Summary
The Moroccan winter rains had fallen in earnest and the snow was piled high on the Atlas Mountains producing a wonderful contrasting vista between the verdant plains and river valleys set against the white-topped mountains. A wonderful bi-product of the rains was a colourful carpet of the most beautiful flowers which were found in every habitat we visited. On the down-side the birds were less numerous than our previous visits, migration had not yet got into full swing, having said that, our search for the ‘most wanted’ species of Morocco was a resounding success. We all had great views of Houbara Bustard, Crimson-winged Finch, Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker, Desert Sparrow, Desert Warbler, Desert Lark, Bar-tailed Lark, Thick-billed Lark, Hoopoe Lark, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Tristram’s Warbler, Bald Ibis and many more as we toured the wonderful countryside of Morocco. We visited the high Atlas Mountains, the stony plains of the ‘Hammada’, the southeast region of Tafilalt, (the area closest to the Sahara), the lush Sous valley and the coastal region of the Sous Massa National Park.
Monday 16th March
Morocco greeted us with bright sunshine and a misty blue sky as we disembarked at Menara airport on our first day. We met our driver Ahmed and loaded up into the bus for the drive to Oukaimedan in the western High Atlas, a journey of some 80km. Birds began to appear as we skirted the suburbs of Marrakech, we headed east for the snow capped peaks of the Atlas Mountains that looked enticing and exciting as they towered over the plain of Haouz. As we crossed the plain we noted Barn Swallow, Moroccan Magpie, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, White Stork and Collared Dove. We stopped off to buy our lunch and made our first encounter with the true Morocco, both in culture and currency.
After checking into our hotel we set off for the peaks making several stops along the way. We ate our picnic lunch in the glade of a pine copse in the foothills and began finding birds almost straight away, a very showy Firecrest flitted nearby, it raised its crest in display mode as another bird drew near. Coal Tit and African Blue Tit appeared, both sub-species and subtly different from the strain at home. Next the raptors put on a show as a pair of Long-legged Buzzard circled above, the male displaying in majestic flight manoeuvres. A large mixed flock of Red-billed and Alpine Chough foraged on a distant hillside and we had great views of our first Mousierre’s Redstart, what a beautiful little bird. We heard a Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker calling constantly deep in the valley below us but we could not see it.
We then stopped at a sparkling stream, noting 3 Dippers, Rock Dove and Red-billed Chough, there was plenty of snow and the stream was in full flow. Driving on through Oukaimedan we disembarked to walk along a track through the snow, and ended up just above the village. Our sightings on this higher level were of Barbary Partrdige, Mistle Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrow, Black Redstart and we had brief glimpses of Atlas Horned Lark.
We then drove to the lower Ski-lift car park and within minutes of our arrival we were watching Crimson-winged Finches and many more Atlas Horned Larks, they arrived in mixed flocks scouring the gravel for scraps, they came to within a few feet of us, fantastic! As the sun went down the temperature fell rapidly so we beat a hasty retreat back towards the hotel stopping again at the stream to look for Ring Ouzel which has been a regular there for the last 3 tours, but not this trip. As we descended the mountains the temperature rose and we made a couple of stops to watch mixed flocks of Chough but little else caught our attention, so we headed back to the hotel for a hot shower and dinner.
Tuesday 17th March
A pre-breakfast excursion found us wandering around the grounds of the hotel where we had great views of the African race of Chaffinch and also African Blue Tit. A House Bunting sang from the roof, Serins were singing everywhere, Common Bubuls were dashing about all over and we had a real bonus, a Levaillant’s Woodpecker. The woodpecker had been calling for a while from a distance, but to our delight it flew into the hotel grounds and landed just above us, alas it was obscured by branches, however, the bird repeated this sequence sometime later but on that occasion it landed in full view and we were able to observe the subtle plumage differences that made this bird a separate species from all other varieties of Green Woodpeckers.
Walking along a couple of tracks for the next 30 minutes we watched Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, Nightingale, Wren, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Common Redstart, lots more Bubuls and several Cattle Egrets. Just before returning to the hotel we added Red-rumped Swallow and Little Swift to our excellent morning list. The Little Swifts do nest under the eaves at the hotel but we did not see them approached any of the nests during our stay.
