February 26th Marrakech
Weather: bright and Sunny.
After clearing customs at the airport in Marrakech we changed some Euros into Dirhams and met up with the rest of the group. Outside the airport I noticed a group of raptors heading north. They were Black Kites and we estimated that there was about 250 of them. After checking in at the hotel we headed to the Souks (markets). We had lunch at one of the rooftop restaurants from where we enjoyed magnificent views of the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains and saw our first House Buntings and Common Bulbuls. The Souks are a large collection of workshops and small shops selling and making leather goods, carpets, metalwork, shoes and other stuff. For me seeing the men working in the cramped workshops was the highlight, as it showed just how lucky most British workers are. One man was sitting on a pile of metal and wood in a very small workshop while he sharpened a pair of scissors - he was nearly touching the ceiling. Back at the hotel, Chris Murphy, our guide, and I did some birding in the garden and saw many Pallid Swifts. Amongst the Pallid Swifts were six Little Swifts and a pale phase Booted Eagle, which was soaring amongst them.
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| House Bunting |
February 27th Marrakech to Boulmane de Dades
Weather: bright and sunny.
I started the day with a bit of birding in the hotel garden. Despite it being misty the birds were active. A group of 30 Common Bulbuls were feeding noisily out in the open and a pair of Sardinian Warblers moved through the foliage close to the bulbuls. Just after 08:00 we set off towards the mountains and the Tizi n Tichka pass. The early morning mist soon cleared revealing the snowy tops of the High Atlas Mountains. Our first break of the morning gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs and do a bit of birding. A Long-legged Buzzard showed well and a group of swifts appeared - mainly Pallids but also about ten Little Swifts. The Little Swifts had a very fast and distinctive flight action and their white rumps could clearly be seen. Our next stop was at a roadside restaurant, but before having refreshments we looked for some of the our target species. A Chaffinch was seen, but not an African one, just an ordinary European one. The next one, however, was an African Chaffinch - the first of many.
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| African Chaffinch |
A splendid group of Firecrests were flitting about above our heads and I soon spotted an African Blue Tit. Chris and I stopped at a spot where we could hear a few birds and spotted our first Rock Bunting. A largish bird flew through the trees and alighted on a tree trunk - it was a
Levaillant’s Woodpecker. Chris got it in his scope, so that we could all get good views of it. Amazingly it stayed in the same spot long enough for Chris to fetch those who had already retired to the restaurant. After drinks we carried on along the road for ten minutes and stopped at a likely spot. After some searching we eventually located two splendid Tristram's Warblers, one of which showed well as it sang from a low bush. We reached the top of the mountain pass and then continued southwards noticing how the habitat altered. The north side of the Atlas was quite green, but on the south side it was much drier and barren. During our descent from the mountains we made a stop and discovered a pair of Black Wheatears flitting about on the hillside. There was no more time for any stops, but from the mini-bus we saw our first White-crowned Wheatears.
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| White-crowned Wheatear |
February 28th Boulmane de Dades
Weather: bright and sunny.
A few of us enjoyed a pre-breakfast walk, although there were not that many birds up and about, but we did see our first Red-rumped Wheatear - a female.
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| Female Red-rumped Wheatear |
We also saw a male Black Redstart. After breakfast we were taken on a tour of the stony desert close to our base. The first stop produced a pair of Temminck's Larks and a male Desert Wheatear. Further searching, of this unique habitat sandwiched between two snow capped mountain ranges, revealed another seven Temminck's Larks including a group of five, which came in really close. Dawn and David had a Red-rumped Wheatear; then I found a pair and later Chris spotted a lone male - everyone in the group saw at least one of them. A minimum of five more Desert Wheatears was enjoyed in the same area. Lunchtime birding was exciting, the highlights being a pair of Laughing Doves and a male Black Wheatear. The afternoon was spent in the Gorge de Dades, which is a spectacular rocky ravine. Here we saw Black Wheatears and another very obliging male Tristram's Warbler.
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| High Atlas Mountains |
March 1st Boulmane de Dades to Erfoud
Weather: bright and sunny.
