MOROCCO in winter

 

“Once more our annual winter week in Morocco packed a fortnight’s experiences into seven very different lively days. Our amazing quality-and-quantity trip list was launched the moment we arrived at Agadir airport by a splendid Lesser Kestrel performing above us as we loaded our minibus and, after lunch by our hotel pool (the only time we saw it in daylight), the action continued at the Sous estuary with over a hundred Greater Flamingos and as many Black-winged Stilts, twenty thermalling White Storks, and educational comparisons of Ringed and Kentish Plovers, Temminck’s and Little Stints, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, and Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlin. Tamri estuary then provided Spoonbill and Ruddy Shelduck (and a green flash as the sun set over the sea) and the beaches in between hundreds of Audouin’s Gulls. A satisfying cross section of species for our first afternoon.

 

A raptor also launched us on our second day-a Barbary Falcon perched on our hotel-but the highlights on our first mountain circuit (to Imouzzer) were the delightful boudoir-blue and rusty-red Tristram’s Warbler, Atlas Crossbill, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Moussier’s and Common Redstarts, Barbary Partridge, and all three stripe-headed buntings together (Rock, Cirl, and House).  Again, sunset at Tamri-and a perched Kingfisher-brought the day to a close.

 

Our planned pelagic was aborted through engine trouble before we even left the harbour but our visit to the port did provide the only two Western Olivaceous Warblers of the trip and still left the whole day to explore the wonderful Massa estuary with its Glossy Ibis, Marbled and Ferruginous Ducks, Lanner, and Little Owl. We relaxed over a fine lunch overlooking the sweeping beach of Sidi-Rabat, and where for us the hoped-for Bald Ibis flew by on cue. Our day concluded with a desert spectacular of Cream-coloured Courser plus Hoopoe Lark and a Dotterel (a rare sighting in this part of the country).

 

Our next day began with another spectacular-Trumpeter Finch, Desert Wheatear, Thick-billed and Temminck’s Horned Larks followed by White-crowned Black Wheatear and Desert Lark-as we climbed to Tafroute on the great Anti-Atlas circuit with Red-billed Choughs, increasingly close views of nine Bonelli’s Eagles, Golden Eagles, another Barbary Falcon, and most excitingly a Griffon Vulture (another write-in, even for Bryan after over thirty years of visiting the country). But the star of the show was the gasp-inducing scenery, the dramatic hilltop kasbahs, the Berber villages seemingly sculpted out of the red rock, and an absolutely splendid Moroccan lunch in a traditional Berber ceremonial tent (voted best of trip).

 

Then came our overnight stay in the deep south beyond Goulimime  ‘gateway to the Sahara’-more desert birds (Long-legged Buzzard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Red-rumped Wheatear, Bar-tailed Desert Lark, and more Cream-coloured Coursers, Desert and White-crowned Black Wheatears, Thick-billed, Desert, and Hoopoe Larks, and even another Golden Eagle) which kept coming right up to sunset and even beyond as two Red-necked Nightjars flew around us in our oasis hotel courtyard as we arrived back for a shower (well, a dribble-but welcome nevertheless), a tasty camel tagine, and the final surprise of the day as we were stargazing on the roof: the Holmes comet looking like a ghostly jellyfish amongst the pin-sharp planets and shooting stars.

 

Our desert opener the following morning was equally exciting-two Streaked Scrub Warblers (of the taxon theresae, endemic to south western Morocco) and yet more Cream-coloured Coursers, Lanners, Long-legged Buzzards, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Trumpeter Finches, Bar-tailed Desert, Thick-billed, and Temminck’s Horned Larks plus both Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Larks, This desert clean-sweep left us time to return to the Massa to explore the agricultural area and add Black-shouldered Kite, Laughing Dove, Yellow Wagtail, Brown-throated Sand Martin, 200 Glossy Ibis, another Bonelli’s Eagle, and a couple of Stone Curlews as darkness fell. Grand finales were certainly a daily feature of this trip as much as the exciting openers.

 

A complete change of pace the next day was provided by our nine-hour pelagic-the ultimate relaxing experience on a calm (at times almost glassy) sea with hundreds of well-spaced seabirds to hold our interest in the bright sunshine (Cory’s, Sooty, Manx, and Balearic Shearwaters; Arctic, Great, and Pomarine Skuas; Common Scoter; Grey Phalarope; and seventy Mediterranean Gulls)-plus a requested Sunfish on demand-but a mysterious absence of life whenever we entered a fog bank. Back on land an end-of-day return visit to the Sous yielded close White Storks and Slender-billed Gull which brought our trip list to one short of last year’s total.

 

The final morning, on the sea cliffs north of Tamri, a Peregrine nippling a sand dune was the equaliser-quickly followed by two Shags (of the local race riggenbachi, endemic to Morocco and with only twenty pairs in the world considered ‘Endangered’) and a Subalpine Warbler (the latest date ever-by one day- for this scarce migrant). In the estuary our main remaining target bird obliged -a Black-headed Bush Shrike- and then on Tarhazout beach the final one: Royal Tern (a scarce bird as most migrate south from their Mauritanian breeding grounds). A right royal finale to our trip list total of 158. We then had our final picnic in the Sous estuary before heading to the airport and the flight home.  Not a minute was wasted and even with hindsight we couldn’t have enjoyed a more satisfactory sequence of experiences in this magnificent and magical country.”  Bryan Bland

 

Bird List:

 

This is a list of all the species seen during the last thirteen tours to Morocco.