We set off after breakfast for the long journey to Boumalne du Dades; we planned to spend all day travelling whilst making frequent stops for refreshments and birding. Our first stop was just a few kilometres north of Ourika, we pulled to the side of the road and scanned fields and hedgerows producing an interesting list which included, Moroccan Magpie, Corn Bunting, Common Bubul, Southern Grey Shrike, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Stonechat and several butterfly species.
We spent the rest of the morning climbing through the Tizi-n-Tichka pass and at one stop we watched a pair of Long-legged Buzzards, the male displaying, we picked up our lunch in Taddart and ate our picnic some 5 kilometers further on. During lunch we watched Black Wheatears, a pair of Griffon Vultures soaring very high and another Long-legged Buzzard. After climbing through the pass we stopped at several locations and at one small stream we added Red-throated Pipit, a good bird for the trip list.
During another stop near the reservoir at Quarzazate we picked up Great Crested Grebe, White Wagtail, Osprey, Ruddy Shelduck, Desert Wheatear, White-crowned Wheatear, Dunlin, Little Stint, Little-ringed Plover, Kentish Plover and several other species. We arrived in Boumalne du Dades early evening, albeit a little too late for further birding as the light was fading. So we decided to relax before tucking into a lovely dinner of lamb, cous cous and roasted vegetables.
Wednesday 18th March
We made an early excursion to the Tagdilt trail with plenty to see on a cold and windy morning although we had to work fairly hard to find the birds. Our first birds were Red-rumped Wheatears they seemed to be very common, also Desert Wheatears were found, quite often in pairs. After watching the wheatears for a while we were distracted by close views of Temminck’s Horned Lark, which proved to be abundant everywhere we went on the stony plains. We then had distant views of a perched, Long-legged Buzzard.
Later, during one of our soirees from the bus we put up a flock of Black-bellied Sandgrouse they flew off in small groups and numbered 15 in total, it took us quite a while to find a Hoopoe Lark but when we did we were not disappointed, the bird began to sing and then it flew up vertically and then dropped like a stone performing its display flight. We headed back to the hotel for a breakfast break after an exciting but chilly morning.
Returning, after breakfast, to the tracks across the hammada of the Tagdilt trail we found White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Hoopoe Lark, Northern Wheatear and had three sightings of Lanner Falcon. At the ‘rubbish tip’ there was a single Black Kite sighting. A little further on we crossed a wadi where there were Goldfinches, more Desert Wheatears and our best sighting of Lanner Falcon so far was had. Several flocks of Short-toed Larks flew by and we finally caught up with Cream-coloured Coursers when three were spotted from the bus. We spent another hour searching the tracks and trails across the stony plateau but failed to add anything new to our tally. The air finally started to warm as we headed for the town centre to pick up lunch.
From Boumalne town centre we set off along the Gorge du Dades the landscape changed dramatically, the road grew narrow and the scenery changed by the minute. We had superb views of the valley below us quickly followed by towering cliffs of sandstone, we stopped several times to photograph the beautiful surroundings and during these breaks we found Black Wheatear, Blue-rock Thrush, Rock Dove, Crag and House Martin, Blackcap and Willow Warbler. At the top of the valley we searched the scrub for Tristram’s Warbler, eventually finding just one, a splendid male. Late in the afternoon we returned to the Tagdilt track but stayed on the north side of the road, it was still very windy, we saw the usual fare of Red-rumped and Desert Wheatears, Temminck’s Horned Lark and a distant Lanner Falcon. The light began to fade, the temperature dropped and tummies were rumbling, so we set off back to the hotel for a well earned dinner.
Thursday 19th March
Five of us made it to the 6:30am excursion, we ventured on foot from the hotel, walking left uphill along the escarpment. The early morning was not as cold as the day before so the birding was that much more enjoyable. It took a while before we were onto our first birds which were Thekla Larks then very soon we found our first Desert Larks near a make-shift football pitch. Other birds of note were small groups of Pallid and Common Swifts passing overhead and four Short-toed Eagles, each of them perched on separate pylons, waiting patiently for the air temperature to rise so that they could catch a thermal and continue on their northerly migration.
