Migration on the Bosporus
(Tour 2)

In north-western Anatolia rare vulture and raptor species can be observed very well. The numerous landscapes – steppes, forests, bizarre rock mountains and wetlands – is the reason for the biodiversity. On our round trip, planned with years of birding experience in these locations, we visit natural forest and wetland areas as well as remote villages. The Bosporus is the most important migration route for birds in Europe and the raptor and stork migration is famous all over the world. The headland between the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea is crossed by all Black and White Storks as well as Eastern Europe’s raptors that rely on thermal lift (‘diurnal migrators’).

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Dates

1. Sun., 07. Sep. 2008 - Sun., 14. Sep. 2008
2. Sun., 06. Sep. 2009 - Sun., 13. Sep. 2009

Price includes

• Flights from London, Manchester and Dublin (Destinations of Turkish Airlines)
• Airport Taxes and fuel surcharge
• Airport transfers
• All transport during trip
• Accommodation in en-suite double/single room
• Full board (picnic lunch)
• Birding guide
• Breach of warranty certificate

Number of participants

8 – 18 persons

Travel guide

Jürgen-Wolfgang Berg

Weather conditions

Early autumn showers possible (15 – 28 °C).

Level of difficulty

Slow walking with many observations from one spot.

Note

- The tour comprises two parts (8 and 9 days) that can be booked separately or combined with “Vultures of Northern Turkey”.
- Admission fees not included in tour price

Alterations

The programme is subject to change.

Day 1

Flight to Istanbul

Arrival for those who booked Tour 2. The raptor migration strongly depends on the weather, so we have to plan the next day’s destination every evening. On one of the following days we can visit Istanbul.

Field trips to:

Prince’s Island (1 day)

Ferry trip to Buyuk Ada island. (Mediterranean Shearwater, dolphins). Enjoy the car-free island on a horse-drawn carriage. Observation of the bird migration in a garden restaurant on the highest summit of the mountain.

Lake Terkoz, Belgrad Forest (1 day)

Field trip to the steppe area at Lake Terkoz at the Black Sea coast (Isabelline Wheatear, Pygmy Cormorant, Sermophili, Eastern Imperial Eagle) and into the large Belgrad Forest (deciduous forest), that many migratory birds use as a resting and sleeping place before crossing the Bosporus.

Hills near Sariyer (2 days)

Beautiful observation area on the European side of the Bosporus where raptors start crossing the Bosporus Strait to the Asian side.

Çamlıca Hills (2 days)

Biodiversity increases at the end of September. We spend the last two days of our journey on the Çamlıca Hills which is an ideal spot to watch the migration. We can expect a large number of Steppe Buzzard, Black Stork, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Short-toed Snake-Eagle, Booted Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Hobby, Black Kite and European Bee-eater. Rarely you can see Egyptian Vulture, Long-legged Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle and Greater Spotted Eagle.

Day 8

Departure

Transfer Istanbul airport. Return flight.