Morocco Trip Report 4th-13th May, Trip participants: Henry Cook and Jonathan Groom.

Transcription

1 Morocco Trip Report 4th-13th May, Trip participants: Henry Cook and Jonathan Groom. By Henry Cook. Northern Bald Ibis - Tamri

2 Greater Hoopoe-lark Auberge Derkaoua. Introduction We chose to have a trip in early May to Morocco, historically known as Maghreb al-aksa (the furthest land of the setting-sun), to search for a number of late arriving migrants unavailable in the more popular times of year for birding in the country (Jan-April), and to take in the good array of resident species which are endemic to this corner of Africa and the Western Palearctic. We had both birded in different parts of the country before and had a small range of species we particularly hoped to catch up with in different areas, so in the end we travelled a total of 2200km over the 10 days around much of the country only leaving out the far north and far south. This was a nice balance between travelling and birding with plenty of time to track down the more tricky species and enjoy the general birding. Overall we were lucky with most of our targets, seeing Andalusian Hemipode, Atlas Flycatcher, White-rumped Swift, Eleonora s Falcon, Double-spurred Francolin, Marsh Owl, Pharaoh Eagle-owl, Egyptian Nightjar, African Desert Warbler, Tristram s Warbler, African Crimson-winged Finch, Dupont s Lark and Maghreb Wheatear. We recorded total of 210 species (systematic list towards end of report) in the many varied habitats which make this country so much fun to go birding in, and were pleasantly surprised by the quantity of migration still underway through the country despite it being late spring. Notable by their complete absence though were Sandgrouse which was a surprise, but most sightings of these species involve chance encounters in general habitat rather than known stake-outs so perhaps we were just unlucky on this front. In addition we logged sightings of mammals, a list of which can be found at the end of the report. Logistics We flew from Manchester airport to Marrakech on the evening of the 4th with Easyjet for 220 each, returning on the evening of the 13th. Cheaper flights were available but did not suit our exact dates and we booked fairly last minute. The flight was smooth enough but getting through security alone at the airport took a good hour. We picked up our hire car from Europcar at Marrakech airport which cost 180 in total plus another 20 for car excess insurance from worldwideinsure.com to cover the ever increasing excesses applied by the major car hire companies. This was where we hit our only problems of the trip, as Europcar applied a huge deposit, far higher than that agreed at the time of booking (and many times more than the hire cost). They also supplied us with a battered, old car with over km on the clock, a diesel Renault Symbol, which we d been told was an upgrade on our original booking! Upon leaving Marrakech it became apparent the speedometer wasn t working which threatened to severely disrupt our plans. Although now late in the evening, a Europcar mechanic was able to fix it. On the back of the poor quality of the car and devious pricing practices I would think twice about using this company again. Driving standards were typically poor throughout; expect the unexpected and you ll be fine. Road conditions were very variable with the toll-motorways very good and the rest often poor in standard. Take care to observe speed limits near towns, observe police patrol signs, random unmarked speed bumps in towns and potholes in many places. Getting past slow lorries hogging both lanes on the mountain passes was a test of nerve and nearly led to more than one accident but we came out the other side in one piece. We camped for a majority of the trip, finding suitable spots to pitch tents in most places, and used a campsite in Azrou. Before heading out, we booked a night at the Auberge Derkaoua near the Erg Chebbi for the second night of the trip as this is a good birding site in itself. A few nights later we were ready for another hotel stay to clean up and charge batteries but struggled outside of the major cities to find places, ending up at an hotel near Oualidia. They seemed to have re-opened this place just for us but accommodated our need to be back late and out early the next day at least. It is probably better to stay in Oualidia if spending time in the area. Food was generally eaten on the go using supplies from shops but we made time for a sit-down lunch/dinner every day to enjoy the rich culinary delights of the country, mostly tasty tagines. In the cities a wider range of cuisines could be found. At this time of year it starts to really warm up in parts but we found the North, Mountains and Atlantic coast to be pleasant. Maximum temperatures during the day were in the high 20 s ( 0 C) in coastal areas and the north. The exceptions to this were very high temperatures in the desert around Merzouga, Oued Massa (both low 40 s) and Marrakech with high of 47 0 C just before our departure from the country. The latter was out of the ordinary for this time of year. To avoid the afternoon heat we often chose this time to cover ground in the car with

