Southern Morocco 9 th -19 th March 2012

Southern Morocco 9 th -19 th March 2012 TOUR REPORT ORIOLE BIRDING

TOUR LEADER David Gosney PARTICIPANTS John Boulcott Mark Dawson Christine Lindon Steve & Ann Newman Friday 9 th March After enjoying House Bunting inside the airport lobby we made a brief stop at our hotel in Marrakech, had a look at the Pallid and Little Swifts overhead then set off to the N fis Reservoir. We were dismayed to find that the riverside trees in the area below the dam were being felled but we still managed a few migrant warblers, which were mostly Common Chiffchaffs. The edges of the lake itself seemed almost as devoid of birds as last year although we still enjoyed our first views of the magnificent Moussier s Redstart and species such as Blackeared and Black Wheatear. The lake was meant to have lots of ducks and waders at this time of year so we took advantage of having a 4x4 vehicle and set off on a tour of the lake. By following tracks that any other vehicle would struggle with, we reached the far southern end of the lake and found there were loads of birds. The most conspicuous were the dozen or more pairs of Ruddy Shelduck making their resonant moaning calls but we also had herons, cormorants, ducks and ten species of wader. At one point the sky was full of hundreds of Black Kites drifting northwards, presumably on their way to a roost along their migration route. We made our way back to the hotel to do some roosting of our own. Saturday 10 th March The first stop was at a site where the group last year had found a Levaillant s Woodpecker. The leader was feeling optimistic because he d easily found one there during a reccy just the day before. But this time we drew a blank. During the rest of the day we visited five more sites where the leader had had this species before, including another site where he d seen it during the reccy, but there was no sign at any of them, not even at the first site when we returned in late afternoon. Instead we enjoyed more birds like Moussier s Redstart, Ultramarine Tit, Common Bulbul and Sardinian Warbler before reaching the ski resort at Oukaimeden. The previous morning, the leader had seen a flock of forty Crimson-winged Finches feeding at one the car parks but today was a Saturday. It seemed like half of Marrakech had come for a play in the snow and there seemed little prospect of getting the finches at the car park. However, an excursion up the nearby slopes soon yielded a male Crimson-winged Finch singing from one of the cables of the ski-lifts. We managed distant views of more of these finches and also managed to get great views of the Moroccan race of Horned Lark. Before the day was out, we d also seen the other birds of these high altitudes such as Rock Sparrow, Black Redstart, Rock Bunting, both Red and Yellow-billed Chough and even a pair of Hawfinches in the nearest plantation but it was obvious that we were too early for Seebohm s Wheatear. Our fruitless search for Levaillant s Woodpecker at the first site was enlivened by silhouette views of a falcon that was like a peregrine but smaller with a more pointed hand presumably a Barbary Falcon. Sunday 11 th March During the drive through the Atlas Mountains the main target bird was Tristram s Warbler. Within minutes of us searching a favoured spot, we d picked one out by its call and all enjoyed views of it near the top of a pine. Some of us wanted longer views so we lingered for a while but the bird fell silent and couldn t be relocated, showing just why this species can be so elusive. The drive along the Tizi-n-Test pass was as spectacular as ever but birds were thin on the ground, the highlight being another Hawfinch and a party of up to eight Ring Ouzels, presumably migrants. We tried at a site where the group had had great views of Levaillant s Woodpecker the previous year but again we dipped out. At least we managed to find some good raptors including Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Long-legged Buzzard. We had more raptors when we reached the plain of the River Sous, stopping at a favoured site which once again produced Black Kite, Booted Eagle and Black-shouldered Kite.

