Birds seen around Kalkan

[Babadag]

We have just returned from another wonderful holiday in Kalkan. Being a keen birdwatcher, the binoculars and telescope came along too. For a slightly different trip report I will list some of the species seen for anyone with a similar interest. We did all the usual things as well like lazing on the beach at Patara and Kaputas, boat trips and of course eating in the wonderful restaurants.
Patara around the ruins - Woodchat Shrikes, White Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plovers, Crested Larks, Black-eared Wheatears and the highlight, 20 Bee-eaters flying around calling.
Kaputas - Rock Nuthatch, Peregrine Falcon.
Kekova boat trip - Alpine Swifts, Yellow- legged gulls (like our herring gulls but with yellow legs) and Audoins gulls which are one of the rarest gulls in the world (red bill, black legs).
Bezirgan- an early start is a good idea (leave Kalkan by 7am). This farming plateau is very rich in bird life especially where there are fruit trees. Highlights were Little Owl, Syrian Woodpeckers, Hooded Crows, Ruppells warbler, Ortalan Bunting and Masked Shrikes.
Andriake - a little further afield but worth the 1 hour journey along the coast via Kas. It is near the ruins at Myra so a good idea to combine both (watch out for the Police checkpoint along the way and make sure you have your driving licence with you but that's another story.....!) There is a marshy area with lagoons by the ruins of a Roman granary and an estuary with a sandy beach. Highlights were Kentish Plovers, Little Ringed Plovers, Herons, Little Egrets, Black-winged Stilts and a Blue-rock thrush.
Kalkan - a Kingfisher is often flying around the harbour. A Yellow-vented Bulbul was a nice surprise in olive trees next to our villa by the school.
With the more common birds we saw over 50 species without much effort at a time of year when birding is difficult. Spring must be amazing so that is when our next Kalkan visit is planned



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[DRBD]

Babadad - What a fantastic report on the birds, we are not so avid watchers or knowledgable but we do enjoy looking out for  them.  In May the bee eaters were out in force flying over our house in Kalkan quite a few evenings along with several other species.  We have a pair nesting in our garden wall each year now it seems, yet to ID it, but the good thing is that now there so many more birds coming back to kalkan after all the building and I think you are in the same area as us so we are even luckier as there is little building now.  Thank you