A small breeding colony of the glo- 
bally threatened Dalmatian Pelican 
Pelecanus crispus was discovered (cf. 
OSME Bull 28:32). The area also sup- 
ports extensive breeding colonies of 
herons and egrets as well as some 50 
pairs of Black Storks Ciconia nigra and 
several breeding Cranes Grus grus. 
During survey work, the digging of a 
big drainage channel along 3ie shores 
of the lakes was discovered. This was 
part of a new Kizilirmak Delta Irriga- 
tion Scheme, DHKD intervened 
quickly at a high level and the digging 
was stopped on 25 April. DHKD also 
immediately initiated a hydrological 
survey whose preliminary report 
clearly shows that the planned chan- 
nel would threaten the marshes and 
lakes. The report gives some alterna- 
tives and recommendations for fur- 
ther action. 
Following the survey work DHKD has 
started the *Kizilirmak Delta Conser- 
vation Project' with an office in Bafra, 
the nearest town, and a full time project 
officer. The project will undertake con- 
servation action based on the final re- 
ports of the ornithological and hydro- 
logical surveys. 
Seyfe Golti 
A visit by DHKD birdwatchers in June 
established the breeding of several 
species at this important wetland site. 
Of particular note were White Pelicans 
Pelecanus onocrotalus - the first con- 
firmed breeding of this species in Tur- 
key since the late 1970s - Greater Fla- 
mingos Phoenicopterus ruber, Gull- 
billed Terns Gelochelidon nilotica, Slen- 
der-billed Gulls Larus genei and Mar- 
bled \^\\c\^s Marmarnetta angustirostris. 
[Information on this site up to 1984 
was published in Birds of Turkey 2 - 
Seyfe GdlU , available from OSME sales] . 
The field workers discovered that a new 
irrigation scheme for the area, planned 
and already partially executed by DSI 
(the State Waterworks) included drain- 
ing the biggest part of the lake: the part 
with the breeding bird islands. DHKD 
is preparing a strategy for the manage- 
ment of the site. Aerial photography 
has been carried out and this confirms 
the threat to the islands from the pro- 
posed irrigation scheme. 
Buyuk, Mender es Delta and Bafa Golii - 
Integrated Management Plan 
In the last Bulletin, we reported the 
establishment of an Integrated Man- 
agement Plan for the Menderes Delta. 
On 2 June, HRH the Duke of Edin- 
burgh officially opened the DHKD 
Menderes Delta Nature Information 
Centre. The project has employed a 
warden to protect the Dalmatian Peli- 
can Pelecanus crispus colony. An attrac- 
tive leaflet in Turkish and English has 
been produced for visitors to the Na- 
ture Information Centre. There has also 
been lobbying for the inclusion of the 
area into ihe Dilek National Park and 
against illegal reclamation of the re- 
maining marshland. 
Lesser Kestrel 'nest boxes' at Eregli 
Marshes 
Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni under 
threat from increasing disturbance and 
predation near the Eregli Marshes, 
Central Anatolia, have been helped by 
DHKD, local authorities and volun- 
tary groups. The Kestrels nest in heaps 
of stones as well as crevices in walls 
and buildings. People have fenced off 
the stones and also built a special stone 
wall with Lesser Kestrel crevices, mod- 
elled on similar walls in France and 
Spain. DHKD made a video film of the 
activity which was shown on Turkey's 
main evening news. 
Ramsar Convention 
During the spring, there were a number 
of meetings in Ankara discussing the 
possibility of Turkey signing the 
27 
