Photo Gallery
Photos by James Lidster
We will arrive into the bustling city of Marrakech, hopefully with time for a glass freshly squeezed juice and a wander around…
…where fruit and nut stalls, may temporarily distract us from the White Storks and Little Swifts overhead.
We’ll head into the High Atlas, where ‘African’ Crimson-winged Finch will be one of our main targets.
We may be searching in snowy conditions…
…but the scenery is always stunning.
The Maghreb endemic Levaillant’s Woodpecker can often be found…
…and Seebohm’s Wheatear is now widely regarded as a separate species and yet another near endemic…
…just like Moussier’s Redstart…
…and soon to be followed by Maghreb Magpie…
…Maghreb Chaffinch…
…and Ultramarine Tit: exciting times to be birding in Morocco.
As we leave the mountains heading for the desert we’ll will look for Tristram’s Warbler.
In the Sahara there are traditional forms of transport…
…but we will use 4x4’s for a few days…
…allowing us to look for Cream-colored Courser…
…and Desert Sparrow.
From time to time we’ll refresh with a glass of mint tea; the higher the tea pot the greater the respect for the recipient.
Egyptian Nightjar must endure some intense weather and is a species we normally search for at dusk…
…and careful scanning of the skies may reveal a Lanner Falcon.
Hoopoe Larks scuttle across the desert, hopefully treating us to their amazing display flight…
…Desert Wheater is common…
…and White-crowned Wheatears hang out at one of our hotels,…
…but nomadic Thick-billed Larks will require more searching.
We may bump into migrants at desert oases - here a Eurasian Wryneck - and here…
…our oasis, swimming pool, good food and migrants, a perfect combination?
This European Bee-eater certainly thought so…
…and sometimes they are joined by Blue-cheeked Bee-eater.
Heading towards the coast we’ll search for Black-bellied Sandgrouse…
…and the famous Argan tree climbing goats of the Souss Valley…
…eventually leading us to one of the highlights of the trip, the globally endangered Northern Bald Ibis.
Greater Flamingos frequent the coastal marshes…
…although Yellow-legged Gulls think our hotel pool is also suitable habitat
On most days we’ll eat tastey picnics; this one from the back of our vehicle featured local bread, sardines, onion, olives, dates, cheese and fruit.
The scenery is ever changing…
…and this House Bunting would sell you one of these plates if you haggle hard enough.
Tajines are always popular, this one is chicken, olive and preserved lemon, meaning we won’t go hungry.