Morocco - Tagdilt Track

I have spent the last couple of days at Riad Dades Birds near Boumalne Dades with guide Mustapha who has taken me out along the Tagdilt Track 4x4 style to see the desert area specials. It has been a very enjoyable couple of days with some life birds and my trip list reaching 104 species!

The prize bird of the two days was the family party of Pharoah Eagle Owl who posed magnificently for the camera. The young owlets even put in an appearance. Owls will always hold my interest but this was simply amazing!

The male was on the other side of the ledge keeping an eye on proceedings! 

Another favourite species of mine the Cream Coloured Courser were present in good numbers this year and you didn't have to travel too far on the open plain to bump into one. Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse were more active early morning.

Hoopoe Lark were very vocal and only gave away their splendour in flight with black outer primaries and white through the secondaries.

Temminck's Lark were found throughout the area with some newly fledged juvenile birds present. Desert and Northern Wheatear were also roaming the desert plain.

Atlas, Mourning and Mahgreb Wheatear were found in more remote areas. 

The area of the dump is where many birds hang out and despite the mess it is not too unpleasant on the nose. Meadow Pipit and Yellow Wagtails were present here in good numbers.

Red Rumped Wheatear are annual breeders around the dump juvenile birds were noted. 

Raptors have been in short supply but a dozen Black Kite were noted this morning having roosted on the plain overnight prior to crossing the Atlas Mountains.

Despite a thorough search on both days Thick Billed Lark could not be found. This is the key breeding period and this species becomes very elusive. 

I will try again when I come back later in the month!

Morocco - Mansour Eddahbi Dam Ouarzazarte

The dam is the lifeline of the region supplying water to farms and towns that have grown as a result of the wealth water brings! I spent an evening and a morning covering the key areas of this vast expanse of water. 

Collared Pratincole, Great Egret were present during the evening session but appeared to have moved on by the next morning. Blue Cheeked Bee Eaters were also noted passing overhead. Digiscoping was the order of the day for the former whilst shakey shots of the latter didn't make the cut either!

The morning saw a movement of Hirundines, Swallow, Sand Martin, Pallid Swift and a couple of Red Rumped Swallow no doubt all looking to cross the mountains as they head north.

A Desert Lark put in a couple of appearances posing nicely on top of a rock to my own delight.

A White Crowned Wheatear which allowed me to get very close behind the cover of the car as it wrestled with a centipede like insect.

A couple of Great Grey Shrike two adults and an immature bird had a bit of a squabble before all parted company below the viewing area!

Yellow Wagtails of the race iberiae were present in good numbers as they migrated through the area.

Shorebirds were represented by Little Ringed Plover and Kentish Plover which were amazing to watch as they scuttled along the shoreline picking off insects.

Migration is definately hotting up as I spend a few days with Riad Dades birds along the Tagdilt Track and later in the dunes looking for desert specials! 

Morocco - Hotel Riad Chay Ouarzazarte

I have driven over 300km in the last couple of days having negotiated my way from the coast across the Atlas Mountains. The roads are all tarmacked and the only traffic is around the big towns, and you have to have your wits about you! The best way to describe the chaotic order as to who has the right of way is a Wacky Races, Mario Cart and Paperboy combo! Its great fun but not for the feint hearted!

The Hotel Riad Chay is situated within an oasis where the river has been dry for several years but there is an irrigation channel which is supplied with water from the Mansour Eddahbi Dam east of Ouarzazarte. The fields behind the hotel are green and holds a variety of birdlife.

The passerines spend the hottest period of the day in the trees and scrub that line the flooded fields.

A couple of Nightingale were very vocal as they were attempting to out sing each other. It is the breeding season so both declared their respective territories from an acceptable distance from each other! Zitting Cisticola were displaying buzzing around but I still cannot get on to them for a picture!

A lone White Stork was noted at the back of a field keeping its distance from me!

Cattle Egret were everywhere and were not troubled if you got too close to them.

Blue Cheeked Bee-eaters were seen from my balcony later in the afternoon and a pair of House Bunting joined me for dinner in the evening. 

This was a very enjoyable day and a hotel I look forward to returning to on my route back to Agadir!

Morocco - Sous Massa down to Oued Massa Estuary

The afternoon was spent in more tranquil and beautiful surroundings with a lush green valley that led to the banks of the Oued Massa. There was plenty of bird activity down to the nature reserve and museum.

Bird of the day a Red-necked Nightjar was found after a long search in the scrub close to the entrance to the nature reserve which is near the estuary. It took a while to lock on to it but once seen it was easy to locate. This bird caused a small twitch with a group from the Netherlands!

