Turkey - Istanbul & the Bosphorus Migration

Transcription

1 Turkey - Istanbul & the Bosphorus Migration Naturetrek 9 17 September 2015 Kruper s Nuthatch 2 Short-toed Snake-eagle Syrian Woodpecker Southern White Admiral Report & images compiled by Andy Harding Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 Tour Participants: Andy Harding (Naturetrek Leader) Murat Bozdogan (Natural history local guide) Ibrahim Sicakuz (Historical local guide) Ahmed Dagdiyalen (Driver) With eight Naturetrek clients Day 1 Wednesday 9th September Mainly sunny, 26 C in Istanbul The group met up easily pre-departure at Heathrow for their flight to Istanbul, where we met with Ibrahim, our local guide. The transfer to the Otel Harem was pleasant and informative, thanks to Ibrahim, and the short ferry crossing to the Asian side of the Bosphorus was a nice diversion. A pre-dinner stroll down to the Bosphorus enabled a (too?) lengthy discussion of the different races of Shag, Cormorant and Yellow-legged Gull on view. Also on view were the Topkapi Palace, Agia Sofia and the rest of the historical peninsula. This was followed by a most excellent dinner. Day 2 Thursday 10th September Sunny all day, a little cloud 26 C; breezy at times from south-west After an excellent buffet breakfast, we set off on the fairly short journey to Büyük Camlica, the most famous migration watch point in Istanbul. Two Honey Buzzards and a White Stork were seen, together with the fantastic panoramic views of Greater Istanbul, and our visit was enlivened by several passerines - Sardinian Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike and Lesser Whitethroat all showed extremely well. The local Hobbies also put on a splendid close-range show. Wall Brown and Large Wall Brown butterflies provided a useful comparative view and the rather orange form of Speckled Wood was a bit of a surprise to the group. The presence of a range of potential lunch outlets was insufficient to keep us here, so we dived back towards town and stopped at an excellent kebab restaurant, where super food was produced very rapidly. We sped on to Toygar Tepe, which is roughly 20 km further up the eastern side of the Bosphorus. A Redstart and a large raptor seen from the bus on our slow final ascent were most encouraging and the latter was not illusory. Over the next five hours, most of which we enjoyed from the top of the fire-watch tower, we were treated with a steady trickle, and the odd pulse, of interesting raptors at a highly watchable, and sometimes very close, range. This enabled Andy and Murat to both identify and discuss the identification points of nearly every individual bird which floated by. In the event, just over 100 Eagles were counted 50% Lesser Spotted and 25% Short-toed and 25% Booted, of which the latter were about 50:50 light and dark phase. A few Honey Buzzards, mainly adults, came through, as did 16 Black Kites in two rough groups. Three Marsh Harriers, including an adult male, almost crept past us at altitude. A flock of eight Levant Sparrowhawks and a well-observed single male gave us decent views of this much-wanted species. A major talking point was around 35 sightings, many very close, of Hobbies. Since the large majority were juveniles and all eventually moved rapidly south, Andy was convinced this was part of a significant migration. With eyes so much on the skies, only a very static Whinchat attracted attention on the passerine front. There was significant interest in the butterflies, with both Scarce and Naturetrek November 15 1

