Monday 27 April 2026

We flew from Amsterdam via Istanbul, with a two-hour stopover, and arrived in Gaziantep in the evening. We picked up our rental car at the airport and drove to the Holiday Inn in Gaziantep, where we would stay for several nights. From this hotel there was quick access to the highway leading to Durnalik (30-minute drive) and Birecik (1-hour drive).

Tuesday 28 April 2026

I arrived at Durnalik at first light and, when I stepped out of the car, I was greeted by many unfamiliar bird songs. The first one I managed to locate was a White-throated Robin* singing from a tree further up the hillside. From the orchard I could hear Blackbirds, but soon also heard and saw an Upcher's Warbler*. Another song came from an Eastern Orphean Warbler. I saw about six individuals of each warbler species in the area during the morning.

Having already found my main targets for the morning and managed to get some good photos of the White-throated Robins, I continued my walk uphill. In the bushes were Red-backed Shrikes and Woodchat Shrikes, accompanied by the alarming calls of Upcher's and Orphean Warblers.

A Peregrine Falcon was also waking up and calling loudly from the rock formations, as were a trio of Eastern Rock Nuthatches*.

The stony slopes held many Eastern Black-eared Wheatears, which made it difficult to search for Finch's Wheatear. Several Cretzschmar's Buntings were present along the roadside. After checking and photographing several flying wheatears, I finally found a Finch's Wheatear*!

During the walk back down, I saw a pair of Steppe Buzzards and a male Blue Rock Thrush. Back at the car, which I had parked under a tree, I noticed a nervous pair of Sombre Tits apparently visiting a nesting hole.

On the other side of the village, I visited another orchard which was full of migrants, including Red-backed Shrikes, Spotted Flycatchers, Lesser Whitethroats and a Wood Warbler. Although I couldn't find the other targets, I did get a nice view of a courting pair of Masked Shrikes.

It was time to head back to the hotel for breakfast with Saskia, followed by a walk through the centre of Gaziantep. The sightseeing walk also provided some nice birds. Laughing Doves were very common and tame, while Alpine Swifts and Common Swifts flew over the city. In a small park, I found an Eastern Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin.

As the sun was getting lower, we drove to Birecik. One of our targets was the Striated Scops Owl, so we first tried the park near the tea houses along the Euphrates River. Sadly, no owl, but at one spot a group of Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, Wood Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers were alarming high in the trees, although nothing could be seen from below.

It was still quite warm, so we had some tea and baklava at one of the tea houses overlooking the river. Pygmy Cormorants were frequently flying by, but so were some Lesser Black-backed Gulls (possibly heuglini), Gull-billed Terns, Northern Bald Ibises and a Western Marsh Harrier.

The marshes south of Birecik were our next stop. As soon as we stopped at the first site, I spotted a Spur-winged Lapwing*. While observing it, a Grey-headed Swamphen* emerged from the reeds. A warbler landed on the fence and started singing: a Ménétries's Warbler*! A pair of Spectacled Bulbuls* also landed nearby. What a spot! Besides these lifers, European Bee-eaters, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Cuckoo and Moustached Warbler were present. The next lifer soon presented itself, with a handful of Dead Sea Sparrows in the reeds along the road.

We still had some daylight left, so we drove to the marshes northwest of Birecik. After being stopped by the police and having our car searched, we could continue our journey, with a nice pair of Desert Finches* perched alongside the road. It was another fantastic site and we quickly found Iraq Babblers*, Delicate Prinias* and a Pied Kingfisher*, all lifers. Among them, Squacco Herons, Purple Herons and more Pygmy Cormorants were feeding in the rich waters. Common Quail and Black Francolin were calling from the agricultural fields, where we also found a Black-winged Kite. As night approached, a flock of about 300 Black Kites gathered overhead, looking for a place to roost, accompanied by a couple of Long-legged Buzzards.

A Turkish birder came by and invited us to follow him. He showed us a flock of Black-headed Buntings mixed with Spanish Sparrows. We had a nice chat, but had to decline his invitation to have tea at his house as we wanted to try for the Striated Scops Owl again. We returned to the site and waited near an opening where I had read that the owl might come out to hunt. A male Levant Sparrowhawk flew by and landed in a bush to roost. After watching many bats flying past, suddenly the Striated Scops Owl* landed on a pole right in front of us! With the streetlights providing just enough light, I managed to capture the bird on camera in full frame. What a perfect end to the day! We celebrated with a lovely dinner on one of the restaurant boats, with great food and service.

