with: Siep "le professeur" Kromsigt, Marga "the treasurer" van Meel, Guus "the driver" van Duin - Schagen/Amsterdam - the Netherlands
Itinerary:
27 dec 2001 arrival Agadir. Late journey to Tarroudant, hotel Tarroudant, with famous bar.
28 dec 2001 via Tazenakt and Ourzazate to Boulmalnes de Dades (hotel Chems: nice view, good rooms and service, but no bar).
29 dec 2001 Tagdillt track, Gorge de Todra, Erfoud. Good roads everywhere. Nice hotel (Ziz) with bar.
30 dec 2001 flat tire while leaving to Merzouga. With some help repaired within an hour (100 dirham = 11 US dollars)
31 dec 2001 same hotel (sorry, Marga), no flat tire. Via Rissani we took the (very new) southern desert road to the Draa Valley. Great savannah landscape, really great. We ended in Ait Benhaddou, hotel Kashba. A tourist trap, but very nice, and great for a morning walk. We celebrated New Year at 8.30 p.m. with champagne (brought from the Netherlands) at the swimming pool. No bar.
1 jan 2002 up in the mountains of Oukaimaiden. No skiing, too little snow. Very nice hotel (Chez Ju Ju). Bar.
2 jan 2002 a day to be remembered (see above). Heading to the coast: Essaouri. Nice hotel, nice beach, nice town. Alcohol available on top floor of restaurant in centre. Rather expensive, but who cares.
3 and 4 jan 2002 Southward, via Tamri (no ibisses) to hotel La Pergola, just south of Agadir. Great value for rather little money. Good food, good atmosphere. The very starting point for Oued Sous and Oued Massa. Bigger bar than we could handle.
5 jan 2002 Back to Amsterdam.
Species seen: Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe
Oued Massa 100s
Morus bassanus Gannet
10s at sea. All ages.
Phalacrocorax carbo Cormorant
c.carbo or c.sinensis
Phalacrocorax carbo maroccanus Morrocan Cormorant
Oued Massa
Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret
locally common
Egretta garzetta Little Egret
not rare
Ardea cinerea Grey Heron
funny place: 29 dec 2001 Gorge de Torda 1
Ciconia ciconia White Stork
Oued Sous 60
Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis
Oued Sous 1, Oued Massa 4
Platalea leucorodia Spoonbill
Oued Sous 4
Phoenicopterus ruber Greater Flamingo
Oued Sous 90+. 2 White and 1 yellow ringed birds
Anser anser Greylag Goose
Oued Massa 5
Tadorna tadorna Shelduck
Oued Massa and Oued Sous
Mareca penelope Wigeon
Oued Massa 10
Anas crecca Teal
Oued Massa 10
Anas platyrhynchos Mallard
Oued Massa 10
Anas acuta Pintail
Oued Massa 10s
Anas clypeata Shoveler
Oued Massa 10
Marmaronetta angustirostris Marbled Teal
Oued Massa 100s
Aythya ferina Pochard
Oued Massa 100s
Circaetus gallicus Short-toed Eagle
Oued Sous 1
Circus aeruginosus Marsh Harrier
Oued Sous and Oued Massa total of 4
Accipiter nisus Sparrowhawk
4 jan 2002 Oued Massa 1
Buteo rufinus Long-legged Buzzard
total of about 10
Aquila chrysaetos Golden Eagle
pair near Oukaimaiden
Hieraaetus fasciatus Bonelli’s Eagle
Oued Sous 1 2nd cy
Pandion haliaetus Osprey
Oued Sous 1, Oued Massa 3
Falco tinnunculus Kestrel
commonest raptor, though no more than appr. 25
Falco biarmicus Lanner
3 jan 2002 1 pair some 50 km N of Tamri
Falco peregrinus Peregrine
31 dec 2001 Ait Benhaddou 1
Alectoris barbara Barbary Partridge
4 jan 2002 Oued Sous 1, near Tiferhal 1 pair
Gallinula chloropus Moorhen
Oued Massa 3 heard
Fulica atra Coot
Oued Massa 100s+
Grus grus Crane
Oued Massa 5
Haematopus ostralegus Oystercatcher
Oued Massa 10s
Himantopus himantopus Black-winged Stilt
Oued Sous 100s+, Oued Massa +
Burhinus oedicnemus Stone Curlew
Oued Sous 2
Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover
28 dec 2001 1 1st cy in muddy pond along C7027
4 jan 2002 10 in muddy field near Oued Massa
Charadrius hiaticula Ringed Plover
4 jan 2002 Oued Sous 1 ad
Pluvialis squatarola Grey Plover
Oued Massa 10s
Calidris alba Sanderling
Oued Massa 10s+
Calidris minuta Little Stint
Oued Massa 10s
Muddy field near Oued Massa 1
Calidris alpina Dunlin
Oued Massa 10s
Philomachus pugnax Ruff
Oued Sous 10
Gallinago gallinago Snipe
Oued Sous 3
Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit
Oued Sous 10s
Numenius arquata Curlew
Oued Massa and Oued Sous 10s
Tringa totanus Redshank
Oued Sous and Oued Massa 10s
Tringa nebularia Greenshank
Oued Sous and Oued Massa 10s
Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper
in all kinds of habitats, total of 10s
Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper
Oued Massa 2
Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper
Oued Sous and Oued Massa 10s
Stercorarius parasiticus Arctic Skua
at sea near Tamri 1
Larus ridibundus Black-headed Gull
common
Larus audouinii Audouin's Gull
near Tamri and 15 km N of Agadir 250+
Larus fuscus Lesser Black-backed Gull
common
Larus michahellis Yellow-legged Gull
common
Larus argentatus Herring Gull
3 jan 2002 Essaouri 1 ad
Sterna sandvicensis Sandwich Tern
35 some 15 km N of Agadir
Columba livia Rock Dove
common
Columba palumbus Wood Pigeon
Oued Sous 1 and Oued Massa 1
Streptopelia decaocto Collared Dove
common
Streptopelia senegalensis Laughing Dove
Oued Massa 3 (2+1)
Clamator glandarius Great Spotted Cuckoo
28 dec 2001 along C7027 1 1st cy
4 jan 2002 Oued Massa 1 2nd cy
Apus apus Swift
2 jan 2002 Essaouri 1 heard
Apus pallidus Pallid Swift
along the coast only: 100s
Upupa epops Hoopoe
Oued Sous 1-2
Picus vaillantii Levaillant's Green Woodpecker
1 jan 2002 at 31º15.37' N 9º 39.56' W 1 female (not far from Oukaimaiden)
Ammomanes cincturus Bar-tailed Desert Lark
rather common between Erfoud and Merzouga and along southern desert route
Ammomanes deserti Desert Lark
rather common. Feathers of dead bird now in Zoological Museum of Amsterdam
Aleamon alaudipes Hoopoe Lark
29 dec 2001 some at Tagdillt track
30 dec 2001 Erfoud-Merzouga 10
Calandrella rufescens Lesser Short-toed Lark
28 dec 2001 2 along C7027
Galerida cristata Crested Lark
very few. 31 dec 2001 Ait Benhaddou first 2 birds. Total <10
Galerida theklae Thekla Lark
very common
Eremophila alpestris atlas Shore Lark
1 and 2 jan 2002 Oukaimaiden 160
Oenanthe lugens Mourning Wheatear
31 dec 2001 along southern desert road 1 male and probably 2 distant females
Oenanthe leucopyga White-crowned Black Wheatear
common
Monticola solitarius Blue Rock Thrush
at the expected places
Turdus merula Blackbird
rather common
Turdus philomelos Song Thrush
rather common. Small migrating groups
Turdus viscivorus Mistle Thrush
2 jan 2002 Oukaimaiden 1+2
Cettia cetti Cetti's Warbler
29 dec 2001 Gorge de Torda 1
Cisticola juncidis Fan-tailed Warbler
4 jan 2002 Oued Sous 3-4 in display flight
Scotocerca inquieta Scrub Warbler
31 dec 2001 along southern desert road 2
(31º15.1' N 04º38.34' W)
Sylvia undata Dartford Warbler
just 1 on 28 dec 2001
Sylvia deserticola Tristram's Warbler
2 together on 29 dec 2001 (at least 1 female) between Jorf and Erfoud
Sylvia conspicillata Spectacled Warbler
just a few
Sylvia melanocephala Sardinian Warbler
common
Sylvia nana Desert Warbler
30 dec 2001 halfway Erfoud-Merzouga 1
Sylvia atricapilla Blackcap
some 10's
Phylloscopus collybita Chiffchaff
especially along the coast abundant.
