Side in April (1 Viewer)

Calling all Turkey lovers. I'm staying in Side over the easter hols 10th-24th April and have several target species I need help with. Firstly will Olive tree warbler be in by then and if so where are the best sites these days ?
Secondly has anybody had any success with White-backed Woodpecker at Akseki or any other sites recently?
Finally on Spur winged plover, do they breed locally or is it just pot luck on passage birds?

Cheers Jim

Ok well no joy on that one but can anybody help with mountain species ? Targets are Rock Thrush and Finsch's Wheatear and wondered if they will be in by mid April ? The 2 sites I will probably try are 'radio tower hill' near Korkuteli and Cimikoy to the east of Akseki. Any info on Crimson Winged Finch, Horned Lark and Snowfinch would also be much appreciated.

Cheers Jim.

I had rock thrush on two separate visits to the Gogu-Beli pass in the first half of May 2013 and 2014.

Finsch's Wheatear in a family group near the radio tower also rock thrush and horned lark at the same location. Horned lark (and chukar) on the road up to the abandoned ski lift at Eren Dag.

Thanks Barred Wobbler I hope I am just as successful in April. Have you ever seen Olive Tree Warbler anywhere in Turkey. If so where and what month? I have a sneaky feeling I might be too early !

Cheers Jim

I've never seen one anywhere!

Whilst watching a Little Crake(I found 3) in a reedy channel I was distracted by a Wryneck in a nearby bush, I had only been on it a few seconds when I heard a horrendous noise behind me, my first ever Smyrna Kingfisher sat in a dead tree ! I was chuffed to bits as I wasn't expecting to see one near Side. For anybody interested it was on the Manavgat river exactly where a channel runs into lake Titreyengol. I didn't see the bird again on 2 further visits so not sure whether I just got lucky or they are regular in the area? Other highlights here were Little Bittern, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Hoopoe's, Masked, Red backed and Woodchat Shrikes, Bee-eaters, loads of Barred Warblers and all the usual reedbed warblers, plus of course the ever present Graceful Warblers and Spectacled Bulbuls.
Another productive patch was the area to the east of the Manavgat river, all the way down to the river mouth and the fields beyond the woods. Spur-winged plover were easy, a large flock of Spanish Sparrows was nice, as were 3 Calandra Lark and 25 Short-toed. Several sightings of Tawny Pipits, Black-eared Wheatears, Cretzschmars and Ortolan buntings. Squacco, Night and Purple Heron daily plus over 100 Glossy Ibis.
After some rain I visited Side ruins and was not disappointed. Quite a good fall of birds included male and female Rock thrush, Golden Oriole, lots of Shrikes and Wrynecks, B.E.Wheatears everywhere, Ruppells Warbler, Orphean Warbler, 3 Subalpine Warblers and many more Barred Warblers and buntings.
I visited Cimikoy one morning and the meadow's to the south of the village were good for Finsch's Wheatear. I also saw 13 Red fronted Serin, 2 Sombre tits, Rock Nuthatch, Ruppells and Orphean Warbler, Raven and Short toed eagle. I had 1 Krupers Nuthatch in some pines on the road back to Akseki, with several Serin singing nearby.
Being a birding dad can be a real challenge at times but I was well pleased with what i saw over a 2 week period. Collared and Semi-collared fly in the hotel grounds while doing family things can't be bad can it !
This was my 2nd trip to Turkey and I don't think trip 3 will be far away !

Cheers Jim

I'm in the Side area, Alba Queen Hotel, at the end of May. Could anyone give advice on areas to visit within about 1hrs journey or even a decent walk....?
Cheers Joe

i'm in Side 9-23 may, Akseki area by far the best, coastal area around Manavgat really good as well

Hi Joe,
Just to the west of you the areas of Denizkent and Bogazkent should be well worth a look. I also found the area around the north end of Titreyengol lake
very productive and the surrounding scrub/wasteland near the D400. Side ruins were outstanding last April and great for a nice walk. As Martin has already pointed out the Manavgat coastal area is superb. Heading east on the D400 as soon as you cross the river turn right and explore these tracks and fields all the way down to the river mouth and beyond.
I reckon its just over an hour to Akseki from where you are but well worth the trip. To the east of here is a small village called Cimikoy and a track which heads south-east to a plateau in the mountains. I'm heading out there this week and staying at Incekum this time, back on the 21st of May. Will post my sightings when I return.
Migration may be over by the end of May but at least all the breeding birds will be in and the mountain areas are where you need to be.
Cheers Jim

