AVESTOM  Turkey 2008 trip report
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Turkey 2008
Side/Antalya/Alanya/Goksu Delta
4-18th April
participants: Lidia, Gabriela, Tomasz Kulakowski & Hanna, Edyta, Robert Kapowicz
The 2008 holiday planned as a family trip (4 adults + 2 girls) was planned during winter time.
We wanted a place with good conditions for kids but also a good spot for short birding travels.
4th April, Friday, Side
Walks around hotels in Side-
Kumkoy produce White-
spectacled Bulbuls
(Pycnonotus xanthopygos)
later found daily in villages
by the coast (active and
loud with their songs).
Addditionally Cetti s Warbler
and Orphean Warbler female
found in bushes.
5th April Saturday, Side
First Swifts arrive.
6th April Sunday  Side/Colakli
Little Owl found in a hotel
opposite to ours calling 11 am
from the roof.
In the center of ancient Side 10
Glossy Ibises, Osprey, Purlpe
Heron and a Night Heron seen
passing overheads westwards
along the coast. Just keep your
eyes open and you ll spot nice
migrating birds!
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7th April, Monday > Side > Akseki > Manavgat beach
During a drive from Manavgat to Akseki a pale Falcon (Lanner?) spotted over mountains.
In the village of Akseki we
took a road eastwards
leading eventually and found
nice hills covered by
scattered bushes. Some
Short-toed Eagles, Long-
legged Buzzards were flying
over. We spent some time
watching Rock Nuthatches,
Rueppels Warblers,
Cretzchmar Buntings and
Black-eared Wheathears.
Small cup of coffee in Akseki was a nice break after hours in mountains.
We moved down to the sea coast near Manavgat where a group of Mediterranean Gulls fed on
beach and 6 Black-winged Stilts roosted with some Little Ringed Plovers. Two Spanish
Sparrows were feeding in local meadow with a group of ordinary Sparrows.
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8th-9th April, Tuesday and Wednesday, hotel neighbourhood
Two days spent locally.
Little Owl still active day
and night. Three Alpine
Swifts passed with a group
of normal Swifts. Coastal
migrants not numerous  18
Black Terns and 5 Med.
Gulls on the beach.
10th April, Thursday, Side > Kuprulu Canyon Milli Park
Picked at the map  the
Park was indeed an
picturesque place! We
moved higher and higher
along a green ( kupru )
river northwards. Little
Egret and Grey Wagtails
were recorded on the way.
Soaring Peregrine was
observed with snowy tops
in the background.
During a break we found
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush
(Monticola saxatilis) pair
accompanied by a couple of
Blue Rock Thrushes (Monticola
solitarius) ! Birds were active
and often changed rocks.
There was also a handful of
Crag Martins and some Rock
Nuthatches.
In the high elevated village of Selge a group of village ladies with kids offered us tea and
coffee and some guiding in teh remains of Romand ancient town. Nice adventure indeed
especially for our 2-3 year old girls. On the way back we spotted nice Woodchat Shrike.
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11th April, Friday, Side > Alanya coast > Gundogmus village
In the morning we visited Alanya market
for some shopping and then moved along
the coast to find some nice beaches.
Unfortunately most of the coast in the area
is a large development area and only some
tiny parts are protected as special beaches
for  caretta turtles .
We managed to see some Geckos, Montagus Harrier and 3 Little Egrets. The we took a road
northwards through a village of Guzelsu (total 70 km) which seemed a nice one. We found
several Warblers on the way, a pair of Masked Shrikes as well as some Black-headed Yellow
Wagtails. Large flock of Alpine Swifts was soaring overheads. The drive took us much longer
the expected (bends!) with approx 20-30 kmph speed! The landscape is wild and scenic with
some waterfalls on the way but one must assume much slower driving in Turkish mountains.
12th April, Saturday, Manavgat lakes and dam
This time we moved north of Manavgat along the river and some artificial lakes created for
power plants (dam). Small water pools and flooded grasslands were quite empty with only one
Greenshank and a Purple Heron passing over. Raptors were soaring over large dam: Peregrine,
Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard. Local guard pointed some other eagles in our book but
we had little time to check if he really was right. On the way back we found nice pair of Great
Spotted Cuckoos.
