In March 2009, I took a 10 day bird watching trip with a company called Wingspan Bird Tours, run by Bob Buckler. The party consisted of 5 other bird watchers and Bob. Each day was to consist of a pre-breakfast walk, breakfast, a drive to bird watch, collecting lunch somewhere along the way from whatever village shops we encountered and then back to the hotel for a well deserved dinner. Monday 16th After a torturous train journey from Leeds to Gatwick on the Sunday, an overnight stay, and an uneventful flight, we touched down at Marrakech airport, collected currency and the minibus along with Ahmed, our Moroccan driver and then headed east to the High Atlas mountains. As we drove through Marrakech, we saw Swallow, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Collared Doves, White Stork and the Moroccan suspecies of Magpie, which has a patch of blue skin in the corner of its eye. We stopped off at our hotel to depost our luggage for our overnight stay at the Ourika Hotel in Ourika. Then it was on to Oukaimedan. A stop at a pine copse, produced a fine Firecrest and the subtly different North African subspecies of Coal Tit, Blue Tit and Chaffinch. A male Long-Legged Buzzard put on a fine aerial display for its accompanying mate, in the presence of a mixed flock of Red-Billed and Alpine Choughs. We also had good views of our first of many Moussier's Redstart. The yaffle of a Green Woodpecker was heard but not seen. We drove on to Oukaimedan and parking above the village, we were treated to sightings of Barbary Partridge, Mistle Thrush, Blue-Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrow, Black Redstart and Atlas Horned Lark. Descending down to the lower Ski Lift car park, we were inundated with a host of Crimson- Winged Finches and Horned Larks. As the temperature fell, we beat a hasty retreat back to the hotel, picking up Dipper, Rock Dove and more Choughs. Tuesday 17th A pre breakfast walk around the hotel, produced Chaffinch, Blue Tit, singing House Buntings and Serins. Common Bulbuls were dashing about and calling, as was another woodpecker before it delighted us by alighting in a nearby tree to reveal itself as a Levaillant s Green Woodpecker. A nearby track produced Blackcap, Cetti s Warbler, Nightingale, Wren, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Redstart, several Cattle Egrets and in the air, Red-Rumped Swallow and Little Swift, which also nest in the eaves of the hotel. Onward then to our destination for 2 nights the Hotel Soleil Bleu, in Boulmalne Du Dades. Pulling into the side of the road we had Moroccan Magpie, Corn Bunting, Common Bulbul, Southern Grey Shrike, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark and Stonechat. Climbing through the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, at our first stop we had another displaying pair of Long-Legged Buzzards. During lunch we watched Black Wheatears, and very high up, a pair of Griffon Vultures. A Red-Throated Pipit was added lower down the pass. Later, stopping at the Quarzazate Reservoir, we picked up Great-Crested Grebe, White Wagtail, Osprey, Ruddy Shelduck, Desert Wheatear, White-Crowned-Black Wheatear, Dunlin, Little Stint, Little Ringed Plover and Kentish Plover. Page 1 of 5
Wednesday 18th We decide to venture out on to the hamada, the stony plains, and bird watch the the first half of the Tagdilt Trail prior to breakfast and then to see the remaining half after breakfast. A cold start saw us walking out onto the trail to be rewarded with firstly, Red Rumped Wheatears and then Desert Wheatear, followed by close views of Temminck s-horned Lark, which proved to be abundant everywhere we went on. We then had distant views of a perched, Long-Legged Buzzard. As we moved the minibus further up the trail, our next stop disturbed a flock of about 15 Black- Bellied Sandgrouse. A while later, we eventually came across a Hoopoe Lark and were treated to it singing and performing the vertical rise and fall of its display flight. After breakfast, we continued our hunt on the Tagdilt Trail, locating White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Hoopoe Lark, Northern Wheatear and had three sightings of Lanner Falcon. The rubbish tip produced a Black Kite and a walk up a wadi just a little further up, revealed Goldfinches, Desert Wheatear and several Greater-Short-Toed Larks, before finally locating one of my targets, Cream-Coloured Courser, when three were spotted from the bus. After collecting lunch in Bolumalne, we journeyed on to the Gorge Du Dades. This valley gives jawdropping views with scenery ranging from the cultivated valleys below to the sandstone cliffs above. Cameras were into overtime!! At these photo opportunities, we had sightings of Black Wheatear, Blue-Rock Thrush, Rock Dove, Crag Martin, House Martin, Blackcap and Willow Warbler and at the valley top, a search for Tristram s Warbler was rewarded with good views of a beautiful male. A further excursion onto the Tagdilt Trail produced nothing new so we adjourned to the hotel for dinner. Thursday 19th 5 birding stalwarts had an early morning walk close to the hotel and had sightings of Thekla Lark and our first Desert Larks of the trip. 3 Short-Toed Eagles could be seen perching on 3 separate pylons and we were treated to a fly pass of groups of Common Swift with some Pallid Swifts amongst them. We set off after breakfast for the desert section of our tour. A shout from the back of the minibus, revealed a splendid Golden Eagle and nearby a