2007 Tour Narrative
Our 2007 spring tour of Morocco was particularly memorable, thanks not only to the superb birds but also to the incredible sight of water in the Sahara. Occasionally there’s a lake near Merzouga, but this year there was also a huge lake at the base of the Erg Chebbi. If those sand dunes weren’t impressive enough, a sparkling blue lake,with breeding Ruddy Shelducks and out-of-place-looking Moorhens and Little Grebes was simply spectacular. The climatic conditions this year were like no other, and strips of green vegetation brightened the previously barren desert. A large storm in May 2006 had been the source of all that water, and even a Saharan summer hadn’t dried the lakes. As a result, there were thousands of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, and it was simply stunning to stand outside our hotel watching and listening to flocks of 500 birds fly over at a time. Another species never before seen on spring tours to Morocco was Spotted Sandgrouse; after a brief look at four flying over, we later enjoyed great scope views of birds on the ground—and the next day we got so close that scopes weren’t even needed!
The lush conditions didn’t seem to make the desert specialties any harder to find, and our views of African Desert Warbler, Egyptian Nightjar, Desert Sparrow, Cream-colored Courser, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Thick-billed and Hoopoe Larks, and Brown-necked Raven were some of the best I’ve ever had. On one great day we enjoyed scope views of Dupont’s Lark as the sun rose, followed by a flock of Blue-cheeked and European Bee-eaters in the evening Saharan sunlight, and just half an hour an Egyptian Nightjar hawking for insects. Birding doesn’t get much better than that!
Tagdilt was equally impressive, with plenty more Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, more Thick-billed and Hoopoe Larks (the latter voted bird of the trip, thanks to some spectacular display flights), Temminck’s Lark, Red-rumped and Desert Wheatears, Lanner Falcon, and Long-legged Buzzard. Trumpeter Finches were also seen well at several places.
All this fantastic desert birding could almost—almost—make us forget the great birding we’d enjoyed on the coast, with amazing views of Marsh Owl, Purple Swamphen, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill, and Whiskered Tern among a fine selection of shorebirds and waterfowl that included gaudy Red-crested Pochards and elegant Spotted Redshanks. We saw both Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers on several days, and Black Kites were on the move the same morning that we had brief encounters with Double-spurred Francolin and Black-crowned Tchagra. We also had several encounters with Barbary and Lanner Falcons (including a bird at a potential nest site), two close Black-shouldered Kites, Bonelli’s Eagles, and a noisy colony of Lesser Kestrels.
The “Swiss”-style resort of Ifrane provided Red-knobbed Coot, Black-necked Grebe, and a Short-toed Eagle, while the woodland was good for Short-toed Treecreeper, Firecrest, Atlas Crossbill, and Hawfinch. One of the specialties of this area is Levaillant’s Woodpecker, but the windy conditions meant that we only heard them, and we (or I!) spent a concerned few days before our fantastic driver showed us another site in the Atlas where we had brilliant views as fog and hail started to fall. A few days later we returned in sunlight and saw not one but two Levaillant’s Woodpeckers very close to the road. Other highlights in the High Atlas were close-up views of Tristram’s Warbler, a flock of nearly 20 Crimson-winged Finches at arm’s length, a pair of Alpine Accentors, both chough species in good numbers, Dipper, Barbary Partridge, lots of Atlas Horned Larks, Rock Sparrow, Blue Rock Thrush, and—not to forget—the very special Moussier’s Redstart.
Not only was our driver becoming more of a birder every day, he was a deft hand at laying on a picnic at scenic sites he had recommended, and most importantly he drove impeccably well, navigating windy mountain roads with great skill and judgment. The weather and scenery were ever changing. We tasted superb tajines with beef and apple, and chicken and lemon, and sampled the delights of kalia on a tour that can truly be described as a genuine experience.
- James Lidster
Updated: September 2008