Southern Morocco February 15 - 25, 2002

This trip was a Naturetrek trip led by Richard Bashford. I decided to join the trip as, apart from the High Atlas birds (Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker, Seebohm’s Wheatear, and Atlas Flycatcher - all of which could be seen on a future short break to Marrakech with Michelle), it exactly followed the itinerary I was intending.

The trip was all inclusive for £990, considerably cheaper than it could be done for independently, especially considering the hotels that were stayed in, some of which were very luxurious. It also had the benefits of all the organisation being taken care of and all the driving (we had two mini-busses) being undertaken by someone else. An added bonus in Morocco is that the hassles (there were not really that many in fairness, despite warnings to the contrary) were shared amongst everyone.

However, there are downsides to an organised trip. For example, as the hotels were pre-booked, the itinerary was somewhat inflexible. Also, the leader had to cater for the wishes of all the group, some of whom were not very keen to ‘thrash about’ in the heat of the desert looking for a particular target species when easier, more rewarding (in terms of total species seen), could be found in other habitats. Some of the group were not real birders or of a very low skill level and considerable time was wasted stopping for picnics and ‘comfort stops’.

Because of the limited time targeting key species, I believe I missed two important birds that I otherwise would probably have seen: Thick-billed Lark and Desert Warbler (of the deserti race). Another species, Fulvous Babbler, was only seen because I split up for an afternoon from the rest of the 'birding' group who went to a wetland, whilst I got a lift to the Taroudant Bridge riverbed in the 'shoppers' mini-bus. At other times, even though we were at the same location, I tended to bird on my own away from the group who followed RB.

Despite the above drawbacks, I still believe the pros outweighed the cons and the NatureTrek option was a good one; I would consider joining another organised trip in the future.

See the Morocco Photo Site.

Weather
Generally hot and dry (although often taking a wile to warm up in the morning). Some rain late afternoon on the 19th and in the morning of the 20th. Windy at times in the east, leading to sandstorms, which obviously caused some considerable difficulty when trying to bird!

Itinerary
15/2 Late afternoon flight from Heathrow to Marrakech via Casablanca; overnight in Marrakech.
16/2 Drive to El Kelâa through High Atlas mountains; overnight in El Kelâa.
17/2 Gorges du Dades and surrounding area; overnight in El Kelâa.
18/2 Gorges du Todra; drive to and overnight in Erfoud.
19/2 Merzouga and surrounding desert area; overnight in Erfoud.
20/2 Drive to and overnight in Ourzazate.
21/2 Drive to and overnight in Taroudant.
22/2 Tamri; Sous valley (riverbed near Taroudant bridge); overnight in Taroudant.
23/2 Massa; overnight in Taroudant.
24/2 Early morning drive and flight from Marrakech to Heathrow.

