randombirder

It may have sounded a bit crazy to some but a weekend in Turkey may seem a little far-fetched but it is very doable with a bit of planning and a hire car.  Not as expensive as it may appear, Turkey these days is a very cheap place to visit as a result of domestic economic turmoil with a drop in the value of the lira making it an attractive place to visit on so many levels. A flight out of Gatwick on a British Airways A320 on Thursday afternoon arrived in Antalya at just after 10pm (after an hour delay) and at my hotel just after midnight.  At this point, it would be remiss of me not to mention the Antik Boutique Hotel in Side where I stayed for my 3 nights - the hospitality and kindness showed by the proprietors was exceptional and is wholly recommended. Birding sites visited over the three days are listed here: Manavgat Lake - 20th May Returning here after visiting this site in March was a little disappointing with migration season well and truly over.  There were a few ...

An out-of-season trip to the Manavgat region of southern Turkey was more about satisfying an itch for foreign travel than chasing anything specific that might satisfy a list or two. Walking through Terminal 2 at Heathrow provided the immediate rush of liberty and freedom that had been building during the period of suppressed mobility. The climb out of the easterly runway on a Turkish 777-300ER to Istanbul provided glorious views of the capital. Connecting at Istanbul airport for the short flight south to Antalya walking through grand linear piers of the new airport was very impressive. It was great to be away and to get a taste of something authentic.  Turkish food is absolutely glorious, healthy and with a suppressed economy and favourable exchange rates, this lovely meal cost all of £3. Of course birding was never going to be too far away from the agenda.  The weather however was unexpectedly dire, a mixture of cool cloudy days to a day of torrential rain and thunderstorms o...