After an enjoyable breakfast we set off for the desert section of the tour, making many short stops to break the journey to Erfoud our next destination. White-crowned Wheatears became very noticeable but other birds seemed to be hiding well. One shout from the back of the bus produced an unscheduled stop and resulted in great views of a superb Golden Eagle rising on the thermals, we then found Southern Grey Shrike in close proximity and several Wheatears.
Next we stopped at a wadi just west of Goulmima, where we sat and ate our picnic lunch, but soon we were on the move walking through the thorny thickets. Picking up a few Chiffchaffs and a couple of Willow Warblers before discovering a large party of Fulvus Babblers, we followed them for a while and eventually all of us had excellent views. A couple of Hoopoes were put up during our walk, several Spectacled Warblers flitted in and out of sight and a fabulous pair of Desert Wheatears were very showy and seemed very agitated, then we discovered why, their nest was just below us in a sandy bank. More Subalpine Warblers were counted along with two Southern Grey Shrikes, Woodchat Shrike and Black-eared Wheatears. We made a couple more stops when we recorded many of the species already listed and observed our only Brown-necked Raven which flew across the road in front of the bus.
At 5pm we arrived at our Auberge on the edge of the Erg Chebbi sand dune system which towered in the near distance. We were booked to stay for the next three nights and we could not wait to get started, so at 5pm we explored the garden of this wonderful oasis which consisted of a large walled area of about 5 acres, planted with many trees and shrubs, providing a haven for migrating birds, many warblers were feeding in the shrubs, they consisted of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Bonelli’s Warbler, Western Olivaceous, they were joined by quite a few Common Redstarts, most of which were very colourful males. A couple of Common Bulbuls were located by their noisy repartee and our last find of the day were a couple of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, a lovely find to end our first day in the desert.
Friday 20th March
Our first early morning excursion in our new desert home produced a full turn-out of the group and a lot of birds. Many of the previous evening’s birds were still around which included several pairs of White-crowned Wheatears, one pair were nesting in an abandoned pick-up truck! New birds for the trip included a pair of Tawny Pipits but not much else.
Following a splendid breakfast we set off for the seasonal lake near Merzouga, stopping to admire a Hoopoe Lark, some Desert Wheatears and a distant Western Marsh Harrier. The winter rains had ensured that there was plenty of water in the reservoir which at first appeared to be deserted but on closer scrutiny we found it to hold plenty of wildfowl. Hundreds of Ruddy Shelduck littered the surface and there were plenty of Greater Flamingos, Eurasian Coot, Great Crested Grebes and large rafts of duck. Pintail and Shoveler easily outnumbered Teal, Marbled Duck, Garganey, Common Pochard and Wigeon. Waders were represented by a single Avocet, many Black-winged Stilts, Dunlin, Little-ringed Plover and Kentish Plover. A couple of Lanner Falcons quartered the far shore, causing mayhem amongst the waders and ducks. Several Western Marsh Harriers put in an appearance and White Storks, Grey Heron and Little Egret added to the species tally. The highlight was when a group of Sandgrouse alighted on the far shoreline, they ran to the water and drank before taking off flying towards us. They were identified as Spotted Sandgrouse from their call and underwing pattern, a nice bird for the trip.
We drove into Merzouga village to pick up water supplies before driving off road to cafe Yasmina and cafe Caravanne, but before reaching them we stopped at a wadi to search for more desert species. It took a while but we manage to locate two male Desert Warblers holding territories and giving wonderful flight displays. We also found Hoopoe Lark, Spectacled Warbler and Desert Wheatear. At Cafe Caravanne we located Desert Sparrow with consummate ease and that was before we had even emerged from the bus! Just one pair breeds in an out-building near the auberge, we all had great views of the pair as they returned to feed young. Who knows if they will be there next year, watch this space.
