Birding Turkey and planned trips
June 21, 2008
I have just returned from an extremely gruelling tour of Turkey, where I covered 5,768 kms in ten days. A total of 209 species was recorded, including 33 new to my 2008 Western Palearctic Year List (taking my total to 562 species) and 1 (IRAQ BABBLER) new to my Western Palearctic Life List (number 837).
Three pairs of IRAQ BABBLERS have bred in Birecik this year (on the Euphrates River) with the pair and five well grown youngsters in the gravel pit area north of the bridge showing very well on 12th June. Other highlights of the trip included 166 DALMATIAN and 8 EUROPEAN WHITE PELICANS at Kuscennetti Milli Park on 8th, 5 LAUGHING DOVES in Inegol town, NW Turkey, on 9th, an adult EASTERN IMPERIAL EAGLE carrying a large struggling snake to its nest near Bozuyuk on 9th, a total of 60+ LONG-LEGGED BUZZARDS, exceptional numbers of EUROPEAN ROLLERS, a male LILFORD’S WHITE-BACKED WOODPECKER and many KRUPER’S NUTHATCHES north of Akseki on 9th, 3 OLIVE-TREE WARBLERS at Akseki Walled Plantation on 9th, an adult AUDOUIN’S GULL in Aydincik Harbour on 9th with a huge Alpine Swift colony offshore there on a rocky islet, 8 MARBLED DUCKS, 3 GREY-HEADED SWAMP HENS and MOUSTACHED WARBLER at the Goksu Delta on 9th, 76 WHITE-WINGED SNOWFINCH, 12 RED-FRONTED SERINS, GOLDEN EAGLE and 137 ALPINE SWIFTS at Demircazik on
11th and 25+ UPCHER’S WARBLERS, many WHITE-THROATED ROBINS, 2 CINEREOUS BUNTINGS and DESERT FINCHES at Isikli on 12th.
A total of 86 NORTHERN BALD IBIS was at Birecik on 12th, along with BLACK FRANCOLINS, PIED KINGFISHER, large numbers of DEAD SEA SPARROWS, several
MENETRIE’S WARBLERS, 5+ CHESTNUT-SHOULDERED PETRONIAS and 2 SEE-SEE PARTRIDGES. The Bozova road produced excellent numbers of ASIATIC LESSER SHORT-TOED and CALANDRA LARKS, as well as 7 FINSCH’S WHEATEARS on 13th, with a large mixed colony of BLUE-CHEEKED and EUROPEAN BEE-EATERS nearby. Impressive numbers of PALE ROCKFINCHES were seen at several locations, including 25+ singing males at Nemrut Dagi, Tatvan, on 14th, whilst the same-named location in the west producing excellent numbers of CINEREOUS BUNTINGS and RED-TAILED KURDISH WHEATEARS and a pair of TRUMPETER FINCHES. At Kayali on 13th, a swift colony held 6 LITTLE and 500+ ALPINE, with 6 active nests of EURASIAN GRIFFON VULTURE and 3 BONELLI’S
EAGLES noted. Further highlights near Tatvan on 14th included a nesting RADDE’S ACCENTOR, BIMACULATED LARK and some very welcome singing ORTOLAN BUNTINGS, whilst ROSE-COLOURED STARLINGS were very scarce this year with just 7 birds seen during the entire trip.
Good numbers of RUDDY SHELDUCK were on Lake Van Marshes, with a female VELVET SCOTER on Lake Van itself, with Serpmentas Lava Fields producing 28+
MONGOLIAN TRUMPETER FINCHES, 15 ASIATIC CRIMSON-WINGED FINCHES and many LESSER GREY SHRIKES nearby. Just 1 singing male GREY-NECKED BUNTING could be located at Van Cutting on 14th, with Bulanik yielding 3 SPUR-WINGED PLOVERS, 300+ GULL-BILLED TERNS but no Demoiselle Cranes on 15th (although 11 birds had been recorded in the area this spring). A further pair of TRUMPETER FINCHES was supplemented by excellent numbers of European Turtle Doves in several large areas. CAUCASIAN CHIFFCHAFFS were in abundance at Gelinkaya on 15th, with Sivri Kaya producing CAUCASIAN BLACK GROUSE and numerous singing BRIGHT GREEN WARBLERS on 16th.
The Black Sea coast on 17th-18th provided further excellent birding opportunities, with BLACK STORKS, HONEY BUZZARDS and EASTERN IMPERIAL EAGLE
highlighting. On the downside, the weather was particularly inclement, particularly in the mountainous regions, and Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Ruppell’s Warbler were not recorded at all, the first time in 9 Turkish tours that I had failed to find either species.
