Colourful Characters

A selection of the more colourful bird life I managed to image.

A group of 5 Bee-eaters entertained me for ages at Acheleia reedbeds, the only time I saw these wonderful birds during the whole trip. Rollers, on the other hand, were quite regular sightings, both in the farmland around the villa and on the wires around Loukaides chicken farm; exactly as predicted by Dave Gosney's "Finding Birds..."  (perhaps he pays the farmer).
As for the Cockatiel, well, this is one of a pair that were enjoying their freedom at Goudi, just down the road from where we stayed.

It does what it says on the tin

Turkish Delight

A weeks birding around the Tuzla Golu region on the Bodrum peninsula.

Swallowtail (continental sub-species)
Little Owls were everywhere...
Syrian Woodpecker
Black-headed Bunting

Woodchat Shrikes

Masked Shrike

Peregrine lunch...

Turtle Dove

Red-rumped Swallows

House Martin building houses...

These 3 Dalmatian Pelicans were spotted on Bafa Golu, flying South a few days later to Tuzla Golu.

Black-winged Stilt

A bit late in the season to see the masses of Flamingoes that frequent Tuzla lake but, fortunately, a few had decided to stay a while....

Short-toed Eagle

My only view of Rollers, posing atop a construction crane at Ephesus.