My first ever visit to this country produced 21 bird lifers: Brown Fish Owl, Graceful Prinia, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Krüper’s Nuthatch, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Bimaculated Lark, Upcher’s Warbler, White-throated Robin, Asian Crimson-winged Finch, Pale Rock Sparrow, White-winged Snow Finch, Moustached Warbler, White-headed Duck, Caspian Snowcock, Red-fronted Serin, Radde’s Accentor, Finsch’s Wheatear, Syrian Woodpecker, White-throated Kingfisher and White-spectacled Bulbul.

The full write-up is on this journal’s Trip Reports tab. To view it click on the image (below)

Other notable birds observed through the five days included:

• Isabelline and Black-eared Wheatears, Black-headed and Ortolan Buntings
• Olive Tree, Rüppell’s, Barred, Great Reed, Eastern Orphean, Eastern Bonelli’s and Eastern Olivaceous Warblers
• Greater Short-toed, Calandra and Horned Larks
• Woodchat, Masked and Red-backed Shrikes, Chukar Partridge
• Western Rock Nuthatch, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Red-billed and Alpine Chough
• Purple, Squacco and Black-crowned Night Herons, Pied Kingfisher, Spur-winged Plover
• Lesser Spotted and Booted Eagles, Long-legged Buzzard and Egyptian Vulture

So the story goes, this is a tale that must be told … and all that. Enjoy (click here) …