Work trip to Belek, Turkey

This was a 4 night trip to inspect some hotels in Belek.

My schedule meant that any birding would be in the hotel grounds or in anywhere conveniently walkable.

I arrived near midnight to my first hotel and decided to get up at 6 so I could have a wander around the grounds before breakfast and my first meeting.

The Spice Resort actually has very little grounds and I walked down to the beach.

Great Tits were by far the commonest birds along with House Sparrows though two Italian and one Spanish Sparrow added some interest.

Just before I got to the beach I saw my first European White Spectacled Bulbul.

On the beach was a scruffy Crested Lark and three Spoonbills flew over.

Swallows, Red Rumped Swallows and House Martins were nesting in the eaves of the hotel and had a big aerial presence.

This complete walk had taken 20 minutes and having at least another hour I decided to look outside the hotel. Dead opposite was a golf course with security gate. As I could not see anyone about I went through onto the golf course.

This immediately gave more birds with a Hoopoe in the trees and my first Syrian Woodpeckers.

I managed to get a photo of the Hoopoe and was just about to try for the Woodpecker when a burley Turk in security gear approached.

Naturally, without golf clubs it was pretty obvious that I was not there for his facilities and told me that I could only access the paths on the course if I was staying at the Maxx Hotel. I gave him some cock and bull story about leaving my key in the room which did not convince him and I was escorted away!
However, just as I approached the exit I saw my first European Roller in the trees. He at least had the decency to let me get a photos before I departed.

Annoyingly, I never saw another woodpecker for the rest of the trip!

Later that afternoon after my inspections, I decided to try my luck again as this was the only place in walking distance. Again, there was no one on security so I went through but dived across the 10th fairway to a path the other side of the course and away from prying eyes (I hoped!).

Hooded Crows were everywhere and more Rollers were flying across.

Annoyingly, the path was close to a road and it was hard to hear birds calling. However, I did see Spotted Flycatcher and got good views of a Semi Collared Flycatcher though I spent so long making sure of the ID that it flew before I could get a photo.

On my walk back I added Greenfinch, Pied Wagtail, White Wagtail and Sand Martin.

The security guard was now on the gate and sadly it was the same one who had escorted me off in the morning. Fortunately a delivery lorry turned up and I was able to sneak past without him seeing me.

Next day was a breakfast meeting before I went to stay at the next hotel so no birding in the morning.

At midday I left for the 20 minute drive to another part of Belek and a fantastic hotel called Gloria Golf Hotel. As the name suggests the hotel owns three nearby golf courses even providing a free shuttle from the hotel so I knew I should have no problem with my free time looking around these.

However, it was check in first then lunch with the Sales Director before I had a chance to go to my room. I unpacked in 10 seconds and made it out of the room by 4pm. I had two whole hours and the grounds looked very large so elected to stick with these.

The first new bird I had was a Blue Headed Wagtail (flava Yellow Wagtail)

The grassy areas led down to a small river that run parallel to the beach and you had to cross via a bridge to get to the beach. Surprisingly, there were no ducks and not a single Gull or Tern which I found staggering.though I had now added Goldfinch, Starling, Swift and Long Tailed Tit to the list.

The only bird on the water was a Moorhen!

Tantalisingly the other side of the river was very reedy but you could only really get decent views from the opposite bank.

However, I did see (and got the worst record shot ever) my first Aquatic Warbler.

Over at the beach I did manage to get a view of the top of the reeds and Reed Warblers and Cetti's were both heard.

However, I did see one 'Reed Warbler' that did not look 'right'.I managed to get a view between the reeds and it firstly looked larger and had a yellow cast to top of the breast. I heard is call and it was certainly not a Reed Warbler. After looking at Collins I was happy to have found my first Marsh Warbler (which I later found was prevalent to the area).

On the grassy area near the beach I added Ringed and Little Ringed Plover and nearly trod on a Common Sandpiper!

Part of my inspection was to look at the golf courses.

I took the shuttle with my hotel guide and noticed from the shuttle a large scrubby looking area about a mile from the hotel. I decided that on my last day (Saturday) I would get a shuttle up the golf club and walk back via this scrub land.

