Red-footed Falcon

Okan Kocagyit

Some people will know exactly why a slate grey falcon with red boots/feet is important to me...er...to Sybil. Today though, I thought I'd simply highlight the species and give it some extra press time.

The Redfooted falcon (falco vespertinus) hunts at dusk on the plains of eastern Europe and western Asia in summer. I think the slanting, evening sun highlights insect prey perfectly, but perhaps if I were a djinn pretending to be a falcon, I might hover around at NOT twilight.(*ahem*)

The falcons roost in whatever sparce tree cover they find. Since a colony can range from half a dozen to a thousand, these birds need a lot of space.

Of course, man likes to build and farm grassy plains, so the species is now categorized as "near threatened" due to loss of habitat. It would be pretty difficult to house a thousand birds, once the people move in and take out all the trees, kill all the bugs, and pretty much destroy the neighborhood. Occasionally the birds are seen as far west as the UK, and recently some were even sighted on this side of the Atlantic in Martha's Vineyard. Are they looking for new habitat?

In Turkey, the Redfooted Falcon is known as Aladoğan. Each year it migrates through Cyprus on the path to it's winter home in Africa.

(Cyprus is another reason this falcon is important to Sybil. Sorry, Peregrine falcon, but I think your red-footed cousin is a better fit for my story.)

image via www.outdoorconservation.eu

Where I Come From

Image via Wikipedia
Well, it's not exactly where I come from, but I thought I'd share a few pictures of my husband's home town, Mersin. I lived there for a while and there's always a piece of it with me.

The town has known many names. Içel is the formal government name for the city and the surrounding region. In ancient times, it was known as Zephyrium. (Lucky for me, since zephyr has always been one of my favorite words. Ask my high school English teacher.) Mersin is the name we answer to now.

Fun little fact....the word Mersin means blueberry. Apparently, wild blueberries grow in the nearby foothills of the Toros mountains. (And yet...I couldn't find a single one to eat while I was there? Just think of all the yummy jams I could have made.)


via travellinkturkey.com



Mersin is located on the Mediterranean coast just above Cyprus and is an important port city. In fact, the city is now home to the largest Free Port in Turkey. The expanded port injected the local economy with capital and many new neighborhoods. Unfortunately, it also caused urban sprawl all the way to our small village outside the city.



The market center of the old city is only open for foot traffic now (thankfully) and the Flamigo Yol avenue along the water is lined with lovely gardens for strolling and restaurants where the city's inhabitants love to play.

There are lots of ancient sites around Mersin, like Olba , Kizkalesi  and The Cave of Cennet, which appear in my writing or inspire it in some way. You'll see more of them in future posts, I'm sure.