Dawn's alarm burst into life at 06:00, but it did not wake her as she breathed heavily. I was already awake studying the bird species I hoped to see during forthcoming day. The sun had almost risen, so it's was time for me to get up. The light from the rising sun was enough to allow me to see to walk along the edge of the wide gorge. As the sun began to appear above the distant mountains, I saw my first birds of the day - a fabulous pair of Red-rumped Wheatears. Mohamed one of our guides had fallen ill during the night, but after a few minutes he decided he would be ok. Whist we waited an immature male Blue Rock Thrush appeared on a nearby wall. This was the first of three we saw during the day. We boarded the mini-buses and set off on our journey to the Sahara. Our first stop proved to be an excellent location. Andy, Dawn and I decide to climb up onto a rocky plateau above the road. We spotted a pair of Lanner Falcons at a nest site and whilst watching them a very showy Desert Lark appeared. We noted the rufous edges to its wings and the overall buffish colour to the underparts. These features were spot on for this species. The rest of the group had stayed on the flat, so we decided to join them. Another Desert Lark was close to the mini-buses and the group had found a couple of Trumpeter Finches, which were still in view when we joined them. As well as the finches a pair of Red-rumped Wheatears were close by and small group of Temminck's Lark came in close, as did single Desert and Northern Wheatears. Continuing our journey, we stopped for refreshments and while some of the group watched football, Andy, Dawn and I had a walk around the town. Amongst some unfinished buildings we found three White-crowned Wheatears and two Black Redstarts. Lots of White-crowned Wheatears were seen on buildings as we made are way to Erfoud. Several more stops were made and two new bird species were added to the list: Fulvous Babler and Bar-tailed Lark. The latter were smaller, shorter tailed and had paler underparts compared to the Desert Larks seen earlier. Other highlights included a couple of singing Spectacled Warblers and several Black Wheatears. We also saw at least four Fat Sand Rats.
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| Fulvous Babler |
Weather: bright and sunny.
Just before 05:30 four 4x4's arrived and we piled in and set off into the desert. The first thing we did was watch the sun come up. This was spectacular, as the sky was light up by a bright orange glow prior to the sun appearing above the horizon. The first bird I saw was a Brown-necked Raven that came to inspect us. At the same time Mohamed heard a African Desert Warbler. A small sandy coloured warbler was singing from a desert bush. The views of it on the ground were really good. You could see that it was golden buff coloured on the upper parts and the tail. It flitted up into one of the small bushes and showed off its pale yellow eyes as it sang. Moving on we picked up a Berber who was waiting for us. He rode on the footboard of the truck and held on to the roof rack. He indicated for us to stop and lead us to a stony area. Amongst the stones was a sleeping Egyptian Nightjar. Luckily it was facing us and out in the open. Occasionally it would open one eye, but mostly it slept peacefully. The Berber knows the area they roost in and then searches until he flushes one and then watches where it lands.
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| Egyptian Nightjar |
Once we had all seen the nightjar it was off again in the vehicles until the lead truck made an abrupt stop. Out of the window I spotted a bustard. Grabbing our scopes we leapt out of the 4x4 and could see it was a Houbara Bustard, a near mythical species these days. We watched it until it wandered out of view. New birds were coming thick and fast now as we spotted the first of many Hoopoe Larks. These smart birds put on a great display, as they fly up vertically about four metres above the ground with their wings and tail spread and then close their wings and dive head first back to the ground. At a small oasis we saw the first Hoopoe and Maghreb Lark of the trip. The Maghreb Lark is longer billed and paler than Crested Lark and is considered a valid species by some authorities. A small party of Thick-billed Larks teased us with a distant fly by, but we failed to find them on the deck. Whilst searching we noticed a pale wheatear with a very upright stance - it was an Isabelline Wheatear. Eventually we may have seen up to four of these birds, which are rare in this area. Breakfast was calling, so we headed to a straw and sand built Kasbah. After refreshing ourselves it was back to the 4x4s and on the hunt again. We chanced upon a mixed group of sandgrouse, which comprised of ten Pin-tailed and two Spotted. We were able to get close using the vehicles as a hide.
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| Spotted Sandgrouse |
The great birds kept coming. Next we had a party of eight Cream-coloured Coursers. They scurried about, but never appeared nervous of our presence. Moving on we saw some camels, so we had to stop to take photos. This put us behind the other groups, but quite fortuitously I spotted a couple of larks with wide white edges to the back of their wings. Luckily they landed close to the truck. Checking out the nearest one I was overjoyed to see it was a male Thick-billed Lark. In all we saw five in that area. It was time to catch up with the others, hoping they had seen some Thick-billed Larks, but on the way we chanced upon another Cream-coloured Courser. When we finally caught up with the others, they had stopped and were scoping four Thick-billed Larks of their own. We joined them and had another good look at these special larks. While we were there we also saw a female Desert Wheatear, which was good as it was our first female of the trip. Near a small Berber settlement we discovered a pair of Desert Sparrows. They were really confiding and finished off a great day in style. The last stop was at a large lake in the desert, which proved to be good. Dawn spotted a cracking male Iberian Yellow Wagtail and the other highlight for me was seeing good numbers of Ferruginous Ducks. The desert was spectacular for both birds and scenery and the massive sand dunes at Merzouga were particularly impressive.
