Ornithology in Turkey
Tour Code NAW 04
Highlights
– Mediterranean to east Anatolia via Aladaglar Mountains
– Brown fish-owl in Oymapinar lake area
– Goksu delta; prime habitat for water birds
– Caspian snowcock in the Aladaglar national park
– Sultan marsh nature reserve
– Tuzla & Yumurtalik lagoons, Isikli & Durnalik
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Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec
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9 days / 8 nights
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A (easy)
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8 nights at the hotel & in family run village pensions
Itinerary
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DAY 1
Arrival Antalya & transfer to Manavgat/SideMeet at the Antalya airport with Demavend Travels representative and drive to Manavgat/Side where we spend the night at the hotel. Depending on arrival time it is possible to drive to Oymapinar Lake and to start looking for the brown fish owl.Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 75 km; (Antalya airport – Manavgat/Side)Transfer time: 40 - 45 min.; transfer distance: 25 km; (Manavgat/Side – Oymapinar Lake)ON: in Manavgat/Side at the hotelMeals: - / - / D -
DAY 2
Manavgat/Side to Oymapinar Lake (Brown Fish-Owl/Ketupa zeylonensis) - drive to Mersin TasucuEarly in the morning we drive to the Oymapinar Lake, also known as the green canyon and start for brown fish owl. We will have a boat trip at the Oymapinar dam searching for brown fish owl at a recently discovered site and at the extreme western edge of its range. Afterwards we drive to Tasucu where we spend the night at the hotel.Transfer time: 40 - 45 min.; transfer distance: 25 km; (Manavgat/Side – Oymapinar Lake)Transfer time: 6 h; transfer distance: 325 km; (Oymapinar lake - Tasucu)ON: in Tasucu at the hotelMeals: B / L / D -
DAY 3
Via Goksu delta to Aladaglar MountainsWe have an early morning start for the Goksu delta, which is a prime habitat for water birds. With over 335 species recorded here, it is one of the most famous places for bird watching in Turkey. We explore the wetland and look for some specialties here, including marbled teal, purple swamphen and black francolin, as well as many migrating waders. Additionally we should be able to find audouin’s gull, spur-winged lapwing, moustached warbler, graceful prinia, pygmy cormorant, collared pratincole, white spectacled bulbul, pelicans and many different passerines along our route. Keeping our eyes on the sky for eleonora’s falcon, we explore the Goksu delta. Afterwards in the late afternoon we head to the north Aladaglar region and cross the Taurus Mountains. Depending on arrival time we can begin to explore and walk up a spectacular gorge which should produce wallcreeper, red-billed chough, ring ouzel, red-fronted serin and chukar. Later we drive to our overnight accommodation where we as well enjoy our dinner, with some home grown food and views of the magnificent Demirkazik peak.Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 45 km; (Tasucu – Goksu delta)Transfer time: 4 h; transfer distance: 270 km; (Tasucu – Aladaglar Demirkazik village)ON: in Demirkazik village (Aladaglar) at the Mountain Hut/or pensionMeals: B / L / D -
DAY 4
Aladaglar Mountains (Caspian Snowcock/Tetraogallus caspius)We make a very early start this morning for an exceptional birding trip. We ascend, a rough track to 1,500m (and possibly to 3,000m depending on the seasonal snow level), by tractor and trailer. Getting to our observation point by the first light will allow us to find the elusive caspian snowcock more easily. Here we can enjoy our morning tea and coffee and a light breakfast. In the area there are many other alpine species, including radde’s and alpine accentors, alpine and red-billed choughs, crimson-winged finch and white winged snowfinch. Later, we descend and have a traditional breakfast, or possibly lunch, depending on the time and the altitude we have reached. Some interesting species can be found near next to our accommodation, including rose-coloured starling.ON: in Demirkazik village (Aladaglar) at the Mountain Hut/or pensionMeals: B / L / D -
DAY 5
