Southern Turkey, June 2015.

Western Brown Fish Owl (adult above), Oymapinar 20 June 2015.

I've wanted to visit Turkey for many years now. Inspired by the excellent photos of the recently discovered Western Brown Fish Owls Ketupa zeylonensis semenowi there on Yoav Perlman's blog, I decided to take the WildWings trip to Southern Turkey.

We began our tour in Antayla with just enough time for a little birding around the hotel near Managvat before settling in for an early night. Typical species near the hotel included European Roller Coracias garrulus, White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos, Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida and Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis.

Early start next morning heading to the Brown Fish Owl site at Oymapinar with Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops calling outside the hotel as the bus pulled away.

Oymapinar, 21 June 2015.

WildWings group heading towards the 'Green Canyon' and Fish Owls.

Pulling away from the dock not long after 5am we located our first Western Brown Fish Owl sitting in pines on the canyon wall above us!
After watching this individual (at some distance) we pressed on into the 'Green Canyon'. Here we obtained great views of a pair with two young.
An account of the discovery of Western Brown Fish Owl can be found here.

Other species seen in the canyon included Yellow-legged Gulls Larus michahellis, Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus (adult in the Yellow-legged Gull colony), Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris, Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer and Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius.

Yellow-legged Gull (adult & juvenile).

Yellow-legged Gull (juvenile).

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Oymapinar 21 June 2015.

This Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus has been in the Yellow-legged Gull colony for a couple of years now. We were not sure if it was a Baltic Gull as the mantle appeared a shade too pale to our eyes.

The possibility that it has bred with one of the Yellow-legged Gulls has also been discussed.

Yellow-legged Gulls (juveniles) or possibly offspring of the LBBG/YLG pairing?

Returning to the hotel we packed up and headed out to Akseki. I was surprised how many species we saw in the middle of the day here, including usually 'tough' species like Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum.
We saw many interesting birds by working the scrub and small forest patch near the graveyard. Scanning the horizon we picked up Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus and a cracking low European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus.
The meadows were alive with Black-eared Wheatears Oenanthe hispanica, Black-headed Buntings Emberiza melanocephala and four species of shrike.
Eastern Bonelli's Warblers Phylloscopus orientalis could be heard 'chipping' from just about every bush and the graveyard area held Lesser Spotted Dendrocopos minor, Middle Spotted D. medius and Syrian Woodpeckers D. syriacus.

Our next stop was the Turkish Pine forests above Akseki where we quickly located Krüper's Nuthatch Sitta krueperi.

Another area of pre-montane scrub kept us busy in the evening and early birding session the following morning. Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris, Rüppell's Warbler S. ruppeli, Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus, Asian Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguineus and Cretzschmar's Bunting Emberiza caesia were all seen here.

En route to Eregli, crossing the plateau between Bozkir and Karaman we found a nice male White-throated Robin Irania gutturalis and our first Isabelline Wheatears Oenanthe isabellina.

Isabelline Wheatear, 22 June 2015.

White-throated Robin, 22 June 2015.

The afternoon ended well as we searched steppe habitat, watching Lesser Short-toed Larks Alaudala rufescens and Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni.

Bearded Reedling, 23 June 2015.

The following day we visited Sultan Marshes where a drake White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala, Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca, Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotatus, many Moustached Warblers Acrocephalus melanopogon and Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus were seen.

Watching Great White Pelicans over Sultan Marshes, 23 June 2015.

Bearded Reedling, 23 June 2015.

Mount Erciyes from Sultan Marshes, 23 June 2015.

Little Owl Athene noctua and Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus could be seen near the Pension as well as Whiskered Chlidonias hybrida and White-winged Terns C. leucopterus and the usual herons in the marshes.

Little Owl, 23 June 2015.

In the afternoon we went in search of Upcher's Warbler Hippolais languida stopping for Citrine Wagtails Motacilla citreola alongside Yellow (Black-headed) Wagtails M. flava feldegg.

Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava feldegg, Sultan Marshes 23 June 2015.

While we were watching the wagtails and some Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola we found this Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus of one of the thick-billed races (possibly reiseri) of SE Europe and Turkey.

Male Reed Bunting, Sultan Marshes 23 June 2015. Note the bill shape.

It was now time to move on as we had to be in Aladaglar for the night. We stopped at a recently discovered site for Upcher's Warbler Hippolais languida. Rather surprisingly (to me at least!) there were no tall trees in the valley, mostly just low Berberis scrub.

Looking for Upcher's Warbler near Yahali, 23 June 2015.

Male White-throated Robin, 23 June 2015.

We located a fine male White-throated Robin and it wasn't too long before we found our target species on the opposite slope. Again its behaviour was not quite what I expected - preferring to feed from rocks and low (almost ground level) scrub, perching on taller bushes on rare occasions.

Upcher's Warbler, 23 June 2015.