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| Cream-coloured Courser |
March 3rd Erfoud to Ouarzazate
Weather: bright and sunny.
I started the day with a brisk walk near our Hotel (the Palm Hotel). A single Maghreb Lark serenaded me as the sun came up and the surprise of the day was seeing about 130 Cormorants flying north. Pharaoh Eagle Owl was high on my list of wants amongst the desert species and Chris did not let me down. Just inside a large shady crack in the cliff sat a marvellous Pharaoh Eagle Owl. We heard a sandgrouse but didn't see it. White-crowned Wheatears were ubiquitous in the area and the day's total was at least 60. During and before lunch we searched for Barbary Partridges. After failing the first time, Dawn and I tried again with Andy and this time we found a couple running around between the palms. Sadly I failed to get a good look at the Moussier's Redstart seen by others, but Dawn found one on her own and confirmed it with a photograph. We finished the day at the barrage at Ouarzazate (lake). The light was fading fast, so birding proved difficult - an early morning visit would be better. One of the highlights of the day was seeing the desert carpeted with wild flowers.
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| Pharaoh Eagle Owl |
March 4th Ouarzazate to Taroudant
Weather: a thin veil of cloud, but still warm.
A quick look around the hotel yielded a couple of Blue Rock Thrushes and a steady stream of Common Swifts. At the barrage a mixed party of waders provided some new birds including Wood Sandpiper and Ruff. An Osprey was another first for the trip, as was a Red-throated Pipit. Half-a-dozen Ferruginous Ducks were out on the lake, but it was Coots that were the most common birds. Continuing westwards we made a stop in a suitable area for Desert Lark and one was found that showed really well. This pulled the species back for those that missed the earlier ones. It's undulating and almost see-sawing flight action was delightful. A Blue Rock Thrush displayed from the cliff tops and a Spectacled Warbler sang and gave its display flight from the taller plants. As we descended down from the mountains the rocky ground gave way to stony desert. Wheatears were once again in evidence. Two Desert Wheatears were viewable from the mini-bus and a pair of Red-rumped Wheatears were located during a brief stop. The male fluttered his wings and spread his tail, as he displayed to the female. A stop at a Saffron tearoom at
Taliouine proved to be an excellent choice, as there were many birds amongst the nearby trees. A pair of Hoopoes fluttered through the trees and one landed in a tree and posed for us. A small drinking pool attracted lots of birds including two male Spanish Sparrows, some Corn Buntings and our first Goldfinches of the trip. Dave mentioned Moussier's Redstart, which we wrongly assumed was the bird from yesterday until he showed us where he had seen a pair. They took a bit of searching for, but eventually I found them. What a stunner the male is. A brief stop to see a couple of Southern Grey Shrikes also rewarded us with the sight of a pair of Fulvous Bablers feeding four well-grown chicks. The adults delivered food on a regular basis to their wing quivering family. The final good bird of the day was a Black-winged Kite perched at the roadside.
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| Fulvous Bablers |
March 5th Taroudantto Agadir
Weather: bright and sunny
Half the group went shopping during the morning in the Taroudant Soaks, whilst the rest of us went birding. Just before breakfast we climbed up onto the sunroof where we could see about forty Pallid Swifts wheeling around above us. After breakfast Chris took us to an area just outside of Taroudant where there was rough ground and isolated bushes. Two pairs of Black-winged Kites were in the area. The closest pair was nest building and the male displayed. He lifted his wings faster on the up stroke compared to the down stroke. A couple of families of Fulvous Bablers posed well as they fed on blossom. A pair of a Stone Curlews was a welcome addition to the trip list, as was a singing Quail that was actually seen by some of the group. Many Southern Grey Shrikes were seen, as well as lots of Common Bulbuls. A few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were flicking about. Four Sardinian Warblers were seen well, but the star warbler for me was a fine male Western Sub-alpine Warbler. Bird of the morning was Black-crowned Tchagra. A couple of males posed really well in different bushes. Their black and white heads were very smart. Another new bird for the trip was an adult Woodchat Shrike. A pair of Barbary Partridges flew up from the ground, but were lost in the vegetation when they landed. Just after 11:00 we loaded our luggage onto the mini-bus and climbed onboard for the last part of our journey.