Thanks Jim...look forward to your next post..
Joe

Had some stunning birds, trip list is nearing 130, as we come towards the end of our two weeks, highlights, 3 sightings of White winged snow finches on the trips up to the plateau, the usual suite of Eastern european beauties, finally culminating in the very elusive White throated Robin, we travelled right over to the Korkuteli hills for that..

Hi folks just back from another fantastic family holiday in Turkey. Birding highlights were 3 Brown Fish Owl at the big canyon at Oymapinar lake. We turned up at 10am and jumped on one of the tourist boats, paying only 40 euros for myself and the wife, with our boy going free ! I made sure the skipper knew exactly where the Owls were before we set sail, otherwise you stand no chance of finding them yourself.
Bee-eater movement was incredible especially in the 1st week, and 1 evening during the rain there was spectacular arrival of Swifts with several thousand going through in less than an hour.
Here is an idea of what you can see on the Cimikoy track and plateau. At the beginning were Cretzschmars and Black Headed Bunting, Rupells and Orphean Warbler, Serin and Red fronted Serin, Sombre Tit, Short toed eagle, Long legged Buzzard, Rock Nuthatch, Finsches and Black eared Wheatear. Lots of Bonellis Warbler on the way up the track and Alpine Chough in good numbers. Around the plateau area were 2 Crimson winged finch, 2 Horned Lark, a nice male Rock Thrush, loads of Ortolan Bunting, Tawny Pipit, Isabelline Wheatear, Rock Sparrow, Short toed lark, Masked Shrike and Red backed Shrike. ( Martin I never found any W.T.Robin, glad you got them at Korkuteli )
The area to the west of the walled plantation near Akseki was very productive. 2 Golden Oriole, 2 Roller, 2 Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Hoopoe, Great Spotted Cuckoo, loads of Bee eaters, Spanish Sparrow, 2 Lesser Grey Shrike, Blue Rock Thrush, different Wheatears and other Shrikes. A little further up the road towards Ibradi I was really pleased to find a pair of Olive Tree Warbler.
The area east of the Manavgat river was good for Rufous bush chat, Shrikes, Graceful Warbler and Spur winged plover. I also had Little Bittern and Calandra Lark. The flooded wasteland between the D400 and Titreyengol held less water than last year but still a few waders around, lots of Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, Little Egrets and a Whiskered Tern.
Bulbuls are everywhere you go and Laughing Dove fairly common around Side.
I found a Black Francolin somewhere near Turkler which eventually showed itself very briefly.
Near our base in Incekum I found Barred Warbler, Syrian Woodpecker and loads of Shrikes. An Icterine Warbler was in the hotel grounds for a few days.
I didn't get chance to visit Bogazkent but would be good to hear what Martin saw there.
In a nutshell May was obviously quieter near the coast but the mountain areas were superb.

Cheers Jim.

finished on 142 species, missed Gt Grey shrike, and no sign of Finches wheatear.
But as said White winged snow finches on 3 visits, and numerous encounters with olive tree Warbler..

Sounds like you had a great trip, what was it like in the Bogazkent area ?

Its a good area, but spoilt by the fact, and i found this at manavgat as well, the big hotel complexes are built right next to places like the head of an estuary, and they block off access as are privately owned, i do think local knowledge is paramount in these areas, but found info hard to come by, but the potential is there, such as we had within 5 minutes Eastern Orphean warbler, Roller, and RF falcon....

Side, June

Just back from a family trip to Side (June). Akseki was definitely the most productive area for birds, and as previously posted the drive up to the plateau from Cimikoy was one of the most spectacular I've ever done. I found the Side ruins and Manavgat river very quiet even in the early morning, and managed to dip on the Brown Fish Owl! I was well-pleased with the Red-Fronted Serins as I've tried for them in the Korkuteli Hills on three previous occasions. Thanks to previous posters for the tips on best sites, and to others for their trip reports.