Morocco, 2 – 12 April 2007

Front; Stef, Lez, Steve, Richard

Back; Graeme, Saieed (our Driver), Ian, Shawn

2 – 12 April 2007

Richard Dunn, Lez Robson, Graeme Bowman, Steve Holliday, Shawn Jagger, Stef McElwee, Ian Forsyth

Lez Robson phoned me on a Wednesday evening in late September 2006 and asked me if I would like to go to Morocco with him and a few others, including some of the group who had been in April 2006, who having missed some key species wanted a second go. After re-arranging my holiday block at work I was available and I wanted to go as it had been a long time ambition of mine to see Desert Sparrow. Thanks must be made to Lez, Graeme and Steve who did the organizing of the flights, accommodation and transport. After Lez had booked the flight I got a copy of the 2006 trip report from Graeme, this gave some idea of what to expect.

April 2 Monday

Left Newcastle airport on time and arrived shortly at Heathrow where we had a 2 hour wait between flights the flight left 1 hour and 15 minutes late and we were on our way, a new continent for me and plenty of good birds to be seen. The flight was to Marrakech via Casablanca. On the ground for about 45 minutes at Casablanca while passengers disembarked and their luggage was removed. While there no birds were seen apart from a couple of swift sp. When at Marrakech and all luggage was collected and we were through passport control we then discovered that the Bureau de Change had no money and neither did the cash machine. As you are unable to obtain Moroccan Dirham’s outside of Morocco we were stuck at the airport with no money! The only option was to haggle with the taxi drivers for a price in sterling, it cost us £10. We stayed at a prearranged hotel in Marrakech, which as it happens was right next to the bus station and apparently the Moroccan bus drivers cannot move their vehicles without sounding their bloody horns even in the middle of the night, and then just as sleep took over came the call to prayer, not a good night. Overnight Hotel Ryad Mogador, Marrakech

April 3 Tuesday

I must have eventually dropped off to sleep because bird song woke me up and although it was dark the bird singing was Common Bulbul a new bird if I could see it, then just as it was getting light a burst of song from just outside on the balcony had me jumping out of bed, a sleepy murmur from Stef on the other side of the room confirmed my thoughts, House Bunting, a new bird. First bird seen of the trip and it was a lifer. While out on the balcony I looked around a saw that there were a lot of swifts in the air and a scan through these soon produced Little Swift with many Pallid Swifts then eventually Common Bulbul was seen. Four species seen from the hotel (all before breakfast) three of them new.

Little & Pallid Swift Marrakech

A phone call to the hotel from the car hire company told us that the van would not be arriving till 09:30 an hour later than arranged, so we all spent the time standing in a queue at a nearby bank with the most miserable cashier who checked every note we wanted changed and then refused the new design £20 notes that I had, so I was £100 down. The van arrived and our driver for the trip was Saieed not the driver the lads had last year although we were assured that he was to be our driver, not to worry. From Marrakech we headed off to Oukaimeden seeing birds like Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Moussier’s Redstart and Woodchat Shrikes on the way there. In the Oukaimeden area we saw some cracking birds, my personal highlight was the ultramarinus Blue Tit and african Chaffinch together in the same bush. While here we took the ski lift up to the top of the mountains in the hope of a certain finch, none were seen but we did get Atlas Horned Lark, the Moroccan race of Shorelark. Back down in the valley we found our first Seebohm’s Wheatear, another race that looks so different to the main species, also here were Chough, Alpine Chough, Raven, Blue Rock Thrush and a pair of Ruddy Shelduck. A word of warning, any guide book of Morocco will mention the hawkers selling stones, fossil and jewels and they are so persistent any sign of weakness and they will follow you until you buy. On the way back down a pair of Barbary Partridges were just by the road, with a Long-legged Buzzard just beyond them. We then moved on towards Asni and onto Tassaouirgane where we stayed at Darr Tassa Berber Guest House, nice place, sign posted as being 3 kms from the road when it is actually closer to 8kms up a dirt track, by this time its now very dark and then a walk along a narrow path at the end, where I managed to fall flat on my face as I put my foot down only to discover that the path was not underneath it, I had stepped into fresh air, just my luck that I was saved from a fall down the hillside by a cactus! The owners went to the trouble of cooking us a Tajine which we had at 10pm.