Wednesday 29 April 2026

I got up at 05:00 and headed back to Birecik to look for See-see Partridges in the hills. Like when looking for Grey Partridges at home, I slowly drove along the roads through the agricultural fields and scanned the more promising areas.

As soon as I lowered the window, I could hear the song of a Black-headed Bunting. Two sparrows flew by, both Rock Sparrows and sadly not the sought-after Pale Rock Sparrow. While scanning the area, two See-see Partridges* flew past me, but I couldn't relocate them after they landed in a valley. I continued driving along the road, which produced a European Roller, Lesser Kestrel, Ménétries's Warbler, Dead Sea Sparrow, many Calandra Larks and a Red-throated Pipit and Desert Finch flying overhead. One male See-see Partridge was feeding on some flowers not far from the road in the morning light.

After this productive morning, I stopped by the fish farm next to the Bald Ibis colony to photograph the Pygmy Cormorants and Black-crowned Night Herons bringing in nesting material. Five Armenian Gulls* and a Lesser Black-backed Gull were resting at the fish farm.

Due to the heat, we visited the air-conditioned Gaziantep Mosaic Museum before going for a hike at Durnalik in the late afternoon. The museum was impressive and I tried to identify the various animals depicted in the mosaics.

In the hills at Durnalik it was much cooler than in Gaziantep, which made our hike very pleasant. It even got a bit chilly towards the end when the wind picked up. There was less activity among the songbirds, but the Eastern Black-eared Wheatears and cooperative Cretzschmar's Buntings were good photo subjects. At the old quarry, the Eastern Rock Nuthatch* showed well under the watchful eye of a Long-legged Buzzard.

Thursday 30 April 2026

Another attempt at Birecik, as I still hadn't managed to find a Yellow-throated Sparrow. They had been seen in the orchards southeast of Birecik, so I tried several dirt tracks through the area, but all in vain. There were plenty of Common Nightingales and Rufous-tailed Scrub Robins, and a pair of Pied Kingfishers flew overhead, but still no sparrows.

On the way back, I stopped at the marshes along the Euphrates to try to photograph Ménétries's Warblers and Dead Sea Sparrows. Only the latter cooperated. There were three Ferruginous Ducks present and a larger flock of Iraq Babblers. The cultivated fields hosted half a dozen calling Black Francolins.

During breakfast back at the hotel, Saskia encouraged me to give the Yellow-throated Sparrows another try. I checked some websites and found that the Frisian Birders had seen two sparrows at the lake between Birecik and Nizip. As we would almost pass it on our way to Nemrut, we decided to give it a try.

The road to the lake took us through many orchards. We drove with the windows open, trying to pick up singing birds, but all we came across were Desert Finches (also not bad!) and Agama lizards basking on top of almost every water pump.

The road ended at the lake, still without any sign of the YTS, but the scenery was very nice. Calandra Larks and Greater Short-toed Larks were singing, while a pair of Ménétries's Warblers was skulking in the vegetation along the lakeshore. On the lake were two Garganeys, and among the drifting debris were some Ruff, Black-winged Stilts and Spur-winged Lapwings. We spent over an hour looking for the YTS, and I was already walking back to the car when, in the last 20 metres, I found two male Yellow-throated Sparrows* competing over a nesting hole. Finally, the effort paid off!

What followed was the long drive to Nemrut through some beautiful landscapes that looked very interesting for birding, but due to our schedule we had to keep driving. We arrived at the accommodation at 16:00, checked in and immediately headed up the mountain road before the sun would set.

Soon our first target was in the bag: a male Kurdish Wheatear singing from the statues at the archaeological site. While waiting for the sunset over the mountains, Alpine Choughs and Red-billed Choughs flew past. A very cooperative Horned Lark and White-winged Snowfinch were foraging on the last patches of snow, picking off small insects. Near the small building was a pair of Rock Sparrows, and while waiting for the sun to set, we heard the calls of Chukar Partridges echoing through the valley below. A Western Rock Nuthatch waved us goodnight as we descended the many stairs back to the car.

