Köyceğiz & Mugla area - SW Turkey (4 Viewers)

[angusmcoatup]

29/03/22
River/dump path
2 Spur winged plover,
Dump
3 + Cretzschmars bunting with Linnet flock. 1 Northern wheatear, 1 Isabelline wheatear,
Delta Plaj
8 Black winged stilt, 1 Little ringed plover, 1 Common sandpiper, 1 Greenshank , 1 Mediterranean gull
River
1 Common snipe, 1 Green sandpiper

 

[angusmcoatup]

30/03/22
1 Spur winged lapwing, several Eastern Orphean warblers, 3 Green sandpipers, 1-2 Common sandpipers, 4 Little ringed plovers, 1 Purple heron, 5 + Cretzschmars buntings, 1 Hoopoe, 12 + Alpine swifts, 3 Isabelline wheatear, 2 Flava Yellow wagtails, 3 Penduline tits

 

[angusmcoatup]

31/03/22
Dalyan , Kaunos area
Little owl, Rock nuthatch, Black eared wheatear, Spur winged lapwing, Purple Heron, Black winged stilt , Peregrine , Ruff (2)

 

[angusmcoatup]

01/04/22
2 Spur winged lapwings, 10 Black winged stilts, 1 + 5 Night herons, Tawny owl, LR plover,

 

[angusmcoatup]

03/04/22
Nightingale singing out in the open, plus a couple more deeper in woods, Night Heron roosting in campsite. Purple heron, 2 Black winged stilts, Red rumped swallow. Scops owl & Tawny owl last night.

 

[angusmcoatup]

04/04/22
AM walk
Delta Plaj - 2 Black winged stilt, 2 Pygmy cormorant ,2 LBB gull
River- Plaj side- and reedbed- 2 Little bitterns, Black headed ,Flava & something between the two -Dombrowskii? , 1 Common sandpiper, 2 LR plover, 1 Green sandpiper, 1 Marsh sandpiper, 2 Water pipits, 1 Purple heron,
opp sewage farm turnoff- 1 Little crake, 1 Purple heron, Zitting Cisticola, Corn bunting (on wasteground)
Sigla & riverside woods- Middle, Lesser, Greater spotted woodpeckers, Green woodpecker, Lesser whitethroat, Orphean warbler, Siskin
Also Laughing dove, Northern wheatear, Long legged & Steppe buzzard, Moustached warbler, 2 other Purple herons

 

[angusmcoatup]

05/04/22 Am & pm walks
Delta Plaj - 27 Black winged Stilts by end of day, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Squacco Herons,
Town dump - 1 Woodchat Shrike, 3 Northern Wheatears, 1 Black eared Wheatear, 3 Cretzschmars buntings, Linnet flock, 2 Marsh Harriers ,
River- 1 Glossy Ibis, 8 Cattle Egrets, 1 Common Snipe
Reedbed- Sedge, Reed, Cettis & probable Savi’s.
Wood- Common Nightingale
Lake- 2 Ravens over 8 Night Herons from Kordon roost, 70-80 small Duck sp from Hamitkoy across lake at dusk.
Also what appeared to be a large dead Nile turtle off the Kordon. 1 dead also seen last week on Dalyan channel.

 

[angusmcoatup]

06/04/22
Am & pm walks
12 + Common Swifts, 1 Common Snipe, 5 Cattle Egrets, 4 Black winged Stilts, 3 Little ringed Plovers, 2 Cretzschmars Buntings, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Redshank, 2 Common Sandpipers, Nightingales- Sigla & Riverside woods, 1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Garganey, 1 White Stork

 

[angusmcoatup]

09/04/22
Morning walk
Delta Plaj, lakeside of river & reedbed
2 Spur winged Plovers, 3 Black winged Stilts, 16 + 8,2 & 4 Squacco Herons, 1 Little Bittern , 2 Purple Herons, 8 small waders inc Wood Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, Pygmy Cormorant, 2 Marsh Harriers, Kingfisher, Common Swift

Rubbish dump
1 Woodchat Shrike , 3 Ortolan Buntings, 2 Cretzschmar Buntings, Penduline Tits, 1 Isabelline Wheatear,

Wood, marsh & sewage works turn off reedbed
1 Wood Warbler, Great Reed Warblers, Sedge Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat, Water Rail, Steppe Buzzard, Moustached Warbler

 

[angusmcoatup]

10/04/22
Afternoon walk- Köyceğiz is becoming busier now, cars and dog walkers on the beach (Delta Plaj) putting off the gull roost and waders. The dwindling supply of water in the river has provided a feast of trapped fish- view both sides from the bridge with patience- surprising what’s hiding in there.

1 Black Stork- circling before dropping into marsh behind dump

11 Squacco Heron - river from bridge

1 Wood Sandpiper - river - lake side

1 Little Ringed Plover - river lake side

 

[angusmcoatup]

11/04/22
1 Collared Flycatcher- Kordon pines
8 + Squacco Herons, 3 Purple Herons, 3 GW Egrets, 2-3 Isabelline Wheatears, 3 Black eared Wheatears, 1 Northern Wheatear inc 1 of each lined up in the same field of bins view, 1 Ortolan Bunting, Savi’s Warbler, 1 Whinchat , 2 Ravens, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Little Bittern, 1 Red backed Shrike, 1 Woodchat Shrike, 1 Marsh Sandpiper, Sand & Crag Martins amongst House Martins/Swallows. Yellow Wagtail - Dombrowskii like. 5 Wood Sandpipers.