Southern-Grey Shrike. The thorny thickets of a wadi near Goulmima held Willow Warblers and Chaffinch and we later came across a large party of Fulvous Babblers. During my walk, I came across a very agitated female Desert Wheatear. The reason for all the fuss, was that below the bank that I was stood on, was their nest site. The male came to join his mate in making it plain that my presence was not welcome, so after a couple of photos, I beat a hasty retreat. Other birds encountered here included, Hoopoe, several Spectacled Warblers, Subalpine Warbler, Southern-Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike and Black-Eared Wheatear. We arrived at our hotel, the Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua Oasis for our 3 night stay, on the edge of the Erg Chebbi sand dune system. The hotel is set in a 5 acre oasis planted with trees and shrubs which acts as a magnet for migrating birds. An exploration of the garden revealed Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Bonelli s Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler and Redstarts had indeed taken advantage of this sheltered spot. Just to round the day off, a pair of Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eaters dropped in for a short stay. Page 2 of 5
Friday 20th Our early morning walk only added Tawny Pipit and nesting White-Crowned-Black Wheatear to our overnight tally. Our next destination was a seasonal lake at Merzouga, and we encountered Hoopoe Lark, Desert Wheatear and Marsh Harrier on the journey.. The lake held sufficient water, thanks to the winter rains, to hold a good array of waterfowl and waders. Ruddy Shelduck out numbered Coots, Great- Crested Grebes, Pintail, Shoveller, Teal, Garganey, Marbled Duck, Pochard and Wigeon. Avocet, Black-Winged Stilts, Dunlin, Little-Ringed Plover and Kentish Plover made up the wader contingent, with a Lanner Falcon and Marsh Harrier causing mayhem amongst them. A host of Greater Flamingos, Little Egrets and White Stork fed on the far shore. Also on the far shore, coming in to drink, was a group of sandgrouse, which were later identified as Spotted Sandgrouse by the underwing pattern and call. From there it was off to Cafe Caravanne and lunch at Cafe Yasmina. Along the way we located 2 territorial Desert Warblers, Spectacled Warbler and a Hoopoe Lark that was so close I could almost touch it. I swear it was mocking me, as the battery in my camera had just run out and I couldn t take a photo!!! At Cafe Caravanne, we easily got onto Desert Sparrow. This species was once abundant here, but has been forced out by the more aggressive House Sparrow, which begs a question. A single pair breed successfully each year and produce young, but there is only ever 1 pair present each year, so where do all the young birds go? I can heartily recommend the Berber Omelette that we had for lunch at the Cafe Yasmina to the accompaniment of Olivaceous Warblers, Bonnelli s Warblers, Subalpine Warblers, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs in the tamarisks surrounding the seasonal lake. A group of about a dozen Blue- Cheeked Bee-Eaters landed in a nearby tree to round off a very pleasant meal. During the afternoon, we went in search of Pharoah Eagle Owl near to Rissani and on the way to the nest site, came across White-Crowned-Black Wheatear, Desert Lark, Subalpine Warbler and Spectacled Warbler. Saturday 21st An early breakfast was had before we abandoned the minibus in favour of 4-wheeled drive vehicles - we were heading into the desert proper in search of one of Morocco's key birds. With the sun just rising it took us no longer than 15 minutes to locate the bird - a fine male Houbara Bustard strutting its stuff on top of a ridge. With its two large black plumes either side of its chest thrust out, it puffed out it s white breast feathers, dropped its head over its back and began to run fast in a straight line, it then turned and completed several circular circuits before slowing to a walking pace. We were treated to several of these displays before it walked off into the vegetation on the other side of the ridge. For the rest of the morning we continued searching in the desert and came across Hoopoe Lark, Short-Toed Larks, Desert Wheatear, Black-Eared Wheatear, Woodchat Shrike, Southern-Grey Shrike and a couple of distant Cream-Coloured Coursers. We then went for a second try at Merzouga Lake. The 4 wheeled vehicles enabled us to get to the far side of the lake adding Ferruginous Duck, Green Sandpiper, several Ruff and a few Dunlin. Page 3 of 5
A walk in a nearby wadi produced the usual array of migrants - Subapline Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Redstart, Laughing Dove, Southern-Grey Shrike and Woodchat Shrike. A party of European Bee-Eaters was a good sight. As the temperature was now getting high, we adjourned to the Auberge for lunch and a well earned rest. We were informed of a good sight for Trumpeter Finch, and a quick journey to a nearby pool on the roadside towards Erfound had us sitting watching them come in for a drink. The day was rounded of with a early evening walk in the grounds of the auberge which produced 3 Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eaters, a fine male Orphean Warbler and at least 3 Olivaceous Warblers. At 7pm we met at the pool side in the auberge garden and in the dark we waited and listened for Egyptian Nightjar. A couple of Swiss birders were using a tape lure and to our delight a bird appeared, but only very briefly and not all the group saw it. Sunday 22nd The desert portion of our trip was over and so we were to head for the coast for a 1 night stay at the Hotel Safran in Taliouine, before spending 2 nights in Agadir. 