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The Turkish Black Sea
09-22 May 2012
Map showing the
work area
The map below shows the rivermouth east of Samsun
View Larger Map
The map below shows the rivermouth east of Samsun
View Larger Map
The job was an inshore survey of two lines crossing the Black Sea from near Samsun in Turkey over to Russia. We stayed in a hotel onshore in the city of Samsun. We worked days on small survey vessels; every day we drove from Samsun to the mouth of the Yeşilırmak river where we boarded the survey vessel and sailed east to the worksite.
More links to other pages covering birding the Black Sea:
 |
|
| Black Sea and Mediterranean,
March 2010 |
Russian Black Sea, April 2012 |
Inshore survey at its simplest - an RTK system and a single beam echosounder for REALLY shallow inshore work
Once again at work
rather than birding so eveything that was seen was incidental to the
real reason for being in Turkey. The breeding
season was well underway for many species although there was still some
obvious migration at times - raptors, waders and Bee-eaters being the
most obvious.
The days were long, if not already awake for an early start to the drive between Samsun and the river then the minarets woke us in time for morning prayer...
The days were long, if not already awake for an early start to the drive between Samsun and the river then the minarets woke us in time for morning prayer...
Small numbers of White Stork were regular
The cramped drive every morning was made bearable by roadside birds such as Roller, Bee-eaters and shrikes.
Eurasian Hobby - a happy accident. This bird was only seen because the road became impassable for anything other than tractors and tracked vehicles after a relatively small amount of rain!
Red-backed Shrike
- one of the commonest birds seen, May 2012
Migrating
Raptors - Black Kites and Honey Buzzards, May 2012
These flocks of migrating raptors gave the beach a distinctly Falsterbo-like feel to it
These flocks of migrating raptors gave the beach a distinctly Falsterbo-like feel to it
There were nothing
like as many seabirds on the Turkish side - whether this was due to
fewer fish or due to the fact that many species would have moved on to
breeding grounds further north is impossible to say. No Yelkouan
shearwaters were seen on this side of the Black sea though. Cetaceans
were also a lot less frequent on the Turksih side with just a few
Porpoise seen.
Black-throated Diver in flight, May 2012
This species was nothing like as common as it was on the Russian side of the Black sea a month previously
Good numbers of
non-breeding Yellow-legged Gulls were seen, usually joined by smaller
numbers of Mediterranean Gulls and the occasional Baltic Gull. A small
flock of Slender-billed Gulls was seen offshore on one occasion.
Black Kite migrating along the shore, Turkish Black Sea, May 2012
Raptors were quite
well
represented. The commonest and most widespread by far was Marsh Harrier
which obviously bred in the area as did a pair of Hobby; migrants
included Honey Buzzrd and Black Kite. Herons and
egrets
were a common
sight, both overhead, along the canals and around the river mouth.
Highlights in this respect were a Black Stork seen on a few occasions -
possibly breeding nearby and a Little Bittern by the rivermouth.
Yellow-legged Gulls were very common - with flocks of up to a few hundred present along the shore. Small numbers of other gull species were often present with them.
Part of a flock of Spoonbills flying over
Black-crowned Night Heron, May 2012
Only a few Coot were present in Samsun harbour this time around
Large
flocks (up to 50+) of Glossy Ibis were regular - usually seen in flight
along the coast. Migrant waders were seen around the rivermouth and
included Greenshank, Little Stints, Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff.
Several pairs of Little Plover bred within the landfall site
Glossy Ibis in flight, Turkish Black Sea, May 2012
Velvet Scoter were not a species I expected to see in Turkey but they are a regualr vistor to the Black Sea by all accounts
Samsun as seen from the port
The Pala Saffet - our trusty inshore survey vessel at its usual berth on the river
The city of Samsun
was not devoid of birds - Laughing dove was the commonest species -
especially around the docks where they fed on spilt grain. Common
Swift and Alpine Swift were a common sight overhead.
