Spanish Pyrenees

BOLETAS Spanish Pyrenees Birdwatching Holidays in Spain 22192 Loporzano (Huesca) – Spain tel/fax 00 34 974 262027 or 01638 664598 e.mail: [email protected] // www.boletas.org Josele J. Saiz - NIF 38491538A BIRDWATCHING CENTRE MOROCCO From Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert 10 March to 20 March 2006

Tour Leader : Josele J. Saiz

Party : Andy Howes & Paul Stammers Christine Lynn & Beryl Smith Mike Chester & Howard Broughton Kit Price Moss & Dorian Moss Ian Cox & Sara Jones Shirley Locker & Elwyn Bowles Phil Lanston & Frank Pockering Roy Nixon & Roy England

Our group of sixteen persons arrived in Agadir as dusk fell and we soon joined up with Josele Saiz of the Boletas Birdwatching Centre (Spain) (www.boletas.org ), who was to be our guide. After an early breakfast next morning we headed south in our spacious 30 seat coach to the Oued Massa, where together with an afternoon visit to the Oued Sous, we amassed a huge first day total of 99 species. With the temperatures into the 70’s a long walk towards the estuary provided highlights, which included good views of Moussier’s Redstarts, Squacco Heron, Ferruginous and Marbled Ducks, several hundred Glossy Ibis, Black Crowned Tchagras, and a superb male Black Eared Wheatear (the first of eight ‘oenanthes’). In the Oued Sous adjacent to the Royal Palace (where the king was apparently in residence) we were constantly harassed by the army, but we kept our distance adding 20 species of waders before capping the day off nicely with a nice view of a perched Red Necked Nightjar, albeit in the gathering gloom and close to the palace perimeter.

The following morning, after grilling the flocks of Pallid, Common and Little Swifts swirling above our Agadir hotel, we went straight to Tamri, where a total of 63 Bald Ibis was a five fold increase on our total of just ten years ago. A couple of beach searches located a good number of Audouin’s Gulls before we set off on the long drive along the Sous valley to Ouarzarzate, the ‘springboard’ into the desert. We made a brief stop at a gorge just west of Aoulouz where we saw our first Barbary Falcon and Long Legged Buzzard. Further along this road, about 100 kms short of Ouarzarzate we made a brief stop and found a flock of 45 Short Toed Larks amongst the gravel desert landscape. On the other side of the road a Mourning Wheatear was a particularly welcome find and as the light faded two Ruddy Shelducks flew across the mountainside and occupied a probable roost site quite close to us. Nearby, Ouarzarzate was a local one night stop.

Next day began at a wadi on the north side of the local reservoir. White Crowned Black and Desert Wheatears were easy finds along with Spanish Sparrows. Subalpine Warblers were going to be seen most days but two members of the group had a quick view of a couple of Spectacled Warblers here before we moved on along the Dades Valley towards the famous Tagdilt Track, just east of Boumalne. With only Red Rumped Wheatears and a Long Legged Buzzard amongst the wind-strewn rubbish birding was difficult here, but moving a couple of miles or so east onto another track brought a late afternoon ‘revival’ with a few each of Desert, Short-toed, Temminck’s Horned and Hoopoe Larks, all very close to us. Further east towards Tinerhir a roadside stop rewarded us with Short Toed Eagle, a perched Lanner and finally an Eagle Owl of the race Ascalaphus, roosting at its probable nest site. It’s always good to end the day with a good bird (so somebody said ?)

Next morning we returned to the Tagdilt Track, which should have been our best chance for Thick Billed Larks and Cream Coloured Coursers. We repeated the previous afternoon’s species, but alas no Thick Billed Larks or Coursers. Heading east again we decided to explore the roadside and found yet another Mourning Wheatear. Our final destination on this day was the Todra Gorge and the star birds were a pair of Rock Martins with their distinctive flight routines being performed close above. The real target here though was Tristram’s Warbler and we had to travel about ten kilometres along the valley before locating two of these beautiful ‘sylvia’ warblers giving nice telescope views for the whole group (and this was a feature of the whole tour). As we left a couple of Barbary Partidges were disturbed by some Berber children. A tired group later checked into the Tinerhir hotel for a second night.

