Tunisia Naturetrek Tour Report 22 - 30 March 2009

Lebna House Bunting

Cap Bon from Jebel Haouaria Bouhedma National Park

Report and images compiled by Andy Smith

Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Tunisia

Tour Leaders: Andy Smith (Naturetrek Leader) Sonya (Local Guide)

Participants Mick Soffe Cindy Soffe Alan Coffin Rosemary Cook Hazel White Peter Spillett Michael Hinchcliff Judith Chawner

Day 1 Saturday 22nd March

Gatwick to Tunis to Bizerte Overcast with sunny spells and a fresh north-westerly wind The group arrived safely in Tunis in the early afternoon and after a restaurant lunch we proceeded to Carthage where we explored the Antonine Baths and Byrsa Hill and encountered a good range of common North African birds - highlights included Hoopoe, Laughing Dove, Common Bulbul, Sardinian Warbler, North African Blue Tit, Spotless Starling, Serin and Spanish Sparrow.

In the late afternoon we drove north towards Bizerte - roadside White Storks and a Black-winged Kite enlivened the journey and we arrived in good spirits at our comfortable beachside hotel in good time to settle in before dinner.

Day 2 Sunday 23rd March

Bizerte and Lake Ichkeul Overcast with sunny spells in the morning becoming brighter in the afternoon. Fresh north-westerly wind 60 Audouin’s and several Mediterranean Gulls on the beach behind the hotel provided a good start to the day before, with breakfast completed, we set off to Ichkeul National Park where we spent the bulk of the day. Ichkeul is a vast lake set amongst a varied mosaic of habitats including areas of marsh, water meadows, arable fields and the wooded Mount Ichkeul itself, which rises to over 500 metres above the surrounding landscape. The whole area is pleasantly scenic and stuffed full of birds.

We made a series of stops and despite the brisk weather enjoyed a rich and rewarding day and an excellent introduction to North African birding. The many highlights included White Stork, Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, Slender-billed Gull, Caspian Tern, Little Owl, Pallid and Alpine Swifts, Crested Lark, Water Pipit, Moussier’s Redstart, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Southern Grey Shrike and Corn Bunting.

A Wild Boar galloping away across the marshes was a surprise bonus whilst an impressive range of raptors further demonstrated the quality of the area and included Osprey, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard and Peregrine.

Day 3 Monday 24th March

Bizerte to Lebna Barrage, Korba lagoon and Korba Sunny and warm with a westerly breeze We left Bizerte after breakfast, drove south through Tunis City, stopped for coffee in the lively little market town of Menzel Bouzelfa and then headed out across the rolling green landscape of the Cap Bon Peninsula. A couple of brief roadside stops produced good views of several impressive Calandra Larks, both on the ground and indulging in their impressive song-flights, plus a couple of brief Barbary Partridges, a few Southern Grey Shrikes and lots of Corn Buntings.

We then spent most of the afternoon exploring around Lebna Barrage, a large reservoir surrounded by marshland and fields. Highlights here during a couple of walks either side of our picnic lunch included Purple and Squacco Herons, a Great Bittern, Ferruginous and White-headed Ducks, Purple Swamphen, Collared Pratincole, Little Crake, “Atlas” Pied Flycatcher and a superb male Pallid Harrier. From Lebna we proceed to nearby Korba Lagoon and finished the day with Black-winged Stilts, Greater Flamingos, a pair of Garganey, dozens of nicely pink Slender-billed Gulls and excellent views of a pair of Stone Curlews – lovely!

Day 4 Tuesday 25th March

Korba and Cap Bon Sunny with scattered cloud and a fresh north-westerly wind We began the day with an exploration of the hotel grounds and the adjacent beach and found a Little Owl, a Hoopoe, three Southern Grey Shrikes, several Tree Sparrows, two more Stone Curlews and a small pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins, which created a wonderful picture as they fed in the shallows just off the beach.

After breakfast we set off to explore more of the Cap Bon peninsula. Our first stop was at Kerkouan where, with Serins twittering and posturing all around us, we enjoyed a brief guided tour of the Carthaginian ruins and noted a strong passage of Cory’s Shearwaters offshore. From here we proceeded on to Jebel Haouaria, a small mountain that constitutes the last rugged outpost of Cap Bon and is a noted raptor migration watchpoint. On this occasion however, the wind was against us and things were quiet apart from a few Black Kites, a male Lesser Kestrel and brief views of one of the local Barbary Falcons. Smaller birds however did their best to compensate for our disappointment and during our stay we enjoyed good views of several Thekla Larks, a few Moussier’s and Black Redstarts, a couple of Blue Rock Thrushes and a surprise Marmora’s Warbler, whilst a superb little Spur-thighed Tortoise was an added bonus.

