The parachutists performing demonstration flights at the “Take Off Bilecik” event held at the paragliding area on Meryem Mountain in the Gölpazarı district of Bilecik were accompanied by curious migratory storks.
“It was a very nice view. They performed a thermal flight with the storks. They showed once again how valuable and important our region is,” said Turkish Airlines Bilecik Branch President İlker Çınar.
Cem Kaan Toka – Zafer Subaşıoğlu
In Türkiye’s Bursa province, Karaoğlan Village in the Mustafakemalpaşa district now hosts the highest number of stork nests in the region, boasting 32 nests—eight times more than the famous Eskikaraağaç “Stork Village.”
Located on the shores of Lake Uluabat, one of Europe’s key wetlands, Karaoğlan has become a haven for storks. The village is home to around 400 households and over 200 storks, meaning there is one stork for every two homes.
Village Headman Ergün Kısa said Karaoğlan, already known as the “Water Buffalo Village” for its 1,800 buffalo, is now also a stork hotspot thanks to its proximity to water sources and rich farmlands. He added, “Eskikaraağaç has one Yaren stork, but we have many. Our village is the richest in terms of stork numbers.”
The storks, known for their farewell flights over the village before migration, have made Karaoğlan a natural wonder resembling a “stork city.”
Zafer Akpınar – Uğur Uslubaş – Abdullah Çibir
TR