The migration was different by the time of the second survey period . The 
number of birds had decreased, and the most common birds were now 
Bee-eaters Merops apiaster, Red-throated Pipits Anthus cervinus, Willow 
Warblers, Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio and Black-headed Buntings 
Emberiza melanocephala. Of these, only Willow Warbler had previously 
been recorded in significant numbers, while most of the others had been 
present only in very small numbers. However, smaller numbers of the 
birds that had made up the bulk of the passage during the earlier period 
were still passing through. 
Aksehir Golii, a large playa lake, linked to the nearby Eber Golii, is at the 
extreme southwest edge of the Central Plateau, close to the industrial city 
of Afyon. The two lakes, perhaps best thought of as a single closed 
wetland system, are enclosed to the south by the Sultan Mountains and 
to the north by the Emir Mountains. The lakes, especially Aksehir, are 
surrounded on all but their northern shores by dense orchard s, principally 
of almonds, interspersed with cereal fields, which predominate on the 
north side of the lakes. Thus, such a 'green' area, in a deep valley and 
otherwise surrounded for a large distance by alternately cultivated and 
barren steppe forms a natural resting and feeding area for passerines. 
Bad weather in the Sultan Mountains (snow often still falls in late spring) 
will further concentrate migrants into the basin around the lakes; such 
adverse conditions prevailed throughout the second half of April 1992. 
Passerine migration has been little studied in Turkey, although casual 
data have been collected during two breeding bird surveys. One spring 
census, largely concerned with Ruff Philomachus pugnax, was made at 
Eber Golii (WIWO report 28). Mist-netting for passerines was conducted 
on 16 days between 3 and 22 April 1988. For anyone searching for 
something a little different from their holiday in Turkey, a visit to 
Aksehir in either spring or autumn, the latter being even poorer known, 
could be the answer. The possibility of seeing large numbers of migrants, 
some in very incongruous situations, reminiscent of a classic British east 
coast fall, and with the possibility of rarer migrants (we recorded River 
Warbler Locustella fluviatilis, Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina and 
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea) should be sufficient incentive. 
Acknowledgement 
We should like to thank Neil Aston for participating in the firsthalf of this survey. 
Chris Bradshaw, 112 Lonsdale Drive, RainJmn, Gillingham, Kent, UK; and 
Guy Kirwan, 6 Connaught Road, Norwich NR2 3BP, UK 
17 