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| Black-crowned Tchagra |
We were heading to Agadir, but not before having a planned stop just north of there to look for Bald Ibis. We stopped for lunch at a village called Tamri. Whilst waiting for lunch, I searched the distant cliff face and noticed a falcon perched on a dry stonewall. Through my scope I could see it had an orangey brown nape and rear neck. In flight it clearly had a pale tail with a dark band and its coverts and secondaries contrasted with its darker primaries - it was a Barbary Falcon. Three Red-rumped Swallows kept us entertained while we were eating. After lunch it was game on as we searched for Bald Ibis. We drove down a track, but were turned back by a chap who was guarding the nesting cliffs of this rare species. He took us to a location away from the main nesting cliffs and luckily we saw twenty-one of these rare birds. They enthralled us as they flew about and we also saw them on the ground near the roadside. The last action of the day was a quick look for colour-rings amongst the many gulls on the beach near Tamri. About 60 Auduion's Gulls were there and six of them were colour ringed. I also managed to read the colour-rings on three Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
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| Bald Ibis |
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| Bald Ibis |
March 6th Agadir (Parc Naturelle de Sous Masa)
Weather: bright and sunny - very warm
Andy and I met at the front of the hotel at 06:00. We planned to blag our way into the fishing harbour, but five armed policemen told us to come back at 08:30 to try to get a permit. There was no way we could do this, as the mini-bus was due to leave at 07:30. We decided to try the beach and luckily there were many gulls present. We didn't have much time, as it didn't get light enough until just before 07:00. Between us we read colour rings on three LBB Gulls. The day trip today was to Masa, with Brown-throated Martin being the main target. Sadly we could not find them despite trying
all their usual haunts. On the way we checked an area of semi-desert and here I saw my first ever Lesser Short-toed Larks. These tiny little gems showed really well on the ground at close range. A small group of Black-bellied Sandgrouse flew over and amongst them was a smaller Spotted Sandgrouse. A stop to check a weedy pool proved to be a good one. At least four crakes were wandering about on the floating weed. I only saw two, but one was a Little Crake and the other a Baillon's. At one time both were in the same view, which is surely a rare sight. At another pool a male Little Bittern was seen perched high in some reeds. Nearby a Moroccan Reed Warbler was singing and showing on the edge of the reeds. This is possibly a new species: non-migratory with short wings and it vocalisation is slightly different to the Eurasian Reed Warbler. Chris explained that the Masa river is more typical of the rivers further south in Africa. We walked for a while at the side of it enjoying the warm mid-day sunshine. Several male Moussier's Redstarts sheltered from the heat in the bushes by the river. A Fresh looking male Black-eared Wheatear perched in the shade just above the track. Further along we heard three Black-crowned Tchagras doing their rising whistle calls and saw one of them well. A group of roosting Night Herons was a good spot by Dave, as they weren't easy to see. We had one more go at seeing the Brown-throated Martins, but they didn't want to play. We did at least get a good view of an adult African Cormorant (a sub-species of Great Cormorant). A late afternoon visit to the Oued Souss (a river near Agadir) to see Red-necked Nightjars was the plan, but the nightjars refused to show although we did hear one. Before dark we checked out the estuary. A group of gulls and Sandwich Terns were on the far shore. 12 Mediterranean and a similar number Black-headed Gulls were with them, but pride of place goes to the first-winter Common Gull I spotted amongst them.
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| Common Gull |
March 7th Agadir (Oued Souss)
Weather: bright and sunny - very warm
Once again Andy and I met up for a session of looking for colour-ringed gulls on the beach near our hotel. On the way to the beach we spotted a Barbary Falcon on an early morning sorti amongst the high rise hotels. On the beach we saw a colour-ringed gull that we had seen the day before and a new Norwegian ringed LBB Gull. Another first-winter Common Gull was amongst the large gulls and also three first-winter Mediteranean Gulls were there. The plan for the morning was to return to the Oued Sous. A group of Night Herons flew inland away from the river and a Zitting Cisticola crept around on the floor by our feet. Amongst the gull there now was two Common Gulls. According to the distribution map these are outside their normal range. An Osprey was fishing near the mouth of the river and eventually it caught a fish and flew off to feed. Four Marsh Harriers drifted over and as they did they flushed a group of herons and waders. The King of Morocco has a palace close to the river and we could see his guards by the wall. Andy, Justin, Mohamed and I decided to find the pools that the birds must have come up from, but this meant getting closer to the palace walls. Once we got close to the pools we could see a good collection of waders including Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Dunlin, Greenshank, Grey Plovers, Ringed Plovers, Redshank and Ruff. A group of sleepy Spoonbills were there and a Great White Egret flew up from the group. The Osprey we had just seen catch a fish was perched on a post near the pool. We had unfortunately caught the attention of the police and two officers came out on quad bikes to apprehend us. They were friendly enough, but they told us not to look towards the walls and gave us clear instructions on where we could go. They shadowed us until we left the area. On the beach was another gathering of gulls and terns. An adult Slender-billed Gull was amongst them and surprisingly it had a colour-ring, which we were able to read. A Woodchat Shrike was a nice find by Justin and a couple of Moroccan Magpies posed for photographs.
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| Moroccan Magpie |