We took lunch at cafe Yasmina, (a Berber omelette is recommended), whilst overlooking the seasonal pool. Several warblers feed in the tamarisk, Olivaceous, Bonelli’s, Subalpine and Willow all joined the plentiful Chiffchaff. A repeat of last year’s tour happened when a group of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters dropped noisily form the sky and alighted on a dead tree some 100 meters from us, what a delightful sight and sound, the cameras were clicking again.
At 3pm we drove the 30km to the Alnif road on the outskirts of Rissani to look for the Pharoah Eagle Owl which nests in a cliff face some 1km from the road. The walk to the owl was interrupted on many occasions to view White-crowned Wheatears, Desert Larks (feeding young), Subalpine and Spectacled Warblers. We found the owl in its usual hole, with at least one chick, though we thought there may have been two, a good year for them.
On the return walk to the road we had a brief glimpse of a Trumpeter Finch and a better view, albeit short, of a Barbary Falcon, it drifted along the cliff face and over the top before many of the group had a chance to see it properly, that’s birds for you.
Sat 21st March
There was a buzz of excitement as we gathered for breakfast at 5:30am because this was the day most of us had been waiting for, today we were off to search for the rare Houbara Bustard. We climbed into our 4 wheel drive vehicles as the morning light began to illuminate the desert landscape. The sun quickly rose above the eastern horizon painting the sky various shades of orange as it climbed. The light grew stronger and it was soon good enough for us to scan the open plains so we made our first ‘stop n’ search’ recce and within seconds we had located our target bird! A fine male Houbara was strutting along a stone ridge, we all had superb views, suddenly the bird thrust out two large black plumes either side of its chest, 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, what a bizarre sight, the bird completed several of these displays before walking off into the vegetation over the ridge.
Well how could we top that? A Houbara in full display mode! We decide to make several long walks across the desert plains, the light was fantastic and the scenery simply stunning. Many birds appeared and over the next 3 hours we watched Hoopoe Lark, Short-toed Larks, Desert Wheatear, Black—eared Wheatear, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrike, we spent a fair amount of time watching another Desert Warbler which seemed quite happy to pose for the cameras, however, the Cream-coloured Courser was positively camera shy.
A couple of hours of walking on the flat stony plain surrounded by the most picturesque scenery, in fantastic morning light, with abundant flowering plants, was a great way to start our day. The temperature was just perfect with not a stir in the air, how could we leave this place? Well we had to continue our tour and before long we were approaching the lake at Merzouga for a second look, with the intent of driving around to the far bank to survey the area we missed the day before. All the same birds of the previous visit were noted except for Avocet, but we added Ferruginous Duck, there were at least 4 feeding and/or sleeping quite close to the reed bed on the far side, many Common Pochard floated close by. The four wheel drive vehicles gave us access to the bumpy trails around the lake and soon we were on the far edge where we had much better views of the wildfowl. We spotted a lone Green Sandpiper and then several Ruff that were feeding on an island, a few Dunlin fed on the shoreline, but other than those, we found little else. It was now approaching late morning and our planned lunch at the Auberge was beckoning, we noted several species on the return jouney but nothing new.
After lunch we walked to a nearby wadi to look for migrants, the usual array appeared, Subapline, Spectacled, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, Common Redstart, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrike, we also watched European Bee-eater and Laughing Dove. The temperature became very hot and humid so we retreated to the auberge for a leisurely afternoon, we arranged to meet at 4pm.
At 4pm we drove to a roadside pool where Trumpeter Finches had been noted by other birders the previous day and sure enough during our 1 hour vigil we noted at least 20 of these cute little finches coming down to drink, the budding photographers loved it. Later in the early evening many of us walked the gardens and a couple of good sightings were made, at least 3 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters appeared as did a fine male Western Orphean Warbler and at least 3 Western Olivaceous Warblers were noted. 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 March
Well our stay in this fantastic desert region was over and our last morning had arrived. We walked through the gardens and out onto the desert plains hoping to pick up some new species. We watched White Crowned Wheatear, Common Redstart, Chiffchaff, Sardinian and Subalpine Warblers in the garden and out on the open plain we found Short-toed Lark, Crested lark, Tawny Pipit and not a lot else, so we retreated for breakfast.
