Lake Beyşehir hosts bird watchers, photographers

KONYA

Home to 190 different bird species, the Lake Beyşehir National Park in the Central Anatolian province of Konya hosts many photographers and bird watchers every year during spring.

Eurasian coot, great crested grebe, cormorant, heron, flamingo, stork, crane, white pelican and seagull are the leading bird species that accommodate and incubate around the lake during migration seasons.

The birds, which come to the lake at sunrise, perform a day-long concert, with each bird playing a different instrument in the orchestra.

Visiting the bird sanctuary, located two-and-a-half hours from the capital Ankara, bird enthusiasts and photographers spend hours there observing the birds in the park.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Osman Nurullah Berk, an academic from Selçuk University Bird Watching Society, said that over 184,000 water birds were registered in and around the lake.

Besides the birds, the vibrant flowers, bare mountains and colorful land formations make visitors feel like they are on a different planet.

The water lilies blooming on the lake’s waters rise to the surface and disappear underwater in the afternoon, making
them all the more fascinating for visitors.