Introduction
The purpose of this trip was to focus on the High Atlas specialities of Morocco, witness some early migration and get a bit of post-winter sunshine. Naturally, focusing on a restricted number of species inevitably meant that the total bird-list was small.
In comparison with our last trip to southern Morocco in Jan/Feb of this year, the distances were somewhat shorter, the roads much quieter and the traffic policing far more relaxed with far fewer speed traps. Having said this, with two trips to Oukaimeden for the Crimson-winged Finch, we covered 992km in six days!
The plan was to base ourselves in Marrakech and take day trips out to the passes of Tizi-n-Tichka and Tizi-n-Test, the market town of Asni, and the mountain villages of Oukaimeden, Imlil and Tacheddirt. In the event we spent a night at the Auberge La Bergerie just south of Asni to enable an earlyish start the next morning.
We booked flights on-line to Marrakech with Royal Air Maroc from Gatwick which worked very well and booked the Riu Tikida Palmeraie on the outskirts of Marrakech direct with Riu Hotels on-line. This made a significant saving compared with booking a complete package. Riu Tikida Palmeraie opened fairly recently and although very comfortable, we felt was not quite up to the standard of Riu Tikida Dunas, Agadir, which we felt was exceptional. Its location on the junction of the N8 and N9 made it very convenient for getting out of Marrakech without having to drive through the city centre to get to the mountains.
Although we had originally planned to hire a car on arrival at either Marrakech airport or the city itself, in planning the trip we felt that we did not want to spend a significant part of the first day in Marrakech arranging car-hire as the total holiday was just seven days. Having shopped around on-line in the UK and obtained some prices, we couldn’t find a company offering full excess waiver for damage and theft and so we returned to Amoudou Cars who had been very reliable in Agadir. The person from Amoudou Cars drove from Agadir to meet us at Marrakech airport, took us to the hotel on the other side of town so we didn’t have to drive through central Marrakech on the first day, and once again proved very reliable and reasonably priced. We used the same type of car as we had in the south, viz. a Dacia Logan.
Throughout this trip we met no other independent birders, although we bumped into two UK-based birding tour companies.
Once again, we found the hospitality of the people of Morocco to be exceptional. At no time did we feel unsafe walking in the streets or in the mountains. In comparison with the south, we found this area has been much more touched by tourism. There were always plenty of individuals trying to sell products or services, but once it became clear that we weren’t interested they simply melted away, although as might be expected, when walking in the souks of Marrakech, they were far more persistent. The old adage of ‘when in Rome do as Romans do’ - respecting the local social customs once again ensured that everything swung along very smoothly.
Morocco’s second language is French and is spoken widely - English much less so.
Thanks are due to Alan and Anne Miller for their advice and excellent bird reports and to Patrick Bergier for his advice, excellent book and paper published on his web-site. Thanks are also due to all those who have submitted their bird reports on line, which were very helpful in planning the trip.
Logistics
Car Hire
Amoudou Cars
Imm. Abdou
Angle Av. Hassan II et El Monquaouama
Agadir
Tel: 0021 266 1158321 GMS: 0661 15.83.21
Email: amoudou.car@laposte.net Contact name: Lahcen
We hired a Dacia Logan 1.4 with air con which cost 2400 MAD for 6 days including a supplement for reducing both the theft and damage excess to zero. This was a higher rate with the same company than in Agadir, due partly to being a shorter rental period (less than a week) and also being over the Easter period. We found the Dacia Logan (a Renault owned company, but not yet available in the UK) an excellent car for birding.
Accommodation
ClubHotel Riu Tikida Palmeraie, Km 6, Route de Fes – Marrakech, Maroc. B.P. 12590 – El Nakheel, Marrakech. Tel: 00212 524 327 400, www. riuclass.com email: clubhotel.tikidapalmeraie@riu.com
Auberge La Bergerie, Km59, Marigha Route de Taroudant par Marrakech, B.P. 64 – C.P. 42150 ASNI,
Tel: 00212 (0)5 24 48 57 16/17, www.bergerie-maroc.com email: h.bergerie@menara.ma
Weather
Note - five days of the total of seven full days were spent at high altitude (>2000m) above cloud level and in brilliant sunshine, whereas people staying in Marrakech said that it had remained overcast for much of the day, with skies clearing sometime during the afternoon.