13th April, Sunday, Side > Antalya > Olympos ruins
We headed westwards through Antalya searching
for some small wetlands shown at the map but
evetually reached mountains south of Antalya. First
nice find was a pair of Krueper s Nuthatches drilling
a nest hole in pine forest. Their call wasn t similar
to our Nuthatches at all. Birds allowed us to watch
and photograph the for a long time, despite loud
car traffic few meters away.
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According to Pascal guide In the village we had a
two places were worth cup of coffee and
visiting: Chimerae and spotted a Scops Owl
Olympos. The first one calling  very nice and
appeared to hard for a weird bird indeed. I like
long walk with kids and them every time I can
ladies so we only did watch them.
some birding around 
Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos
caudatus tephronotus),
Short-toed Eagle and
Long-legged Buzzard.
Then we took a footpath
along the stream which led
us to a beautiful stony beach
with a green steep slope
closing it from southern
edge. Really breathtaking
view!
Soon after we found that there is more to see  ruins of Roman town were hidden in scenic
gorge resembling some a jungle and abandoned Aztec cities. Not much birding here
(Kingfisher, Common Moorhen) but what a place!
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14th April, Monday, Side > meadows westwards
After days of long driving we moved for a short birding trip to local meadows.
Agricultural landscape produced some nice birds eg Red-rumped Swallows making a
nest. Rather distant in other places but here you could watch them at 2-3 m distance
collecting mud from water pools.
Then a Woodchat Shrke
feeding from electric poles
and bushes. Nice!
Graceful Prinias frantically  zipping in bushes. Also not very distant, allowing close
observation. Crested Larks, Corn Buntings were singing in big numbers.
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Nice pale Long-legged Buzzard was roosting by
the road. In flight it was obvious that its larger
and heavier the Common Buzzards in Europe.
There were numerous ditches with water turtles
inside as well as Great Reed Warblers sitting on
the edges.
We reached the dunes to find that there are
numerous Wheathears feeding in bushes and
grassland. Most of them were Black-eared but
we also spotted and photographed unkonown
one which afterwards was identified as 1st year
Pied Wheathear (Oenanthe pleschanka). Later it
appeared the only lifer for me during the trip!
We also recorded a flock of Little Egrets (26), 2
Curlews and some  feldegg Yellow Wagtails.
Nice birding indeed!
15th April, Tuesday, Side > Goksu delta
Hard day with 12 hours spent in Fiat Doblo, one bluey (102 kmph) and a engine shield lost on
stones. But birding really successfull. We reached Tasucu around midday and decided to have
lunch. Incidentally we met a really helpful guy (Ersoy Erdal, [phone], Deniz Kizi
Restaurant) who offered us help with finding the road to the reserve. We moved along the
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sandy road stopping at viewing points. Large tower produced good views of Purple Gallinule,
Black Francolin and some Egrets. There were distant flocks of ducks and grebes too.
On next stops we found Spur-
winged Plovers (incubating?) 
at least 11 birds, Red-throated
Pipit, Short-toed Lark, Ruddy
Shelduck, 3 Spoonbills and a
pair of Marlbled Ducks. Muddy
pools were full of shorebirds
but to distand to identify apart
of 30 Avocets.
Despite an accident at the end (be careful at
stone-edged paths) we were really satisfied
with this expedition. After 6 hours we reached
Side passing some 30 lorries and ca 10000
bends so finally 1 am we were at the hotel.
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16th April, Wednesday, Aspendos ruins
Rather a cultural day with a nice record of Long-tailed
Tits collecting nest material and probably 3 Lesser
Kestrels in the ruins of Aspendos Roman theatre.
We managed to list 102 bird species during two weeks of birding which may be a good result
for a family birding with kids. We missed raptors (no vultures) and Hippolais Warblers (too
early?).
Side was a good starting point
for family birding trips with
ClubSideCoast Hotel worth
recommendation. Our car
rental was also ok.  we
payed 45 EUR/day (8 days
total) for Fiat Doblo (4 adults
and two kids). For planning
daily routes its essential two
estimate driving speed very
low (sometimes 40-50 kmph).
Traffic control wasn t a
nuisance but slow down in
small towns and cities.
Temperatures varied from 5-8
C in the first days of April to
20-25 C after half of the
month.
(Gabriela, Lidia, Edyta with Hanna)
(Robert with Hanna, Tomasz
with Lidia, Gabriela)
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MAP of the area
Written by
Tomasz Kulakowski
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