Friday 01 May 2026

I quietly left the accommodation in the dark to get ahead of the cars driving up to the tourist site, or at least that was what I thought. I was overtaken by many cars packed with tourists wanting to experience the sunrise at Nemrut Dağı. Luckily, the birds seemed used to this daily event. From the boulders, Cinereous Buntings were singing every few hundred metres, with the occasional White-throated Robin in the sparse bushes. A pair of Woodlarks was singing nearby, and when I spotted a pair of Chukar Partridges, a car stopped next to me and a hunter leaned out of the window trying to shoot them. Luckily, he missed and quickly raced off.

As there was no guard, I sneaked past the entrance and went up Mount Nemrut. The mass of tourists was coming down, so by the time I reached the top, everyone had left. I had the place to myself and could photograph the White-winged Snowfinches and Horned Larks displaying and gathering nesting material. On the way back, the Kurdish Wheatears and Eastern Black-eared Wheatears were actively singing in the warming morning sunlight.

Back at the accommodation, breakfast was served on the terrace, from where we could see flocks of Levant Sparrowhawks and Lesser Kestrels passing over the mountains, as well as a single Egyptian Vulture. In the afternoon, we visited several historical sites around Adıyaman. At the historical bridge, we saw a flock of migrating Eurasian Jackdaws, Alpine Swifts and Black Storks. Black-headed Buntings had also arrived and were singing along the edges of the fields.

The weather started to change, with clouds building up and a thunderstorm approaching. We were already on our way back to Nemrut when we encountered some heavy showers. I still wanted to try for better photos of Kurdish Wheatears, so I drove up a dirt track leading to a transmission tower. Here I found a pair of Kurdish Wheatears at very close range, even within the minimum focusing distance of my lens! Sadly, it was already getting dark, with strong winds and rain, which made the drive back down quite an adventure.

Saturday 02 May 2026

The day was very misty, with visibility reduced to barely 20 metres. Still, I went out and drove up the mountain towards the parking lot, hoping to get above the clouds. Of course, there wasn't much to see: a Mistle Thrush, a Cuckoo and a pair of Eurasian Magpies were about all I managed to find. We therefore had an early breakfast and checked out to start our journey towards Adana.

As we left quite early, we had some time to try for Pale Rockfinch. We had found some sightings from the previous year in the steppe area northeast of Birecik. It was a nice area with Desert Finches, a Little Owl, Turkestan Short-toed Larks and flocks of Lesser Kestrels, but no rockfinches. Perhaps they also tend to arrive later in May, like the Yellow-throated Sparrows.

We arrived at the delta south of Adana towards the end of the afternoon, where we would stay in the coastal village of Karataş. We took the roads through the agricultural fields and came across some farmers ploughing their land. In the Netherlands, you would expect to see Black-headed Gulls following the tractors, but here it was Gull-billed Terns picking up worms and insects.

Although I scanned every canal we came across, I didn't manage to find a White-throated Kingfisher. We often heard Black Francolins calling, but none would show themselves.

A dirt road northwest of Karataş, leading towards the lake, was very productive, with several Squacco Herons and Purple Herons, as well as Collared Pratincoles. In one of the fields were Greater Short-toed Larks and Red-throated Pipits.

We had one of the nicest dinners of the trip at a local fish restaurant. There was no menu; everyone was simply served the same food, and it tasted magnificent!

Sunday 03 May 2026

The channel running between Haçasan and Karagöçer often produces White-throated Kingfishers, so this was my target for the morning. At first light, I noticed many Red-backed Shrikes present, often perched on the thistles close to the road.

On one of the first electricity masts was a Black-shouldered Kite, and I found a second bird just ten minutes further down the road. It should be a rarity here, but having now encountered three individuals during the trip, I wonder whether they are also expanding their range, as seems to be happening in northwestern Europe.

