The Squacco heron is a common summer visitor at the lake.
Photo: Cem O. Kýraç
| Size: | 759 ha. |
| Coordinates: | 39 46 N 32 48 E |
| Altitude: | 973 m. |
| Location: | It is located 20 km south of Ankara. The Konya road goes along the eastern shores whereas Haymana road coveres its western shores. |
| Site description: | It is a shallow eutrophic freshwater lake fringed with reedbeds of variable width. It is fed by the small stream south of the lake coming from the Haymana Plateou and flows into the lake Eymir through a regulator. North of the lake the town Gölbaþý located. Around the town there are lots of holiday homes. Along the shores of the northern half of the lake there are farm houses, restaurants and houses. South of the lake there is ca. 750 ha. large extensive marshland and wet meadows including Gölcük and Çökek marshes. In the surroundings specially south of the lake there is limited agricultural activity. The lake is extensively used by fishermen, sailors and picknickers. |
| Strategy: | Do not visit the lake in the weekends when the shores of the lake is intensively used by picknickers. There are various points on the eastern and western shores of the lake. Visit the seasonal wetland west of the lake near the white transformator building on the side of Haymana road. Take the road from Yavrucak Village on Haymana road to Konya road. This road can produce good number of migrants in spring. |
| Birds: |
The breeding birds include Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe,
Red-necked Grebe (5 pairs), Black-necked Grebe (10 pairs),
Little Bittern (10 pairs), Night Heron, Squacco Heron (30
pairs), Purple Heron (5 pairs), Mallard (20 pairs),
Gadwall (5 pairs), Red-crested Pochard (50 pairs),
Pochard, Ferruginous Duck (10 pairs), White-headed Duck (2
pairs), Coot, Marsh Harrier (5 pairs), Black-winged Stilt
(20 pairs), Lapwing and Bearded Tit.
In spring common passage birds are Red-footed Falcon, Little Crake, Ruff, Swallow, Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit. The surrounding fields inhabit 5 species of larks like Calandra, Bimaculated, Short-toed, Lesser Short-toed Larks and Skylark. In winter it supports large number of waterfowl including Coot (60.000), Pochard (10.000), Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Ruddy Shelduck, Black-headed Gull (tens of thousands coming from their feeding; rubbish damps) and Starling (over 1.000.000). Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier and Merlin are common wintering raptors. The less common species observed at the lake are the three species of swans, Pallid Harrier, Imperial Eagle, Crane, Demossile Crane, Spur-winged Plover. |
| Other wildlife: | Foxes are regularly encountered. The lake is rich in fish like carp and pike. |