 

Column A = Number of tours on which this species has been recorded.

Column B = Number of days this species was seen on the last tour.

Column C = Maximum daily count for this species on the last tour.

H              = Heard only

 

A

 

B

C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Black-necked Grebe

 

 

 

Podiceps nigricoilis

13

Little Grebe  

2

140

 

Tachybaptus ruficollis

5

Great Crested Grebe  

 

 

 

Podiceps cristatus

1

Bulwer’s Petrel  

 

 

 

Bulweria bulwerii

11

Cory's Shearwater  

4

200

 

Calonectris diomedea

1

Great Shearwater

 

 

 

Puffinus gravis

5

Sooty Shearwater

1

6

 

Puffinus griseus

7

Manx Shearwater 

1

50

 

Puffinus puffinus

7

Balearic Shearwater  

1

10

 

Puffinus mauretanicus

3

Wilson’s Storm-petrel

 

 

 

Oceanites oceanicus

3

British (European) Storm-petrel 

 

 

 

Hydrobates pelagicus

3

Leach’s Storm-petrel  

 

 

 

Oceanodroma leucorhoa

2

Madeiran Storm-petrel  

 

 

 

Oceanodroma castro

13

Gannet  

5

180

 

Sula bassana

5

Continental Cormorant

4

20

 

Phalacrocorax (carbo) sinensis

13

(Moroccan) Cormorant

4

30

 

Phalacrocorax (carbo) maroccanus

5

(Moroccan)Shag  

1

2

 

Phalacrocorax aristotelis riggenbachi

3

Night Heron    

 

 

 

Nycticorax nycticorax

8

Squacco Heron  

 

 

 

Ardeola ralloides

13

Cattle Egret  

5

200

 

Bubulcus ibis

13

Little Egret  

5

40

 

Egretta garzetta

7

Great Egret  

 

 

 

Egretta alba

13

Grey Heron  

5

10

 

Ardea cinerea

13

White Stork  

4

20

 

Ciconia ciconia

12

Glossy Ibis   

2

90

 

Plegadis falcinellus

13

Bald Ibis  

1

1

 

Geronticus eremita

12

Spoonbill  

5

8

 

Platalea leucorodia

13

Greater Flamingo  

4

107

 

Phoenicopterus roseus

7

Ruddy Shelduck  

4

5

 

Tadorna ferruginea

3

Shelduck  

 

 

 

Tadorna tadorna

8

Wigeon  

1

4

 

Anas penelope

8

Gadwall  

1

4

 

Anas strepera

9

Teal  

2

1

 

Anas crecca

11

Mallard  

1

10

 

Anas platyrhynchos

13

Pintail  

3

40

 

Anas acuta

5

Garganey  

 

 

 

Anas querquedula

13

Shoveler  

3

200

 

Anas clypeata

12

Marbled Duck  

1

9

 

Marmaronetta angustirostris

2

Red-crested Pochard

 

 

 

Netta rufina

12

Pochard  

1

250

 

Aythya ferina

5

Ferruginous Duck  

1

4

 

Aythya nyroca

8

Tufted Duck  

1

2

 

Aythya fuligula

1

Greater Scaup

 

 

 

Ayhtya marila

7

Common Scoter  

1

1

 

Melanitta nigra

1

Griffin Vulture

1

1

 

Gyps fulvus

11

Black-shouldered Kite  

1

1

 

Elanus caeruleus

2

Black Kite  

 

 

 

Milvus migrans

1

Short-toed Eagle  

 

 

 

Circaetus gallicus

12

Marsh Harrier  

2

4

 

Circus aeruginosus

3

Dark Chanting Goshawk  

 

 

 

Melierax metabates

3

Goshawk  

 

 

 

Accipiter gentilis

12

Sparrowhawk  

3

2

 

Accipiter nisus

3

Common Buzzard  

 

 

 

Buteo buteo

12

Long-legged Buzzard  

2

15

 

Buteo rufinus

2

Tawny Eagle  

 

 

 

Aquila rapax

7

Golden Eagle  

2

2

 

Aquila chrysaetos

3

Booted Eagle  

 

 

 

Hieraaetus pennatus

12

Bonelli's Eagle  

2

9

 

Hieraaetus fasciatus

13

Osprey  

3

3

 

Pandion haliaetus

2

Lesser Kestrel  

1

1

 

Falco naumanni

13

Kestrel  

7

7

 

Falco tinnunculus

11

Lanner  

2

2

 

Falco biarmicus

6

Peregrine  

1

1

 

Falco peregrinus

8

Barbary Falcon  

3

1

 

Falco pelegrinoides

12

Barbary Partridge  

3

12

 

Alectoris barbara

3

Quail  

 

 

 

Coturnix coturnix

1

Water Rail  

 

 

 

Rallus aquaticus

13

Moorhen  

2

5

 

Gallinula chloropus

13

Coot  

4

1000

 

Fulica atra

1

Common Crane  

 

 

 

Grus grus

13

Oystercatcher  

1

10

 

Haematopus ostralegus

13

Black-winged Stilt  

5

100

 

Himantopus himantopus

8

Avocet  

 

 

 

Recurvirostra avosetta

10

Stone-curlew  

1

2

 

Burhinus oedicnemus

11

Cream-coloured Courser  

3

20

 

Cursorius cursor

1

Collared Pratincole

 

 

 

Glareola pratincola

12

Little Ringed Plover  

 

 

 

Charadrius dubius

13

Ringed Plover  

2

30

 

Charadrius