Birding along the road was good, and I finally saw a Black Francolin walking out of the wet grass into the open. There were plenty of other migrants present, including Whinchats, Barred Warblers, Black-headed and Blue-headed Wagtails, and a Lesser Grey Shrike. In the corner of my eye, I spotted a blue flash, but much bigger than I am used to seeing with our Common Kingfishers. A White-throated Kingfisher* flew away and disappeared around the corner of an orange grove.

After breakfast at the hotel, I spent some time scanning for seabirds, but only a few Common Terns and Sandwich Terns flew by, together with an immature Audouin's Gull. No shearwaters, unfortunately. This area is not particularly interesting from a cultural perspective, and with the grey and rainy weather it wasn't very inviting for a walk. Luckily, Saskia enjoys reading, so we went for a drive around the delta, allowing me to look for birds while she could read.

We followed the canal where I had been that morning and found many of the same birds, but this time a White-throated Kingfisher was slightly more cooperative. I could observe it perched alongside the river and later near the greenhouses. We drove all the way to Tuz Gölü, which was a nice place for waders. There were various plover species, Black-winged Stilts, a couple of Little Stints, Ruff and Common Greenshanks. A trio of Collared Pratincoles had been grounded by the rainy conditions and was foraging on a patch of grass in the parking area, allowing me to get quite close for some nice photos.

A pair of Slender-billed Gulls was catching shrimps and, while taking photos, a Red-necked Phalarope flew through my view. We followed the D-815 road running parallel to the river, but it was quite busy with traffic despite the poor weather, making it difficult to stop. While driving slowly, I spotted some Pied Kingfishers, but no White-throated Kingfishers. On an oxbow lake were more Spur-winged Lapwings and a Great Cormorant, while I could also hear a Eurasian Penduline Tit calling.

The weather was getting worse, with more rain and wind, so we headed back to the hotel.

Still, I was too restless to stay inside, so I went out again despite the poor conditions and checked the site west of Karataş. Because of all the rain, the tracks were very muddy and the car was sliding from one side to the other. In some places, I could hardly prevent it from getting stuck.

In one of the fields, I found a flock of Collared Pratincoles, but a police car arrived carrying four officers and I ended up being interrogated for more than an hour! It was a bit of a good cop, bad cop situation, with one officer repeatedly asking me the same questions (using a translation app on his phone), while the others were checking my Instagram and giving me thumbs up for the photos.

By the time they were convinced that I was just an odd birding tourist and not a spy, the Collared Pratincoles had disappeared and the light was gone. Three Whiskered Terns were the only positive addition to the list. Dinner at another fish restaurant was very good again, and this time we could choose to sit in the non-smoking area, which is still a popular life-shortening activity in this country!

Monday 04 May 2026

As the forecast was looking less grey and rainy, I didn't have to get up quite so early and enjoyed a bit of a lie-in until 07:00. While driving back towards the canal, I spotted a European Hare, and a Red Fox crossed the main road from Karataş.

The canal road was less productive, and I only managed to get some photos of drenched Red-backed Shrikes and European Greenfinches. I tried several side roads, but most of them ended at a farm with no further access. At one of these dead ends, there were quite a lot of Spanish Sparrows. It was getting a bit depressing, so I headed back and decided to give the site near Karataş one more try. During the last hour I had available, I was treated to some of the most colourful birds of the trip: several European Rollers, European Bee-eaters perched along the road, and three White-throated Kingfishers and two Pied Kingfishers. I therefore arrived at the breakfast table with a smile!

To get some culture into the trip, we visited the archaeological site of the Karatepe Open-Air Museum. Upon arrival, we found that it was supposedly closed, but the gate was open and there were two men present. After paying them 10 euros (and letting them keep the change), we were allowed to visit the site all by ourselves, as apparently no one else was keen to visit in the pouring rain. At the lookout, a Western Subalpine Warbler was singing, and a couple of Little Swifts were nesting in the temple overlooking the lake, where a large Great Cormorant colony was present.

All drenched, we left the site and headed back to the hotel in Gaziantep. We arrived with one of the tyres half flat. After dropping off our luggage, we inflated the tyre and cleaned the car at a petrol station before returning it to the rental company. The following morning, we flew from Gaziantep via Istanbul back to Amsterdam.

On this 7-day birding trip, we recorded 170 species of birds. All sightings can be found at tr.observation.org.