Aladaglar Mountains to Sultan marshUntil noon we will discover the Aladaglar region and in the afternoon head to Sultansazligi nature reserve, one of the most important breeding areas in the country. This is a rare ecosystem, where salt and fresh waters coexist and the only place in Turkey where common cranes, greater flamingos, herons and white pelicans breed together. The reserve is a home to more than 300 different species of bird, of which 85 species breed. We spend the night close to Sultan marsh at a small pension.Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 60 km; (Aladaglar Mountains to Sultan marsh)ON: in Ovacikciftlik village (Sultan marsh) at the pensionMeals: B / L / D -
DAY 6
Sultan marsh to AdanaAfter breakfast we continue our observation in Sultan marsh region until afternoon where we able to see several water birds such as pygmy cormorant, dalmatian pelican, little bittern, night heron, white stork, black stork, spoonbill, glossy ibis, thousands of greater flamingo, gadwall, white-headed duck, greater sand plover, avocet, Mediterranean gull, slender-billed gull and gull-billed tern, as well as the black-bellied sandgrouse, lesser short-toed lark and isabellina wheatear on the surroundings steppes. Afterwards we leave the area and drive to Adana, one of the country’s largest cities, a fast-growing agricultural and industrial town, famous for its speciality Adana kebab, minced meat mounted on a wide iron skewered and grilled on an open barbecue fire filled with burning charcoal. We spend the night in Adana at the hotel.Transfer time: 3 - 4 h; transfer distance: 240 km (Sultan marsh to Adana)ON: in Adana at the hotelMeals: B / L / D -
DAY 7
Adana to Gaziantep via Tuzla & Yumurtalik lagoonAfter breakfast we leave Adana and drive to Gaziantep by visiting Tuzla and Yumurtalik on the way. Tuzla is known as bird paradise, home to hundreds of birds; white spectacled bulbul, graceful prinia, white throated and pied kingfishers, cattle, little egrets and night herons, pygmy cormorants, greater flamingos, shelducks, Kentish and little ringed plovers, slender-billed gull. Afterwards we visit the Yumurtalik area, part of the Cukurova delta, with many lagoons. collared pranticoles, little and gull-billed terns, greater short-toed larks, dead sea sparrow, zitting cisticola, pied avocets, black-winged stilts, rufous bush robin, olivaceous warbler might be seen. In the late afternoon we continue to Gaziantep where we spend the night at the hotel.Transfer time: 4 h; transfer distance: 295 km; (Adana – Gaziantep via Tuzla & Yumurtalik lagoon)ON: in Gaziantep at the hotelMeals: B / L / D -
DAY 8
Gaziantep to Isikli & DurnalikIn the morning we will stop at a dry oak scrub with a spectacular landscape near Durnalik and Isikli where we will look for red-tailed wheatear and upcher’s warbler, together with white-throated robin, eastern orphean warbler, western and eastern rock nuthatch, cretzchmar’s bunting, sombre tit and cinereous bunting; saker is also possible here. In the late afternoon/early evening we return to Gaziantep where we spend the night.Transfer time: 30 - 40 min.; transfer distance: 40 km; (Gaziantep - Isikli & Durnalik / one way)ON: in Gaziantep at the hotelMeals: B / L / D -
DAY 9
Trip concludes at Gaziantep airportAfter breakfast; transfer to Gaziantep airport where the trip concludes.Transfer time: 30 min.; transfer distance: 30 km (hotel in the city centre – Gaziantep airport)Meals: B / - / -
Inclusions
- All transfers and transportations with private vehicles to the places stated in the itinerary
Day 1: one/one way arrival transfer from/to Antalya airport/hotel in Manavgat/Side
Day 9: one/one way departure transfer from/to hotel in the city centre/Gaziantep airport - Demavend Travel English speaking tour leader
- Hotel & pension accommodations, in standard rooms on double/twin share base
Service: half board (HB) / Important: HB dinner service available until 20:30/21:00 h - 8 x breakfast / 7 x lunch (lunch packages & local restaurants where available) / 8 x dinner
- Aladaglar national park entrance fees
- All international and domestic flights
- Travel insurance
- All kind of extra transports & transfers other than stated in the itinerary / extra arrival/departure transfers
- All kind of entrance fees for historical and natural sites
- All kind of optional activities
- Meals other than stated the itinerary
- All kind of soft and alcoholic drinks, bottled water, tea & coffee
- All kind of personal expenses
- Extra nights & single supplements / accommodation upgrades
- Personal equipment
- Tips