April 4 Wednesday

Drove from Tassaouirgane back to the valley to Imlil in the hope of Tristram’s Warbler. While searching some other good birds were seen the best of which was a Levaillant’s Woodpecker which was seen very well at a nest hole right next to the road. Also in the valley a young Golden Eagle very low down, further up the valley Stef and Steve saw it chase a Cattle Egret which took evasive action by diving into a tree, the Eagle also briefly landed in the tree giving them fantastic views. We then headed for the coast via the Tizi-n-Test pass seeing birds such as Long-legged Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Barbary Partridge, Black Wheatear, Moussier’s Redstart and Bonelli’s Warbler. Just past the summit on the first downhill slopes we resumed the search for Tristram's Warbler and almost straight away a bird responded to the tape, but it took about 45 minutes before we saw one well, then we had three a pair and a male all in a small area by the road. After the success of finding a major target bird it was a long drive to Agadir and straight to the Royal Palace and although we arrived well after dark and were turned away by the guards we still managed to see Red-necked Nightjar in flight hawking around the street lights, also another was heard. Overnight at the Hotel Anezi in Agadir.

 

Levaillant’s Woodpecker, Imlil Valley & Tristram’s Warbler, Tizi n Test

April 5 Thursday

From Agadir we took the road up to Tamri. On the way a stop for a big flock of gulls produced 27 Audouin’s Gull. From this stop we drove straight to the cliff top fields and almost immediately had Bald Ibis, in total approximately 70 birds these were watched from the van as they were very close to the road and they as boring as they look in the field guide. Back down the road to the estuary at Tamri and some birding here. One of the first birds found as we left the van was Black-crowned Tchagra located on song just up the hill from where we had parked. Also seen here a flock of 100 Spoonbill 18 Greater Flamingo and a drake Pintail which seemed strangely out of place. Back to Agadir for supplies (we had a Moroccan Wagtail in the car Park) and a visit to the Sous Estuary which added a few waders to the trip list and then a very long drive to Ouarzazate seeing very little on route. After we had passed Tazenakht, we had a stop where we saw Desert Lark, Desert Wheatear and a Merlin. Then just up the road Steve spotted a group of birds at the roadside, these turned out to be 4 Cream-coloured Courser. Overnight at Ouarzazate at the Hotel Tichka Salam

April 6 Friday

The first stop of the day was at the Barrage El Mansour, lots of common wet birds and things like Collared Pratincole, 2 Osprey and migrant Black Kites a big flock of White Stork. Plenty of migrant passerines, various races of Yellow Wagtail, a fantastic Bonelli’s Warbler and at least 3 Red-throated Pipits and I managed to miss a Little Crake although I was consoled (not much) by the fact I found an obliging Red-throated Pipit to photograph. A stop at a Wadi just up the road and we started seeing desert birds like Trumpeter Finch & White-crowned Black Wheatear, also seen at this Wadi were 4 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater which flew through, a couple of Subalpine Warblers and a Rufous Bush Chat. We then made for Boumalne and the famous Tagdilt Track. On arrival we spread out from the van and started birding, finding quite quickly a Bar-tailed Desert Lark and that there were a lot of Short-toed Larks there, then a shout from the other side and Shawn had found Thick-billed Lark with 5 birds together, to the lads that had been in 2006 this was a bit galling as they had tried 3 times and not seen any and we had turned up and seen 5 in less than ten minutes. Also a Temminck’s Horned Lark which eventually was very obliging. Overnight Hotel Soleil Bleu, Boumalne

 

Thick-billed Lark and Temminck’s Lark Tagdilt Track

April 7 Saturday

Another restless night, the breeze causing the bathroom door to creak until Steve jumped up and closed the window, and then not one but two Mosques doing the call to prayer, with one seemingly competing against the other for volume and duration of call. All of today was spent in the Boumalne / Tagdilt track area going as far as the Iknioun turn off and along to an orchard area visible from the road. Birds seen today include Thick-billed Lark again, briefly together with a Hoopoe Lark (both flew off at the same time and as I was unable to watch both I watched the Thick-billed Lark) a pair of Cream-coloured Courser, a pair of Lanner which gave excellent views, Long-legged Buzzard’s, Montagu's Harrier and Desert Lark. At the orchard migrants included Western Bonelli’s and Melodious Warblers. Also here were Red-rumped, Desert, Northern and Seebohm’s Wheatear. Overnight Hotel Soleil Bleu, Boumalne

 