3 the air conditioning firmly on. In the Mountains it got quite chilly at 3000m asl and strong UV from the sun in the thin air, so covering up with layers to keep warm and to not be burnt was necessary. Itinerary 4th Flew in to Marrakech - drove across the Tizi-n-tichka Pass overnight - arrived at Amerzgane at 3am. 5th Amerzgane + Barrage El Mansour am Tagdilt Track noon Imiter + Erfoud pm. Night at Auberge Derkaoua. 6th Erg Chebbi + Rissani am drive N early pm Tizi-n-tairhemt Pass late pm. Camped at Zaida Plains. 7th Zaida Plans am Middle Atlas noon Ben Smim Forest + Dayet Aoua pm. Camped Azrou Euro Camping. 8th Ben Smim + Dayet Aoua am El Hajeb Plain noon Lac de Sidi Bourhaba late pm. Camped at Sidi Yahya Zaer. 9th Sidi Yahya Zaer am drive SW Oualidia saltpans and farmland pm. Night at Hotel near Oualidia. 10th Oualidia area am Oued Ksob, Essaouira pm. Camped at Cap Rhir. 11th Seawatch Cap Rhir + Tamri am Oued Souss + Oued Massa pm. Night Oued Massa. 12th Oued Massa am drive NE noon Ourika Valley + Oukaimeden pm. Camped at Oukaimeden. 13th Oukaimeden am return to Marrakech early pm. Flight back to Manchester late pm. Literature and resources A Birdwatchers guide to Morocco P.& F.Bergier general site guide to all parts of the country. Finding Birds in Morocco: Coast and Mountains D.Gosney useful site guide to the northern half of the country with fairly recent specific and detailed information. Finding Birds in Morocco: The Deserts D.Gosney an equally useful site guide as with the previous publication. Collins Bird Guide Mullarney, K., Svensson, L., Zetterstrom, D. and Grant, P.J identification guide to the birds of the wider region. The newer edition would be of more use now however. Advanced Bird ID Guide Duivandijk, N.v useful id guide for the more obscure forms, ages and less familiar species. Exposito, C.G., Copete, J.L., Crochet, P-A., Qninba, A. and Garrido, H History, status and distribution of Andalusian Buttonquail in the WP. Dutch Birding 33: Paper on study of Andalusian Hemipode along the Atlantic coast of Morocco with useful information to those searching out this enigmatic species. Cloudbirders.com website for trip reports. Some of those utilised included independent reports by: Merrill 2014, Dufourny 2014 (en francais), and Alblas Go-south.org and moroccanbirds.blogspot.com - for recent sightings and articles. Ebird.org for recent sightings and general hotspots. All sightings from the trip have been logged here. Map Me Sat Nav app for android phone free mapping application with downloaded maps of the road system of Morocco. With GPS this navigated us around the country with ease and displayed even the smallest off-road tracks. My GPS Coordinates app for android phone a free application tool for retrieving current GPS and Lat/long data displayed for certain sites and species in this report. Day-by-day Report 4th May After collecting our car and sorting through problems at the airport (see logistics), we set off for the Tizin-tichka pass heading South through the High Atlas Mountains and arriving at Amerzgane with a few hours to sleep before dawn. During our passage through the mountains, 7 Nightingales were heard in middle of the night with most concentrated either side of the village of Taddart Izdar. 5th May The day dawned around 6am and we moved in to place at a small wadi 2km to the SW of the town which has recently recorded the tricky, and hoped-for, Maghreb Wheatear. A family party of Desert Wheatear were seen first but it didn t take long to locate a male Maghreb Wheatear at the edge of the wadi not far West from the road at , Also present around the wadi were a family group of Thekla Larks and our only Trumpeter Finches of the trip with a couple of mobile pairs. Closer to the town we birded a good area of farmland. In trees along the road an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (ssp reiseri), often known as Saharan Olivaceous Warbler, was singing away and eventually seen. This was further West than expected but easily identified by the song. The first of many Common Bulbuls, Turtle Doves, House Sparrows, Collared Doves, Corn Buntings and Spotted Flycatchers were present with singles of Black Wheatear, European Bee-eater, Hobby, Hoopoe, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, the recently split Maghreb Lark and a pair of Honey Buzzards over. A Little Ringed Plover was along the river by the village.

4 Dawn near Amerzgane. With the morning progressing we went to the Barrage El Mansour Eddahbi (Ouarzazate Reservoir) just to the east of Ouarzazate City. We viewed the far West end from , , and as the water-levels in the reservoir seemed high we were able to scope many waterbirds from this location. The highlight here was a dark morph Western Reef-egret which is a Moroccan rarity and a good surprise. In the few trees around, a single Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and a pair of Western Olivaceous Warblers were both seen and heard alongside each other plus 2 House Buntings, Laughing Dove, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Bulbul with 2 Maghreb Larks and several Yellow Wagtails running around. Out on the water there were 12 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Common Shelducks, 2 Ruddy Shelducks, 72 Greater Flamingos, 2 Cattle Egrets, 2 Coots, Red-knobbed Coot, 7 Avocets, 6 Black-winged Stilts, Kentish Plover, and Sedge Warblers sang from the reeds. Maghreb Wheatear Amerzgane Western Reef-egret (Dark morph) Barrage El Mansour We pressed on to the Tagdilt Track just to the East of Boumalne Dades town. This once excellent track for birding was very poor in the heat of the day and has deteriorated in terms of quality of habitat on offer since my previous visit nearly a decade ago. The area around the rubbish dump ( , ) had a few Redrumped Wheatears, White Stork, 4 Thekla Larks, 2 Little Swifts over and migrant Woodchat Shrike plus migrant Whinchat. Many of the resident species in this region had clearly raised young already and the adults had seemingly dispersed leaving behind only young birds. This made for some interesting identification tests though. Further out on the plain there were many young Greater Short-toed Larks and a single young Temminck s Lark. Unfortunately there was no sign of any Thick-billed Larks here. Red-rumped Wheatear Tagdilt Track Temminck s Lark (Juvenile) Tagdilt Track As it was quiet and pretty hot in the middle of the day we set off towards our overnight destination near the Erg Chebbi, stopping first at the cliffs before Imiter ( , ), where we dipped the Pharaoh Eagle-owl sometimes reported here. There was a Desert Lark and a possible Lanner nest with young but no adults observed. The first White-crowned Wheatear was on wires outside the town of Tinghir as we continued eastwards, a good sign we were moving deeper towards the desert. The region had clearly had good rains over the winter and