We were next heading for the real desert – Erfoud and Merzouga and with the temperature getting hotter by one or two degrees of Fahrenheit each ‘eastward’ day the birding expectation was increasing also. A roadside stop to watch an Egyptian Vulture resulted in us walking a small area of desert where we stumbled on two Thick Billed Larks and two Bar Tailed Desert Larks – how lucky can you get ? Trumpeter Finches were located at nearby village before we abandoned our coach in favour of four 4-wheel drive land-rovers for the final run across the desert to the outpost of Merzouga. Birds were not numerous by any stretch of the imagination although a family party of Fulvous Babblers were new for most members of the group. By the Desert Inn a large dry wadi boasted a good number of species, the best of which was probably a Western Bonelli’s Warbler, again seen by all in the telescopes. It was dark on arrival at the Auberge.

Next morning, with 4-wheel drive now the only option in this area, we checked out the numerous little settlements across the sandy wastes and at one we were checking out and photographing up to four Desert Sparrows when a 24 strong party of Spotted Sandgrouse announced their approach and flew close, directly above the amazed group. We were seeing our first Brown Necked Ravens now, but it was going to be a long hot day before we could track down a single African Desert Warbler. Back at the palm grove near the auberge a flock of two dozen Bee Eaters included up to three Blue Cheeked Bee Eaters, but half the group were absent for one reason or another.

All too soon and back in the coach after 200 or so tortuous off-road kilometres, it was time to head west again before tackling the winding roads of the Atlas Mountains on the way to Marrakech. Near Erfoud one keen eyed observer spotted a couple of perched birds which turned out to be Blue Cheeked Bee Eaters, so everyone now had half an hour to grill these beautiful creatures. With the wind now increasing, sand storms were becoming a problem and our only option was to continue through to Ouarzarzate, again a one nighter on the long journey back. We had time to repeat the reservoir wadi next morning and added four more species to our steadily growing total. Migrating Black Storks and a very obliging Olivaceous Warbler were the star turns, but a fruitless stop for a certain woodpecker species north of the Tizi-n- Tichka Pass did result in nice views of a Goshawk racing across the forest slopes. Further on and about 40 kilometres short of Marrakech a raptor sighting from the bus resulted in us stopping and witnessing up to eight Booted Eagles, a slightly lesser number of Short Toed Eagles, a Lanner, a Long Legged Buzzard, a Black Kite and a couple of Barbary Falcons, pretty well simultaneously. A great end to the day.

The final day was now on and our targets lay in the higher reaches of the Atlas. Being Sunday we knew there would be plenty of weekend tourists taking advantage of the ski slopes and so it was to be. First though we had to locate ‘that’ woodpecker and it was at its favoured location. Fortunately though a couple of keen eyed ladies (in the group) spotted one right by the roadside. We were almost out of the trees and luckily there was somewhere to park the coach at that very moment. A pair of Levaillant’s Green Woodpeckers here, on the ground, were probably the best birds of the trip in the bright sunshine and they were not about to disappear as everyone had ample views. At the Oukaimeden ski station there were huge mixed flocks of both Alpine and Red Billed Choughs, also Horned Larks probably numbered over one hundred across the whole of the ‘basin’. There were good views of Rock Sparrows here too, but despite over four hours of searching at an altitude of nearly nine thousand feet we were not to locate the Crimson Winged Finches we had come so far to see. The good bird at the end of this day was however a fine male Seebohm’s Northern Wheatear – again telescoped and photographed well (hopefully) by the digi-scopers.