It was good to note the characteristic 'swinging' tail movements and that the bird was slightly larger than Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. The slightly longer wings gave the bird a rather 'spot fly-like' appearance in flight and of course it lacked the pale wing-covert fringes of the larger Olive-tree Warbler.

Upcher's Warbler, 23 June 2015.

The Demirkazik plateau was our next destination. We left the Safak Pension by tractor at 4am on a chilly morning, arriving at the plateau to scan the scopes within the hour, seeing European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus on the way up.

Early morning birding for Caspian Snowcock, Demirkazik 24 June 2015.

We soon heard our target birds and it wasn't long before Hasan picked up the first Caspian Snowcock Tetraogallus caspius.

Hasan Safak phonescoping Snowcock.

Caspian Snowcock, 24 June 2015.

Ibex above the plateau, 24 June 2015.

We didn't move far over the next few hours but managed an incredible array of quality species including Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos, Red-billed Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria, Black Redstarts Phoenicurus ochruros (nominate birds with rufous lower belly), White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis, Radde's Prunella ocularis and Alpine Accentors P. collaris, Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta, Asian Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguineus and Rock Bunting Emberiza cia.

Golden Eagle, 24 June 2015.

Asian Crimson-winged Finch, 24 June 2015. 

Radde's Accentor, 24 June 2015.

On the way back to a late (very late!) breakfast we checked some Juniper scrub we found a pair of Barred Warblers Sylvia nisoria as we searched for Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus. Kerem informed us that Barred Warblers are unexpected here as the are normally a Black Sea coast breeder in Turkey.

Barred Warbler, 24 June 2015.

A very pleasant afternoon was spent in the Emli Valley where we found Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris, Horned Larks Eremophila alpestris and Bimaculated Larks Melanocorypha bimaculata on the steppe at the entrance. Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus, Finsch's Wheatears Oenanthe finschii and Red-fronted Serins Serinus pusillus were seen in the valley.

Bimaculated Lark, 24 June 2015.

Red-fronted Serin, 24 June 2015.

On the final morning we headed to Adana seeing pale and dark phase Booted Eagles Hieraaetus pennatus along the way. A quick stop at the Seyhan River produced Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmeus, White-throated Halcyon smyrnensis and Pied Kingfishers Ceryle rudis and Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes.

The final new birds for the tour was a Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus, my 363rd species in the Western Palearctic in 2015.

I am very grateful to Kerem Ali Boya who led this tour for WildWings.

Me and Kerem after a successful morning's birding, Demirkazik 24 June 2015.

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus, 24 June 2015.

Woodpeckers of Hungary & Slovakia, May 2015.

White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotus, Hungary May 2015.

Woodpeckers featured heavily during the recent trip I co-led for Limosa to Hungary & Slovakia.
We managed to see ten species including Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus, that we had to travel to Slovakia for.
The other 'tricky' species was White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotus. We saw one in Slovakia but the Three-toed was on view at the same time, taking priority. So it was nice to see a pair in Hungary on our return there at the end of the tour.
Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, Goshawk Accipiter gentilis and Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis were nice distractions while we waited for these woodpeckers to appear!

White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotus, Hungary May 2015.

The ten species were:

• Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius
• Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
• Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
• Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
• Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus
• Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius
• White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor
• Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus
• Wryneck Jynx torquilla

Wryneck Jynx torquilla was the last of the ten species of woodpecker seen in Hungary and Slovakia during the recent Limosa tour there.

Owls in Hungary & Slovakia, May 2015.

Long-eared Owl Asio otus, Nadudvar (Hungary).

 We had some very nice encounters with owls during the recent Limosa tour to Hungary and Slovakia.
The grounds of the hotel in Hortobagy were simply filled with birds in a nice mix of habitats - lake with reed-fringed margins, oak woodlands with dense understory and gallery woodland with scrub.
One of the first species we saw was Long-eared Owl roosting in Willows over the lake and these could be seen every day, only shifting roosting positions slightly.

Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, Zemplen Hills (Hungary).

 In the Zemplen Hills we were treated to this nesting Eagle Owl on a hot and rather hazy morning. The adult can just be seen in the centre but the four chicks were almost impossible to see.
Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio, European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster and Wood Lark Lullula arborea were also on view while watching these owls at distance through the 'scopes.

The forests of the Slovakian Ore Mountains, May 2015.

Tengmalm's Owl Aegolius funereus, Slovakia May 2015.

 A two-day excursion into Slovakia took us into the Ore Mountains mainly for woodpeckers, but obviously there were various bonus birds too. This Tengmalm's Owl certainly fell into that category during a real 'purple patch' that included Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus (the main reason for visiting Slovakia), White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopus leucotos, Crested Tit and later a Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes.

Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, Nadudvar.

Back in Hungary we did manage to see 'the big one' - Ural Owl Strix uralensis, but unfortunately this individual remained in the canopy and impossible to photograph.

This migrant Eurasian Nightjar was found roosting over the lake near our hotel one morning.