5 Dawn in the desert near the Erg Chebbi. the whole desert was a flush of green only appearing truly arid towards the Erg Chebbi. The wind whipped-up and visibility reduced as we were plunged into a dust storm towards Erfoud so were lucky to spot 4 beautiful Bluecheeked Bee-eaters just to the east of Jorf around old date palms. Stepping out of the car here was into something of a furnace as temperatures were in the low 40 s ( 0 C) but felt much hotter due to the wind. 3 Desert Wheatears were spotted before we dived back in the relative coolness of the air-conditioned car and drove onwards to the Auberge Derkaoua, south of Erfoud ( , ). Upon arrival at the Auberge at 6pm we attempted to cool down but the air-conditioning wasn t functioning in the room. Despite this, it was nice to relax in relatively comfortable surroundings for a while before a superb tagine after a long day. Maghreb Lark Auberge Derkaoua White-crowned Wheatear Auberge Derkaoua 6th May A pre-dawn start around the grounds of Auberge Derkaoua was worthwhile as at first a bat sp flew through my torch beam and then a fantastic Egyptian Nightjar came in from the desert and circled around the swimming pool and nearby open area. Once the day dawned, the grounds held a Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, 4 Eastern Olivaceous Warblers (trickier to id here as they weren t singing), 5 White-crowned Wheatears, 2 Common Bulbuls, 4 Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart. We walked the wadi to the North of the Auberge finding our only Fulvous Babbler of the trip with a single bird in a tamarisk amongst 100+ House Sparrows, also a few late migrants amongst the resident species including a Willow Warbler, 2 Wood Warblers, Yellow Wagtail, 2 Swallows, 2 Honey Buzzards, Hoopoe, plus 10 Maghreb Larks (2 family groups) and 3 Greater Hoopoe-larks. Heading away from the Auberge we birded a wadi running East from the Rissani to Merzouga road. Before arriving, a family group of 3 Cream-coloured Coursers were running around the stony hamada seen from the road at , Once at the wadi, sightings were expectedly sparse but eventually, 500m East of the road at , , we came across a single African Desert Warbler briefly. After a good walk we noted a more showy family group of Spectacled Warblers, 4 Greater Hoopoe-larks, 2 Greater Short-toed Larks and 5 Swallows over North. A Cape Hare was also flushed. Merzouga Lake was our next destination based on reports that it held water this year after the good winter rains. We made a short stop on the way to take in a nice pair of Bar-tailed Larks which were quite obvious (at , ), 2.5km North of Merzouga town, their sandy-orange colour contrasting with the dark stone plain of the hamada desert. The Lake several km to the West of town was indeed full of water and had plenty of birds with 62 Ruddy Shelducks, 50 Greater Flamingos, 2+ Red-knobbed Coots, 250 Coots, 14 Great Crested Grebes, 30 Black-winged Stilts, 80 distant Dunlin/Little Stints, a Brown-necked Raven, Sedge Warbler, Common Redstart, 2 Swallows, 2 Whinchats and 2 more migrating Honey Buzzards noted. Now late morning we headed towards the Rissani Cliffs. Whilst driving through the town there was another Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin and Maghreb Lark. Along the large wadi at the far Western edge of town was a large gathering of 42 Brown-necked Ravens perched in date palms and 2 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters overhead (viewed from the bridge at , ). Further West, we parked up at , and began a 2km hike West below the cliffs and sandy bluff in tough conditions. It was a bit of a slog but worth it as we eventually found a Pharaoh Eagle-owl roosting in a small hole in the cliff-face at , There was much

6 Rissani Cliffs. evidence of raptors/owls all along these cliffs but otherwise we only found 2 Black-necked Ravens and a Whitecrowned Wheatear on the face itself and no sign of any Lanners that this site is also known for. The walk was generally quiet bar a Desert Wheatear, Desert Lark and a pair of Maghreb Larks. On our way back we bumped in to the character that is Ali the nomad, a birding guide who offers services in the Erg Chebbi-Rissani area. He let us know that the Eagle-owls here had three young at the moment so look set to hang around here for a while at least. Although we didn t need his help as we had seen most of our targets in this area, he is worth contacting at alinomad (AT) hotmail.com if you need assistance tracking down the harder species. We didn t try for Desert Sparrow as they have reportedly become harder to see and had both seen them well previously. Pharaoh Eagle-owl Rissani Cliffs Brown-necked Raven - Rissani At noon came a long drive north through the lush Ziz Valley (with another Brown-necked Raven on the way, at Aoufous) and over the High Atlas Mountains along the Tizi-n-tairhemt pass. In the plains amongst the High Atlas we saw our first Roller and Seebohm s Wheatear of the trip. At the high pass we first stopped at a scrubby hillside above the road at , where we heard a distant Tristram s Warbler and saw 3 Moussier s Redstarts, European Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, 4 Woodchat Shrikes, 2 Whinchats, 3 Common Chaffinches (ssp africana), 2 Crag Martins, Northern Wheatear, Thekla Lark, Blackbird, and 3 Linnets. Still hoping to see the Tristram s Warbler we stopped around the corner of the hillside at , where eventually a pair popped up in a bush below the pull-in and showed well in the fading light near to 8pm. That night we camped at the Zaida Plains. Arriving after dark we pitched camp 600m to the East of the main road at , Here we were sung to sleep by the lyrical Dupont s Lark which vocalised intermittently throughout the night, a great end to a long and varied day. Tristram s Warbler Tizi-n-tairhemt pass Greater Short-toed Lark Zaida Plains 7th May Having heard the Dupont s Lark already, we wanted to now see it which is a bit trickier. Using the car as a hide along the track however, we fairly quickly saw two individuals perch up to sing in the coolness of the early morning amongst a whole load of Greater Short-toed Larks and a few Lesser Short-toed Larks. Back across the

7 View from the Middle Atlas with the High Atlas in the background. road towards the quarry pools at , there was a greater variety of species including 5 Redrumped Wheatears, Desert Wheatear, Thekla Lark, Common Kestrel, Common Raven. Around the pools were 2 Red-knobbed Coots, 4 Coots, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Cattle Egrets, Desert Wheatear, Black Wheatear and a Green Sandpiper. This was our last chance for Sandgrouse on this itinerary so it was a bit disappointing that none were recorded. At Zaida Town the first of many Spotless Starlings were present becoming very common in the north and along the Atlantic coast, plus a few House Martins on the buildings. Still early morning and heading in to the Middle Atlas we stopped at , to bird the roadside scrub and short trees which had 4 Western Subalpine Warblers on territory, 2 Rock Buntings, 3 African Blue Tits, Serin, 2 Coal Tits, Great Tit, 4 Chaffinches, Common Kestrel and 2 Corn Buntings. Several further stops along the road northwards revealed Seebohm s Wheatear to be very common with over 20 flushed from the roadside alone. Skylarks were in song at an open plain absolutely covered in flowering plants ( , ). Also here were Yellow Wagtail (iberiae), 2 Rock Sparrows, 2 Corn Buntings and a White Stork whilst 2km further North were 2 Ruddy Shelducks and 2 Black Kites. Arriving at the Ben Smim Forest ( , ), near Ifrane at noon, we were surprised at the amount of activity and bird-song given the time of day, it was frantic! Spring appeared to have only recently arrived here and with it the main reason for our visit to this relatively lush area; the Atlas Flycatchers, of which 2 males and a female were present along this track just off the road into the mature oak and cedar forest. Along the track we also recorded 2 Western Bonelli s Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Common Cuckoo, 5 Robins, 6 Wrens, 2 Mistle Thrushes, Blackbird, 3 Blackcaps, 4 Firecrests, 4 African Blue Tits, 4 Coal Tits, Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper (ssp mauritanica), 10 Chaffinches and 2 Hawfinches. Seebohm s Wheatear Middle Atlas Atlas Flycatcher Ben Smim Forest Now mid-afternoon, Dayet Aoua was our next port of call on the other side of Ifrane. It was well worth the visit as here we were blown away by the spectacle of 3500 Black-necked Grebes, most in a tight breeding colony on the southern shore near the King s Residence. Amongst them was an individual which initially appeared to be leucistic but is now thought to be progressively greying with age (see - Also spread around the lake were an impressive 400 Red-knobbed Coots, 600 Coots, Moorhen, 2 Mallard, 4 Pochards, Shoveler, 7 Gadwalls, a Ferruginous Duck, 2 Garganeys, 3 Little Egrets, 8 Cattle Egrets, Grey Heron, 3 White Storks, 3 Black-winged Stilts, 6 Great Crested Grebes, and a Little Grebe. The surrounding trees and open areas were a bit quieter at this time of day with a Booted Eagle, Black Kite, 3 Woodpigeons, Crested Lark, Mistle Thrush, Wren, Sardinian Warbler, another Atlas Flycatcher (nesting in lakeside poplars at the SW end), 2 African Blue Tits, 3 Coal Tits, 3 European Rollers, 6 Spotless Starlings, 2 Chaffinches, 2 Serins, 2 Linnets, and 4 Rock Sparrows. We resolved to return the following morning as there felt more to be seen here. Returning to Ifrane for some dinner, we emergency-stopped to see the only Long-legged Buzzard (ssp cirtensis) of the trip over the road along with a Booted Eagle and several Black Kites for comparison. In the pleasant and oddly chocolate-box Bavarian-styled town of Ifrane we found a nice restaurant. From the comfort of