Books, Reports, Articles and Maps
Books
Bergier, P. & Bergier, F. (2003) A Birdwatchers’ Guide to Morocco. Pub: Prion Ltd., Cley
Combridge, P. & Snook, A. (1997) A Birdwatching Guide to Morocco. Pub: Arlquin Press, Chelmsford
Gosney, D. (1996) Finding Birds in Southern Morocco. Pub: Birdguides Ltd., Sheffield.
Reports and Articles
Barreau, D., Bergier, P. & Lesnie, L. (1987) L’avifaune de l’Oukaimeden, 2200-3600 m (Haut-Atlas, Maroc) L’Oiseau et R.F.O., 57 p307-369 http://www.go-south.ifrance.com
Patrick Bergier “Discovering and Birding Morocco” http://www.go-south.ifrance.com
An excellent, comprehensive website containing all the information you need to know on birds in Morocco, including things like site details, trip reports and research bulletins.
Miller, A. (June 2005) “Naturetrek trip report”
Maps
Michelin 742 National “Maroc, 1:1,000,000”
Rainage S.A.R.L. (Tanger) “Southern Morocco Road Map, 1:1,000,000”
Diary
29 March Sunny, max temp 25C, no wind.
Flight from Gatwick arrived Marrakech 15.40 met by Amoudou Cars and transferred to hotel Riu Tikida Palmeraie, arriving 17.15. Brief views of Pallid Swifts en-route but essentially a non-birding day.
30 March Sunny, max temp 20C, wind north-westerly force 2.
Tizi-n-Tichka pass. Full day birding along the N9 from Marrakech to the col (2260m) of Tizi-n-Tichka.
On leaving the hotel we passed through palm groves and cereal fields and saw Moroccan Magpies and eleven Biskra Grey Shrikes sitting on telegraph lines.
The first stop was the forest house at Toufliat, parking just after the café next to the Aleppo Pines to our right. Immediately saw two Great Spotted Woodpeckers of subspecies maurtianus drumming, and a total of eight Common Crossbills of the subspecies poliogyna, two of which were collecting nesting material.
Walking along a small track on the left-hand side of the road overlooking cultivated fields and the village, we searched for Levaillants’s Green Woodpecker, but we were out of luck although we did have good views of Serin, African Blue-tit and Chaffinch of the subspecies africana.
Driving on just past Tazouguerte we heard Cetti’s Warbler, Nightingale and Golden Oriole and had good views of Moussier’s Redstart by the river.
On arriving at the high point of the pass, we were met by a very strong wind and no birds! so we returned to the café 12 km south of Taddert. En-route were two tingitanus Ravens, and on reaching the café we took a small track along a stream on the east side of the road signposted “Refuge”. Here were three Northern Wheatears on migration, and a pair of Mistle Thrushes, but the highlight were two flocks of migrating European Bee-eaters noisily flying north.
31st March Sunny, max temp 22C, wind north-westerly force 2.
Marrakech to Oukaimeden.
Target species for the day were Levaillants’s Green Woodpecker, Seebohm’s Wheatear, Crimson-winged Finch and Atlas Horned Lark.
A noisy pair of Levaillant’s Green were seen on a telegraph pole near Café Tamalout, and an Isabelline Warbler in the road-side trees.
Arrived Oukaimeden at 10.30 and immediately saw large flocks of Red-billed and Alpine Chough after the National Park Barrier, entrance fee 15 MAD. A quick look at the lake revealed no birds whatsoever. Continued to the top car-park at the bottom of the ski-lift where excellent views of Seebohm’s Wheatears and Black Redstart were to be had. Had hoped to see African Crimson-winged Finch and Atlas Horned Lark but they were absent possibly due to significant human disturbance. The snow line was very high so we took the ski-lift to the summit of Jbel Oukaimeden (25 MAD) where there were small patches of snow. On the way up, we saw a small flock of twenty birds flying around a distant patch of snow and suspected they were Crimson-winged Finches but being strapped in a moving chair-lift prevented positive identification! Just off the summit we quickly located Atlas Horned Larks and had good close up views of them feeding at the edge the snow. The other surprising species at this altitude (3273m) were a pair of Moussier’s Redstarts performing courtship displays.