1 palm tree near Oued Massa contained 15 birds
Turdoides fulvus Fulvous Babbler
30 dec 2001 Auberge Kasbah Derkaouah half way Erfoud-Merzouga
2 jan 2002 some 30 km W of Marakech 5 birds
Parus caeruleus Blue Tit
some nice ultramarini
Parus major Great Tit
few
Tchagra senegala Black-crowned Tchagra
4 jan 2002 Oued Massa 2. 1 heard, 1 heard and seen
(30º03.5' N 09º 39.56' W)
Lanius meridionalis elegans Southern Grey Shrike
rather common
Lanius senator Woodchat Shrike
just 1: 28 dec 2001
Pica mauritanica Moroccan Magpie
the first at only 4 jan 2002. After that 10's seen the same day Oued Sousa
Pyrrhocorax graculus Alpine (Yellow-billed) Chough
2 jan 2002 Oukaimaiden 150+
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Red-billed Chough
1 and 2 jan 2002 Oukaimaiden 200+
Corvus ruficollis Brown-necked Raven
in the dessert. Not very many
Corvus corax Raven
not common. 2 jan 2002 Oukaimaiden 2
Sturnus vulgaris Starling
4 jan 2002 Oued Sous 1
Sturnus unicolor Spotless Starling
good numbers only in Essaouri 3 jan 2002
Passer domesticus House Sparrow
common. Very obviously streaked
Passer hispaniolensis Spanish Sparrow
3 jan 2002 Essaouri 2-3 males
Passer simplex Desert Sparrow
30 dec 2001 1 km from café Jasmina near Merzouga: 34 in one tree.
After that some 10s in the vicinity of Jasmina. What a bird ..!
Petronia petronia Rock Sparrow
common
Fringilla c. coelebs Chaffinch
common, for instance at Oukaimaiden (where no spodiogenys seen)
Fringilla sopiogenys African Chaffinch
1 jan 2002 on the way to Oukaimaiden 10s
Serinus serinus Serin
abundant. A lot of group display
Chloris chloris Greenfinch
+
Carduelis carduelis Goldfinch
+
Carduelis cannabina Linnet
+ (not very many the first days)
Rhodopechys sanguinea Crimson-winged Finch
HIGHLIGHT. See hereunder
Bucanetes githagineus Trumpeter Finch
in total some 10's
Emberiza cirlus Cirl Bunting
few
Emberiza cia Rock Bunting
few
Emberiza striolata House Bunting
common and beautiful
notes:
Rhodopechys sanguinea Crimson-winged Finch
2 jan 2002 near hotel Chez Ju JU in Oukaimaiden at around 07.35 we heard a bird. It turned out to be sitting on our car..! Very approachable, in the company of a Rock Sparrow and - 10 minutes later - of a second male Crimson-winged Finch. Marga took some photos of the bird sitting on another car (at 31º11.63 N 07º51.385 W)