3 Common Swallowtail present in decent numbers giving wonderful views, while Fiery Copper, Marbled Skipper and Lang s Short-tailed Blue were more for the connoisseur. The constant throughput of birds meant we left later than intended, but clever backstreet navigation enabled a return to the hotel and time for a little shopping before another, possibly even more excellent, dinner, and bed in readiness for tomorrow s early start. Day 3 Friday 11th September Sunny all day, a little cloud, 26 C Having had the earliest possible breakfast, we joined a few early morning joggers on Küçük Camlica hill. The most obvious attraction was about a half dozen of the large, chunky Alexandrine Parakeets with rather more of their Ring-necked cousins for comparison. A flock of Tree Sparrows was a treat for those living in most parts of England. A smattering of the commoner migrants, both Warblers and Thrushes plus a Redstart, kept the list rolling. Spotted Flycatchers were regular. We reached the top of the park and its incredibly ornate tea rooms and terraces just before opening time, but sat around in wonderful surroundings and with a stunning view until tea and coffee could be served. A really super bird did show well to all the sometimes elusive Syrian Woodpecker. So, well satisfied, we left the park for Toygar Tepe. On arrival it seemed that little obvious migration was happening, as the temperature rose. A brief passerine hunt had a little success with common species, but a Hummingbird Hawk-moth and a very obliging Silver-washed Fritillary stole the show. We decided to go on to Riva for a superb fish lunch alongside the river and close to the sea. While we ate, we watched a Pygmy Cormorant and a Little Gull gently patrolling the river, with several other species - a good choice. A fairly brief foray up river produced a Honey Buzzard, several Whinchats, 35 Little Egrets and, best of all, three immature Purple Herons and a beautiful Wood Warbler. An Eastern Rock Grayling was the best of the butterflies. We returned to Toygar, and a small and leisurely throughput of Lesser Spotted and Booted Eagles, but just singles or twos of other raptors seen yesterday. The passerines had clearly increased, with Northern Wheatear and Tree Pipits joining Whinchat and Willow Warbler. They all showed so well. Then we took a skilfully navigated and even more skilfully driven, route back to the hotel avoiding all major traffic jams. The dinner was great and the log covering three days was enjoyable, if lengthy. Day 4 Saturday 12th September Sunny all morning on the journey to Bursa; some heavy showers in Bursa Today was the transfer day to Bursa so, while we were permitted to leave some bags at Otel Harem to await our return in three days time, most of the luggage had to be packed and loaded into our minibus. 2 Naturetrek

4 We don t usually undertake this journey on a Saturday, but the journey was smooth and meant we arrived in good time at Eskihisar, where we were able to drive straight onto a ferry and off we sailed. Much breakfast bread had been retained by the team and we were soon attracting numbers of Yellow-legged and Black-headed Gulls. As hoped, three different Mediterranean Gulls and four adult Baltic Gulls joined in at some point. The very calm conditions also allowed us to see three pods of Harbour Porpoises. An excellent crossing. Driving conditions to Bursa were similarly benign, so we had a leisurely check in to the Almira Hotel before the very short walk out to lunch. We then visited the Great Mosque of Bursa. The mosque is unsophisticated in construction but has a huge area for prayer and still fulfils its original role as a focus for social and educational activity, eateries and shops, as well as its more obvious religious purpose: a real hive of activity. Ibrahim was able to describe the purpose of the mosque, explain its beautiful calligraphy and place it among the highly complex branches of Islam. The nearby silk market was a real hit since there is nowhere better in the world to buy pure silk items even the Queen has been here! Retail therapy was followed by apple tea in the large internal court yard. From there we went to the Green Mosque, a much more quiet and serene place and, in most opinions, more beautiful than the Great Mosque. Close by, we could then turn to visit the tomb of Mehmet I (grandfather of Mehmet the Conqueror) and his family the Green Tomb. This fifteenth century beautiful edifice is essentially Turkish and not Islamic, but the decoration and particularly the tiles are so spectacular. Dinner was of high quality, in some ways more haute cuisine than in Istanbul, and again highly enjoyable. Day 5 Sunday 13th September 24 C, a few showers, mainly light Because of cloud over Mount Uludağ and the weather forecast, we switched the itinerary to head further west towards Lake Manyas. En route a flock of large birds forced a stop, and 32 Black Storks flew over followed by six Bee-eaters and two Marsh Harriers, all apparently moving ahead of an impending storm, which we missed...fortunately! The National Park Reserve Centre at Lake Manyas offered us their amazing tower hide, from which perhaps 1000 Cormorants, 200 White Pelicans, 25 Greater Flamingos and 200 Teal were the most obvious birds on view. A huge White-tailed Eagle on one of the nesting platforms, a Goshawk which frightened almost everything, several Marsh Harriers stooging about, four or five Whiskered Terns hawking and eventually three Great White Egrets were notable and enjoyable. The grounds of the Centre, though attractive in appearance, were fairly quiet with two Garden Warblers, two Mistle Thrushes in addition to more expected fare. Three Syrian Woodpeckers were lovely. We then walked just outside the Reserve Centre to get a clearer view of the lake, passing many Lang s Short-tailed Blue butterflies on the way. We were able to watch from behind a suitably positioned building whenever a shower occurred, and Garganey, Spoonbill and Slender-billed Gull were added to the list. Naturetrek November 15 3

