Wings Over Anatolia: A Central Birding Odyssey

Itinerary

• DAY 1

  Adana to Tasucu

  Meet at the Adana airport with Demavend Travels representative and drive to Mersin Tasucu area, where we spend the next three nights.

  Transfer time: 2 h; transfer distance: 175 km; (Adana airport – Mersin/Tasucu)

  ON: in Mersin Tasucu at the hotel

  Meals:   - / - / D

• DAY 2

  Goksu delta

  We 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 for the whole day.

  Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 45 km; (Tasucu – Goksu delta)

  ON: in Mersin Tasucu at the hotel

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 3

  Goksu delta

  Next day, we will drive to Uzuncaburc, an area covered by dry maquis, ancient ruins and pine forests. Here we shall look for some eastern Mediterranean species, such as ruppell’s warbler, cretzschmar’s bunting and kruper’s nuthatch. Later in the afternoon we can continue our exploration of the Goksu delta. 

  Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 40 km; (Tasucu – Goksu delta (Uzuncaburc)

  ON: in Mersin Tasucu at the hotel

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 4

  Via Tasucu to Aladaglar Mountains

  After an early breakfast and a morning birding in a marshy area of Goksu delta, 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: 4 h; transfer distance: 270 km; (Tasucu – Aladaglar Demirkazik village)

  ON: in Demirkazik village (Aladaglar) at the Mountain Hut/or pension

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 5

  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 pension

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 6

  Aladaglar Mountains to Sultan marsh

  Until 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 pension

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 7

  Sultan marsh

  After 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. In the late afternoon we return to our overnight accommodation in Ovacikciftlik village.

  ON: in Ovacikciftlik village (Sultan marsh) at the pension

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 8

  Adana & Akyatan Lake (Akyatan lagoon)

  After breakfast we leave Ovacikciftlik village Sultan marsh area and drive via Adana to Akyatan lagoon, a 14.700 hectare wetland ecosystem that is designated of international importance by ramsar convention, a major stop over for migrating birds. Akyatan is an important breeding area for the endangered marbled duck and rarely seen purple swamphen and black francolin; red-crested pochard, mallard and ferruginous duck are other duck species that breed in the area. Eurasian stone-curlew, Kentish plover, spur-winged lapwing and little tern also breed in the area. It is estimated that 70.000 to 80.000 birds live in Akyatan during winter. Among the birds that nest the winter in Akyatan, pochard, Eurasian wigeon, common shelduck, Eurasian coot form large flocks besides the endangered white-headed duck. Greater flamingo is another popular bird in the area. Every year more than 10.000 greater flamingos, mostly migrating from Lake Urmia in Iran, winter here as well. We spend the night in Adana at the hotel.           

  Transfer time: 3 - 4 h; transfer distance: 240 km (Sultan marsh to Adana)

  Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 50 km; (Adana – Akyatan Lake / one way)

  ON: in Adana at the hotel

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 9

  Akyatan Lake (Akyatan Lagoon)

  After breakfast we drive to Akyatan Lake (Akyatan lagoon) where we spend the day by exploring the area. In the late afternoon/early evening we return to Adana where we spend the night at the hotel.

  Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 50 km; (Adana – Akyatan Lake / one way)

  ON: in Adana at the hotel

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 10

  Trip concludes at Adana airport

  After breakfast; transfer to Adana airport where the trip concludes.           

  Transfer time: 10 min.; transfer distance: 7 km (hotel in the city centre – Adana airport)

  Meals:   B / - / -