In the mid-afternoon we drove back along the north-east coast of the peninsula to Kelibia where we explored the imposing Byzantine fortress high on its hill over the town. A big passage of Cory’s Shearwaters was underway offshore here too, and with them were several Atlantic Gannets and an unexpected Great Skua; whilst at a small marsh down in the town itself we found over 100 Black-winged Stilts, several Marsh Sandpipers, a fine male Kentish Plover, 80 Little Stints and a lone Temminck’s Stint. From here we headed back towards Korba and finished the day at the estuary of the Oued Ouidiane where we had some great views of a Spoonbill feeding in typical frenetic style, several smart Spotted Redshanks and a few more Marsh Sandpipers.

2 © Naturetrek December 09 Tunisia Tour Report

Day 5 Wednesday 26th March

Korba to Jedidi Lake, El Jem and Mahres Sunny and warm with a fresh west-north-westerly breeze Our first stop today was a short distance from Korba at Jedidi Lake. Amongst the various wildfowl we soon found over 15 White-headed Ducks to follow on from those we had seen at Lebna and enjoyed some excellent views of this extraordinary and endangered species. From Jedidi we drove south past Sousse to El Jem and visited the coliseum and the mosaic museum and then, after a pleasant restaurant lunch, we continued south along the flat coastal plain through apparently endless olive groves to Mahres. A late afternoon walk along the shore as the tide fell produced some great birds in a short space of time including 45 Spoonbills, several Marsh Sandpipers, at least 200 neat Curlew Sandpipers, three mighty Caspian Terns, a lone Red-throated Pipit, a brief Black-eared Wheatear and a huge flock of over 500 Slender-billed Gulls.

Day 6 Thursday 27th March

Bouhedma National Park Sunny through to late afternoon, overcast thereafter. Very warm, with a gentle south-westerly breeze An early morning stop at the harbour in Mahres turned up trumps with fine views of the hoped for Terek Sandpiper, a regular feature here, preening happily out on the mudflat amongst the hordes of other waders. Flushed with this success, we set off for the Bouhedma National Park. The journey took us first through the coastal olive groves and then inland through increasingly arid, open farmland towards the distant Bouhedma escarpment. A series of brief roadside stops en-route produced some excellent sightings including Desert and Red-rumped Wheatears, singing Lesser Short-toed Larks, a pair of Lesser Kestrels, a male Montagu’s Harrier and, for some at least, a distant Common Jackal. Once at Bouhedma we spent the rest of the day exploring the dry acacia savannah and the stony foothills of the escarpment. In due course we encountered a satisfying range of resident and migrant birds that included Barbary Partridge, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Desert Lark, Fulvous Babbler, Black-eared and Black Wheatears, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes, Subalpine, Orphean and Wood Warblers, Common Nightingale and House Bunting. Additionally we saw several of the re-introduced Scimitar- horned Oryx and Addax for which Bouhedma is famous, two genuinely wild and very neat Dorcas Gazelles and a couple of Gundis. A little stone turning produced some impressive scorpions and a small but interesting range of butterflies included several neat little Greenish Black Tips. All in all, a rich and satisfying day!

Day 7 Friday 28th March

Mahres to Matmata, Douz and the Jebil National Park Sunny and very warm with some hazy high cloud and a fresh south-south-westerly Leaving Mahres after breakfast we drove south along the coast to Gabes and then turned west and inland towards the desert. We crossed the northern end of the rugged Jebil Dahar escarpment and then dropped down into Matmata where we visited one of the extraordinary cave houses for which the area is famous. As we continued on towards Douz the landscape became rapidly more arid and during a series of quick roadside stops we encountered a pair of Temminck’s Larks, a smart male Red-rumped Wheatear, a migrant Booted Eagle and a brief but dashing Lanner Falcon. After lunch at a restaurant in Douz we transferred into 4x4’s and began the journey south to the Jebil National park on the fringe of the Sahara Desert.

As we drove on through a rolling tapestry of desert scenery we made a number of short stops and despite the fresh wind, enjoyed some great views of an excellent variety of desert specialists including Cream-coloured Courser, Hoopoe Lark, White-crowned Wheatear, Desert Warbler, Desert Sparrow and Trumpeter Finch. Migrants were much in evidence too and included Barn Swallows, Subalpine Warblers, Northern Wheatears and a fine male Whinchat. Finally, a little before sunset we arrived at our well situated camp and with Bar-tailed Larks and a White-crowned Wheatear singing around us, settled in for a night under canvas.