At 8am we set off for the long journey to Taliouine hoping to pick up some new species along the way. It wasn’t until nearly lunchtime, as we approached Boumalne du Daedes, that we were successful. We pulled over and scoured the red sandy desert scrub on several occasions and at last we found our two target species, Thick-billed Lark and Bar-tailed Lark. Both of these species sat obligingly for the cameras. Next we made a short stop near the Tagdilt trail hoping to see some Crowned Sandgrouse, but whilst driving along the new tarmac road we noted a bright white bird sitting on the carcass of a cow. Passed off as a Long-legged Buzzard by yours truly, but further scrutiny by the rest of the ‘disbelieving’ group, proved it to be an Egyptian Vulture! We searched but never found the sandgrouse.
Our journey down through the Sous Valley during the afternoon and early evening found us stopping several times and watching a few raptors. The scenery was changing as each mile went by, the lush verdant valley opened out to vast fields of crops and open dehesa, supporting Argana trees, but the wild flowers persisted and added a beautiful array of roadside colour. We noted Western Marsh Harriers, Montagu’s Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Short-toed Eagle, Black Kite, Common Kestrel, but again the numbers of migrants were relatively low. We found our auberge just as the light was fading and only had time for a quick brush-up before tucking into our best Tajines yet.
Monday 23rd March
Our early morning walk took us down by the river Sous and into the nearby wooded countryside, birds were everywhere, singing, feeding and loafing. A large flock of some 100 Bee-eaters were leaving their roost in parties of 20-30, noisily gaining height before disappearing northward, The trees held many Serins, Nightingales, Chiffchaffs, Willow and Bonelli’s Warblers and Common Redstarts, we found two Tree Pipits, Great Spotted Woodpecker, several Hoopoes, Laughing Dove, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear and Little-ringed Plover on the stony riverbed.
We drove on westward and after passing through the walled town of Tarroudant the countryside was replaced by the surburban sprawl of Agadir and further sightings only produced Common Magpie, White Stork, Spotless Starling and Common Swifts. We pressed on and made it to Agadir by 2pm but we decided to go straight to Tamri before checking into our hotel. Along the coast road we stopped to sea-watch for a while, a fine House Bunting was singing to us from a ruined house as we looked out to sea. The visibility was not too good but we noted Moroccan Cormorant, Northern Gannet, Sandwich Tern, many Yellow-legged and a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
We arrived at Tamri and from the car park near the river outlet we quickly located a small flock of some 20 Bald Ibis that were loafing on the hillside. After a few minutes the birds took off and disappeared over the far ridge, never to be seen again, well what good timing, 5 minutes later and we would never have seen them!
In the lagoon at the river mouth there we many gulls bathing including many Audouin’s Gulls, they quickly became the group’s favourite gull. We also noted Eurasian Coot, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Ruddy Shelduck, Dunlin, Common Raven, Pallid Swift, Zitting Cisticola and our first Purple Heron of the trip.
We drove up through the town and scoured the upper hillside in search of the Ibis but without luck, so we turned back south and returned to Agadir, arriving early evening to check in. We had time to relax before dinner.
Tuesday 24th March
Our last full day had arrived, all too quickly. We planned to spend the day at Sous Massa National Park about an hour’s drive from the hotel. We took an early breakfast and set out at 7:30am arriving at 8:20am in beautiful warm sunshine. The air was still and the light just perfect, our first stop was along the track to the reserve entrance, we were high up looking down over the river, we could see the reed-bed and the riparian scrub on both banks. Common Bulbuls were our first sightings, quickly followed by Barn Swallow, Eurasian Coot, a fly over Tufted Duck, Purple Heron, Little Egret and Little Grebe. Warblers were few and far between, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Cetti’s and Willow Warbler flitted about, whilst Sardinian and Subalpine showed particularly well. As we progressed into the reserve proper a large flock of Glossy Ibis flew passed us and a group of Spoonbills were loafing near the far bank. More ducks appeared, Marbled Duck (4), Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall and a few waders fed nearby, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Black-winged Stilt and Little-ringed Plover.