A list of species seen is given below:
A list of species seen is given below:
* = 1-9
** = 10-99
***= 100+
| English Name | Norsk navn | Scientific name | Numbers | Comments |
| Mallard | Stokkand | Anas platyrhynchos | * | 3 on 11.05 |
| Common Pochard | Taffeland | Aythya ferina | * | One male on the Yeşilırmak river 13.05 |
| Tufted Duck | Toppand | Aythya fuligula | * | 2 on 10 May |
| Velvet Scoter | Sjøorre | Melanitta fusca | * | Flock of 7 reducing to 4 off the Yeşilırmak river mouth |
| Black-throated Diver | Storlom | Gavia arctica | * | 5 on 10 May |
| Great Crested Grebe | Toppdykker | Podiceps cristatus | * | A single seen on 12.05 |
| Black-necked Grebe | Svarthalsdykker | Podiceps nigricollis | * | Two seen on 12.05 |
| Great Cormorant | Storskarv | Phalacrocorax carbo | * | Singles seen regularly |
| Little Bittern | Dvergrørdrum | Ixobrychus minutus | * | A single seen on 11.05 |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Natthegre | Nycticorax nycticorax | * | A single seen on 12.05, 1-3 seen thereafter |
| Little Egret | Silkehegre | Egretta garzetta | * | Two on 14.05 |
| Great Egret | Egretthegre | Egretta alba | * | A single flew past 18.05 |
| Grey Heron | Gråhegre | Ardea cinerea | * | Singles regular |
| Purple Heron | Purpurhegre | Ardea purpurea | ** | Regular in small numbers |
| Black Stork | Svartstork | Ciconia nigra | * | Singles seen regularly around Bacos |
| White Stork | Stork | Ciconia ciconia | * | Small flocks regular |
| Glossy Ibis | Bronseibis | Plegadis falcinellus | ** | Flocks of 20-30 regular |
| European Honey Buzzard | Vepsevåk | Pernis apivorus | * | Migrants on 11.05 |
| Black Kite | Svartglente | Milvus migrans | ** | Migrants on 11.05 |
| Western Marsh Harrier | Sivhauk | Circus aeruginosus | ** | Common |
| Eurasian Hobby | Lerkefalk | Falco subbuteo | * | A breeding pair located 14.05 |
| Common Moorhen | Sivhøne | Gallinula chloropus | * | |
| Eurasian Coot | Sothøne | Fulica atra | * | A few in Samsun Harbour |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | Tjeld | Haematopus ostralegus | * | 3+ seen around rivermouth |
| Black-winged Stilt | Stylteløper | Himantopus himantopus | * | 1 at port west of Samsun on 17.05 |
| Little Ringed Plover | Dverglo | Charadrius dubius | * | A few pairs breeding on site |
| Common Ringed Plover | Sandlo | Charadrius hiaticula | ** | Rivermouth |
| Little Stint | Dvergsnipe | Calidris minuta | * | Small numbers from 12.05 |
| Curlew Sandpiper | Tundrasnipe | Calidris ferruginea | * | A single seen on 22.05 |
| Dunlin | Myrsnipe | Calidris alpina | * | Small numbers from 12.05 |
| Ruff | Brushane | Philomachus pugnax | * | A single seen on 22.05 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Svarthalespove | Limosa limosa | * | A single seen on 12.05 |
| Common Sandpiper | Strandsnipe | Actitis hypoleucos | * | |
| Common Greenshank | Gluttsnipe | Tringa nebularia | * | A single seen on 12.05 |
| Wood Sandpiper | Grønnstilk | Tringa glareola | * | One seen heading west on 11.05 |
| Mediterranean Gull | Svartehavsmåke | Larus melanocephalus | ** | Non-breeders common |
| Slender-billed Gull | smalnebbmåke | ** | 12 seen at sea 18.05 | |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Sildemåke | Larus fuscus | * | Singles seen regularly |
| Yellow-legged Gull | Gulbeinmåke | Larus michahellis | *** | Large flocks of non-breeders |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | Tyrkerdue | Streptopelia decaocto | * | |
| Laughing Dove | Palmedue | Streptopelia senegalensis | *** | Abundant in Samsun |
| Common Cuckoo | Gjøk | Cuculus canorus | * | |
| Common Swift | Tårnseiler | Apus apus | *** | Common in Samsun |
| Alpine Swift | Alpeseiler | Apus melba | ** | Samsun |
| European Bee-eater | Bieter | Merops apiaster | ** | Flocks of up to 20 migrating 11.05, also seen along the roads between Samsun and the rivermouth |
| European Roller | Blåråke | Coracias garrulus | * | A few seen regularly |
| Eurasian Hoopoe | Hærfugl | Upupa epops | * | |
| Crested Lark | Topplerke | Galerida cristata | * | Small numbers at port west of Samsun |
| Sand Martin | Sandsvale | Riparia riparia | ** | |
| Barn Swallow | Låvesvale | Hirundo rustica | ** | |
| Common House Martin | Taksvale | Delichon urbicum | ** | |
| Red-throated Pipit | Lappiplerke | Anthus cervinus | * | Two heard migrating on 11.05 |
| Yellow Wagtail | Gulerle | Motacilla flava | * | Black-headed Race seen |
| White Wagtail | Linerle | Motacilla alba | ** | |
| Thrush Nightingale | Nattergal | Luscinia luscinia | ** | Common |
| Common Blackbird | Svarttrost | Turdus merula | * | |
| Eurasian Blackcap | Munk | Sylvia atricapilla | * | |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Gråfluesnapper | Muscicapa striate | * | |
| Red-backed Shrike | Tornskate | Lanius collurio | ** | Common and widespread |
| Lesser Grey Shrike | Rosenvarsler | Lanius minor | * | More localised than above species |
| Western Jackdaw | Kaie | Corvus monedula | ** | |
| Hooded Crow | Kråke | Corvus cornix | ** | |
| Common Starling | Stær | Sturnus vulgaris | ** | Common in Samsun |
| House Sparrow | Gråspurv | Passer domesticus | ** | |
| Spanish Sparrow | Middelhavsspurv | Passer hispaniolensis | ** | 30 present on site |
| Common Chaffinch | Bokfink | Fringilla coelebs | * | |
| European Goldfinch | Stillits | Carduelis carduelis | ** | |
| Black-headed Bunting | Svarthodespurv | Emberiza melanocephala | * | Small numbers on site |
| Corn Bunting | Kornspurv | Emberiza calandra | * | Common at Bacos |
Frogs and toads were abundant
Terrapins were abundant wherever there was fresh water
Sea Holly on the beach
Although I was actually hoping for Alpine Swifts the Turkish acrobatic team put on a spectacular show over the port of Samsun.
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