BIRD WATCHING

From past to present, human beings have been influenced by birds with their extraordinary diversity and nature-defying wingbeats. Anatolian geography, which has been on the migration routes of birds for thousands of years, has brought with it the "bird watching" that looks at nature from the bird's eye. In a sense, bird watching is a gateway to the mysteries of nature for human beings. The number of bird species in Turkey, which is very rich in terms of bird diversity, is more than the bird species in the whole of Europe. In addition to observing and gaining knowledge about them, birdwatching also offers you different areas such as recording the sounds of birds, taking pictures and drawings.

HOW IS THE OBSERVATION MADE?

For bird watching, which is a sport that anyone can easily do, it will be sufficient to observe your immediate surroundings at the beginning. You can start to observe sparrows, pigeons and seagulls, the ancient guardians of Istanbul, and examine their wings flapping against nature. When you go to a wooded area, you may encounter finches and tits among the branches. Glums and ducks will greet you by the lake and stream. You can get involved in this activity by observing the storks, which are concentrated in the Marmara Sea, Büyükçekmece, and Küçükçekmece in autumn. As with many activities, there are some rules to be followed during bird watching. The first of these is not to disturb the birds. At the same time, the areas where they nest should not be entered and their eggs should not be harmed.

WHERE TO DONE?

* In the Marmara Region: Meriç Basin, Igneada Forests; Manyas, Uluabat and Iznik Lakes.

* In the Black Sea Region: Kızılırmak Delta, Kelkit Valley, Sarıkum Desert; Eastern Black Sea and Ilgaz Mountains.

* In the Aegean Region: Gediz and Büyük Menderes Deltas; Marmara and Bafa Lakes.

* In the Mediterranean Region: Seyhan, Ceyhan and Göksu Deltas; Amanos, Bolkar and Beydaglari; Tuzla Lake, Yumurtalık Lagoon.

* In Central Anatolia Region: Tuz, Akşehir, Eber, Kula, Seyfe, Sultansazlığı and Palas Lakes.

* In the Eastern Anatolia Region: Munzur Mountains; Bulanik and Malazgirt Plain and Arın, Erçek and Haçlı Lakes.

* In Southeastern Anatolia Region: Southern Euphrates Valley and Birecik Steppes.

MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR OBSERVATION

Binoculars: There are two numbers on the binoculars that indicate the power of the binoculars. As the magnification increases, your field of view will narrow, and it will be difficult for you to focus your binoculars on moving birds. For good bird watching, 8×40 binoculars can be preferred. So you can see both close enough and far away while observing. In addition, considering that you will take long walks during the observation, it is useful to choose the ones that are easy to carry.

Field telescope: As bird watchers increase their experience, they prefer different areas to see more bird species. Telescopes are used in areas where it is more difficult to approach birds. Because the viewing distance of the telescope is 20 times greater than that of the binoculars. The eyepiece is the name given to the place where the eye approaches in telescopes and choosing the eyepieces with 20-60 zoom quality will allow you to see more clearly. In order to use the telescope more comfortably, it is useful to buy a tripod.

Notebook: Perhaps the most important part of bird watching is taking notes. The date and time of the observation, the name of the area, the weather should be noted. Then, the type of bird you are observing during the observation, and if it is a species you do not know, its characteristics should be written. It would also be helpful to get a guidebook with bird species.