Bird nest

Çıralı beach in the southern province of Antalya has shattered a 30-year sea turtle nesting record, marking a significant achievement in conservation efforts.

The beach, renowned as one of Europe's top 10, saw its 153rd nest this season, surpassing the previous high of 151 nests set in 2018.

Positive signs first emerged in April when experts found that the cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), also known as the Eurasian black vulture, a rare but emblematic species of the Dadia Forest in northeastern Greece, had not abandoned the area after what European Union officials described as the largest fire recorded in the EU up to 2023.

The number of sea turtle nests on Çıralı Beach in the southern province of Antalya has exceeded last year's figures, with 106 nests recorded and more anticipated, marking a promising year for these endangered creatures.

In 2018, a record was set with 152 nests on the beach located in the Kemer district, where protection and monitoring efforts have been ongoing since 1994.

Flamingos, the heralds of spring, have started to arrive at Lake Tuz to nest in the central provinces of Aksaray, Konya, and Ankara, where they go for their annual breeding season. This year's arrival of the iconic pink birds marks the anticipation of warmer seasons ahead.

As measures are being taken for the new nesting season on the southern province of Antalya's Çıralı coast, one of the protected areas where sea turtles come and nest every year, more than 5,300 hatchlings are expected to reach the sea this year.

With scores of tourists hitting the beaches in the tourism hotspot of Antalya to cool off the summer heat, many locals and authorities have raised concerns over people hanging their belongings on wooden fences raised to protect Caretta caretta eggs in the Konyaaltı district.

The nesting and spawning phase of sea turtles in southern province of Antalya's Çıralı Beach has been protected by three volunteers for 25 years.

Sea turtles come to this beach every year to nest and lay their eggs. The new-born turtles that meet with the sea do not forget the beach where they opened their eyes to the world and come back years later and build their nests.

The number of Caretta caretta nests in the southern province of Antalya's Belek district has decreased by 61 percent following the 1-degree Celsius drop in sea water temperature.

Following the nesting process of endangered Caretta caretta, which started at the end of May, the first baby Caretta has hatched from its egg in the southwestern province of Muğla's İztuzu beach on July 13.

The hatching period has started in Manyas Bird Paradise National Park, located within the borders of Bandırma district in the northwestern province of Balıkesir and home to hundreds of thousands of creatures of 266 species.

Migratory birds that came to the Bird Paradise in February and March were incubated in 58 artificial nests made by officials. The chicks began to hatch in April.