30/04/2025
Being a week in now, the Morocco tour 2025 is still very much on a roll! After the High Atlas, we drove to the Middle Atlas to pick up on Atlas Flycatchers, Levaillant's Woodpeckers (better views), Red-knobbed Coots, Western Orphean Warbler, Hawfinches (including 120 in one group), and a surprise European Scops Owl during the day! From there, we moved on to the Zaida Plains where we not only had great views of a singing Dupont's Lark early morning, but also found the rare African Houbara - a huge bonus! Despite the origin of probably most birds there these days, we were all still very excited to see this bird. After the plains, we drove all the way down to the southeast of Morocco. On our very first morning out in the desert we had good views of both Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouse, Desert sparrow, Fulvous Babbler, African Dedert Warbler and an Egyptian Nightjar with two chicks! A bonus that morning came in the form of a Pin-tailed Sandgrouse. The next morning started off with an European Nightjar(!) next to the hotel, also recording Streaked Scrub Warbler, Blue-checked Bee-eater and Maghreb, Desert and Bar-tailed Lark on the same morning. In the afternoon we enjoyed Lake Srij, where we had a highly enjoyable afternoon enjoying good numbers of waders including Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Pied Avocet, Kentish Plover and so much more. Best bird however was a neat Red-throated Pipit in a group of mostly thunbergi Yellow Wagtails. Now off to Boumalne de Dadès! Sjoerd