 

[angusmcoatup]

12/04/22
Afternoon walk

Riverside wood- Collared Flycatchers (in both woods- very common inc a pair outside my flat), Common Nightingale, 2 Tree Pipits, Wood Warbler,1 Great Spotted Cuckoo, Willow Warbler, Black Redstart, Syrian & Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Hoopoe
Flood meadow
Whinchat, Woodchat Shrike, Squacco Heron
Dump & river by dump
2 Isabelline Wheatears, 1 Ortolan Bunting, 1 Woodchat Shrike , 1 Wood Sandpiper, Penduline Tuts, Reed & Great Reed Warblers, mixed flock of Alpine & Common Swifts, Squacco , Grey & Purple herons,

 

[angusmcoatup]

13/04/22
Mostly in the Sigla wood this morning as my usual area was overrun with stray dogs. A pain in the a**e I’m learning to live with reluctantly.

Kordon & lake- 2 Red rumped Swallows, Pygmy Cormorant, Eagle/ buzzard sp, 2 Sandwich Terns,
River bridge - 9 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Squacco Herons
Boatyard reedbed - Kingfisher, Sedge Warbler, Reed, Great Reed, Stonechat,
Siğla Wood- 1 Spotted Flycatcher, multiple Collared Flycatchers, Middle Spotted, Lesser & Greater Spotted & Green Woodpeckers, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Nightingale,
Town- Alpine Swifts,2 Laughing Doves,

 

[angusmcoatup]

14/04/22
Dump marsh- 23 Glossy Ibis, 7 Little Egrets, Water Rail , Purple Heron
Dump- 1 Cretzschmars Bunting
Dump reedbed - 1 Little Bittern, Penduline Tits
Flood meadow - 1 White Stork, 7 Squacco Herons, Whinchat,
River- 9 Wood Sandpipers
Siğla wood- 2 Collared Flycatchers , Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Whitethroat, Long Legged Buzzard , Nightingales

 

[angusmcoatup]

15/04/22
Glossy Ibis flock up to around 40 - dump marsh, Green & Wood Sandpiper mixed on both sides of river bridge - 14 + though the vegetation in the river has created multiple pools and only the occasional flushing gives a true idea of what’s in there, 1 Pygmy Cormorant, 3 Black winged Stilts, 4-5 Common Sandpipers, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Isabelline Wheatear, 1 Northern Wheatear, Syrian Woodpecker drumming in riverside wood,
Savi’s Warbler reeling at end of dump/river path, also 2 Little Bitterns calling then flushed.
For anyone passing through with limited time- this path and the area at the end are very productive with a little patience.

Evening- 3 Night Herons - towards Kordon pines, 40-50 Heron sp - over lake towards Hamitkoy area. 1 Scops owl calling Gulpinar.

Always 8 or so Agamas visible on rocks beneath the river bridge. Presumably Rough tailed Agama?

Lots of disturbance today meaning lots of flushing- cars on beach, anglers next to reedbed, police on rubbish dump, rowers along Reed margin and old bloke appearing from depths of the marsh.

 

[angusmcoatup]

16/04/22
Brief afternoon walk to river then lakeside bar
40 + Glossy Ibis , 1 Whiskered Tern - Delta Plaj, 3 Common Tern, 1 Slender billed Gull, 1 Common Snipe, 3 Black winged Stilt

 

[angusmcoatup]

06/05/2022

5 Little Stint, 4 Wood Sandpipers, Syrian, GS, LS & Green Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher , lots of Spotted Flycatchers, Olivaceous Warblers.

Last couple of weeks with guests & travelling has meant intermittent local birding. Stand out birds were a juvenile Pallid Harrier for 3 days plus a similar juvenile at distance at one point. Mass arrival of Bee-eaters which now appear settled in large numbers, Redstart, arrival of Turtle Doves, 3 Spanish Sparrows, Masked & Red backed Shrikes, Goshawk . Most obvious migrants are here but still awaiting Roller & a local Cuckoo.

 

[angusmcoatup]

07/05/22

17 + White winged Black Terns, several Whiskered Terns, roadkill Moustached Warbler & Water Rail, 30 Glossy Ibis

 

[angusmcoatup]

09/05/22

7 Little Stint, 1 Temmincks Stint, 1 Marsh Sandpiper, Cuckoo, Rufous Bush Chat, 40-50 mixed flock of White-Winged & Whiskered Terns, 2 Little Terns, Greater Spotted Cuckoo

 

[RecoveringScot]

In the first two weeks of May 1996 I visited Turgutreis, Muğla on a weeks holiday. At that time along with stuff like Masked Shrike and Long-legged Buzzard (both commonish) I saw a daily evening to dusk flock of 12-15 Eleanora's Falcons (visible from my hotel room). Are they still known to occur there?