Down in the village of Oukaimeden we saw migrant Iberian Wagtails feeding by the donkeys, and large flocks of barbara Rock Sparrows around the old Berber buildings on the way to the Radar Station. Despite previous reports we did not find Alpine Accentors but had good views of nesting Choughs on the cliffs.
Returning to our hotel via central Marrakech we landed in a huge traffic jam (not to be recommended) but did see a flock of at least a hundred Bee-eaters on the outskirts of the city.
1 April Sunny, max temp 22C, wind westerly force 2.
Marrekech to Oukaimeden.
Early departure to see Crimson-winged Finch as a local had told us to get to the car-park before the traders and general tourists arrived. The Finches would either be there or behind the ski-resort building. In the event, our journey took longer than expected due to road construction traffic early in our journey. Arrived at 9.15 and were delighted by a flock of at least 30 flying between the gravel and the blue rope netting by the ski-lift kiosk. By 9.45 the birds had gone due to the disturbance, so had very good views for 30 minutes, but wish it could have been an hour or more.
Took a second ride on the ski-lift to the summit of Jbel Oukaimeden and only raptor was a soaring Long-legged Buzzard but unfortunately no Lammergeier.
2nd April Sunny, max temp 20C, no wind.
Marrakech to Tizi-n-Test pass.
Target species was Tristram’s Warbler which prefers open Holm Oak forest around 1200m – 2000m. This was the most difficult species of the trip, but managed to find a single male just on the south side of the pass 500m from the summit. At the same site saw endemic atlas sub-species of Coal Tit and the minor sub-species of Eurasian Jay. Stopped on the C12th Tinmel mosque which is under restoration although the hoped for nesting Tawny Owls had been absent for the past two or three years.
Stayed overnight at Auberge La Bergerie just south of Asni to give us an early start for the mountains next morning. Very pleasant ‘country inn’ with excellent food and bird-rich gardens and were made very welcome. Note – we found only cold water for washing and showering in our room but chose not to bring it to their attention as it was late and we were staying only one night. Woken at dawn next day by Cetti’s Warblers and Nightingales feeding in our walled patio garden.
3rd April Sunny, max temp 20C, no wind.
Asni, Imlil, Tacheddirt, return to Marrakech.
Visited the hugely interesting and authentic weekly Berber market at the market town of Asni and soon discovered why no cars were parked under the three very large trees in the main street. On returning to our car it had been absolutely plastered with Cattle Egret lime. Made very good use of three local lads who spent the next 30 mins washing and scrubbing it off!! 100+ Cattle Egrets nesting! The only other birds of significance were three White Storks.
Drove up the valley to Imlil past the Cherry tree orchards in full bloom. Seemed very touristy in Imlil, so carried on up into the mountains via a newly metalled road leading to the isolated mountain settlement of Tacheddirt (2314m) which was previously only accessible by 4-wheel drive. Only birds of note were Alpine and Red-billed Chough but the scenery was spectacular, the driving exhilarating, and well worth the detour to see this most interesting village.
4th April Sunny, max temp 20C, no wind.
Area of La Palmeraie, Marrakech.
Last day, so utilised the morning looking for Little Swift and catching up on any other possibilities around this very substantial area of Palm grove to the north east of Marrakech.
Excellent views of Little Swift of the galilejensis sub-species, Red-rumped Swallows, flocks of Bee-eaters, and close up views of Biskra Grey Shrike. Looking for Crested Lark we were rewarded with a long undisturbed views of a Crested Lark on top of a small farm building and also discovered a pair of Woodchat Shrike which appeared to have a nest in a low Palm.
At 11am took the hotel courtesy bus to central Marrakech to do the tourist bit, but still managed to find House Bunting, White Stork and Pallid Swift.
5th April Early morning flight departing 7.30am to Gatwick.
Daily bird log:
Click here for a daily bird list in pdf.