8 Farmland near El Hajeb. our outdoor dining area with tagine to hand 2 Jackdaws, 2 Lesser Kestrels, 2 Black Kites, 4 White Storks on nests, Cattle Egret, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Firecrest, 2 Spotless Starlings and 2 Serins were recorded. The birding never stops in Morocco! Searching for a campsite for the night we resorted to an official site for a change and tried the ARC village site listed on the sat nav. This was a strange place on the edge of town which hosted large flats which had not yet been habituated by humans, something of a ghost town. However the wildlife had moved in with a large colony of 30+ Lesser Kestrels and Spotless Starlings in particular. We settled with Euro Camping near Azrou which was pleasant. Owling had limited success with 2 European Scops Owls heard only in the campsite and 2 Tawny Owls (ssp mauritanica, mooted as a potential split; Maghreb Owl) heard only in Parc Tarsemt. Black-necked Grebe - Dayet Aoua Red-knobbed Coot Dayet Aoua 8th May Around the Euro Camping site as we packed up at dawn there was another heard only European Scops Owl, Common Kestrel, Common Cuckoo, 2 Collared Doves, Blackbird, Common Bulbul, Western Olivaceous Warbler, 3 Melodious Warblers, 2 Common Ravens, 30 House Sparrows, 2 Chaffinches, and 4 Corn Buntings. Returning to the Ben Smim Forest early morning was even more frenetic than previously. There were additions of Levaillant s Woodpecker, European Golden Oriole, 2 Rollers, 2 Jays, Common Raven, and 10 Rock Sparrows on top of all of yesterday s species. Atlas Flycatchers were once again in evidence here and at our return to Dayet Aoua. At the lake, additional sightings to yesterday s visit included 11 European Golden Orioles being very vocal and occasionally visible in lakeside poplars (mostly at the W side), a Squacco Heron, Ruddy Shelduck, 6 Ferruginous Ducks, Common Kestrel, Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, Common Swift, 8 Turtle Doves, 6 Jays, and a Goldfinch. Most activity from waterbirds and passerines was along the southern side of the lake amongst the poplars, series of islands and marshy shoreline. Leaving this productive region, we called in at the Ifrane NP to try for better views of the local Short-toed Treecreeper form here in particular. Our stop was at a clearing within the wood in which to park ( , ). Here we quickly saw many of the species as at Ben Smim forest including better views of the treecreeper, but with the exception of warblers as the understory had been completely browsed out. A roadside stop at the beautiful poppy-populated farmland before El Hajeb ( , ) towards noon produced 3 Calandra Larks, the main reason for our stop. Also here were 8 Lesser Kestrels, 2 White Storks, Cattle Egret, 8 Spotless Starlings and a Corn Bunting. In El Hajeb itself over 100 Pallid Swifts were flying around the streets with at least one Little Swift in amongst them. As we left town, over the farmland Crested Larks and Greater Short-toed Larks flew about.

