I love the winter in Didim. The cooler temperatures and fewer visitors give the perfect excuse for exploring. It can be a visit to Apollon Temple or further afield to Miletus, or just a walk from Sagtur to Mavisehir, writes Chris Evans.

Recently, we did something a little different. We wanted to see the wildlife of Lake Bafa. I’m not an ornithologist by any stretch of the imagination, but there is something special about seeing flamingos take flight over the water. Even the cows seemed to stop and watch.

Something else caught the corner of my eye. Two egrets were swooping in and out of the rushes by the water. They were magnificent creatures elegantly going about their business.

Our little part of the lake was also covered in what, I think, were Eurasian Coot. It’s a little hard to tell when, according to the Turkish tourism website, there are over 300,000 species of bird who make their home at Lake Bafa over the winter.

It seemed every way we turned, there were different birds singing and flying around. I was still transfixed by the flamingos. Then a magical moment happened. Four of them took flight, skimming over the surface of the water with their feet dangling below them rippling the surface. I’d never seen a flamingo fly before. It made my day.

We braved the cold for as long as we could, hugging our flasks of coffee for extra warmth. We had one place we wanted to visit. The delta of the Great Menderes River (Buyuk Menderes).

It took us closer to the wildlife, especially the horned bull, who eyed me suspiciously as he crossed the road in front of us to join the cows near the banks of the lake. I’d never realised how large a dairy farming community there was in the area.

We saw the delta filled with small wooden fishing boats and took a couple of photos despite our shivering with cold. With no one else around, it really was a special experience. It was getting cold, so time to decamp somewhere with a log fire and refreshments. Home beckoned.

As we drove away, we were escorted by two long-legged buzzards who bade us farewell. We made one final stop on the road outside Akkoy to look at all the birds on the sand flats. The day had a last treat in store. In the middle of all the other species stood a solitary Dalmatian Pelican. It was magnificent. The perfect end to a perfect day.

I’d highly recommend a trip to the less visited parts of Lake Bafa. every day will offer something different. I’ll certainly be going back in a few months to see the colourful European Bee-eater. I can’t wait.