We are currently in the small but historic town of Selcuk, on the Aegean coast of Turkey. It is a fairly ordinary modern Turkish town, except for the floods of tourists that come through here on the way to Ephesus, the imperial Roman city, the ruins of which are just a few kilometres away.

But what caught our attention (as magnificent as Ephesus is), was the remains of an aqueduct that can be seen in the heart of the town business district. Or more specifically, the birds nesting on top of it.

White Storks, Ciconia ciconia, return to Europe to breed every spring. Because they often choose nesting sites around human habitation, their reappearance each spring is seen as a source of pride and delight. Indeed nesting sites are often protected for the birds, as they are here in Selcuk.

So over a lunch of Köfte and salads, we watched these lovely birds coming and going from their high nests, and spoke to the restaurant owner, who informed us they had only returned 15 days ago, and would depart around September.

Here is a photo gallery of these magnificent birds going about their lives. (I had hoped to get a recording of their bill-clappering, which is the only sound they commonly make. However I was not successful, the photo of them post mating will have to suffice.)

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