9 Lac de Sidi Bourhaba. Our first taste of the fast and efficient toll-motorway system got us to Rabat and on to Lac de Sidi Bourhaba near Kenitra in very fast time. On the outskirts of Rabat from the car we saw our only Glossy Ibis with a pair on a roadside pool. Still mid-afternoon, but pleasantly cool at the coast we had plenty of time to explore the area with the Kenitra River producing 2 Little Terns, 4 Black Kites, 2 Jackdaws, a mixture of hirundines and Swifts. On to the southern end of Lac de Sidi Bourhaba it was very active with 2 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Greater Flamingos, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Marbled Teals, White-headed Duck, 7 Ferruginous Ducks, 130 Red-crested Pochards (many with young), 6 Pochards, 2 Mallards, 4 Red-knobbed Coots, 100 Coots, Moorhen, 6 Black Kites, 5 Marsh Harriers, 200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Turtle Doves, 2 Collared Doves, Common Bulbul, 4 Cetti s Warblers, Sedge Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, 8 Magpie (ssp mauritanica with a distinct blue eye surround), 2 Serins and a Chaffinch. Viewing of the wildfowl was generally distant and required a scope with zoom. White-headed Duck Lac de Sidi Bourhaba Marbled Teal Lac de Sidi Bourhaba We proceeded to the northern end before dusk. More good duck totals were had here from the causeway crossing the lake including 18 White-headed Ducks with 2 ducklings (good to see them breeding again in the country), 2 Marbled Teals, 6 Ferruginous Ducks, and 20 Red-crested Pochards. Also around before dark were a Purple Swamphen, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Little Grebes, White Stork, 80 Cattle Egrets, 5 Marsh Harriers, 4 Black Kites, 6 Red-knobbed Coots, 15 Common Sandpipers, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, Yellow Wagtail, 4 Blackbirds, Sardinian Warbler, 7 Cetti s Warblers, African Blue Tit, and a Jackdaw. We stayed put in the car at the northern causeway and waited for darkness and all the tourists to depart. At 8.40pm, in near-darkness, a Marsh Owl appeared out of the reedbeds after calling couple of times. It flew low South over the causeway very close to our position and alighted in eucalyptus trees by the lake edge. We were happy with this magical if brief view of one of our most hoped-for species and headed off in order not to disturb the bird. Now dark, we drove to Sidi Yahya Zaer, to the South of Rabat, once there seeing a pair of Algerian Hedgehogs by the road at the royal hunting lodge just before the turn off to the car park where we pitched tents. 9th May Our visit to the Zaer forest was primarily to look for the disjunct, and last viable population of Doublespurred Francolin in the Western Palearctic. Birding around our camp at the car park and the road at Sidi Yahya Zaer ( , ) turned up the only Short-toed Eagle of the trip, 3 Cattle Egrets, 2 Booted Eagles, 2 Sparrowhawks, a churring European Nightjar, 5 Black-crowned Tchagras, Common Swift, 6 Turtle Doves, 10 Woodpigeons, 2 Crested Larks, Northern Wheatear, 3 Swallows, 4 Common Bulbuls, 16 Blackbirds, 2 Nightingales, Iberian Chiffchaff (heard only at the car park), Grasshopper Warbler, Western Olivaceous Warbler, 20 Sardinian Warblers, Spotted Flycatcher, 3 African Blue Tits, 2 Woodchat Shrikes, Linnet, 4 Goldfinches, 5 Greenfinches, Serin and 8 Corn Buntings. This good diversity could be attributed to the large amount of habitat spared from grazing in the royal hunting reserve behind wire fences. Through the fence we also spotted a family group of Wild Boar whilst searching for the Francolins. The forest appeared as more of a shrubby savannah, likely

10 Sidi Yahya Zaer in the Zaer Forest. why the Francolins are at home here. After hearing 4 calling along the road, one Double-spurred Francolin eventually flew across showing its dark brown mottled wings and body. The hunting lodge lake viewed through the bushes by the road had 18 Red-crested Pochards, 2 Pochards, Mallard and 6 Coots but we didn t linger here to avoid the attentions of the lodge guards. 1km North along the road are a series of lakes set in arable fields. These were being well utilised by water-birds and others including 15 Little Grebes, 2 Spoonbills, White Stork, 20 Redcrested Pochards, 2 Pochards, Gadwall, Red-knobbed Coot, 40 Coots, Moorhen, Black Kite, Yellow Wagtail and Zitting Cisticola. Booted Eagle (Light morph) Sidi Yahya Zaer Woodchat Shrike Sidi Yahya Zaer Having seen a good selection of species in this area we set off down the coast past Casablanca on the tollmotorway, seeing a Stock Dove as we by-passed the city. We continued down to Sidi Moussa saltpans on the coast South-west of El Jadida for the afternoon. The saltpans and saltmarsh were very productive. Overhead at least 120 Collared Pratincoles were hawking around allowing close fly-bys. Good numbers appeared to be breeding around the abandoned pans. Also here were a white morph Western Reef-egret, Cormorant (ssp moroccanus), Little Grebe, Great Egret, 3 Squacco Herons, Grey Heron, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Cattle Egrets, Mallard, 2 Moorhens, Quail, 18 Black-winged Stilts, 2 Ruddy Turnstones, 26 Ringed Plovers, 20 Grey Plovers, 2 Red Knots, Whimbrel, 6 Sanderlings, 2 Dunlins, 23 Little Stints, 4 Curlew Sandpipers, 5 Oystercatchers, 4 Greenshanks, 4 Redshanks, Common Sandpiper, 7 Little Terns, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, 64 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Whiskered Tern, 4 Turtle Doves, 20 Swallows, 4 Crested Larks, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Zitting Cisticolas, Sardinian Warbler, Great Tit, 4 Spotless Starlings, 3 Linnets and a Chaffinch. Collared Pratincole Sidi Moussa saltpans Little Tern Sidi Moussa saltpans Our major target in this region was the enigmatic Andalusian Hemipode which has been found in recent years along the Atlantic coast between Oualidia and El Jadida. The exact sites we tried are withheld to protect individual spots from over-disturbance, but needless to say the paper by Exposito et al, 2011 about the species in this region should provide enough information to go listening for them at least. They migrate back to the coastal