Day 8 Saturday 29th March

Jebil National Park to Douz and Jerba Overcast and warm with a southerly breeze and a few spots of rain in the afternoon A morning exploring on foot around the camp gave us a wonderful experience of the desert and brought us into close contact with a satisfying range of the typical birds of the area. In the course of the morning we saw Bar- tailed, Hoopoe and Desert Larks, White-crowned and Mourning Wheatears, Desert Warbler, Trumpeter Finch, Cream-coloured Courser and Brown-necked Raven. Migrants were good too and included more Barn Swallows and Northern Wheatears, several Yellow Wagtails a few Lesser Kestrels, a Short-toed Eagle and another pale phase Booted Eagle that created a beautiful picture as it drifted low over our heads. In the afternoon we drove back through Douz to Matmata and then on via Mareth to Jerba Island and our last overnight stop. Notable birds en-route included Black-eared, Desert and Black Wheatears, a small troop of Fulvous Babbler, several Southern Grey Shrikes, a couple of smart Woodchat Shrikes and a Rock Sparrow. After a short wait for the ferry we made the crossing to the island in the late afternoon and arrived at our comfortable traditional hotel in Houmt-Souk in good time to freshen up before dinner.

Day 9 Sunday 30th March

Jerba to Tunis to London Overcast and showery in Jerba (!)…Sunny and warm in Tunis Our early morning flight from Jerba departed on time and we arrived in Tunis an hour or so later. From the airport we transferred to the centre of Tunis and spent an enjoyable morning exploring the markets, medina and souks before heading back out to the airport. Our check-in went smoothly, our plane departed more or less on time and we all arrived safely back at Heathrow a couple of hours later.

Acknowledgements Thanks to Sonya our local guide, Eddi the bus driver and to our 4x4 drivers and other staff in the desert. Thanks also to all the members of the group who contributed in a variety of ways to make this a particularly memorable trip.

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Species Lists

Birds (h = heard only) March Common name Scientific name 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 1 Ostrich Struthio camelus 1 2 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 1 5 10 5 1 1 3 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 1 15 10 4 Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea 1000's 5 Mediterranean Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan 1 6 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus 12 7 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 3 5 1 2 1 100 8 Cattle Egret Bulbucus ibis 20 100 50 200 9 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 1 2 10 Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris 1 11 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 1 20 40 10 5 3 12 Great Egret Egretta alba 7 2 1 13 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 4 14 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 5 1 15 White Stork Ciconia ciconia 8 20 12 4 16 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 1 17 Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 1 45 2 18 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 30 300 1 2 19 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 2 10 2 20 Gadwall Anas strepera 50 21 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 10 50 5 22 Pintail Anas acuta 2 10 23 Shoveler Anas clypeata 50 20 50 30 24 Wigeon Anas penelope 75 100 50 30 25 Teal Anas crecca 10 50 10 26 Garganey Anus querquedula 3 27 Pochard Aythya ferina 5 15 28 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 1 5 29 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 3 30 White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala 20 15 31 Osprey Pandion Haliaetus 1 32 Short-toed Eagle Cicaetus gallicus 4 2 1 1 1 33 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus 1 1 1 34 Black Kite Milvus migrans 8 35 Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus 1 3 4 36 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus 1 37 Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus 1 38 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 1 10 15 20 3 3 2 39 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus 1 5 3 1 40 Northern Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 1 1 41 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 6 10 3 5 5 2 4 42 Lesser Kestrel falco naumanni 2 2 3+ 43 Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides 1 44 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus 1 45 Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus 1 46 Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara 3 2+ 47 Common Quail Cotirnix coturnix 3h

March Common name Scientific name 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 48 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 10 5 49 Coot Fulica atra 750 500 200 5 50 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio 6 51 Little Crake Porzana parva 1 52 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 2 20 25 200 20 15 53 Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus 4 3 54 Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor 16 8 55 Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola 10 56 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 12 2 4 1 57 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 15 3 20 8 58 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 5 1 8 1 59 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 4 50 15 3 60 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 1 61 Turnstone Arenaria interpres 10 3 62 Sanderling Calidris alba 6 63 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 200 100 64 Dunlin Calidris alpina 10 5 65 Temminck's Stint Calidris temmincki 1 66 Little Stint Calidris minuta 2 80 10 67 Ruff Philomachus pugnax 1 1 68 Curlew Numenius arquata 1 1 69 Redshank Tringa totanus 3 2 10 3 70 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus 20 71 Greenshank Tringa nebularia 2 15 2 72 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis 12 8 2 73 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 1h 3 10 74 Green Sandpiper Tringa hypoleuca 3 1 75 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 1 6 1 76 Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinerus 1 77 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 2 3 5 78 Great Skua Steracorius skua 1 79 Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus 6 5 80 Slender-billed Gull Larus genei 15 20 50 500 200 30 81 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 30 5 30 5 5 82 Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans 20 30 30 100 50 20 20 83 Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii 60 84 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 5 40 15 10 2 85 Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis 3 50 86 Caspian Tern Chlidonias hybridus 1 3 87 Rock Dove Columba livia 1 2 88 Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur 1 89 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 6 6 12 15 15 25 10 25 90 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 4 1 2 2 3 91 Little Owl Athene noctua 4 2 2 1 6 1 2 92 Common Swift Apus apus 50 50 30 10 93 Pallid Swift Apus pallidus 12 30 2 5 94 Alpine Swift Apus melba 10 5 95 Hoopoe Upupa epops 2 2 1h 2 15 1 96 Wryneck Jynx torquilla 1 97 Skylark Alauda arvensis 1 15 30 1h 98 Crested Lark Galerida cristata 1 15 30 10 10 10 15 15