5 We drove about 6km to take lunch on the coast of the Sea of Marmora, but returned to a slightly different vantage point from which Squacco Heron, Wood Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover were noted before there was a general displacement of birds caused by local youths celebrating a marriage in the village. This suggested we move, and gave us time to take in the river flowing into Lake Uluabat in the village of that same name. There, a few more Squacco Herons, Whiskered Terns and Pygmy Cormorants augmented the new-for-the-list Night Heron and Kingfisher. A close view of some Sparrows confirmed that the few largish flocks of some apparently migrating sparrows were indeed Spanish. A nice end to an excellent day s birding. Day 6 Monday 14th September 27 C in Bursa, 22 C on Mount Uludăg Our revised itinerary plan appeared to have worked. It was fairly bright first thing in Bursa and it became brighter and sunnier as we drove steadily through differently vegetated zones up to the entrance to the Mt Uludăg National Park. This is where we started birding, with immediate success. In just a few minutes, we had prolonged close views of Kruper s Nuthatch with a second bird also fairly close by. We saw two other individuals of this much-wanted species in this general area, and two more several hours later, on our descent. A couple of Goldcrests showed reasonably well and, in answer to the question do you get Firecrests here? we saw about six birds, two or three of which showed as well as the Kruper s. Coal Tits abounded, and a couple of European Nuthatches appeared for comparison with the Kruper s. Then a pair of Short-toed Treecreepers was identified by call, with plumage confirmation in the photographs. As we wandered further, a female or juvenile Pied Flycatcher led us deeper into the forest and, amazingly, a Black Woodpecker flew in, hanging briefly on a pine and then flying off. It tantalised us at distance with its calls, but we could not relocate it. We then drove up to the ski-hotel area where Red-fronted Serin was the main target. It was, however, a quiet period up to our rather late lunch, with only very modest numbers of Serins, and no Red-fronted. Plenty of Water Pipits were new to some of the group and we saw a couple of stunning male Black Redstarts. We tried all the obvious and some less obvious spots in our Serin hunt. The very last spot we tried produced a big treat: a small café barbecuing delicious lamb. This was a delicious surprise. Well cheered, we made a repeat visit to the most favoured Serin spots again, but without success, so we then set off down the mountain. We made a couple of speculative stops in possible Sombre Tit habitat. No Tits but, at the second stop, a small knot of common Warblers was accompanied by an obliging adult female Collared Flycatcher: an identification made in the field and confirmed by the photographs, and a nice finale on which to head back to Istanbul. The ferry from Topcular to Eskihisar was enlivened by gulls again, attracted by bits of simit purchased on board for the purpose. Close views of a sub-adult (two or three years old) and a juvenile Baltic Gull, plus a moulting adult Mediterranean Gull provided interest for the majority of the crossing. Despite the superb driving of Ahmed through the vast outskirts of Istanbul, it was a fairly late arrival, but a very jovial group convened a short while after, for another excellent dinner. 4 Naturetrek

