Baggins on the Loose: White-spectacled Bulbul

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Early spring break to Antalya, Turkey.

Restless after being so travel restricted for so long I've been itching to get abroad somewhere for ages, so as soon as most of the Covid restrictions on foreign travel were lifted I was on it. Having just sold my campervan (I'll have another one soon enough) a road-trip was out of the question, but I was pleasantly surprised with the value to be had with the flight / hotel / car hire options. A bit of searching, a few clicks of the mouse, and in no time at all I found myself booked on a flight to Antalya, Turkey for the last week of March.

My base for the week was Beldibi Mah, some 20 kilometres south of Antalya and used a hire car to explore up and down the coast and inland into the mountains of the Beydaglari Sahil Milli Park (National Park). From a birding perspective I was definitely a week too early - isn't hindsight a bittersweet thing! Very few spring arrivals, in fact I had to work hard for any decent birds, but it was enjoyable searching. Always is when you're somewhere in the world you've never been before.

Goynuk Yaylasi, nr Ovacik, 27/03/2022

For me it was the montane areas to the Southwest of my base that charmed me the most and I made a couple of trips up as far as the foothills of the Beydaglari mountains and the remote villages of Ovacik and Sotugcuma. Birds may have been thin on the ground but the scenery was spectacular.

Bey Mountains, nr Ovacik, 27/03/2022

Alcadag, Nr Sogutcuma, 29/03/2022

Sogutcuma, 29/03/2022

Most of the terrain, even in the wooded areas (that were nearly all coniferous by the way), was 'rocky'. Rocks everywhere, and this river bed that flows out at Camyuva was typical of similar broad rocky water courses I saw across the patch.

Kemer Cay at Kuzdere, 26/03/2022

My best birds up in the mountains were Kuypers Nuthatch, a new bird for me, as was a single Sombre Tit, a Hawfinch, a small flock of Crossbills, surprising numbers of Woodlark, a few migratory Barn Swallows, House Martins and a single Pallid / Common Swift.

Kuypers Nuthatch, nr Sogutcuma, 27/03/2022

Woodlark, Ovacik, 29/03/2022

Buzzard Sp., Beldibi, 28/03/2022

Raptors were scarce too. A couple of Sparrowhawks, a Short Toed Eagle and a dozen or so Buzzards, some of which were probably Long Legged Buzzards but my id skills on raptors is less pretty shabby to say the least - any shout outs for these?!

Buzzard Sp., nr Ovacik, 29/03/2022

Buzzard sp. Beldibi, 24/03/2022

White Spectacled Bulbuls, Kuzdere, 26/03/2022

The rooftop space at my hotel in Beldibi was a vantage point that promised much but flattered to deceive - the odd soaring Buzzard (like the one above), passing House Martins, Chiffchaffs and common finches in the gardens was about it but good for seeing Laughing Doves close up and White Spectacled Bulbuls which were quite common throughout.

Laughing Dove, Beldibi, 24/03/2022

Hotel roof, Beldibi Mah

I had to wait until dusk on my penultimate day before another warbler species apart from Chiffchaff, a couple of voraciously feeding Lesser Whitethroats that looked noticeably bigger, longer legged and thicker billed than the ones I see back home and possible candidates for birds of the central asian race Halimodendri?

Lesser Whitethroat (poss Central Asian), Beldibi Mah, 29/03/2022

Ortolan Bunting, Beldibi, 29/03/2022

I had another first at the same location (a coastal drain just south of Beldibi) in the shape of a male Rupell's Warbler, a truly striking bird but sadly no photo opportunity, and a couple of male Ortolan Buntings in the gathering gloom I had to stalk to eventually get a record pic. On the same day Wheatears started appearing with several on the shorefront at Beldibi Mah, feeding amongst building excavations for yet more hotels! A few looked like half decent shouts for Isabellines but in truth probably all Northern Wheatears.

Northern Wheatear, Beldibi Mah, 29/03/2022

Poss Ibelline Wheatear, Beldibi Mah, 29/03/2022

Kemer Cay at Camyuva.

One evening I got back to the hotel minus my smartphone. Potential disaster! Looked everywhere but there was no sign. After much swearing and unhelpful thoughts about future hassle, I remembered a stumble down a river bank trying to get a better view of a wader that turned out to be a Green Sandpiper, knew I'd had it before, and reckoned that was the only place it could have popped out. I needn't have worried, first thing the next morning I retraced my steps to said place and there it was sat up and looking at me on the rocky riverbank! Such relief.

Yellow Wagtail (Black-headed race), pic-'focussing on wildlife'

The river in question was at Camyuva and turned out to be my only decent bit of reachable wetland and when I went back that morning there were more waders - a Common Sandpiper, 5 Ruff, a Dunlin and 6 Little Ringed Plovers. A few seconds later a couple of Yellow Wagtails of the black headed race fluttered into view. All most welcome birds - only shame was that in all my anxieties about retrieving my phone I inexplicably left the long lens at the hotel - duh!!

A day trip down to south facing Karaoz was again memorable for the drive rather than the birds. The hillside meadows were just starting to sprout spring flowers with these Poppy Anemones being the most abundant.

Poppy Anemones, nr Adrasan, 25/03/2022

Poppy Anemone, nr Adrasan, 25/03/2022

Another drive out, this time towards the Korkutelli Hills north west of Antalya was similarly disappointing from a birding point of view. I ended up stopping and walking around a remote settlement called Bayatbedelmeir. A frustratingly brief glimpse of a small woodpecker apart, nothing special and in many ways fairly typical of bird species I encountered in Turkey at this time of year - plenty of Chiffchaffs, Song Thrush, Woodlark, Jays, Chaffinch, Serin, Greenfinch, House Sparrows, Crested Lark, a lone Buzzard sp and Stonechat. Best bird was a big looking hawk that circled over my head but try as I may I couldn't turn into anything other than a Sparrowhawk.