6 
Sariyer appears to have very well defined migration paths, which do not 
depend on wind direction or wind strength. In the early morning, the 
majority of birds cross the Bosphorus a little to the south of the hill, 
making a longer crossing over Sariyer Bay, but they are not as high. As 
the temperature climbs, they alter their course so that between about 1300 
- 1500 they are passing directly overhead; then as the day begins to cool 
the birds tend to pass more to the west and go behind the hill. Wherever 
the birds are, good views are obtained, especially when they pass low and 
close overhead. 
A few words about the approach to the hill are necessary. The route shown 
in map 2 is very steep and potentially dangerous: there is a lot of 
development along this road, and Turkish drivers are not the most 
cautious. It is worth investigating the track which runs west of the 
village of Sariyer Hill, which must come out on the road between Sariyer 
and Kilyos. This is reached from the centre of Sariyer, but we did not 
have time to check on this. Apparently, there are few, if any, good 
hotels in Sariyer; but there are several in Kilyos, on the Black Sea, and, 
of course, Sariyer is not far from Istanbul where there are many various 
priced hotels - the only problem is the traffic. 
Having said how good Sariyer Hill is, there could be a future problem. As 
mentioned above, there is a lot of development up the side of the hill, 
and this is true of all the slopes overlooking the Bosphorus - there are 
houses and estates going up literally everywhere. The village of Sariyer 
Hill at the summit does not cover the whole area, and at present no new 
houses are being built on that west side, but I believe it is only a 
matter of time. The X marked on the map 2 is on a corner of cleared land 
which looks like a car park - but has no cars! This spot, from the point 
of view of watching the migration, is ideal and would probably be the last 
part to be developed as it has the most restricted view over the 
Bosphorus . 
I hope that the members of OSME , together perhaps with the Turkish 
conservation societies and ICBP, can find a way of preserving this site. 
Because it is a site for people rather than birds, the solution has to be 
more than just conservation. I believe that the only viable plan is to 
build a field centre there - it does not have to be grand. It could be 
staffed by local society members and could be an attraction for local 
people as well as visiting birdwatchers. The woodland adjacent to this 
site extends for several miles and could attract visitors during the 
spring and summer - it could also help preserve some of the unique 
Bosphorus habitat, which is disappearing at an alarming rate. 
This site is clearly important. The numbers of raptors and storks counted 
here and over the Camlica Hills give an indication of the populations in 
Eastern Europe and Western Russia. It could be that population estimates 
based on the Bosphorus over the last few years will need revising in the 
Light of Sariyer Hill being discovered. Help is needed this autumn. 
1st Floor, Arv3lee, Clifton Down Road, Bristol BS8 4 AH, Great Britain. 