6 Day 7 Tuesday 15th September 25 C, cloudy early, sunny afternoon The group met Ibrahim to walk out of the hotel at 8 am to stroll down to the ferry. Excellent views of 130 Yelkouan Shearwaters in 3 flocks enhanced the journey. The approaching skyline, though, needed no enhancing. The absence of the cruise ships further raised the spirits since it meant rather fewer tourists with whom to queue. This prediction proved correct and, having taken the tram up to Sultanahmet, we sauntered through the Hippodrome with its various columns. Once the origins of these were unravelled and the nature of the Hippodrome through the ages was explained, we moved just a short distance to the Blue Mosque, queuing for which was equally easy. A different structure and internal appearance to the Great Mosque in Bursa was the main talking point as well as its blueness. Then we found out why the cruise ships were absent the Topkapi Palace was shut. This had not been anticipated in the itinerary!! So a new plan was formed, and we moved on to Agia Sofia. For over a thousand years, this was the largest building in the world: a church, a mosque and, since the 1930 s, a museum. Miraculously, through the liberal thinking of Mehmet the Conqueror who captured it in 1453, many amazing Christian mosaics and paintings were plastered over and not destroyed, so exceptional Muslim and Christian art can be seen side by side in a huge and wonderful building. After a fairly leisurely coffee, we visited the astonishing underground Cistern, a most extraordinary underground reservoir supported by hundreds of columns. Stories abound as to how it was rediscovered in relatively modern times. To anyone who has not seen it, it is utterly amazing. And then the big change: we returned to the waterfront on the Golden Horn and had a fish sandwich whole fish with onions and salad in a roll, accompanied by pickled cabbage. We ate this on stools, the place packed with hundreds of other devotees alongside the rocking and rolling boat on which the cooking took place. Very fast food and, as it was put, a definitely different cultural experience! Then, rather more sedately, we took a return boat trip up the Bosphorus, where a series of Sultans Palaces, some 13 th century Ottoman forts (the earliest built by the invading force), and another 250 or so, close-in Yelkouan Shearwaters were the highlights. Back in the city, some went to Spice Market and showed off their purchases subsequently, while a smaller group returned to our hotel to read, sleep or swim. We were all back together for another excellent dinner at 8pm. Day 8 Wednesday 16th September Sunny, 25 C This was a free choice day. Some chose to go back into Istanbul, to the Topkapi Palace with Ibrahim. This is not a palace in the western sense of huge buildings with lavish furnishings. It is, however, very wide in extent, consisting of four roughly concentric areas or courtyards, all with different purposes; the innermost contains the private apartments of the Sultan. The layout demonstrates how it grew somewhat organically. The Kaftan and other royal dress collection, dating back to the 16 th century, and the amazing treasury collection were perhaps the highpoints. The latter does contain some items of high bling in current parlance, but the value of some of the stones is almost incalculable. A bonus was that the kitchens were open for the first time in years - Naturetrek November 15 5

7 most of the group enjoyed the exquisite porcelain from both China and Europe on which the Ottomans took their meals. Lunch was taken in a splendid family restaurant which is of a quality which belies that description. Pippa joined the others later, after a saffron-buying trip to the Spice Market. Earlier, the others had gone straight to Toygar Tepe with Andy and Murat. We were not disappointed. Again there were over 120 Eagles in 2.5 hours and, while Lesser Spotted were, as usual, the most numerous, 31 Booted seemed extraordinary, as did 41 European Sparrowhawks, mainly singles or twos. There were fewer species than on our last visit, but a Hoopoe in the hand, caught in a net by the Sparrowhawk-catcher (Don t panic in the UK it s all legitimate and would take too long to explain!) was astonishing. As migration thinned and the birds rose to considerable altitude, we moved to Riva, and took a coast road in the hope of finding Cirl Buntings. In fact, we saw five at least, as well as four Great White Egrets circling an offshore islet, and two lovely butterflies Cardinal Fritillary and Southern White Admiral. Lunch was in another excellent fish restaurant. Some of the fish were lifers, seen before cooking and then eaten! Two adult Little Gulls, in various stages of moult accompanied lunch. Then we moved to the various points along the Riva River and its nearby hill. Single Purple Herons and Short-toed Eagle at close range were perhaps the best birds, though another obliging Hoopoe and six Bee-eaters were also much enjoyed. Attempting a sensible return time to Harem more or less succeeded, before we convened at 8pm for another lively dinner, some congratulatory comments from all sides and a typically jolly last night. Day 9 Thursday 17th September Sunny, 25 C Today we had to leave, to drive to Atatürk Airport. The Otel Harem and its staff is so welcoming and accommodating, as well as providing excellent food and a swimming pool, so leaving was rather sad. We drove straight to Sultanahmet Bridge and crossed to Europe. We then turned off the major route to go to Belgrad Forest. Here a pretty male Red-breasted Flycatcher was soon located. We continued to work slowly through beautiful woodland, and were rewarded with a Middle-spotted Woodpecker which behaved nicely. Another change of location within the Forest produced some flight views of Hawfinch. Lunch in the local district beckoned, which was superb - interesting, tasty Black Sea dishes at an excellent price. Why is fast food not like this in the UK? This was also an opportunity for Jim, on behalf of the group, to thank our wonderful hosts guides Ibrahim and Murat and driver Ahmed in time-honoured fashion. We had time for another 45 minutes of wandering the forest before the now relatively short journey to the airport, arriving bang on time. Here we bade farewell to our Turkish friends and to Robin and Pippa, who were flying to Greece, and joined the queue for the first security check. We had a smooth journey back to the UK, were we said our final farewells and reluctantly parted. This group was amazing. Thank you so much. 6 Naturetrek

