TURKEY 28 May–11 June 2011 Leaders: Soner Bekir and Peter Lansdown

On this comprehensive tour we shall be exploring the southeastern quarter of a country that is more than three times the size of the UK. From our first full day looking for Caspian Snowcock and Radde's Accentor on high mountain scree to our last full day searching a remote plain for Mongolian Finch and Grey-necked Bunting, this will be a tour packed with spectacular scenery and special birds. Turkey’s great cultural diversity, a result of location and a turbulent past, will be much in evidence and at one point during the tour we will be a mere ten miles from the very edge of the Western Palearctic.

Day 1 Flight from London, via Istanbul, to Kayseri in southern Turkey, followed by a drive to Camardi, in the Taurus Mountains, for a two-night stay.

Day 2 Our tractor ride up to Demirkazik will necessitate an extremely early start in order to see Caspian Snowcock at dawn. Golden Eagle, Radde’s and Alpine Accentors, Finsch’s Wheatear, Rufous-tailed and Blue Rock-thrushes, Wallcreeper, Yellow-billed and Red-billed Choughs, Red-fronted Serin, Crimson-winged Finch, White-winged Snowfinch and Lammergeier also occur here. Depending upon what we see during the morning, we can choose either to walk back down the gorge looking for Chukar or to return on the tractor. Weather permitting, this promises to be a day to remember!

Day 3 We will try again for Caspian Snowcock if the weather was unkind yesterday. Alternatively, we will visit the nearby Emli Valley for other montane species and where Eurasian Eagle-owl can sometimes be found. Then we will set off on the long drive to the Mediterranean coast where we will spend the late afternoon birding at the internationally important Goksu Delta. Three-nights' stay in Silifke.

Days 4–5 The area abounds with herons, ducks, waders, gulls and terns and we will visit a number of localities including Lake Akgol and Paradeniz Golu. Among the specialities we shall look for are Marbled Duck, Black Francolin, Purple Swamphen, Spur-winged Lapwing, Audouin's Gull, White-throated Kingfisher, White-spectacled Bulbul, Graceful Prinia and Moustached Warbler. We will also spend half a day inland at the ancient Roman city of Diocaesarea, where Syrian Woodpecker, Olive-tree, Barred and Rüppell’s Warblers and Masked Shrike can all be found, and enjoy a barbecue lunch whilst watching Krüper’s Nuthatches!

Day 6 We will leave at dawn and drive eastwards, punctuating our long journey with comfort and birding stops. Short-toed Snake-eagles and Booted Eagles, Pallid Swifts, Isabelline Wheatears and Black-headed Buntings are likely reasons for unscheduled pauses, while White-throated and Pied Kingfishers could be our reward for taking a short break at Kirmitli wetland. Longer stops will be necessary in the Isikli and Durnalik Valleys. Species we will look for here include White-throated Robin, Black-eared Wheatear, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Western Rock Nuthatch, Cretzschmar's Bunting, Upcher’s Warbler, Sombre Tit and Cinereous Bunting. In the late afternoon we will continue our journey to the wonderfully atmospheric town of Birecik, where we will spend three nights.

Days 7–8 Pistachio orchards, parks and the famous gorge are some of the sites we will explore in and around Birecik as we look for the semi-wild Northern Bald Ibis, See-see Partridge, Syrian Woodpecker, Alpine and Little Swifts, Eastern Olivaceous, Ménétries's and Upcher's Warblers, Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, Rufous Bush-robin and Dead Sea Sparrow. Eastern Rock Nuthatch and Bonelli's Eagle also occur in a small town near Birecik, half of which is under the waters of a reservoir. Pale Rock Petronia and Desert Lark are among the other possibilities to be found here while Pygmy Cormorant and Pied Kingfisher may be found along the Euphrates River. Information from our local contacts may help us to locate the nomadic Cream-coloured Courser on the steppes. We will also check the site where, in 2006, a small colony of Iraq Babblers was discovered. At night we will continue to bird, looking for owl species including Eurasian and Striated Scops-owls and Barn and Long-eared Owls.