Back in Marrakech and we had logged up just 2000 kilometres in our coach (plus those off road kilometres). Thanks to the tireless work of Josele Saiz, and some very keen ‘spotters’ within the group the species total was 179, too many to mention all by name, but those seen on most days included Cattle Egret, White Stork, Black Kite, Long Legged Buzzard, Kestrel, Laughing and Collared Doves, Pallid Swift, Hoopoe, Crested and Thekla Larks, Swallow and Red Rumped Swallow, Common Bulbul (everyday), Blue Rock Thrush, Chiffchaff, Subalpine Warbler, White Crowned Black and Desert Wheatears, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Serin and House Bunting.

Some ‘common’ birds require a special mention in this report too, so are you a ‘lumper’ or ‘splitter’ ? Whilst Magpie of the race ‘mauritanica’ only displays a subtle plumage difference, Blue Tit of the race ‘ultramarinus’, and Chaffinch of the race ‘africana’ are very different birds from their northern counterparts – worth another look in your field guides ?

Andy Howes et al. BIRDLIST FOR MOROCCO 10-20 March 2006 X – seen h/H – Recorded only birds seen or heard by two people

Species Scientific Name Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis X Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus X Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus Balearic Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan mauretanicus Northern Gannet Morus bassanus Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo maroccanus X European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis Grey Heron Ardea cinerea X Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta X Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 6 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Xx Black-c Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 3 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris Black Stork Ciconia nigra 5 White Stork Ciconia ciconia Xx Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita 63 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 200+ Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 16+ Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 25 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 2 Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 15 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope Gadwall Anas strepera 1 Common Teal Anas crecca 8 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos X Northern Pintail Anas acuta Garganey Anas querquedula Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 15 Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris 8 Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Common Pochard Aythya ferina X Ferruginous Pochard Aythya nyroca 5 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 10 Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Osprey Pandion haliaetus 1 European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus 1 Red Kite Milvus milvus Black Kite Milvus migrans 32 Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus 1 Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus 7 Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus harterti 3 Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates theresae Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus punicus 3 Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis 1 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus cirtensis 12 Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax belisarius Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos homeyerl Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus 4 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus 2 Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus x Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae Merlin Falco columbarius Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus erlangeri 2 Barbary Falcon Falco peregrinus pelegrinoides 5 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus minor Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara spatzi 4 Double-spurred Francolin Francolinus bicalcaratus ayesha Common Quail Coturnix coturnix Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Common Crane Grus grus Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Corncrake Crex crex Little Crake Porzana parva Baillon's Crake Porzana pusilla Spotted Crake Porzana porzana Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus X Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata Eurasian Coot Fulica atra X Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata undulata Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 20 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 10 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 12+ Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus saharae 3 Cream-colored Courser Cursorius cursor Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola X Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula X Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 3 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 22 Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 5 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 1 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica X Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 1 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Marsh Sandpiper Common Redshank Tringa totanus X Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 1 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 5 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Hypoleucos 2 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 1 Red Knot Calidris canutus 3 Sanderling Calidris alba X Little Stint Calidris minuta X Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 1 Dunlin Calidris alpina X Ruff Philomachus pugnax Great Skua Stercorarius skua Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii 20+ Western Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans michahellis X Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus graellsi X Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus X Slender-billed Gull Larus genei Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus Herring Gull Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica 2 Caspian Tern Sterna caspia Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis x Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii Common Tern Sterna hirundo Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea Little Tern Sterna albifrons Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus Black Tern Chlidonias niger Greater -black Back Gull Razorbill Alca torda Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata caudacutus Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus 24 Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis Crowned Sandgrouse Pterocles coronatus Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii targius Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon Columba livia X Stock Pigeon Columba oenas Common Woodpigeon Columba palumbus X Eurasian Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur X Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto X Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis X Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Barn Owl Tyto alba European Scops Owl Otus scops Pharaoh Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus 1 Tawny Owl Strix aluco mauritanica Little Owl Athene