Turkey Day 2: Adana - Demirkazik

After a great night’s sleep we enjoyed a late 7am breakfast before heading up towards Demirkazik. The restaurant has a great view down towards the lake and as we ate breakfast, Pallid Swifts and Western House Martins zoomed around the windows, whilst Hooded Crow and an Alexandrine Parakeet were also seen. We drove up into the foothills for maybe an hour and headed to a nice location alongside a lake and managed a good hours birding before rain stopped play. We didn’t walk more than a couple hundred metres and found Booted Eagle, Syrian Woodpecker, Red-backed and Masked Shrikes, Eurasian Jay, and some Common Chaffinches. The rain certainly affected our birding and we sheltered for a good half an hour before deciding to head off. Luckily, as we drove through the coniferous forest the rain eased and we managed to find the hoped for Kruper’s Nuthatch and what a splendidly confiding individual it was too!  

My photos don't do Kruper's Nuthatch justice at all

Moving on, we pulled over beside the country lane to look at an European Turtle Dove perched beside a nice grassy field. It flew away all too soon, but on the scrubby hillside across the road a Ruppell’s Warbler showed quite well. As we scanned the hillside, a Barred Warbler was found, a couple of  European Bee-eaters were perched nearby and a group of Red-rumped Swallows appeared. 

 

Once we were back on the main road and heading north we made a stop for our picnic lunch just off the road. Our first Eastern Black-eared Wheatear was scoped, a flock of over 30 European Bee-eaters flew over, a group of 6+ European Honey Buzzards were soaring in the distance, a pair of Short-toed Eagles displayed over the valley, a flock of Alpine Swifts appeared and a couple of Little Swifts zoomed over the valley. A little further up the road we screeched to a halt when something interesting flew down but we never knew what it was as it had disappeared by the time we had all left the vehicles. But a little walk around the area produced a Common Sandpiper, Coal Tit, a few European Crag Martins flew around us and our first Blue Rock Thrush was seen.

 

Eventually we reached the lodge and as it was raining again, we stayed a while and drank some coffee. Fortunately the rain seemed to ease and we decided to drive over to Demirkazik Gorge, seeing an Isabelline Wheatear along the way. The gorge was pretty spectacular with huge cliffs on either side and provided some great birding.

 

And to greet our arrival Richard spotted a Wallcreeper right at the entrance. Wow! Also here was a Steppe Buzzard flying over, Golden Eagle, Peregrine, flocks of Common Choughs, and some other common species. Once again, we were thwarted by rain so returned to the vehicles. 

It was only 5pm so decided to drive around a bit and see what we could see. Luckily the rain eased again and we drove up the dirt track towards the ski centre. This was a great move as we turned up a nuber of our target species and had a cracking time. Wheatears were everywhere, and we found several pairs of Finsch’s Wheatears and numerous Northern Wheatears, as well as a flock of 6 Red-fronted Serins. The track was quite slippy after all the rain so we turned around and headed back down, but stopped when an Ortolan Bunting appeared beside the track. Hopping out of the vehicles, the Ortolan Bunting disappeared but we then found a Rock Bunting that gave great views. 

Rock Bunting

The same little rocky & scrub-covered slope also held Common Rock Thrush, Shore Lark, Woodlark, Lesser Whitethroat, and another pair of Finsch’s Wheatears. What a day and we returned to the lodge at 7pm and were grateful of the nice fire as the temperature had dropped to 8 degrees centigrade.