2 of our desert targets were still missing and so we had several stops before I located the first, a Bar-Tailed-Desert Lark. Whilst I was taking its photo, another bird walked across the viewfinder. When I reached for my bins, the 2nd of our missing birds, a Thick-Billed Lark, was also added to the list. Its photo was duly added to my growing collection. The Swiss birders of the previous evening had told us of a reliable sight for Crowned Sandgrouse, so that was our next objective. On the journey, a bright white bird sitting on the carcass of a cow, was passed off as a Long-Legged Buzzard by Bob, but further scrutiny by the rest of the disbelieving group, proved it to be an Egyptian Vulture, which in the end only one of the group actually stopped off to see. I and the rest of the group searched in vain for the Sandgrouse. So not only did I not get the Sandgrouse, I also missed a Vulture lifer. The journey from Boulmalne to Taliouine, down the Sous Valley, was punctuated with stops to watch Marsh Harriers, Montagu s Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Short-Toed Eagle, Black Kite and Kestrel, but again the numbers of migrants were relatively low. Monday 23rd An early morning walk had us in the nearby wooded countryside by the river Sous. There were birds everywhere, singing, feeding and loafing. A large flock of some 100 European Bee-Eaters were leaving their roost in parties of 20-30, noisily gaining height before disappearing northward, The trees held Serins, Nightingales, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Bonelli s Warblers, Redstarts, Tree Pipits, Great-Spotted Woodpecker, several Hoopoes, Laughing Dove, Blue-Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear and Little-Ringed Plover on the stony riverbed. We drove through the suburban sprawl of Agadir and further sightings only produced Common Magpie, White Stork, Spotless Starling and Common Swifts. Before checking into the hotel, we continued along the coast road to Tamri, stopping at a coastal watch point, to view Moroccan Page 4 of 5
Cormorant, Gannet, Sandwich Tern, many Yellow-Legged and a few Lesser-Black-Backed Gulls on the shore with Kestrel and House Bunting nearby. At Tamri, we walked from the car park to the lagoon and had a brief sighting of a small flock of about 20 Bald Ibis, another key Moroccan bird. After about 3 minutes, they took off, over the ridge to their breeding cliff side, never to be seen again. In the lagoon were many Gulls, mainly Audouins Gulls, but also Lesser-Black-Backed Gulls. Accompanying them, in the surrounding scrub, we also noted Coot, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Ruddy Shelduck, Dunlin, Raven, Pallid Swift and Fan-Tailed Warbler. Tuesday 24th Our last day of birding and our destination for the day was the Sous Massa National Park. An hours drive north from Agadir and we arrived in warm sunshine, high up looking down over the river, we could see the reed-bed and the riparian scrub on both banks. Our first sighting were Bulbuls, together with, Swallow, Coot, Tufted Duck, Purple Heron, Little Egret and Little Grebe. There were a few Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Cetti s Warbler and Willow Warbler. The Sardinian Warblers and Subalpine Warblers showed particularly well. As we walked down to the estuary, a large flock of Glossy Ibis flew passed. At the beach, Spoonbills were relaxing and ducks appeared - Marbled Duck, Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall. Waders were represented by Redshank, Greenshank, Black-Tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Black-Winged Stilt and Little-Ringed Plover. The warden of the reserve joined us, and with his help we located, firstly by its melodic song and then by sight - a Black Crowned Tchagra. Good views were had by all. This was quickly followed by another beauty in the shape of a male Moussier s Redstart, it posed perfectly for us. We decided to return to the bus, as the temperature had reached the upper 20 s. The rest of the afternoon searching areas nearby for Plain Martin and Moustached Warbler but failed in both cases The known site of the martin s nesting colony had been disturbed by road building and the marshy area where the warbler is usually found was very dry. However, all was not lost, we found more Bee-Eaters, Fan-Tailed Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Laughing Doves, Bulbuls and another Tchagra. We returned to Oued Sous estuary for the final watch of the day and of the trip. The tide was low and a large expanse of mud was exposed. We notched up a good list of species adding, Curlew, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Common Tern and Wood Pigeon. Conclusion All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable 10 days and a destination I would recommend for anyone. The terrain was not overly arduous and most bird watching could be done safely from the roadside. The temperature for the most part was comfortable, but it did get a bit warm by the time we got to the coast. The Moroccan people were kind, friendly and most hospitable. I have posted my photographs in 2 online albums, so if anyone would like to view them, please drop me an e-mail at mike.ambler@btinternet.com and I will send you an invite. Page 5 of 5