So, I had four hours on Saturday but could not leave the hotel until 1pm which being 27 degrees was hardly ideal.

Fortunately, with so many conifers the paths around the course were shaded but pretty birdless (or rather much of the same). A pond on one of the holes gave me Little Grebe, Coot and Squacco Heron and I did add Cattle Egret too.

I did glance up high into one conifer and a light colour caught my eye. With bins i could make out a bird sitting in the tree but from my angle i could not make out what it was. However, it did not move as I found a better angle and was chuffed to see my first Masked Shrike. Photos were difficult due to shooting high and the distance but did get something!

Eventually I found a path across this scrub area which on closer inspection was partly boggy and had a small river running through.

There were numerous Little Egrets, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Squacco Heron and Glossy Ibis but all some distance away and with the ground too boggy I dare not venture nearer.

The small bushes held Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Blackcaps though a warbler with very long tail flitted across on a couple of occasions. Never still enough for a photo I had added Graceful Prinia to a now decent list of new birds.

The most frequent bird was Corn Bunting and singing from the top of bushes made them easier to spot.

Walking on and a stunning yellow bird with jet black head appeared briefly on the top of another bush. I could not make out what it was and only after another dropped to the low lying shrub did I identify another form of Yellow Wagtail (feidegg ) which could not have been more different to the flava version earlier seen

Next was Woodchat Shrike but at a distance before a Red Backed Shrike posed briefly.

The river held numerous Reed Warblers and perhaps the most surprising was a group of four Garganey which I inadvertently scared off. Apart from Coot and Mallard I added no more water birds to my list.

The grass was long which meant that although numerous Crested Larks were present, I did see two other different larks but they never stayed in view long enough for me to id.

Black Kites and Marsh Harrier were quartering the marshes but these were the only raptors.

Spur Winged Lapwing were great having only seen them in Gambia but again stayed mostly in the long grass though a quickly snapped out of focus record shot was obtained.

Overall a total of 53 species but I am sure I would have added more with more free time.

Nevertheless,  10 new lifers is pretty good going for a work trip!

Sneaking out to bird watch!

Jen and I went to Norfolk to look at a cottage and decided to stay at the King William IV in Sedgeford (excellent by the way).

Getting to Norfolk on Good Friday is tiresome and after looking at the cottage I suggested a quick walk round Holme Dunes (which Jen likes). A bitterly cold wind though meant that after about 40 minuted Jen was freezing and her enthusiasm was waning!

Did see my first Wheatear of the year which posed nicely and distant Yellow Wagtails.

As this was not a birding trip I was given an hour and 30 minutes before breakfast to have a whistle stop look around Titchwell.

Apart from all the normal suspects including a huge flock of Black Tailed Godwit (with the off Bar Tailed for good measure, the other birds of note were the first Sedge Warbler of the year, three distant Red Crested Pochard with a stunning male and a Little Gull.

Totalled 81 species so really not bad!

Lifer before breakfast!

With commitments to the Green Tye Show and a persistent bout of gout, opportunities to go birding were again looking thin on the ground.

Jono asked whether I might like a quick visit to Lynford Arboretum on the Norfolk/Suffolk border for an hour or two before starting work on Tuesday.

My foot had been playing up and having been advised to rest it, decided to ignore both and go!

Lynford is often a stop off for us with many mature conifers it provided us with Crossbills last year and has offered Two Barred Crossbills and Hawfinch over the past weeks.

Jono had been up on an earlier visit and mentioned that there were Firecrests in the car park.

We arrived just after 6.30 and low and behold they were there - a lifer for me!

Light was not great although I did get clear views, photos were hard to come by so we walked around the site in hunt of other species.

Although the Hawfinches and Two Barred eluded us we did get some excellent birds in Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Coal Tit among other more common species with Crossbills calling.

However, as time was marchig on we decided to have a last look at the Firecrests and try and get a decent photo. Although the light was better, they flit around so much it is hard to capture them before they move off.

Half a dozen attempts only gave me the half reasonable record shot below.

Still delighted to have gone and something magical about getting a lifer before work!