Day 9 Leaving Birecik we will head eastwards to an area of grassland where See-see Partridge, Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Finsch’s Wheatear can be found. Nearby, in orchards, we will look for Desert Finch. Moving on northeastwards, we will break our journey at a mixed breeding colony of Blue-cheeked and European Bee-eaters. We will continue round the vast Ataturk Reservoir until we reach the historical site of Nemrut Dagi. This is an excellent site for both Red-tailed (Kurdish) Wheatear and Pale Rock Petronias and there will also be the opportunity to see the famous statues near the summit. In the late afternoon we will cross the reservoir on a ferry and spend the night in the town of Silverek.

Day 10 This morning we will check for Spectacled Warblers in the lava flows at Karacadag Mountain. Additionally, Bimaculated and Calandra Larks can be found breeding here. In the afternoon we will visit the world heritage site of Hasankeyf with its spectacular cave dwellings and colony of Lesser Kestrels. Overnight in Batman.

Day 11 Today’s target species is Red-wattled Lapwing and we will systematically search river courses for one. Although the species is rare in the Western Palearctic, there are reliable places on tributaries of the River Tigris, well upstream of the militarily sensitive Syrian border in Cizre. We will then continue our journey eastwards and, if there is enough time, we will visit Nemrut Crater Lake for Velvet (Asiatic) Scoter in the late afternoon. Overnight in Tatvan on the western shore of Lake Van.

Day 12 Lake Van, at 3755 square kilometres, is the largest lake in Turkey and today we will travel along its northern shore. We will search the marshes, with Paddyfield Warbler the main focus of our efforts, and check Sodaligol, which is a wonderful stopover site for migrating waders. Armenian Gulls are common here together with breeding White-headed Ducks, whilst migrant waders may include Marsh, Terek and Broad-billed Sandpipers and Red-necked Phalaropes. Two nights in Ercis.

Day 13 Today we will start early and spend all day on and around Bulanik Plain, where Turkey's highest concentration of breeding Great Bustards and its only known Demoiselle Crane breeding area are found thanks to the continuing use of traditional agricultural practices. Sadly, the cranes have recently declined to the extent that they may no longer breed and thus be only passage migrants. We also hope to see Cattle Egret, Montagu's Harrier, Common Crane, Gull-billed and White-winged Terns, Lesser Short-toed and Calandra Larks and more passage waders here. We may even be fortunate enough to locate Little Bustard or Black-winged Pratincole.

Day 14 This morning we will drive to Dogubeyazit in extreme eastern Turkey near its border with Iran. At the spectacular Ishak Pasa, overlooking Mount Ararat, we will look for Grey-necked Bunting, which is on the extreme western edge of its range here. Other birds we may see include both Saker Falcon and Lammergeier. After lunch, we will cross a pass with amazing rock formations created by lava flows from Mount Tendurek. The main reason for visiting this area, however, is to look for Mongolian Finches, which favour this habitat and, like Grey-necked Buntings, are at the extreme western edge of their range. Supporting birds may include Citrine Wagtail, Rock Petronia, Trumpeter and Crimson-winged Finches and White-winged Snowfinch. In the late afternoon we will make the two-hour drive to Van, where we will spend the last night.

Day 15 Sadly, it is time to leave, but fortunately it is only a short journey to the airport to catch an internal flight to Istanbul, where we will board our flight back to London.

General Information Although bad weather is unlikely, the temperature will vary from cold in the mountains to warm on the coast; some rain is possible. The pace of the tour is moderate with generally easy walking, although some extra effort will be needed at high altitude. There are some special health requirements and you should refer to your doctor for advice. Insects will not be a major problem except around lakes and marshes. Accommodation will be the best available, mainly with en-suite facilities. Transport will be by air-conditioned minibus. Road conditions are generally good although some rough roads can be expected when accessing birding areas and there are some long journeys. Visas are required but they can be obtained on arrival at a cost of £10 for UK citizens.

Group Size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 8; maximum group size: 14 with 2 leaders.

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