11 Sidi Moussa saltpans. strip in May and the females start booming reportedly on warm, calm mornings and evenings. We checked out a few likely areas with lots of other species around but no Hemipode, initially at least. The arable farmland had White Stork, 40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 10 Turtle Doves, 2 Laughing Doves, Common Swift, 4 Crested Larks, 36 Swallows, 22 Zitting Cisticolas, 40 Spotless Starlings, 34 House Sparrows, 4 Serins, 6 Linnets and 5 Corn Buntings. Before dark, over a wheat field 2 Andalusian Hemipodes appeared chasing each other and flew low over showing their rounded wings and whirring flight-style, differing from my experience of Quail which are also present. We weren t actually expecting to see any so that was lucky. Still wanting to hear them we hung around till dark but nothing was heard as there was a brisk cool wind keeping them quiet. We grabbed an early night to the sounds of a Little Owl outside our hotel. 10th May Pre-dawn we made our way back to the area we had seen the hemipodes and after an hour we heard a female boom a few times just a few fields away from our sighting the previous evening. In addition to yesterday there were at least 6 Quail calling now, perhaps as the wind had died away. Also here in windbreaks between the fields formed by some sort of large reed, were Reed Warblers but singing less rhythmically, more husky and looking shorter winged, quite unlike the Eurasian nominate form scirpaceus. These are likely from the resident population in coastal Morocco which research is still looking in to, but is currently thought to represent an intermediate cline/taxon between African and Eurasian Reed Warblers. We stopped at several areas of saltmarsh to the North-east of Oualidia which were strangely devoid of life compared with the Sidi Moussa marsh up the coast, just the odd Little Egret and Cormorant noted. At the Oualidia Lagoon we had a scan, seeing our first Audouin s Gulls with 5 present on the sandbar in the lagoon amongst 600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (mostly immature) and a Yellow-legged Gull. Little Tern, 2 Sandwich Terns, Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Collared Dove, 2 Swallows, Common Bulbul, Sardinian Warbler, 2 Spotless Starlings, 20 House Sparrows and a Greenfinch were also around here. Down at Cap Beddouza we had a seawatch for an hour as this location looked geographically promising. The Cliffs were very high meaning there was a lot of sea to scan but visibility was good and a short time later 3 Lesser Crested Terns flew past amongst over 1200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls moving north, 8 Gannets, and 5 Yellow-legged Gulls. Onshore there was interest from 12 Pallid Swifts breeding on the cliffs, 3 Cattle Egrets, a Common Kestrel, 4 genuine-looking Rock Doves, 2 Thekla Larks, a family group of 3 Western Black-eared Wheatears, Yellow Wagtail, 4 Swallows, 2 Spotless Starlings, Common Raven, 10 House Sparrows, and 2 Linnets. Stopping for a drink and supplies in the rather busy city of Safi, I noted a Little Swift and Laughing Dove, the latter appearing to be common at the coast these days, but little else. Laughing Dove Oualidia Common Bulbul Reserve de Chasse, Essaouira Continuing towards Essaouira we made an impromptu stop early afternoon at the extensive Argan forests of the Reserve de Chasse ( , ), where a male Cirl Bunting showed well alongside Yellow-legged Gull (over), Laughing Dove, Thekla Lark, 4 Common Bulbuls, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, Great Tit, Magpie, 2 House Sparrows, 2 Greenfinches, Linnet, and Chaffinch. We then headed for the Oued Ksob on the southern side of the city and stopped by the road-bridge over the river. The Eleonora s Falcons which breed on the offshore islands, called the Isles Purpuraires, in huge numbers (a reported 1300 in total) occasionally come upstream to

12 Isles Purpuraires offshore from Essaouira, home to 1300 Eleonora s Falcons. hunt. We were not disappointed, having views of at least 10 individuals from here, and from the river mouth looking towards the offshore islands at least another 50 in flight amongst gulls. Very impressive to watch hunting, appearing even more slender and long-winged than Hobby. The river combined with the sewage tanks adjacent provided good habitat for a range of wetland species in particular. In addition we saw 2 Cormorants, a Spoonbill, 6 Little Egrets, Cattle Egret, 2 White Storks, 3 Marbled Teals, 3 Mallards, Black Kite, Common Kestrel, 2 Moorhens, 28 Black-winged Stilts, Whimbrel, 2 Redshanks, Common Sandpiper, 8 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, Curlew Sandpiper, 300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 20 Yellow-legged Gulls, 4 Pallid Swifts, 2 Common Swifts, Collared Dove, Moroccan White Wagtail (ssp subpersonata), Yellow Wagtail (ssp flava), 2 Common Bulbuls, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, 2 Southern Grey Shrikes (ssp algeriensis), 2 Spotless Starlings, Common Raven, 4 House Sparrows, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, 2 Linnets and a House Bunting. To the South-east of the city across the river at , we pulled off the road to watch a family group of Barbary Ground-squirrels which were dicing with death being so close to the road as their burrow looked to be in the roadside rocks. Also here 4 Woodchat Shrikes and a Southern Grey Shrike were all in Argan trees and a Common Raven over. Eleonora s Falcon (Light morph) Essaouira Black-winged Stilt Essaouira With the day coming to a close we headed south through the winding roads and endless hillsides of Argan forests to camp 1km north of Cap Rhir amongst the coastal heath. Before dark a little birding revealed some passage migrants in the form of a Whinchat and 12 Yellow Wagtails. Also about were Common Kestrel, 2 Stone Curlews, 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 4 Thekla Larks and a heard only Spectacled Warbler. Birding was curtailed however when a couple of tourists got their car stuck in the sand so we did our good deed for the day by helping to dig them out. 11th May In position for some seawatching at the well-known site of Cap Rhir it was apparent it was going to be a struggle to see anything. Thick sea fog had rolled-in overnight and the wind dropped to nothing so the fog wasn t shifting. A Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher, 2 Pallid Swifts, Swallow, 4 Thekla Larks, 3 Black Wheatears, and 2 Yellow Wagtails had to be scant consolation. To make the most of our time we headed back North a short way to the Tamri river-mouth where the birding was better with a Little Grebe, Mallard, 27 Coots, Moorhen, 2 Kentish Plovers, Curlew Sandpiper, 7 Ringed Plovers, Audouin s Gull, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, 220 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Rock Doves, Laughing Dove, 2 Pallid Swifts, 2 Thekla Larks, Crested Lark, Moroccan White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Black Wheatear, Common Bulbul, Moustached Warbler, 2 Zitting Cisticolas, Sardinian Warbler, Great Tit, and 4 Southern Grey Shrikes recorded. We still hadn t caught up with Tamri s most famous resident so went to find it to the North-west of the town. In sandy sparse-scrub above the cliff-line we eventually found a group of 13 prehistoric but wonderful Northern Bald Ibis. They fed mainly on snails and beetles which were sometimes buried down the full length of their beak in the soft sand, great to watch. Mid-morning we headed back to Cap Rhir as the fog lifted a little, but not enough to have a serious effort at finding some of the less common species. We were also plagued by noise from a large building site at the cape