March Common name Scientific name 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 99 Thekla Lark Galerida theklae 10 25 100 Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla 2 2 101 Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens 15 102 Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cincturus 3 8 103 Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti 4 2 3 104 Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra 10 105 Temminck's Lark Eremophila bilopha 3 106 Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes 6 2 107 Sand Martin Riparia riparia 5 2 108 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 5 100 50 100 30 20 15 40 109 Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica 1 1 1 110 House Martin Delichon urbica 2 100 50 100 30 5 4 111 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis 5 5 5 12 112 Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta 1 113 Tree Pipit Anthus campestris 6 114 Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus 1 115 White Wagtail Motacilla alba 10 1 1 116 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 50 20 10 4 1 5 117 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 1+1h 3h 118 Common Bulbul Pycnonatus barbatus 5 4 2 6 119 Dunnock Prunella modularis 1h 120 Robin Erithacus rubecula 1 3 121 Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos 1 122 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica 1 123 Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 1 12 124 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 1 3 3 125 Moussier's Redstart Phoenicurus moussieri 5 3 126 Stonechat Saxicola torquata 8 5 1 127 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra 1 128 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe 6 15 12 129 Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica 1 4 1 130 Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti 1 1 131 Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens 1 132 White-crowned wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga 7 8 133 Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura 2 2 2 1 10 134 Red-rumped Wheatear Oenanthe moesta 2 1 1 135 Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius 2 4 136 Blackbird Turdus merula 12 10 5 8 5 10 137 Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 5 10 4 138 Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti 2h 2+2h 139 Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinoides 1h 140 Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus 1h 141 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus 1 142 Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida 2 143 Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis 3 144 Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala 5 12 8 6 1 2 145 Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans 10 3 146 Marmora's Warbler Sylvia sarda 1 147 Desert Warbler Sylvia nana 5 2 148 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla 7 1h 149 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita 10 10 8 6 1

March Common name Scientific name 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 150 Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix 1 151 Atlas Pied Flycatcher Ficedula (hypoleuca) speculigera 1 152 Blue Tit Parus cearuleus 6 5 5 2 153 Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis 5 6 6 5 15 2 12 154 Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator 3 20 2 155 Fulvous Babbler Turdoides fulvus 5 4 156 Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor 20 15 20 25 25 30 20 30 157 Raven Corvus corax 2 2 5 5 3 158 Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis 1 159 Spanish Sparrow Passerhispaniolensis 20 200 50 100 100 100 30 50 160 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 1 161 Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 12 162 Desert Sparrow Passer simplex 2 4 163 Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia 1 164 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 4 3 1 3 165 Serin Serinus serinus 1 2 3 12 15 5 1 166 Greenfinch Cardulis chloris 8 100 40 6 5 167 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 2 168 Linnet Acanthis cannabina 25 25 25 5 2 5 169 Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus 3 9 170 Corn Bunting Milaria calandra 25 25 2 171 House Bunting Emberiza striolata 2 2 2

Mammals

Golden Jackal (near Bouhedma) Bottle-nosed Dolphin (Korba) Wild Boar (Ichkeul) Dorcas Gazelle (Bouhedma) Scimitar-horned Oryx (Bouhedma) Addax (Bouhedma and Jebil) Gundi (Bouhedma and Matmata).

Reptiles and Amphibians

Marsh Frog spp. (various sites) Pond Terrapin (Lebna and Jedidi) Spur-thighed Tortoise (Haouaria) “Spotted Desert Lizard” (Jebil).

Butterflies

Small White Large White Green-striped White Moroccan Orange Tip, Greenish Black Tip Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra Red Admiral, Painted Lady Southern Speckled Wood Small Heath

Other notable invertebrates

Stick Insect spp. Scorpion spp.

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