Although my Scandinavian trip next week is now full, I still have places on my Madeiran tour in the second week of July. Two places are also available on a Spanish trip in mid-September (for Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture) and I still require a few bodies to make up the ten required to visit Mauretania in December. Algeria has one place vacant, with Morocco up to 3 (the latter trip concentrating on Andalucian Hemipode, where an isolated population has recently been discovered).
Vagrants and scarce migrants
June 6, 2008
Tue Jun 3, 2008
During just 8 days absence from the UK in Iberia, an overwhelming and mouth-watering array of vagrants and scarce migrants appeared in Britain whilst I was away, surging the 2008 total for Britain and Ireland to an extremely impressive 366 species (the highest total at such an early stage ever). The latest additions since my previous update are as follows -:
STILT SANDPIPER - outstanding record from Rutland Water, Leics
GREAT SNIPE - unusual spring occurrence on Holy Island, Northumberland (plus
other east coast sightings)
MARSH SANDPIPER - Rutland Water - first county record
TEREK SANDPIPER - one-dayer in East Sussex
WILSON’S PHALAROPE - NW England, today at Seaforth NR, Lancs
EUROPEAN ROLLER - brief stayer in Lincolnshire
RIVER WARBLER - singing male at Beachy Head, successfully twitched by 108+
observers
BLYTH’S REED WARBLER - on Unst, the 4th to be identified by Stefan McElwee !!
MARSH WARBLER - large influx
GREENISH WARBLER - Shetland
LESSER GREY SHRIKE - High Newton, Northumberland, today
TRUMPETER FINCH - North Rona and Blakeney Point
COMMON ROSEFINCH - many spring migrants
RUSTIC BUNTING - 2+ on Northern Isles
BLACK-HEADED BUNTING - male in Yorkshire
Birding Iberia
June 6, 2008
Tue Jun 3, 2008
Despite unusually unseasonal appalling weather conditions in Iberia (almost continuous rain for 10 weeks now), I have just returned from an exceptionally successful tour of both Spain and Portugal. In just over a week and 4,572 kilometres covered, a total of 189 species was recorded, including 44 for my Western Palearctic Year List taking my cumulative total to a new record 524 species.
Amongst the many highlights of the trip were a breeding coastal colony of LITTLE SWIFTS, a nesting pair of WHITE-RUMPED SWIFTS, a vagrant whinnying male PIED-BILLED GREBE, many LITTLE BITTERNS and PURPLE HERONS, 8 nesting pairs of BLACK STORK (all with young), WHITE-HEADED DUCKS, 4 LAMMERGEIERS including an adult pair, many EURASIAN BLACK VULTURES, a fabulous pair of SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLES, excellent views of adult BONELLI’S EAGLES, many hundreds of Montagu’s Harriers, some large gatherings of LESSER KESTRELS, 25 WESTERN PURPLE GALLINULES, excellent numbers of GREAT BUSTARDS (including a feeding flock of 27 birds), many calling male LITTLE BUSTARDS, both PIN-TAILED and BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE, a surprising number of European Turtle Doves, 3 fantastic GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOOS, 2 well-grown EURASIAN EAGLE OWLETS, 2 RED-NECKED NIGHTJARS in broad daylight roosting on the ground and flying around, the male even singing!, many EUROPEAN ROLLERS, IBERIAN GREEN WOODPECKERS, large numbers of CALANDRA LARKS, 10+ singing male DUPONT’S LARKS, IBERIAN YELLOW WAGTAILS, 7 displaying male WESTERN RUFOUS BUSHCHATS, BLACK WHEATEARS, WESTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLERS, 10+ singing male WESTERN BONELLI’S WARBLERS, excellent views of IBERIAN PIED FLYCATCHERS, WALLCREEPER, very large numbers of AZURE-WINGED MAGPIES, 70+ ALPINE
CHOUGHS, ROCK SPARROWS, 5 WHITE-WINGED SNOWFINCH, IBERIAN COMMON CROSSBILLS and ROCK BUNTINGS. Also seen were the ship-assisted PIED CROW of unknown origin and an assortment of Category C estrelids including an extraodinary number of breeding BLACK-HEADED WEAVERS and YELLOW-CROWNED BISHOPS.
I am especially thankful to all of the Spanish birders that helped me during my visit, particularly Daniel Lopez Velasco, Jose Luis Copete and Jose Ardaiz, as well as to Chris Bell, Joan Thompson and Mike Collard, who provided some excellent additional information.