8 Species Lists Birds ( = recorded but not counted; H = heard only) September Common Name Scientific Name Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 4 2 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus 20 6 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus 2 10 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 7 11 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 1 12 Great Egret Ardea alba Little Egret Egretta garzetta Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Purple Heron Ardea purpurea White Stork Ciconia ciconia Black Stork Ciconia nigra Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 2 19 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Northern Pintail Anas acuta 2 22 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Eurasian Teal Anas crecca Garganey Anas querquedula 2 25 Common Pochard Aythya ferina White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla 1 27 Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus Black Kite Milvus migrans Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Harrier sp, ringtail Circus sp 1 33 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus 1 41 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 43 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 2 44 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 2 45 Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei 1 46 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 47 Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus 3+ 1 Naturetrek November 15 7

9 September Common Name Scientific Name Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis 49 Baltic Gull Larus fuscus fuscus Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis 8 52 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Common Tern Sterna hirundo 2 54 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon Columba livia 56 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 57 Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis 1 58 Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria 6 59 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba Pallid Swift Apus pallidus Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 1 63 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops European Bee-eater Merops apiaster Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius 1 66 Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major 2 68 Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius 1 69 Crested Lark Galerida cristata 2 70 Sand Martin Riparia riparia Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta White Wagtail Motacilla alba Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 1 76 Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 2 77 Dunnock Prunella modularis 2 78 European Robin Erithacus rubecula Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 6 81 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe European Stonechat Saxicola torquata 5 83 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Common Blackbird Turdus merula Song Thrush Turdus philomelos 4 86 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus Garden Warbler Sylvia borin 2 88 Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix 1 93 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Goldcrest Regulus regulus 2 96 Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus 6 97 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva Naturetrek

10 September Common Name Scientific Name European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis Great Tit Parus major 102 Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus 103 Coal Tit Periparus ater 104 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea Kruper's Nuthatch Sitta krueperi Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 110 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius h Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix 112 Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula 113 Northern Raven Corvus corax 5 6 h 114 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis House Sparrow Passer domesticus 117 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs European Greenfinch Chloris chloris h 120 European Serin Serinus serinus European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra h 124 Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus 5 Cetaceans Harbour Porpoise Reptiles Spur-thighed Tortoise Butterflies Swallowtail Scarce Swallowtail Large White Small White Clouded Yellow Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow Painted Lady Southern White Admiral Silver-washed Fritillary Cardinal Fritillary Small Copper Holly Blue Lang's Short-tailed Blue Common Blue Eastern Rock Grayling Speckled Wood Wall Brown Large Wall Brown Mallow Skipper Moths Hummingbird Hawk-moth Pale Shoulder Naturetrek November 15 9

11 Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Naturetrek Facebook We are delighted to launch the Naturetrek Facebook page so that participants of Naturetrek tours can remain in touch after the holiday and share photos, comments and future travel plans. Setting up a personal profile at is quick, free and easy. The Naturetrek Facebook page is now live; do please pay us a visit! View from Otel Harem, Istanbul 10 Naturetrek