A personal favourite of mine was the noisy Black Crowned Tchagra who played a game of cat and mouse before it gave itself up giving splendid views low down in a bush.

The road through the valley to the nature reserve was alive with birds. Zitting Cisticola were elusive but were heard along the valley. A Western Subalpine Warbler was not as shy in front of the camera!

An unused building held Thekla's Lark which seem to pop up everywhere I go. I have also seen Crested Lark but they do not seem as common.

My first Moussier's Redstart gave a spectacular display as it flitted about in the same area.

A Lesser Kestrel put in an appearance as I was down in the valley looking for passerines which included Blackcap, Cettis, Sardinian and Reed Warbler.

There were a few Swallow and Sand Martin making their way up the valley and it won't be long before these species are plenty on home soil!

Morocco - Oued Sous Estuary

The morning was spent at the Oued Sous Estuary which is adjacent to the Royal Palace grounds. It is not the most picturesque of locations and a peg on the nose is required in parts but the birds love it!

There was a good mix of shorebirds with a ringed Kentish Plover which I managed some distant digi scope shots of. Beyond that there were a good scattering of regular species many of which gave close views.

The tide was on the turn at first light which gave some good photo opportunities before the sun came up and blasted heat shimmer across the estuary. 

I noted an interesting feeding technique where the Cormorant flock would herd a shoul of fish into the bay to start a feeding frenzy amongst the species that made it there in time. The flock of spoonbill were particularly active filtering the small fish and aquatic insects swaying their spoon bill from side to side!

Redshank were numerous some sporting their smart breeding plumage as they roamed the edges of the mudflats.

A handful of Greenshank were also scattered along the shoreline with Ruddy Turnstone feeding away in the foreground.

Turtle Dove were purring away from tree tops and from within the palace grounds.

Full ebird list Oued Sous

Morocco - Tamri Estuary and Water Treatment Works

I set out bright and early with one quest in mind find a Bald Ibis. I have been using the updated Where to Watch Birds in Morocco by Bergier as well as trawling eBird to locate likely areas to see this endangered species.

The roads were very quiet first thing but driving at the speed limit is a must as there are random Police radar traps as well as fixed cameras! I am using Waze (navigation app) which has live traffic updates.

The morning began at the Tamri Estuary walking the scrub looking for passerines. Sardinian Warbler were very vocal along with a secretive Tristram's Warbler. A good number of gulls were resting at the river mouth again Lesser Black-backed were numerous with ten Audouin's making up the numbers. A couple of Sandwich tern had positioned themselves well back from the main huddle of gulls.

Raptors were also active with a Peregrine and a pair of Kestrel in the area. I have double checked the photos and ruled out Barbary Falcon and Lesser Kestrel.

The prize of the day didn't arrive until I moved up to the Water Treatment Works which gave good views of the hills and river valley. I noted three birds flying towards the estuary abandoned the car so that I could get some shots and made a note of where they had come down. I was genuinely excited at this point!

The birds were flighty and eventually landed in the field next to the works outer wall. I scurried up a sand bank and snuck across the field taking up a secluded position and waited for the birds to pass by.

More birds arrived before the flock moved across the valley to a field on a hill behind the car park to the estuary. I counted 29 birds in all and returned to the car park to have lunch! There are local people that will take you to see the Ibis for a fee but on this occassion I had beaten them to it!

After a well earned break I headed back to Agadir via Cape Ghir where a wrong turn had me chance upon a Black Wheatear! 

I have gone through my pictures and a Golden Eagle has been identified thanks to my birding guru pal. Thanks Pete!

My first full day had gone in a blink of an eye! Time to prepare for tomorrows adventure!

Morocco - Agadir

The trip started with an afternoon gull watch from my balcony on the 9th floor of the hotel. Lesser Black-backed were the most numerous with a few Yellow Legged thrown into the mix. Once the heat had gone from the sun I had a wander around the beach and any area of scrub for the resident town birds.

The noisiest of them all were the Common Bulbul who were active in their small groups moving between the palm trees. House Sparrow were everywhere and a couple of Collared Dove were noted in the hotel grounds.

I chased a couple of Maghreb Magpie as they ducked in and out of a new development close to the beach. The flourescent blue patch behind the eye is a defining identification feature of this bird.

Pallid Swift were noted overhead and a bird was observed visiting a nest in a palm along the beach front. You can just see the darker hand on this bird. I tested Merlin out which didn't contradict my thoughts.

As dusk closed in there was a flurry of movement of passerines. Spotless Starling and White Wagtail the most numerous. 

An afternoon that turned out ok having done the trip chores prior to setting out!