Lanner

April 8 Sunday

From Boumalne we headed East. Random stops in the desert gave us Black Kite, Montagu’s Harrier, Olivaceous, Spectacled and Subalpine Warblers, Desert and Seebohm’s Wheatear and a couple of African Monarch (Plain Tiger) butterflies.Then on to Rissani and the well known Pharaoh Eagle Owl site this is a fair walk along a crag in the desert especially when it is hot and it was hot, at one stage I think my feet began to cook inside my shoes, the smell was rather unpleasant. The bird wasn't in its usual place and eventually it was discovered under a overhang on the scree slope showing quite well at first but later retreating further back under the overhang so that only its head could be seen. Later a conversation with other birders revealed why the bird was sitting in a hole on the scree slope and not in its favorite spot, locals had climbed up and flushed the bird to try and stop people seeing it without paying them. Also here a single Brown-necked Raven, our only one Then to Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua where we were booked for the night at this well known Egyptian Nightjar stakeout. In the end I very nearly missed it, a single bird made two passes over the swimming pool, I missed the first because I was off looking over the wall into the desert, but fortunately it came back for another pass and I saw it and all was well. Overshadowing all of the birds, the scenery and just everything we had a major LIFER at the Auberge, none other than world number one lister Tom Gullick himself, totally underwhelmed I was. Stef who had been looking a bit ropey all day became rather unwell. Overnight Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua

African Monarch or Plain Tiger & Pharaoh Eagle Owl

April 9 Monday

Up at first light and a walk north to wadi and a sandy area where we had information that there was a pair of Desrt Warbler feeding young these performed rather well as did a pair of Hoopoe Larks which were probably feeding young as well, also 5 Spotted Sandgrouse flying over. A few migrants noted the pick being another Bonelli's Warbler. From here headed in a general direction towards Café Yasmina I say general because after a short time it became obvious we were heading away from the big dunes ie the wrong way. Once orientated we then managed to get stuck up to the axels in the sand, the driver had a bit of a huff on after we had told him that he was going the wrong way and seemed to deliberately drive into a soft spot and then stop. We tried pushing and digging then putting rocks under the wheels all to no avail. Shawn and Saieed said they would walk to the nearest cafe in the dunes about 5kms away, they had only gone about a km when a friendly French family in a Landrover came along and towed us out with many thanks and handshakes and being told we need a Landrover, and we went back on our way retracing our tracks. My heart was sinking as today we were looking for Desert Sparrow and we were now driving away from them until a young lad passed by us on a moped where he came from is unknown but he stopped when beeped at and he took us to the correct road to get to Yasmina, we all dipped into our pockets and paid the young chap for services rendered. Eventually we arrived at the Cafe Yasmina and it was like an island almost completely surrounded by lots of water this looking very strange in the desert. Some of the birds seen here were by location at bit bizarre; Little Grebe, Squacco Heron and Common Gull being the pick. The main attraction was not to be found so we had drinks and some of us bought the desert turban type thingy (I don't know what its called) and then headed to the Auberge Caravane the next cafe along where we had been told of a pair of Desert Sparrow feeding young in the camel feed storage area, and sure enough there was a pair, we didn't stay here long as a sand storm was blowing up and it was a bit uncomfortable being sand blasted so we drove out on a well marked track to the tarmac road that leads to Merzouga and on to the overnight stay at Hassi Labied with the then on to Kasbah Mohajut the Erg Chebbi dunes just behind but out of sight as the storm continued to rage outside so it was birding over for the day.

Overnight at Kasbah Mohajut Hassi Labied Erg Chebbi

 

Desert Warbler at Derkaoua and Desert Sparrow at Caravanne

April 10 Tuesday

Up early morning and out and about birding at the oasis at Hassi Labied, the storm has stopped and we have clear blue skies but there is sand everywhere. Not sure as to weather the storm has grounded migrants but there seems to be a lot of Turtle Doves in the oasis and a good number of phyllosc warblers with Tree Pipits over a couple of Common Redstarts and Bee-eaters passing by. Also here I managed a good Laughing Dove and eventually two Fulvous Babblers which showed reasonably well. From here down to the lake at Merzouga; at least 100 Ruddy Shelsucks and 60 Marbled Duck 50 Black-winged Stilt and 8 Gull-billed Tern not bad for the middle of the desert. Then its the long drive back to Ouarzazate and only a couple of brief stops one of which produced a Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Stef was still unwell and stayed in the van as we spread out over the terrain looking for anything, I was about 500 meters from the van and looking back could see Stef walking purposefully across the desert so it had to be something good otherwise he would still be in the van. When we arrived at the hotel Lez made his excuses as he had started to feel unwell. Overnight at Ouarzazate Hotel Tichka Salam