Monday 12 th March In recent times the reserve at Oued Massa has been rather disappointing for birds so instead we concentrated on areas further upstream. Our first stop was at a site where Brown-throated Sand Martin had bred for many years but it looked as though this year there were none visiting the sandbank. However, with perseverance we did manage to identify at least one or two of them amongst the many hirundines over the fields nearby. Some of us were much more impressed by the close range views of Black-shouldered Kite. Elsewhere in the valley we all got great views of a Black-crowned Tchagra and when we visited a breeding pool for Glossy Ibis we also found at least a dozen Marbled Duck, a Great White Egret and a flock of twenty Black-crowned Night Herons flying over. Altogether we probably had over one hundred Glossy Ibis. We d heard that the Sous estuary had been almost devoid of birds in April 2011 but whatever had befallen this site it was clear that it was now fully recovered. It was especially good for waders with twenty one species recorded including impressive numbers of Pied Avocets and Stone Curlews. Other good birds included Gull-billed, Whiskered and Caspian Terns and a flock of eleven Purple Herons was unexpected. Here we also had exceptionally good views of the exotic-looking Moroccan Magpie and Moroccan White Wagtail as well as Water Pipit. Barbary Partridge was another new bird for many of the group and we had several views at least of birds in flight. Although some of the guards were exceedingly fussy we did manage to stay outside the grounds of the Royal Palace after dusk until at least one Red-necked Nightjar started singing. Tuesday 13 th March The estuary at Tamri is the site most famous for its Northern Bald Ibis, but we stopped first at Cap Rhir, where last year we d had such good views. Sadly no ibis but the sea watching produced a few Common Scoter and a distant Skua species as well as the usual Northern Gannets and Sandwich Terns. For a while it seemed as though there were no Northern Bald Ibis even at the estuary but one of the group picked up four birds feeding on a nearby hillside. Thankfully this spot proved to be right next to the road and, remarkably, the birds stayed there long enough for us to get back to the vehicle and drive right up to where they were feeding. Even those with the flimsiest-looking cameras were able to get great photos without disturbing the birds. Other highlights at the estuary were about twenty Audouin s Gulls, two more Ruddy Shelduck and another thirty one Blackcrowned Night Herons. We stopped again at Cap Rhir and found a Northern Bald Ibis feeding around the gardens accompanied by chickens! As we drove back towards Agadir we screeched to a halt at the sight of a roadside Barbary Partridge. We managed to follow this bird on foot until we had great views of what proved to be three birds together. By late afternoon we reached our delightful hotel near Taroudannt where a late walk produced one of the highlights of the trip: fantastic views of three Common Quail at close range in an open field in the fading light. Wednesday 14 th March En route to Boumalne we stopped at the gorge of Aoulouz to scan for raptors. We had Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and Montagu s Harrier and, more surprisingly, a Glossy Ibis on the river where Northern Bald Ibis used to drink many years ago. We tried a few stops for desert birds but these were largely unproductive, although by the time we got to the Tagdilt Track we d already seen birds such as Cream-coloured Courser, Trumpeter Finch and Desert Lark. Before the light fell, we had our first wander on the famous Tagdilt track where the numbers of desert birds were amazing. Amazingly few that is!! We wandered around and saw almost no birds at all. It didn t bode very well for the following day. Thursday 15 th March For some reason the desert birds seemed to be remarkably scarce. We did manage to find the relatively common species such as Trumpeter Finch, Temminck s Lark, Desert Wheatear and Red-rumped Wheatear but only in small numbers and so the desert was eerily silent. In our 4x4 vehicle we were able to explore the more difficult parts of the Tagdilt track where one bird at least was exceptionally numerous we must have seen over sixty Cream-coloured Coursers. We also had great views of Greater Hoopoe Larks, Long-legged Buzzard, one Bartailed Lark, a few Lesser Short-toed Larks and dozens of Greater Short-toed Larks so, despite the low numbers, our species list was pretty good. To complete the set, we still needed Maghreb Wheatear [but the pair was again absent from Wheatear wall ], Thick-billed Lark and any sandgrouse. We tried at several places where the leader had seen Thick-billed Lark in the past but none were forthcoming. We were looking in the right places the leader found them there a week later. As for sandgrouse, we were blessed with fantastic views of both Crowned and Black-bellied. Both species are easiest to find when they fly around but we found them by scanning the ground for feeding birds. Memorably, we all had superb views of Crowned Sandgrouse after one of the party announced I ve got a bird that looks like a partridge. It turned out to be one of a feeding group of eight birds; we saw two in the same spot the next day. We had smaller numbers of Black-bellied Sandgrouse our best views were of three feeding on the ground and we had a couple of sightings in flight too. Having dipped on Maghreb Wheatear at several potential sites we were delighted when we spotted one, a male, close to the road en route to the Gorge du Todra.