A similar tour will be prepared for 2008 - email for details
Site Update
June 2, 2008
After much head scratching and the Trumpeter Finch over the weekend the public area of the website is once again working. However we are aware that some of the features and links are not 100% guaranteed to be working currently, I will endeavour to restore the site to full working order in the shortest time possible.
Site Admin
LGRE Tours in 2008 - Scotland
May 21, 2008
Just returned from a hugely successful 4-day tour of Northern Scotland, where amongst the many highlights for participents were the fabulous sightings of an adult male SNOWY OWL at very close range and a female PINE MARTEN feeding on peanuts at about a yard’s range.
Also seen were summer-plumaged WHITE-BILLED DIVER, 25+ Great Northern Divers (many in full breeding attire), 4 Black-throated Divers (including a beautiful full summer-plumaged bird), several pairs of Red-throated Diver, 20+ SLAVONIAN GREBES (breeding), Manx Shearwaters, 3 Whooper Swans, a fantastic adult drake KING EIDER, a flock of over 160 mainly summer-plumaged LONG-TAILED DUCKS,
Goosanders, many OSPREYS, GOLDEN EAGLES (including 6 in just one small area), 3 WHITE-TAILED SEA EAGLES (including an adult which hovered above the ferry just outside Lochmaddy), Red Kite, Hen Harrier, a displaying male NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 24 lekking male BLACK GROUSE, 5 CAPERCAILLIES, 2 PTARLIGAN, 29 European Golden Plover in full summer finery, breeding Dunlin, Common Greenshank, 8
Whimbrel, large numbers of Arctic Terns, 100+ Atlantic Puffins, 40+ Black Guillemots, 150+ ROCK DOVES, many Common Cuckoos, numerous Dippers, Whinchats on territory, many Spotted Flycatchers, singing male Pied Flycatcher, 2 CRESTED TITS (very difficult at this time of year), Common Ravens, Hooded Crows, several Twite, 9 SCOTTISH PARROT CROSSBILLS (including a family group of 4) and singing male Corn Buntings on North Uist.
In terms of mammals, Harbour Porpoise, Hedgehog, Wood Mouse, Mountain Hare, Brown Hare, Red Deer and Roe Deer were all seen, along with 2 freshly emerged CHEQUERED SKIPPER butterflies
I have one more trip to run this summer to Scotland on which spaces are still available (and I am also taking bookings now for 2009), so if you wish to join me, please email or phone for details
Lee G R Evans
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Chaffinch House
8 Sandycroft Road Little Chalfont Amersham Buckinghamshire England HP6 6QL Telephones: 01494 763010 and 01494 581157 Mobile/Text Alerts: 07881 906629 (Lee Evans Enterprises incorporate documentation of rare bird occurrences in Britain & Ireland and elsewhere in the Western Palearctic and in North America; Rare Bird Information and Rare Bird Alerts; Rare Birds Magazine and other related publications; Bird Tours for Birders) |
UK Bird Species 2008 To Date
May 9, 2008
Wed May 7, 2008 4:17 pm
With the further addition of 17 species in the past 15 days, the total number of species now recorded in Britain and Ireland in 2008 now surges forward to 338 species. The new additions are -:
LITTLE BITTERN
BLACK STORK
Eurasian Honey Buzzard
Corncrake
CASPIAN PLOVER
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER
BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER
UPLAND SANDPIPER
Little Tern
European Nightjar
PALLID SWIFT
European Bee-eater
CITRINE WAGTAIL
Golden Oriole
Woodchat Shrike
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
Ortolan Bunting
Members area updates
April 27, 2008
UK400 Club year, county and life, lists updated along with Black Lark article added to members area.
Scandanavia Birding Trip
April 26, 2008
Although I am away in China from 25 April to 5 May (trip rescheduled after Oasis Airways went bust), I have four short trips later in May to fill, including 3-dayers in Morocco, Madeira, Poland and Italy. All are dawn-dusk birding and full-on but crammed full of birds and never short on events and laughter. Please email/phone asap if interested.
Later in the summer, I shall be returning to Scandinavia in an attempt to see all the owls, 3 woodpeckers, Willow Grouse, Bluetails, perhaps Lancey, Arctic Warblers, Sibe Jay, Sibe Tit, Pine Grosbeak, Tereks & Broad-billeds, King & Steller’s Eiders, Gyrfalcon, Brunnich’s Guillemots and much much more. There are possibly two spaces left on this trip. Email me if interested.
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