to istanbul 23.3.12

what should I expect in terms of migration ?

thanks for any advice

[dantheman]

No-one else has replied yet, so ...

Posts #2 and #42 on my report from last year include Istanbul -

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=201286

Camlica is I think the best known migration/raptor viewpoint? There may be other threads on bf, searching under turkey/istanbul or look at trip reports inhttp://www.travellingbirder.com/

Spring isn't as impressive as the autumn for raptor migration, but there should certainly be stuff moving through. Would expect Black Kite to predominate, too early for eg Honey Buzzard, but eagles and stuff ...

Good luck

[James Lowther]

no idea what it's like at this time of year, but....(in autumn at least)

gulhane park right next to topkapi palace has syrian woodpecker and alexandrine parakeet (feral obviously)
yelkouan shearwaters can be seen from seraglio point but you can get much better views from next to the mosque at ortakoy, directly south of the european end of the bosphorus road bridge
cheers,
James

[turkeylandman]

thanks for the info folks