 

Laughing Dove and Turtle Dove at Hassi Labied

April 11 Wednesday

Our final day and we were on our way back to Marrakech, checking out of the hotel and while waiting for the van to arrive Cattle Egrets and Night Herons where seen as well as Bee-eaters and a fly-by Barbary Falcon that I missed as I had gone exploring. But first another trip to the Barrage El Mansour, 50 ish Collared Pratincole, 2 Whiskered Terns were giving good views and allowing decent pictures as well. Our first stop on the way back was for Mourning Wheatear at a site approx 29km west of Ourzazate (its not a secret its just I don't know where it is). Eventually after a bit of searching 3 birds were seen. Then from here the road started to climb as we headed up to the Tizi-n-Tchicka pass. We parked at the summit next to the shops and the hawkers all desperate for us to buy some trinket from them. Back down the hill to the last hair pin bend and the hillside above was short grass compared to the rest of the surrounding mountains. On this grassy slope rested our last chance for Crimson-winged Finch and we were not disappointed with 5 birds seen. Also in this area were Black-eared, Black and Seebohm's Wheatear's, Moussiers Redstart and Rock Bunting. Later after we crossed over the pass the weather changed and it started to rain and then hail as we descended so a stop was had for refreshments while the rain and hail poured down turning the road into a river. Further down the pass and into a wooded area, a brief stop on a sharp corner and some soggy Hawfinch's were feeding in the branches just overhead. And then it was non-stop back to Marrakech and trip over, as far as birding went. Later that night after we had eaten, Steve got a text from his wife which told of suicide bombs in Casablanca and Tangiers which made me nervous as we were sitting in a hotel bar (that was dry) next to big windows that overlooked the bus station, and these suicide bombers always seem to target bus stations. Overnight Hotel Ryad Mogador, Marrakech

 

Mourning Wheatear near Ourzazate & Crimson-winged Finch at Tizi n Tichka

April 12 Thursday

And thats it we're finished and on our way back.

Species

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

Northern Gannet Sula bassana

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

White Stork Ciconia ciconia

Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita

Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber

Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Pintail Anas acuta

Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Black Kite Milvus migrans

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus

Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus

Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos

Booted Eagle Aquila pennatus

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Merlin Falco columbarius

Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus

Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Common Coot Fulica atra

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata

Common Redshank Tringa totanus

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Little Stint Calidris minuta

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Ruff Philomachus pugnax

Common Gull Larus canus canus

Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii

Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans michahellis

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus graellsii

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus

Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida

Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus

Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis

Rock Dove Columba livia

Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus

European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur

Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis

Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Pharaoh Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus

Red-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus ruficollis

Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius

Common Swift Apus apus

Pallid Swift Apus pallidus

Little Swift Apus affinis

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus

European Bee-eater Merops apiaster

Hoopoe Upupa epops

Wryneck Jynx torquilla

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major

Levaillant's Woodpecker Picus vaillantii

Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes

Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura

Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti

Thick-billed Lark Ramphocoris clotbey

Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla

Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris

Temminck's Lark Eremophila bilopha

Crested Lark Galerida cristata

Sand Martin Riparia riparia

European Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica

Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris

House Martin Delichon urbicum

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica rufula

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis

Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

White Wagtail Motacilla alba

Moroccan Wagtail Motacilla alba subpersonata

British Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima

Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava flava

Spanish Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava iberiae

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus

Common Blackbird Turdus merula

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos

Rufous Scrub Robin Erythropygia galactotes galactotes

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros

Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Moussier's Redstart Phoenicurus moussieri

Common Stonechat Saxicola torquatus

White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga

Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Seebohm's Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe seebohmi

Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens

Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica

Red-rumped Wheatear Oenanthe moesta

Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti

Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis

Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti

Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Western Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais opaca

Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta

Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

Western Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

African Desert Warbler Sylvia nana deserti

Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis

Tristram's Warbler Sylvia deserticola

Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata

Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans

Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala

Fulvous Babbler Turdoides fulva

Great Tit Parus major

African Blue Tit Cyanistes teneriffae ultramarinus

Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegala

Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus

Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis

Common Raven Corvus corax

Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Desert Sparrow Passer simplex

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 

Linnet Acanthis cannabina

Serin Serinus serinus 

Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes 

Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguinea

Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus

Rock Bunting Emberiza cia

House Bunting Emberiza striolata 

Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra