Dawn chorus in the Forests of Turkey by Listening Earth

After two months of travelling through Turkey making nature recordings, our final morning in the forests turned out to be a wonderful culmination of all that we have experienced here – a lovely conclusion to our time in this fascinating country.

In the afternoon of the day before we were due back in Istanbul, we pulled off the motorway at the town of Bolu. Being only a few hundred kilometres east of the capital, it left us a manageable final day’s journey.

Despite being relatively close to such a metropolis, the countryside around Bolu is blanketed with forests. In the surrounding hills, a secluded lake is popular as a picnic, fishing and holiday spot, and nearby we found a family-run pension for the night. Hoping for some morning recording, we set off in the late afternoon to see if we could find a suitable location.

As we drove down a narrow, rural track leading to what promised to be a good area of forest, a dog shot out from a farmyard and gave chase, barking furiously.

I’ve written previously of our concern regarding Turkey’s fearsome sheepdogs, the Kangal. They’re big, intimidating and unpredictable. However the canine now trying to eat our tires was no Kangal, but a scrappy, Terrier-like object.

After 2 kilometres, the little animal had still not given up. Eventually I had to stop to inspect a dubious creek crossing. Necessitating getting out of the car, I was expecting a nip at my ankles, but instead the fearsome hound just wagged its tail before haunching down with an air of self-satisfaction. It seemed a faintly ridiculous end to our apprehension of Turkish dogs.

Once in the forest, the location we found was indeed beautiful, everything that one imagines of picture-perfect European woodlands. There were even a pair of cheery Bullfinches to greet us.

The next morning, I set up the microphones in the dark and captured this rich dawn chorus. By now, the spring season is well advanced, and the birdsong rich and diverse. I chose to record at the edge of a forest glade, with a bubbly stream flowing through it not far away.

Thrushes are prominently to be heard; Blackbirds and Song Thrushes. Also living in the glade and surrounding forest were Robins, Bullfinches, Serins, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Wrens, Greenish Warblers, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtails (which flitted among the river pebbles), and Common Rosefinches (the first time we’d come across these beautiful little birds). Many of their voices can be heard in this recording.

Before we’d come to Turkey, most of these European bird species were unknown to us. But over the last two months, we’ve come to recognise and get to know them quite well. So to find them all together in one place (plus the lovely Rosefinches), was a great way to finish off our time here.

It felt like a gathering of friends to wish us farewell.

Actually, we are already planning a future trip to Turkey. It has been a beautiful and fascinating country, with the most hospitable people. So we will indeed have friends to re-visit.

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