Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....

A brilliant day05/08/23
Still very hot here 38 -41 C consistently.
There was a Hoopoe in the grove next door during the week. 1 Red backed Shrike also. Masked Shrike are daily and now close to the house. Lesser Spotted, Greater Spotted and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers are all seen regularly close up from the balcony if they’re not disturbed.
Yesterday I took an early morning ride up to Yeşilköy, where I saw two Sombre Tits by the small shop, and a Rufous Bush Robin in a small mixed area of farmland. Nice flock of Spanish Sparrows on a water tank , Short toed Snake Eagle and a Blue Rock Thrush high on the hillside. A Raven family also here.
Then a slow ride through Toparlar , Zaferler, Hamitkoy and back along the lake. A couple of Rollers kept me company from power lines, lots of Serins and Corn Buntings, a Common Kestrel pair, Little Owl on the woodland edge and a Water Rail picking along an irrigation ditch. A patient wait by the wood brought a Common Nightingale. Lots of Turtle Doves on the farmland here.
It seems there may have been reed cutting going on as I saw 4-5 Pygmy Cormorants regularly flying around the area, a Grey Heron and possibly up to 7 Purple Herons. 4 Squacco Herons and a pair of Night Herons flew up from an inaccessible area of marsh/farmland - I’d love to get access to these places but rarely come across anyone except the odd labourer to ask. A foray down a dirt track here was rewarded with a Black headed Bunting, Sardinian & Eastern Orphean Warbler , 2 Kingfishers and a Wood Sandpiper.
A briefly seen raptor looked heavy enough for an eagle Sp but the view was poor. A crisp male Marsh Harrier hunted low overhead as I sat in the shade watching Dice Snakes hunt. Also here I had a few glimpses of a Wild Boar family, the youngsters having put on a bit of weight. A formidable bunch.
The sun being well up by now I didn’t spend long at the dump, only a Common Sandpiper and Purple Heron on the river. Plus the regular Bee-eater flock over the dump. Also here was a Stonechat. On the lake was a single Whiskered Tern.
Brilliant birds