Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

This is a continuation from my last two posts on the spur-winged lapwing and greater flamingo, both of which I saw in the Pamucak Wetlands outside of Kusadasi, Turkey. In my first post I noted walking along Pamucak Beach to the Little Meander River where it empties into the Aegean Sea. From there I tried to follow the river upstream which was virtually impossible because the vegetation along the riverside was so thick. 

This is a view from Pamucak Beach upstream of the Little Meander River. I was on the right side of the river and note how thick the vegetation is. That thickness was quite extensive. 

I made an attempt to penetrate the vegetation and made it partway through, but it was more than I could reasonably attempt. However, I did have several wonderful bird sightings at that point. First, I saw a European goldfinch, only the third one I've ever seen, the second one was earlier on this trip near Istanbul. 

My first European goldfinch was found in Portugal and I did a post on it here on July 28, 2022. It was so memorable that I recognized it immediately.  

After I got a number of good photos of the goldfinch another bird flew in to a spot very close to where the goldfinch had been. I had no idea what it was, but I later learned it was an Eastern olivaceous warbler a new bird (lifer) for me. 

Eastern olivaceous warbler.

This warbler is native to the Old World and mostly breeds in southeastern Europe, the Middle East and adjacent western Asia. It winders in the northern Afrotropics. There are four subspecies and I saw ssp. elaeica which is found in southeastern Europe, Turkey, the Holy Land and into central Asia in the Stans. It winters in the central and eastern Sahel region of Africa. 

Illustration from Birds of the World. 

Range from Birds of the World.