Birds (136 species, 17 ticks)
Little Grebe - Several at Massa.
Gannet - Ten plus during hour long sea-watch near Tamri.
Cormorant - About twenty seen during stop at large road-side lake en-route to El Kelâa.
Cattle Egret - Seen most days, the maximum day count being around fifty (various places) on the 16th.
Little Egret - Small numbers seen in suitable habitat.
Grey Heron - Small numbers seen in suitable habitat.
Black Stork - Nine in flight over Taroudant bridge on 21st.
White Stork - About ten in Marrakech on 16th; about twenty in Taroudant on 21st; also smaller numbers seen nesting in various villages.
Glossy Ibis - Several hundred at Massa.
Bald Ibis - At least around seventy-five (apparently ninety-five) birds seen at Tamri - most of the world population!
Greater Flamingo - Nine at Massa.
Ruddy Shelduck - Two seen during stop at large road-side lake en-route to El Kelâa.
Wigeon - About ten at Massa.
Teal - About ten at Massa.
Mallard - A pair at Massa.
Pintail - About thirty at Massa.
Garganey - A single male at Massa.
Shoveler - About fifty at Massa.
Marbled Duck - A single at Massa.
Pochard - About one hundred at Massa.
Black Kite - About fifty circling at Taroudant on 21st; singles or smaller groups also seen on other days.
Short-toed Eagle - Singles seen daily from 19th.
Marsh Harrier - Two (females or immatures) at Massa.
Montagu's Harrier - A single ring-tail seen during the High Atlas crossing on the 16th.
Sparrowhawk - Several on various days.
Long-legged Buzzard - A total of nine birds seen (usually whilst driving) at various places.
Bonelli's Eagle - Two in High Atlas crossing on 16th; three at Todra Gorge on 18th; two en-route to Taroudant on 21st.
Osprey - One seen during stop at large road-side lake en-route to El Kelâa; three at Massa.
Lesser Kestrel - Fairly common except in desert areas, with a party of four seen en-route to Taroudant on 21st and several nesting in hotel walls at Taroudant.
Common Kestrel - Seen most days.
Hobby - One seen on 16th flying en-route to El Kelâa.
Lanner Falcon - A pair in Dades valley on 17th.
Spotted Crake - One at Massa.
Moorhen - One in the Dades valley on 17th; five at Massa.
Coot - Several thousand at Massa.
Common Crane - A flock (apparently of forty-three) at Massa.
Oystercatcher - A flock of five during hour long sea-watch near Tamri.
Black-winged Stilt - Several hundred at Massa.
Cream-coloured Courser - One seen near El Kelâa on 18th; three en-route to Taroudant on 21st.
Little Ringed Plover - About twenty at Massa.
Temminck's Stint - About ten at Massa.
Curlew Sandpiper - A single at Massa.
Ruff - Five at Massa.
Common Snipe - About twenty at Massa.
Black-tailed Godwit - About fifty at Massa.
Redshank - Several at Massa.
Greenshank - Several at Massa.
Green Sandpiper - Three at Massa.
Common Sandpiper - A single at Massa.
Bonxie - One mobbing a gull during hour long sea-watch near Tamri.
Audouin's Gull - Common at Tamri, including a flock of 123.
Lesser Black-backed Gull - Common near the coast.
Yellow-legged Gull - Common near the coast.
Sandwich Tern - Ten plus during hour long sea-watch near Tamri.
Common Tern? - A single 'Common Tern like' bird during hour long sea-watch near Tamri.
Black-bellied Sandgrouse - Three flyovers on drive to Ourzazate on 20th.
Rock Dove - Feral birds daily plus several pure looking birds in the Dades and Todra Gorges.
Wood Pigeon - One by Taroudant bridge on 22nd.
Collared Dove - Common in and around towns and villages.
Turtle Dove - Two near Taroudant on 22nd.
Laughing Dove - Six birds seen near to Ourzazate on 20th.
Great Spotted Cuckoo - One (apparently in flock of three) near to Taroudant on 23rd.
Little Owl - Singles near Erfoud on 18th and Taroudant bridge on 21st.
Common Swift - Many in and around Marrakech and (possibly) Taroudant.
Pallid Swift - Many in and around Marrakech and (probably) Taroudant.
Alpine Swift - Three at Massa.
Little Swift - About twenty in Marrakech on 16th.
Kingfisher - One heard at Massa.
Hoopoe - Seen daily except in far east.
Bar-tailed Desert Lark - Seen on 18th and 19th; common in true desert.
Desert Lark - Small flocks seen between 17th and 21st; common in semi-desert.
Hoopoe Lark - A total of six birds seen and several more heard; common in semi-desert.
Lesser Short-toed Lark - Flocks of about ten and twenty seen near El Kelâa on 17th and 18th.
Crested Lark - Seen daily.
Thekla Lark - Seen most days, with a flock of fifteen at a lunch stop in High Atlas pass on 16th being the maximum.
Temminck's Horned Lark - Around thirty seen near El Kelâa on 17th but surprisingly not seen on other days (although was seen by others).
Brown-throated Sand Martin - One amongst Sand Martins at Massa
Sand Martin - Several noted on a few occasions.
Crag Martin - Common in suitable habitat, particularly around the Todra Gorge.
Swallow - Apart from the first day, seen daily.
Red-rumped Swallow - Surprisingly, only one (at Massa).
House Martin - Singles seen on 20th, 22nd, and 23rd.
Tree Pipit - A flock of eighteen at lunch stop en-route to Taroudant on 20th was the maximum count; others noted on two occasions.