noctua saharae (solitudinis) X Northern Long-eared Owl Asio otus Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Marsh Owl Asio capensis tingitanus Red-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus ruficollis 1 Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba 4 Common Swift Apus apus X Pallid Swift Apus pallidus X Little Swift Apus affinis X White-rumped Swift Apus caffer Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 1 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus chrysocercus 6 European Bee-eater Merops apiaster 80+ European Roller Coracias garrulus Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 16 Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Levaillant's Woodpecker Picus viridis vaillantii 2 Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cincturus 6 Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti payni (monodi) 20 Greater Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes 6 Thick-billed Lark Ramphocoris clotbey 2 Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella cinerea rubiginosa 46 Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens minor 20+ Dupont's Lark Chersophilus duponti Crested Lark Galerida cristata randonii x Crested Lark Galerida cristata riggenbachi 1 Thekla Lark Galerida theklae aguirrei 7 Wood Lark Lullula arborea Sky Lark Alauda arvensis harterti 2 Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris atlas 50+ Temminck's Lark Eremophila alpestris bilopha 8 Bank Swallow Riparia riparia 5 Plain Martin Riparia paludicola mauretanica Eurasian Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris X Pale Crag Martin Hirundo fuligula obsoleta 2 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica x Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica rufula 13 House Martin Delichon urbica X White Wagtail Motacilla alba x Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima 3 Ashy-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava cinereocapilla Spanish Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava iberiae 2 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 4 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 2 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis 12 Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus Rock Pipit Anthus spinoletta petrosus 1(¿) Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus X Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus 1 White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus 6 Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 2 Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius 16 Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus alpestris Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula mauretanica Xx Song Thrush Turdus philomelos 2 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus bonapartei H Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 1 Streaked Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta saharae Streaked Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta theresae Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti 1 Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus 1 Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus 1 W. Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida opaca 1 Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 3 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita X Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita brehmii Western Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli 3 Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla X Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Greater Whitethroat Sylvia communis Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curraca African Desert Warbler Sylvia nana deserti 1 Western Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis hortensis Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans Xx Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala X Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata 2 Tristram's Warbler Sylvia deserticola moroccana 2 Tristram's Warbler Sylvia deserticola ticehursti Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata 1 European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca speculigera European Robin Erithacus rubecula 2 Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos 3 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica White-spotted Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros gibralteriensis 7 Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 2 Moussier's Redstart Phoenicurus moussieri X Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata 4 White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga augra Xx Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura 6 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe 2 Seebohm's Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe seebohmi 2 Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens halophila 2 Red-rumped Wheatear Oenanthe moesta 9 Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica 4 Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti homochroa X Fulvous Babbler Turdoides fulvus moroccanus 12 Coal Tit Periparus ater atlas 2 Great Tit Parus major excelsus 2 African Blue Tit Cyanistess ultramarinus 5 Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla mauretanica Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis algeriensis 12+ Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis elegans 4 Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator 11 Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegala cucullata 3 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius minor Eurasian Magpie Pica pica mauretanica X Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax barbarus 80+ Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus 350+ Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis 56 Common Raven Corvus corax tingitanus 9 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor Xx House Sparrow Passer domesticus tingitanus X Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis 9+ Desert Sparrow Passer simplex 4 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia barbara 6 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs africana X Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra 2 European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris X Brambling 2 European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis X Eurasian Linnet Carduelis cannabina 7 European Serin Serinus serinus Xx Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes burryi 12+ Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguinea aliena Trumpeter Finch Rhodopechys githaginea zedlitzi 7 Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus 4 Rock Bunting Emberiza cia africana 4 Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana House Bunting Emberiza striolata sahari xx Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra 1

OTHER SIGTINGS

Brown Hare Lepus capensis Barbary Ground-squairrel Atlantoxerus getulus Fat Sand Rat Psammomys obesus North African Green Frog Rana saharica Spur-thingeg Tortoise Testudo graeca European Pond Terrapin Emys orbicularis Spanish Terrapin Mauremys leprosa

Moila Snake / False Cobra Malpolon moilensis Spinny Tailed Agama Uromastix acanthinorus Pasteur´s small Lizard Mesalina pasteuri Changeable Agama Trapelus mutabilis White banded Sandfish Scincopus fasciatus