This can be such a difficult bird to find, as indicated by the fact that when we went back there we couldn t relocate it. The Gorge du Todra itself was much quieter than the previous year. As usual we enjoyed terrific views of birds such as Crag Martin and Grey Wagtail and we all got excited when one of the party glimpsed a big raptor, surely an eagle over the gorge. It was presumably a Bonelli s [the leader had one in exactly the same place, doing exactly the same thing a week later] but it never reappeared. In late afternoon we checked out a site for Pharaoh s Eagle Owl. These birds failed to show up but we did get views of a falcon perched on the same cliff. Surprisingly it turned out to be a Peregrine rather than a more exotic Lanner or Barbary. Our desire to see the owls became secondary when we realised that our driver, Hassan, was trying to change the wheel of our vehicle because the tyre was going flat. This shouldn t have been a big problem until it became obvious that the jack didn t work. So, we were ten miles from the nearest habitation, two hundred metres from a road, in a desert, it was going dark, we had a flat tyre and no jack. It seemed an impossible situation. I still don t know how he did it but somehow Hassan managed to build piles of stones and perch the vehicle on those until the wheel was hanging free over a hollow in the rocks. As a result we did make it back to our hotel just a little later than anticipated. Friday 16 th March Some of us were up at dawn the next day to see whether we could get any more song or activity from the desert birds but it was as quiet as ever. We set off towards the deserts of the Tafilalt, stopping en route to look for Streaked Scrub Warbler. This has been a difficult bird in the past but this year they were easy we were entertained by maybe eight or more of these birds, moving from bush to bush by bouncing along the sand like jerboas, always with their big tails waving over their backs. We had time for some late afternoon birding beyond Erfoud so we tried a traditional site for African Desert Warbler [no joy] and went looking for Desert Sparrow as the light faded. Although we were watching an occupied nest, the birds had presumably already bedded down for the night so we dipped on those too. We d be back. Saturday 17 th March For many of us, including the leader, this was to be one of the best day s birding in ages. We d made contact with a couple of local guides who would spend the day trying to locate birds for us. We started by following one of them to a new site for Pharaoh Eagle Owl. Sure enough, after a short walk we were soon enjoying telescope-filling views of an adult owl staring at us with fiery eyes. Nearby we slammed on the brakes to marvel at a party of four Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters on the wires next to the road, at close range in perfect light. Utterly gorgeous!![even a week later many other birders were failing to see this species as they were only just arriving.] Perhaps even more fantastic was when one of the party spotted a Fulvous Babbler in a bush right next to the vehicle. We waited, using the car as a hide, and had exceptional views of a whole troop of them flitting in and out of the bush and sitting around its base. Having succeeded so well with the species around Rissani, we sped across the desert to have another look for the Desert Sparrows. We had views of both the male and the female and added a migrant male Bluethroat and a Barbary Falcon but were somewhat delayed by a long wait for a lunchtime meal. Hence, before we d had time to have another look for African Desert Warbler we got a phone call from one of our guides. He was looking at a feeding flock of Spotted Sandgrouse could we come quickly before they flew. The site was the other side of Rissani but we got there in time to drive up to a flock of twenty two birds, close enough to get great views but distant enough to leave them in peace. The guide then wanted to show us Tristram s Warbler too so we followed him to a wadi and within minutes were getting superb views of that species too, out in an open bush in perfect light for several minutes. We d only just left this site when we got a call from another guide who had found an Egyptian Nightjar. Unbelievable. So we raced back to Merzouga then made the most of our 4x4 by speeding across the desert to meet our nomad guide. He drove on his bike and we followed him. He went for a walk in a little line of vegetation in the otherwise bare desert and after a little while a bird jumped up in front of him. Egyptian Nightjar. We noted where it went down and all walked up to try to locate it. When we did so we were treated to the amazing sight of an Egyptian Nightjar in broad daylight at close range. We saw other good birds in the desert too, including Greater Hoopoe Lark, Bartailed lark, more Cream-coloured Coursers, groups of Brown-necked Raven and the fantastic spectacle of two Lanner Falcons stooping low on a hunting mission. But the biggest surprise was when two larks flew in to land just in front of our vehicle. Thick-billed Larks. We thought we d missed our chance of seeing these since the Tagdilt track is usually the best spot, but here were two birds feeding right next to us. So, we d seen just about every bird we could hope for in this area except Desert Warbler. We spoke to others who had also struggled for this species but those who had found it successfully said the best place was where we d looked the previous afternoon so we went back there again. It would have completed an absolute dream of a day if we had found it but despite a much more thorough search than the previous day, it still eluded us. Instead we retired to the Auberge reflecting on the remarkable views we d had of the wonderful birds we did see, any one of which could have been the highlight of any other trip.

