Turkey Part III - A Return to Izmir

It was back to the big city life of Izmir on Saturday 26th September where we had an emotional reunion with our suitcases as we checked back in at the hotel for the next 3 nights. Being back in the city meant a marked drop in wildlife sightings but I still found a few things to keep me amused.

We walked to the Izmir Archeology Museum in the rain on Sunday 27th September, a very interesting museum that we hadn't visited before and where we saw the amazing bronze statue of the Kyme Runner dredged up from the seabed by a fishing boat in 1979.

Kyme Runner, Izmir Archeology Museum

Kyme Runner

Kyme Runner

Kyme Runner

Video of the Kyme Runner showing in the Museum

Video of Kyme Runner showing in the Museum

Sitting Sculpture from Halicarnassus in Turkey

Stelae from Halicarnassus in Turkey

Falcon Figurine

We stopped off at the Konak Pier again for a coffee on the walk back to the hotel, it was still raining but I was pleased to find a Dalmation Pelican out in the harbour, firstly sat out on the water and then flying onto the harbour wall for a preen and a snooze.  

Dalmatian Pelican - record shots in the rain

Dalmatian Pelican

Dalmatian Pelican

Dalmatian Pelican

We then walked to Museum IKSF - Archeology and Ethnography Museum, another new museum for us although containing exhibits from the now closed Izmir Museum of History and Art that we visited 4 years ago, and while walking through the Kulturpark to get there I saw Common Mynas and Ring-necked Parakeets.

Artemisia, Poseidon and Demeter from the Smyrna Agora, Izmir

Clazomenian Terracotta Sarcophagus from 7th to 5th century BC Izmir

Japanese Red-crowned Crane on a vase

The following day the weather improved a little and the sun eventually appeared from the dispersing clouds and the Dalmatian Pelican was still on the harbour wall before flying off. There were also 10 more Pelicans present out on the water around the bay, all unfortunately distant but presumably also Dalmatian Pelicans. Even better though were 2 Caspian Terns flying past, an adult and juvenile and picked up by the juveniles noisey calls. They were followed by 3 Sandwich Terns which flew out into the Bay to join them to feed with other Terns already busily diving away for fish.

Dalmatian Pelican - another record shot in the sunshine

The only other sighting of note was a Tree Sparrow feeding in amongst a flock of House Sparrows in the grass along the Kordon, the flock was very flighty but the Tree Sparrow had given itself away by its distinctive calls.

Tree Sparrow - a record shot only before it was gone

Kordon Statue, Izmir

Turkey Part II - Bergama

We moved onwards to Bergama on Wednesday 23rd September and within an hour of arriving there I had a telephone call from the hotel in Izmir to let us know that our suitcases had arrived despite having had no communication from Turkish Airlines at all about it - at least they had finally arrived and fortunately we were returning to that hotel on the 26th September to be reunited with them at last so we only had a few days left to manage with our emergency wardrobes. Anyway, the car journey to Bergama was uneventful with large raptors seen circling in the skies as we whizzed by and I thought I saw a Roller perched up on a telegraph wire too. 

Bergama was delightful, a proper Turkish town, very traditional and totally untouristy, and before checking into our hotel for the next 3 nights we had a wander about and I added Spotted Flycatcher, Collared Dove, Blue Rock Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Red-rumped Swallow and White Wagtail to my holiday list.

Red Basilica ruins, Bergama

Red Basilica, Bergama - unfortunately closed for renovations 

We headed up by cable car to the ruins of Pergamon on Thursday 24th September and spent a very enjoyable day clamboring around the site and trying to make sense of it while I also enjoyed the wildlife present. The site itself was very impressive and interesting with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside from the high vantage point and David spent lots of time reading every information board and looking at every stone while I wandered around looking for wildlife while enjoying the ambience of the ruins.

Pergamon Cable Car

Pergamon Theatre

The Temple of Trajan, Pergamon

The Temple of Trajan

Theatre

The Temple of Trajan

The remains of the Pergamon Altar ("where Satan has his throne" from Revelations in The Bible). The Altar is now in a Berlin Museum

Theatre

Temple of Dionysus

Mosaic, House Z

Mosaic

Mosaic

I had a lot of Butterfly sightings but in the hot sunshine only a few landed briefly for a proper look and I was able to ID Painted Lady, Meadow Brown, Swallowtail, Small Copper, Freyer's Grayling and Wall Brown while flighty Red-veined Darters were numerous across the site with a single Small Skimmer also seen.

Freyer's Grayling

Meadow Brown

Red-veined Darter

Grasshopper Sp.

Grasshopper Sp.

Migratory Locust

Small Skimmer (Orthetrum taeniolatum)

Glass Snake

Snake-eyed Lizard

Birds were a little more accommodating and I had great views of Blue Rock Thrush, Western Black-eared Wheatear, Western Rock Nuthatch and Isabelline Wheatear along with 2 Starling, a Kestrel, 5 Raven, 2 Buzzards, a Spotted Flycatcher, Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, House Sparrows, Red-rumped Swallows and a House Martin. There were also Bee-eaters heard calling regularly overhead but I failed to get any sightings of them.

Blue Rock Thrush and Western Black-eared Whetear

Western Black-eared Wheatear

Blue Rock Thrush

Western Rock Nuthatch

Western Rock Nuthatch

Willow Warbler

Isabelline Wheatear

There were great views looking out over a reservoir from the ruins of the Arsenal and out on the water were 4 distant Pelicans, presumably Dalmatian Pelicans, and all being followed by a bevy of Cormorants.

The view from The Arsenal at Pergamon

A very distant Pelican Sp. and a Cormorant

The following day we visited the small but interesting Bergama Archeology Museum before we walked to the ruins of The Asklepion where we spent a few interesting hours wandering around the site trying to make sense of the jumbled stones laying about the place and where again I admired the wildlife.

Muslim Tomb, Bergama Museum

Roman Bust

Tomb Ornamentation

Roman Statue

A Horse from the Pergamon Altar frieze - the only piece left in Bergama

Cerberus

The Pergamon Acropolis from The Asklepion

Asklepion Ruins

Asklepion Theatre

Asklepion

A singing male Cirl Bunting was a reminder of home along with at least 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Whinchat, 3 Redstart (1 male), 2 Blackbird, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Raven, a Jay and 2 Buzzard. More exotic fare was provided by a juvenile Masked Shrike, 2 Crested Larks and finally 3 Bee-eaters which flew noisely overhead and were hidden in amongst a feeding flock of Swallow, House Martin and Red-rumped Swallow. Sightings of Red-veined Darters, Southern Skimmers, Levant Water Frogs, Balkan Terrapins, Rough-tailed Rock Agamas and Snake-eyed Lizards also kept me both occupied and amused. I also saw a small Dice Snake swimming in a pond but it was too quick for a photo as both times it disappeared into the pond weed.

Rough-tailed Rock Agama

Juvenile Masked Shrike

Levant Water Frog

Balkan Terrapin

Levant Water Frog

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum)

Rough-tailed Rock Agama 

Land Crab (Potamon Sp.)

Rough-tailed Rock Agama 

Rough-tailed Rock Agama

Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum)

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

Puppy Dog in the Asklepion ruins

And so our stay in Bergama proved to be just perfect - a lovely hotel, hot and sunny weather, fantastic ruins and some great wildlife sightings and all in all a very enjoyable experience after the stress and strain of trying to sort out our missing luggage problems.