Yellow Wagtail - One in the Dades valley on 17th; a huge number (possibly over a thousand) of mixed Wagtails where flying to roost near Taroudant bridge on 21st and 22nd; all birds seen well where of the iberiae race.
Grey Wagtail - Taroudant bridge (see above).
Pied Wagtail - Seen in large numbers daily - including Taroudant bridge (above); Moroccan Wagtail (subpersonata) is only supposed to occur in the Sous Valley, however, a probable was seen in flight at Merzouga (one was also reported in the logbook).
Common Bulbul - Common.
Alpine Accentor - One during 'photo-stop' in High Atlas pass on 16th.
Robin - One near Marrakech on 16th; one heard near Ourzazate on 20th.
Black Redstart - Common away from true desert.
Moussier's Redstart. - Fairly common except in desert areas.
Common Redstart - Fairly common except in desert areas.
Whinchat - One by Taroudant bridge on 22nd.
Stonechat - Common; notes were made on a male bird (also seen independently by RB) which seemed perfect for Siberian Stonechat!
Northern Wheatear - A single female - west of Ourzazate on 21st - was surprisingly the only bird seen.
Desert Wheatear - Fairly easy to find in the east.
Black-eared Wheatear - A single male en-route to El Kelâa on 17th.
Red-rumped Wheatear - Common in semi-desert habitat.
Mourning Wheatear - Three (a male, an immature male, and a female) in Todra Gorge area (18km east of Tagdilt) on 18th as well as a possible nearby.
White-crowned Black Wheatear - Common in far east. one probable also noted west of El Kelâa on 17th.
Black Wheatear - Common in and around High Atlas.
Blue Rock Thrush - Fairly common in suitable habitat.
Blackbird - Seen daily.
Song Thrush - Single birds seen on a couple of occasions.
Fan-tailed Warbler - Abundant at Massa.
Cetti's Warbler - Several heard on a few occasions (e.g. at Massa).
Sedge Warbler - Several heard at Massa.
Tristram's Warbler - A total of eight birds seen at or near Merzouga and a male seen the following day (20th) west of Erfoud.
Spectacled Warbler - A total of six birds seen on 18th, 19th, and 20th.
Subalpine Warbler - Single males seen on 18th and 20th.
Sardinian Warbler - Common away from true desert.
Blackcap - Birds noted on four days.
Chiffchaff - Common; seen daily; notes were taken of a bird near Erfoud on 20th that gave a harsh, monosyllabic call.
Willow Warbler - Three birds in a garden west of El Kelâa on 17th.
Fulvous Babbler - After four hours of searching, a single bird (surprising as it is usually seen in flocks) showed and performed for five minutes shortly before dusk at Taroudant bridge on 22nd.
Blue Tit - Several birds seen on first three days but not after.
Great Tit - A single at a lunch stop in High Atlas pass on 16th.
Black-crowned Tchagra - A bird was heard calling in evening at Taroudant bridge on 21st and one seen poorly in flight the following evening; several were heard at Massa before one showed very well.
Southern Grey Shrike - Common; birds were of the elegans race - pale grey above and very white below, with a thin white supercilium - quite different from the algeriensis race north of the Atlas mountains.
Woodchat Shrike - Fairly common in well vegetated areas.
Magpie - Fairly common away from desert.
Chough - A distant flock of around one hundred flying birds and then good views of feeding birds were had during the drive through the High Atlas mountains on the first day.
Brown-necked Raven - Four birds in desert on 19th and six early the following day.
Raven - About ten birds at Massa.
Starling - A flock of about twenty birds at Massa.
Spotless Starling - Common around Marrakech and Taroudant.
House Sparrow - Common.
Spanish Sparrow - Three at stop in village en-route to El Kelâa on 16th.
Desert Sparrow - About eight seen (apparently there were over twenty) at Merzouga.
Chaffinch - This distinctive form was fairly common in suitable habitat.
Serin - Common in suitable habitat.
Greenfinch - Several flocks noted on three days.
Goldfinch - Common away from desert.
Linnet - A total of four birds noted.
Trumpeter Finch - Two near Erfoud on 18th and about ten the following day at Merzouga.
Hawfinch - At least three birds (but probably several more) seen during lunch stop in High Atlas pass on 16th.
Cirl Bunting - Three birds near Taroudant on 23rd; several heard on other occasions.
Corn Bunting - One at Massa.
Rock Bunting - Three seen during stop through High Atlas on 16th.
House Bunting - Fairly common except in desert areas.

Butterflies
Scarce Swallowtail - One seen in Todra Gorge and another in a Palm Grove en-route to Ourzazate on 20th.
Bath White? - One probably seen near Ourzazate on 21st.
Greenish Black-tip - Reasonably common away from desert.
Clouded Yellow - Reasonably common away from desert.
Black-eyed Blue - One (male?) during lunch stop in High Atlas pass on 16th.
Painted Lady - Noted on a number of days.
Speckled Wood - One in Todra Gorge on 17th.

Dragonflies
Emperor Dragonfly - One very fresh individual at Massa.
Orthetrum trincaria - Seen on various days in semi-desert habitat.

Mammals
Fat Sand Rat - One seen during road-side stop on journey to Taroudant on 21st.
Large Grey Mongoose - One at Massa.
Wild Boar - Three at Massa.
Barbary Ground Squirrel - Several seen on various days in semi-desert habitat.