13 Oued Souss. which meant moving a few hundred meters to the east and away from the best vantage point. In 2 hrs a total of 2 Cormorants, 13 Gannets, and 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew past. On the land there was more interest from a fine male Western Black-eared Wheatear, Black-crowned Tchagra, 2 Thekla Larks, Yellow Wagtail, Great Tit, 2 House Sparrows, Greenfinch, 2 Linnets and a Corn Bunting. The lack of seabirds was the only major dose of bad luck on the trip. Another day or two may have been warranted or better yet charter a boat out of Agadir (see Dufourny, 2014). Gull-billed Tern Oued Souss Zitting Cisticola Oued Souss After lunching in Agadir it was nice to escape the city and visit the Oued Souss adjacent to the Royal Palace. Although given express orders from guards not to look or photograph towards the palace there was plenty to see in the scrub and on the estuary, including upon arrival a dark morph Eleonora s Falcon overhead. We may have immediately broken the guard s order to see this bird but it was worth it! Our only Barbary Partridge and Gullbilled Tern of the trip were here. Also about were 2 Cormorants (ssp sinensis), 4 White Storks, 3 Grey Herons, 15 Little Egrets, Marbled Teal, 4 Common Kestrels, 6 Black-winged Stilt, 21 Oystercatchers, 3 Whimbrels, 4 Curlews, 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Greenshanks, Redshank, Dunlin (ssp alpina), 3 Little Stints, Red Knot, 42 Ringed Plovers, 31 Grey Plovers, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Slender-billed Gulls, 3 Audouin s Gulls, 13 Yellow-legged Gulls, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, 5 Sandwich Terns, 2 Little Swifts, 16 Pallid Swifts, 20 Common Swifts, Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Doves, 2 Thekla Larks, 7 Crested Larks, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 20 Swallows, 4 Common Bulbuls, Blackbird, 12 Zitting Cisticolas, African Blue Tit, 13 Magpies, 2 Greenfinches and a Linnet. Western Olivaceous Warbler Oued Massa Brown-throated Martin Oued Massa With the afternoon progressing we drove South to the Oued Massa where it had become very hot indeed. Just before arrival to the Oued Massa the semi-desert habitat has been degraded a lot since my previous visit, largely by livestock, and the chances of Coursers, Larks and Wheatears were looking less good, a shame as this is a National Park. Following a report earlier in the spring of a Baillion s Crake at , , we called in here first to try for it but the rushes had grown a lot in the intervening time so there were very few places to view open edges and we had no sign of any crakes. There was good activity from the bridges upstream however including a Purple Heron, 9 Spoonbills, a hybrid Western Reef-egret x Little Egret, 6 Brown-throated Martins,

14 Oued Massa. Sand Martin, House Martin, 2 Black-crowned Tchagras, Moussier s Redstart, 4 Western Olivaceous Warblers, 3 Cetti s Warblers, 6 Moustached Warblers, European Pied Flycatcher, 2 European Bee-eaters, and a House Bunting amongst others. Camping was prohibited in the car park and we didn t have the energy to find the other campsite so just slept in the car near the village of Massa with Stone Curlews calling. 12th May The day dawned shortly after 6am and with it a couple of Black-crowned Night-herons flying along the river just before the entrance to the reserve headquarters (HQ) plus an unidentified Nightjar in flight. This was a good time of day for mammals with Egyptian Mongoose, Red Fox and Cape Hare seen as we walked along the track from the HQ to the estuary mouth. The same track produced some of the best birding of the trip with lots of visible migration including over 1200 Swallows, 300 House Martins, 3 Sand Martins, 30 Common Swifts and 7 Sanderlings (offshore) all heading north. There were plenty of migrants in the bushes including a scarce passagemigrant Icterine Warbler, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, 2 Reed Warblers, 4 Wood Warblers, 23 Spotted Flycatchers, European Pied Flycatcher, Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper. During the morning along this track and at both bridges upstream we recorded the following additional species: 6 Cormorants, 26 Grey Herons, 9 Spoonbills, 6 Squacco Herons, 83 Little Egrets (including the hybrid again), 9 Cattle Egrets, 2 Mallards, 2 Stone Curlews, 2 Avocets, 2 Black-winged Stilts, Kentish Plover, 5 Ringed Plovers, 8 Audouin s Gulls, 30 Yellow-legged Gulls (including one sub-adult brute giving the impression of ssp atlantis but it may have just been oiled on the head), 130 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Lesser Crested Tern (on the beach), 12 Sandwich Terns, 2 Rock Doves, 8 Collared Doves, 10 Turtle Dove, 11 Laughing Doves, 2 Little Owls (ssp saharae), Little Swift, 2 Pallid Swifts, 2 Crested Larks, 5 Thekla Larks, 6 Western Black-eared Wheatears, Black Wheatear, 2 Red-rumped Swallows, 10 Brown-throated Martins, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Moussier s Redstarts, 6 Stonechats, 10 Blackbirds, 24 Common Bulbuls, 6 Moustached Warblers, Western Olivaceous Warbler, 2 Cetti s Warblers, 5 Zitting Cisticolas, 10 Sardinian Warblers, 3 Black-crowned Tchagras (easier to hear than see), 90 Spotless Starlings, 2 Rock Sparrows, 20 House Sparrows, 18 Serins, 4 Greenfinches, 10 Goldfinches, 2 Chaffinches, 10 Linnets, Cirl Bunting, Corn Bunting and a House Bunting. Apart from the excessive heat we didn t want to leave the place it was so good. With so much habitat to explore in the valley we certainly missed some more species. Oued Massa is another site that Northern Bald Ibis can be seen but we didn t try for them following our success at Tamri. Little Owl (ssp saharae) Oued Massa Wood Warbler Oued Massa Travelling during the afternoon heat we returned back to Marrakech on the excellent toll-motorway through the Tizi Maachou Pass (only taking a couple of hours at 120kph), before once again heading in to the High Atlas, this time aiming to get to the high altitude ski resort of Oukaimeden. On the way up we stopped in the Ourika Valley in a few places to brake up the journey but ended moving on due to persistent fossil sellers. We stopped at the bridge crossing the Oued Ourika ( , ). Here we recorded 34 Cattle Egrets, Common Kestrel, 2 Common Cuckoos, Woodpigeon, Nightingale, Blackbird, 2 Common Bulbuls, Grey Wagtail, Moroccan White Wagtail, Sardinian Warbler, 2 African Blue Tits, Great Tit, Serin, 2 Chaffinches, Linnet and our only Spanish Sparrows of the trip which appeared to be nesting under the bridge. Out of nowhere around 6pm there was a whole lot of hirundine and swift activity led by 30 House Martins coming down to drink and with them 6 Red-

