TURKEY DAY 4 - DEMIRKAZIK to GAZIANTEP

After a 7am breakfast we loaded the luggage up and drove the short distance to Demirkazik Gorge, in the hope of an early morning flyover from a Lammergeier. 

The view from the lodge

Yep, no Lammergeier...

Reaching the gorge

Unfortunately it didn’t happen but we had repeat views of a Wallcreeper, followed by several close Ortolan & Rock Buntings, numerous Rock Sparrows, a Long-legged Buzzard, Peregrine, Red-billed Chough and others. 

Everyone loves an Ortolan Bunting

As we were about to head off in the cars, an Eastern Orphean Warbler was heard singing and we found it nearby in some dense bushes by the road. We then drove through fantastic scenery of rolling hills, meadows full of wildflowers with the snow-capped peaks of the Taurus Mountains dominating the horizon. In the clear blue sky another Long-legged Buzzard circled overhead, prompting a quick exit from the vehicles. 

Long-legged Buzzard

We also saw a few Isabelline wheatears were below us and numerous Sousliks were seen scurrying around the field.

 

Eventually we reached the Sultan Sazligi Plains where we bowled up to a spot I had seen an eBird report from a day or so ago and fortunately we pretty quickly found our main target of Turkestan Short-toed Lark. It was hot and very hazy but the scope views were good and there were at least 7 birds present (at least) and we took our time to carefully confirm the i.d. A Rose-coloured Starling was also found in the bushes here before we walked back to the minibus where Lynzi had some coffee waiting for us. 

The boardwalk at Sultan Sazligi Marshes

There's always a view of a mountain here...

Then we drove across the flat landscape of arable fields to Sultan Sazligi Marshes eventually after a couple of wrong turns, seeing a Black Stork and our first Corn Bunting along the way. A longish walk along the boardwalk followed (and boy when I say long, it was really long) but it produced numerous Bearded Reedlings, several Moustached Warblers, Little Bittern, Purple Heron, and at the end ofthe boardwalk we saw a Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested Pochard with ducklings, Citrine Wagtail and a couple of Western Marsh Harriers. 

Was great to see Bearded Reedling here

Must admit the view from the end of the boardwalk was disappointing as I was expecting to be able to scan across the lake, but the view was limited. So no hoped-for White-headed Ducks to be seen! 

 

After another great picnic lunch a very long 4h 30mins drive took us to our fancy hotel in Gaziantep reaching the hotel at 9.30pm! Good job we stopped en-route for dinner!