Initiatives from the Goksu Delta In 
September 1991 
HilaryWelch, Guy Kirwan and Geoff Welch represented OSME at a 
three-day meeting to discuss bird research in Turkey. The meeting was 
held in Tasucu, Turkey, and was also attended by representatives from 
DHKD (the Turkish Society for the Protection of Nature) and WIWO (the 
Foundation Working Group for International Wader and Waterfowl 
Research). 
The first half of the meeting was occupied with updates from each 
organisation on their current and planned activities in Turkey. OSME's 
contributions were: 
• a report on Guy Kirwan's work at Hotamis in spring 1991 
• the presentation of a preliminary desk-study carried out by OSME 
member, Nick Williams, endeavouring to establish the status of 
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumannii and Black Vulture Aegypius monachus 
in Turkey (both species are declining in Europe) 
• plans for setting up a system through which rare bird records in 
Turkey could be vetted 
• the possibility of producing a gazetteer of Turkish place names 
• tentative plans to produce an annotated checklist of Turkish birds. 
WIWO's efforts are currently concentrated on the Kizilirmak Delta 
survey - preliminary research was underway in September and the full 
project will run from 15 March to 15 June 1992. The project had already 
attracted funding and won £1000 from the BP conservation expeditions 
award. This brings with it the recognition of ICBP and the Fauna and 
Flora Preservation Society, demonstrating both the value of the project 
and the good reputation of WIWO. 
As the active conservation body in Turkey, DHKD has many ornithological 
activities. These include projects at Important Bird Areas (IBAs) - including 
Manyas Golu, Sultan Marshes, Eregli Marshes, Burdur Golu and the 
Kizilirmak Delta; work on individual bird species - White-headed Duck 
Oxyura leucocephala, Greater Flamingo Phoenicoptems ruber and Dalmatian 
Pelican Pelecanus crispus; together with general lobbying, publicity and 
education work. 
All those present at the meeting knew that the work which had been 
outlined was unlikely to be the only orni thological research being carried 
out in Turkey. For many years, individuals and organisations have been 
visiting Turkey to study the birds and, following their visits, have 
produced anything from bird lists to detailed reports of full ecological 
surveys. For DHKD - with no experienced ornithologists and many 
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