Sunday 18 th March This day is billed as just a travelling day, getting back to Marrakech from Merzouga but en route we do manage a few birding stops. In addition to getting more views of Desert Lark in the deserts and Horned Lark in the mountains, the highlight was when we spotted a Bonelli s Eagle soaring at eye-level as we crossed a mountain pass. We jumped out in time to see a pair at close range -we could see the white patch on the back, even with the naked eye, not only flying around in front of us but also perching on a nearby pylon. Another terrific experience in a trip that had had been full of them. Monday 19 th March No time for any real birding before our flight from Marrakech but we did have a last look at the House Buntings that were perching on the chandeliers inside the hotel and enjoy the Pallid and Little Swifts swooping around as we waited for our transfer vehicle. SYSTEMATIC LIST 1. Ruddy Shelduck 2. Common Shelduck 3. Eurasian Teal 4. Mallard 5. Garganey 6. Northern Shoveler 7. Marbled Duck 8. Common Scoter 9. Barbary Partridge 10. Common Quail 11. Little Grebe 12. Northern Gannet 13. Great Cormorant 14. Black-crowned Night Heron 15. Cattle Egret 16. Little Egret 17. Great White Egret 18. Grey Heron 19. Purple Heron 20. White Stork 21. Glossy Ibis 22. Bald Ibis 23. Eurasian Spoonbill 24. Greater Flamingo 25. Black-shouldered Kite 26. Black Kite 27. Short-toed Eagle 28. Marsh Harrier 29. Montagu's Harrier 30. Eurasian Sparrowhawk 31. Long-legged Buzzard 32. Booted Eagle 33. Bonelli's Eagle 34. Osprey 35. Common Kestrel 36. Lanner Falcon 37. Peregrine Falcon 38. Barbary Falcon 39. Common Moorhen 40. Common Coot 41. European Oystercatcher 42. Black-winged Stilt 43. Pied Avocet 44. Stone Curlew 45. Cream-coloured Courser 46. Little Ringed Plover 47. Ringed Plover

48. Kentish Plover 49. Grey Plover 50. Sanderling 51. Little Stint 52. Curlew Sandpiper 53. Dunlin 54. Common Snipe 55. Black-tailed Godwit 56. Bar-tailed Godwit 57. Eurasian Curlew 58. Common Sandpiper 59. Green Sandpiper 60. Common Greenshank 61. Wood Sandpiper 62. Common Redshank 63. Mediterranean Gull 64. Audouin's Gull 65. Lesser Black-backed Gull 66. Yellow-legged Gull 67. Black-headed Gull 68. Gull-billed Tern 69. Caspian Tern 70. Whiskered Tern 71. Sandwich Tern 72. Crowned Sandgrouse 73. Spotted Sandgrouse 74. Black-bellied Sandgrouse 75. Rock Dove 76. Wood Pigeon 77. Collared Dove 78. Turtle Dove 79. Laughing Dove 80. Common Cuckoo 81. Little Owl 82. Pharaoh Eagle Owl 83. Red-necked Nightjar 84. Egyptian Nightjar 85. Common Swift 86. Pallid Swift 87. Little Swift 88. Common Kingfisher 89. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 90. European Bee-eater 91. Common Hoopoe 92. Great Spotted Woodpecker 93. Bar-tailed Desert Lark 94. Desert Lark 95. Greater Hoopoe Lark 96. Thick-billed Lark 97. Greater Short-toed Lark 98. Lesser Short-toed Lark 99. Crested Lark 100. Thekla Lark 101. Shore Lark 102. Temminck's Lark 103. Plain Martin 104. Sand Martin 105. Crag Martin 106. Barn Swallow 107. House Martin 108. Red-rumped Swallow

109. Tree Pipit 110. Meadow Pipit 111. Water Pipit 112. Iberian Yellow Wagtail 113. Grey Wagtail 114. White Wagtail 115. Moroccan White Wagtail 116. Common Bulbul 117. Northern Wren 118. European Robin 119. Common Nightingale 120. Bluethroat 121. Black Redstart 122. Common Redstart 123. Moussier's Redstart 124. Common Stonechat 125. Northern Wheatear 126. Black-eared Wheatear 127. Desert Wheatear 128. Red-rumped Wheatear 129. Maghreb Wheatear 130. White-crowned Black Wheatear 131. Black Wheatear 132. Blue Rock Thrush 133. Ring Ouzel 134. Blackbird 135. Song Thrush 136. Mistle Thrush 137. Cetti's Warbler 138. Zitting Cisticola 139. Streaked Scrub Warbler 140. Sedge Warbler 141. Blackcap 142. Common Whitethroat 143. Tristram's Warbler 144. Subalpine Warbler 145. Sardinian Warbler 146. Western Bonelli's Warbler 147. Common Chiffchaff 148. Willow Warbler 149. Firecrest 150. Fulvous Babbler 151. Ultramarine Tit 152. Great Tit 153. Coal Tit 154. Short-toed Treecreeper 155. Black-crowned Tchagra 156. Southern Grey Shrike 157. Woodchat Shrike 158. Moroccan Magpie 159. Yellow-billed Chough 160. Red-billed Chough 161. Western Jackdaw 162. Brown-necked Raven 163. Common Raven 164. Spotless Starling 165. House Sparrow 166. Desert Sparrow 167. Rock Sparrow 168. Common Chaffinch 169. African Chaffinch

170. European Serin 171. Greenfinch 172. Goldfinch 173. Linnet 174. Common Crossbill 175. Crimson-winged Finch 176. Trumpeter Finch 177. Hawfinch 178. Cirl Bunting 179. Rock Bunting 180. House Bunting 181. Corn Bunting