It wasn’t until we were near the beach before we heard the melodic song of the Black-crowned Tchagra and a further 15 minutes elapsed before we actually got good views of it. But it was well worth waiting for, what a beauty. This was quickly followed by another beauty in the shape of a male Mousierre’s Redstart, it posed perfectly for us.
The group were tiring fast, the temperature had reached the upper 20’s so we decided to return to the bus, but not before a Bald Ibis flew down the beach towards Massa.
We spent 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. We found more Bee-eaters, Zitting Cisticolas, Yellow Wagtails, laughing Doves, Bulbuls and another Tchagra.
For our last venue of the trip we returned to Oued Sous estuary, the tide was low and a large expanse of mud was exposed. We notched up a good list of species adding, Curlew, Grey Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Ringed Plover, Common Tern and Wood Pigeon. We had good views of Common Magpie, the Moroccan variety with the blue face patch, Mousierre’s Redstart and another Osprey.
Wednesday 25th March
We made a very early start to travel the 200 kilometers from Agadir to Marrakech, even at 5am the Common Bulbuls were noisily going about their business in the hotel garden. The drive was uneventful, we made one stop and noted more Bulbuls, House Bunting, Spotless Starling and White Stork. The birding tour was over as we arrived at Menera airport for the return flight to London, Gatwick.
The trip was made a great success because of the efforts of the participants, they put in a lot of foot-slogging and early morning leg-work. We encountered 167 species and had some memorable experiences, each of the group had their favourite moments and their favourite sighting. But for me it was the early morning in the desert looking for the Houbara Bustard that captured the essence of Morocco, I can’t wait to return next year.
Number of birding days recorded, highest count
C=common
H=heard
1. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 3 6
2. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 3 8
3. Northern Gannet Morus bassanus 1 10+
4. Great Cormorant Phal. Carbo moroccanus 3 20+
5. Little Egret Egretta garzetta 3 5
6. Cattle Egret Bulbulcus ibis 6 No count
7. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 3 6
8. Purple heron Ardea purpurea 2 1
9. White Stork Ciconia ciconia 9 31
10. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 1 42
11. Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita 2 20
12. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus 2 20+
13. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 5 100+
14. Mallard Anas platyrynchos 2 10
15 Gadwall Anas strepera 1 4
16. Common Teal Anas crecca 1 8
17. Garganey Anus querquedula 1 6
18. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 3 40+
19 Pintail Anus acuta 2 100+
20. Common Pochard Aythya farina 2 40+
21. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 1 6
22. Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris 10+
23. Wigeon Anas penelope 1 2
24. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 1 1
25. Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus 1 2
26. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus 1 1
27. Black Kite Milvus migrans migrans 2 2
28. Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 3 8
29. Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus 4 5
30. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 2 1
31. Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus 9 6
32. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetus 1 2
33. Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus 2 4
34. Booted Eagle Aquila pennatus 1 1
35. Osprey Pandion haliaetus 3 2
36. Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanii 2 5
37. Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 9 4
38. Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides 1 1
39. Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus 3 3
40. Common Quail Coturnix coturnix 2 Heard only
41. Barbary Partridge Alectoris graeca 3 2
42. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 2 4
43. Common or Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 5 50+
44. Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata 1 1
45. Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 1 3
46. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 3 20+
47. Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 1 1
48. Stone-Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus 1 1
49. Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor 4 3
50. Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 1 1
51. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 4 10+
52. Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 4 20+
53. Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola 1 5
54. Little Stint Calidris minuta 2 8
55. Dunlin Calidris alpine 3 15
56. Ruff Philomachus pugnax 1 4
57. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 1 4
58. Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 1 5
59. Common Redshank Tringa tetanus 1 6
60. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 1 1
61. Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos 1 1
62. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 1 1
63. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 1 3
64. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 2 20+
65. Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii 2 30+
66. Yellow-legged Gull Larus cahinnians 4 No count
67. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 2 20+
68. Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica 2 1
69. Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis 2 40+
70. Common Tern Sterno hirundo 1 1
71. Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus 1 11
72. Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis 1 15+
73. Rock Dove/ Feral Pigeon Columbus livia 6 No count
74. European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur 3 5
75. Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto 9 No count
76. Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus 1 3
77. Laughing Dove Strep. S. arenicola 7 6
78. Pharaoh Eagle Owl Bubo bubo 1 2
79. Little Owl Athene noctua 1 1
80. Little Swift Apus affinus 1 5
81. Common Swift Apus apus 6 10+
82. Pallid Swift Apus pallidus 3 10+
83. European Bee-eater Merops apiaster 4 100+
84. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops p. chrysocerus 4 5
85. Common or Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 3 4
86. Bar-tailed Desert Lark Ammomanes c. arenicola 1 3
87. Desert lark Ammomanes deserti payne 2 2
88. Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes 4 3
89. Thick-billed Lark Rhamphocoris clotheby 1 1
90. Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla3 20+
91. Crested Lark Galerida cristata 8 6
92. Thekla Lark Galerida t. aguirrei 7 5
93. Horned (Atlas)Lark Eremophilia a. atlas 1 6
94. Temminck’s Horned Lark Eremophilia bilopha 1 4
95. Sand Martin Riparia riparia 1 4
96. Eurasian Crag-Martin Hirundo rupestris 2 3
97. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 9 100+
98. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica 6 4
99. House Martin Delichon urbica 6 10+
100 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris 2 2
101. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 1 1
102. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus 1 1
103. Yellow Wagtail M.f.iberiae 2 10
104. White Wagtail Motacilla alba 7 3
105. Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus 7 10
106 Dipper Cinclus cinclus 1 3
107 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 1 1
108 Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos 2 1
109. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 2 2
110. Mousierre’s Restart Phoenicurus moussieri 3 2
111. Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 4 10+
112. European Stonechat Saxicola t. rubicola 2 2
113. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra 1 1
114. Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe 5 4
115. Seebohmi Wheatear Oenanthe o. seebohmi 2 1
116. Black-Eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica 4 3
117. Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti 6 5
118. Red-rumped Wheatear Oenanthe oesta 3 3
119. White Crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga 6 6
120. Black wheatear Oenanthe leucura 3 2
121. Blue Rock Thrush Monticola salitarius 2 2
122.Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula 9 2
123. Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus 1 1
124. Cetti’s warbler Cettia cetti 2 1+2H
125. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 2 2
126. Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus 1 1+1H
127. Western Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais elaeica 3 3
128. Western Orphean Warbler Sylvia ortensis 1 1
129. Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta 1 1
130. Tristram’s Warbler Sylvia deserticola 1 1
131. Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata 3 2
132. Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans 6 2
133. Sardinian Warbler Silvia melanocephala 2 2
134. African desert Warbler Sylvia deserti 3 4
135. Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis 1 1
136. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla 4 4
137. Western Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli 5 2
138. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 7 10+
139. Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix 1 2
140. Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita 6 10+
141. Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus 1 2
142. Fulvus Babbler Turdoides fulvus 1 11
143. Coal Tit Parus ater 2 2
144. African Blue Tit Cyanistes teneriffae 3 2
145. Great Tit Parus major excelsus 4 3
146. Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegala 1 1
147. Southern Grey Shrike Larius m. elegans 7 4
148. Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator 7 6
149. Common Magpie Pica pica mauritanica 4 3
150. Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus 1 10+
151. Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax 1 30+
152. Common Raven Corvus corax 3 3
153. Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor 3 10+
154. House Sparrow Passer domesticus 9 10+
155 Desert Sparrow Passer simplex 1 2
156. Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia 1 20+
157. African Chaffinch Fringilla c. africana 4 5
158. Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 5 2
159. European Serin Serinus serinus 3 10
160. European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris voousi5 6
161. European Goldfinch Carduelis c. parva 8 15+
162. Eurasian Linnet Carduelis cannabina 1 5+
163. Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus 2 5+
164. Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguinea 1 30+
165 House Bunting Emberiza striolata 5 3
166 Cirl Bunting Emberizacirclus 2 2
167. Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra 2 10+
For information of future trips to Morocco please visit www.wingspanbirdtours.com
Or send an e-mail to: bobbuckler49@hotmail.com