15 Ourika Valley. rumped Swallows, 20 Little Swifts and a Swallow all hawking around. In amongst this gathering I picked out a single White-rumped Swift. This scarce species in Morocco is reported to return towards the end of May from subsaharan wintering grounds, so this may have been an early returning individual but the site could be worth checking out in the future as it easy to call in to on the way up to Oukaimeden. This site holds suitable habitat for breeding Red-rumped Swallows under the bridge and therefore also for White-rumped Swifts who are known to appropriate the nests of the Red-rumped Swallows. White-rumped Swift Ourika Valley African Blue Tit Ourika Valley Just below Oukaimeden a flurry of new species for the trip consisted of Black Redstart, Red-billed Chough, and a heard only Red Crossbill as well as further sightings of Rock Bunting, Coal Tits and Firecrests around conifers. We pitched camp at an opening in the conifer plantation below the village at , Here a Tawny Owl sang away for most of the evening and was spotlighted in flight over the clearing. Of note, its song was significantly lower in pitch than Tawny Owls in much of the rest of Europe and it did not respond to song or calls of European birds, but approached immediately to playback of its own song. African Crimson-winged Finch - Oukaimeden Golden Eagle - Oukaimeden 13th May Today was our last day in the country and we spent the full morning up around Oukaimeden. The plantation was active in the first light of day with 4 Woodpigeons, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 3 Coal Tits, Great Tit, 8 Firecrests, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 20 Red-billed Choughs, 2 Greenfinches, and 7 Chaffinches. Along the precipitous approach to the village was saw 3 Common Kestrels, 4 Crag Martins, 3 House Martins, 3 Black Redstarts, 4 Seebohm s Wheatears, 2 Wrens and a Corn Bunting (they get around!). Checking the car park around the ski lifts turned up several family groups of Rock Sparrows, 4 Rock Doves, and 2 Linnets. There was no sign of any of the scarcer high altitude species this area is known for so we ascended to 2900m by car along the mountain pass running south from the village. After this we had to walk as the track was in bad shape, but immediately came across a pair of African Crimson-winged Finches. After walking for an hour up a series of hair-pins bends towards the snowline we reached the top of the pass and here several Horned Larks (ssp atlas) were seen along with 2

16 Oukaimeden village. more African Crimson-winged Finches, 2 Moussier s Redstarts, 2 Black Redstart, 6 Seebohm s Wheatears, 2 Alpine Choughs and a bonus Golden Eagle fly-by. There were no Alpine Accentors to be found in the area but they are rarely reported in this season. Back down in the village a large gathering of both mountain-loving corvids included 20 Alpine Choughs and 40 Red-billed Choughs hanging around the buildings and generally showing well. Heading back down the road towards the conifer plantation a couple of Blue Rock Thrushes showed up on the rocky cliff faces. Stops lower down the road around the village of Igunane with its luscious poplar and aspen trees gave us a heard only Levaillant s Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Robins, Blackcap, and a Serin. Back at the bridge across the Oued Ourika another stop failed to produce any swifts but it is likely they feed at high altitude during the day only descending near dusk. Here a Common Sandpiper, Common Redstart, and Cetti s Warbler were recorded in addition to the previous day s sightings at this stop. This was our last birding for this trip and we returned to Marrakech via a slap-up tagine to keep us going for the flight home in the evening. Acknowledgements I want to thank in particular Ben Macdonald who kindly furnished me with good gen in the run up to the trip and who was travelling out to the country shortly after. Sean Minns, Mike Duckham, and John McLoughlin all gave info on certain species and sites so thanks to them. Also I appreciate everyone who has contributed trip reports to the Cloud-birders website. I write this report to add to the excellent volume of information held within for independent birders planning trips in the future. Systematic Bird List A total of 210 bird species recorded using (mostly) IOC taxonomy and nomenclature, listed in taxonomic order: Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Small numbers at several wetland sites, max of 15 at lakes N of Sidi Yahya Zaer. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Largest numbers at Ouarzazate Reservoir and Merzouga Lake (max 14). Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis 3500 breeding birds at Dayet Aoua, quite a spectacle! Northern Gannet Morus bassanus Recorded at Cap Beddouza and Cap Rhir (max 13) in small numbers. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Single figures along the coast with both sinensis and moroccanus ssp present Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Two flew along the Oued Massa at dawn on the 13th. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Present at Dayet Aoua, Sidi Moussa and a max of 6 at Oued Massa. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Common and widespread, max of 80 coming in to roost at Lac de Sidi Bourhaba. Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis This rarity was present at Ouarzazate Reservoir (dark morph) on 5th, Sidi Moussa (pale morph) on 9th, and hybrid x Little Egret at Oued Massa on 11th. Little Egret Egretta garzetta Present at most coastal wetlands, max of 83 at Oued Massa by the estuary mouth. Great Egret Egretta alba One at Sidi Moussa saltmarsh on 9th. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea One at Oued Massa on 11th by a large bend up-river at , Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Singles at a few wetland sites, max of 26 at Oued Massa by the estuary mouth. White Stork Ciconia ciconia Widespread away from desert areas max 4 in Ifrane and Oued Souss. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus A pair at roadside pools on outskirts of Rabat at , Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita 13 to the North-west of Tamri village along sandy plain above cliffs. Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Present at Oued Ksob and Sidi Yahya Zaer lakes, max of 9 at Oued Massa. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 72 at Ouarzazate Reservoir, 50 Merzouga Lake + 3 Lac de Sidi Bourhaba. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Only recorded in the East with max of 62 at Merzouga Lake, pairs elsewhere. Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna A pair at Ouarzazate Reservoir on the 5th, scarce at this time of year. Gadwall Anas strepera 7 at Dayet Aoua and a single at roadside lakes North of Sidi Yahya Zaer. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Singles and pairs at a number of wetland sites. Garganey Anas querquedula Pair at Dayet Aoua around the islands on 7th the only record. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata A single drake at Dayet Aoua on the 7th was the only record. Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris Max of 4 at Lac de Sidi Bourhaba, 3 at Oued Ksob + one at Oued Souss.