The remainder of the birding holiday had been booked through Spanish Nature and there were to be sixteen of us including the Tour leader Pieter Verheij and the guides Peter Jones and my mate Steve Lister and Tarik, our Moroccan driver. The rest of the party were:

Simon and Gay (UK)
Anthony and Mary (UK)
Norman and Mary (Spain)
Penelope (Ireland)
Judy and Gisele (Canada)
Chris Cook (UK)
Barbara (USA)

The itinerary was:

Accommodation Visited Areas

March 12th. Hotel Riad Salam High Atlas – Tizi-n-Tichka Pass - Ouarzazate
March 13th Kasbah Sirocco Ouarzazate – Anti Atlas – Draa Valley - Zagora
March 14th Bedouin Desert Camp Zagora to M’Hamid – Sahara Desert
March 15th Kasbah Sirocco Desert tour / M’Hamid to Zagora
March 16th Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua Zagora – Tazzarine - Merzouga
March 17th Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua Desert tour – Erg Chebbi – Dayet Srji
March 18th Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua Dayet Srji – Desert tour
March 19th Hotel Xaluca Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Boumalne de Dades
March 20th Hotel Riad Salam Boumalne de Dades – Tagdilt - Ouarzazate
March 21st Hotel Andalous Ouarzazate – High Atlas – Marrakech
March 22nd Flying home after breakfast.

Mar 12th

The first day was to be taken up with a fairly long drive to Ouarzazate with a couple of stops on the way. As we came towards the outskirts of Marrakech Peter spotted a Lesser Kestrel which was a new bird for the year. From then on we didn’t see too much until we made a stop to see some flowers. Here we added some good birds. A dark phase Booted Eagle plus Subalpine Warbler, Long-legged Buzzard, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush & Serin.

We made a lunch stop at a café where Peter thought we would be in with a chance of some good birds but it was so quiet that all we saw was a Chaffinch. We did see two Ravens on the approach to the café but that was all.

On the way to Ouarzazate we took a slight diversion that Peter knows is a good birding area. If nothing else it is has some spectacular scenery but it was also some excellent birding as well. I spotted a bird at the side of the road the road, which turned out to be a female Common Redstart. Another bird was found and this was also a female Common Redstart. From then on good birds were seen starting with a Short-toed Eagle, Desert Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear, Desert Lark, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Long-legged Buzzard and a pair of Lanner.

That was it for the day as it was getting dark so we continued our drive to our Hotel in Ouarzazate.

Three lifers today. Mourning Wheatear, Desert Lark & White-crowned Black Wheatear.

Mar 13th

The majority of the birding was done prior to Breakfast when Steve and I made our way to the river. We were joined by a few others from the group and the reward was sightings of two Temmink’s Stint, two Tree Pipit, a juvenile Black-crowned Heron, two long distant White Storks, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Black Redstart and Hoopoe.

After breakfast the rest of the day was made up by a slow drive and a couple of stops as we made our way to the next overnight stop at Zagora.

Birds seen at various stops were. White-crowned Black Wheatear, Desert Lark, Redstart, Black Kite, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Chiffchaff, Common Bulbul, Serin, Thekla Lark, Laughing Dove & House Bunting.

No lifers today.

Mar 14th.

Today was mainly driving from Zagora to our overnight stop at a Bedouin camp near M’Hamid but before breakfast Steve & I, together with Peter Jones and Chris, decided to go and look for a Fulvous Babbler. We only drove about 4 kilometres but that was enough as almost straight away we were onto one, albeit distantly. I managed one record shot of it. Peter also pointed out a distant Lanner peering down on us from its lofty perch.

After breakfast we set off and our Moroccan driver, Tarik, had arranged to take us to a hidden lake in the desert. On the drive to the lake we were treated to some real special birds, some of them lifers such as Barbary Falcon, Hoopoe Lark plus we saw an Egyptian Vulture.

The hidden desert pool was a real gem and certainty helped to add more lifers for me in the shape of Brown-necked Raven and Desert Sparrow. Other birds there were a few Black-eared Wheatears, a Desert Wheatear, Subalpine & Willow Warbler, Woodchat & Southern Grey Shrike as well as a lone Red-rumped Swallow amongst four Barn Swallows.

We left there and headed for the camp, stopping for a meal just outside of M’Hamid where we were also treated to some other good birds, some I didn’t see such as Turtle Dove and Pied Flycatcher but we got some real close up shots of a Juvenile White-crowned Black Wheatear.

Arriving at the camp the first thing we noticed was that there were quite a few Desert Sparrows nearby, plus an Adult White-crowned Black Wheatear in the camp. I tried for a few photos but the light wasn’t so good so I left it until the next day.

Five Lifers today. Fulvous Babbler, Barbary Falcon, Hoopoe Lark, Brown-necked Raven & desert Sparrow.

Mar 15th

Today was a real experience for me. I had seen asked to drive the 4x4 after the first day and that was a first for me, but today was virtually all desert driving, something I had never done before. It was exhilarating and apart from right at the end of the track, where I slightly misjudged rather high sand track and needed two attempts to get over it. Before we set off we spent some time photographing the Desert Sparrows and a pair of White-crowned Black Wheatears. Also seen around the camp were a lone Black-eared Wheatear and six Brown-necked Ravens.

Out on the desert I managed two lifers. Bar-tailed Desert Lark and Cream-coloured Courser. Birds also seen today were a flock of about twenty very distant White Storks and a stunning Hoopoe Lark that was constantly displaying. It was a shame that it was just too far for photography. That was basically it for the day.

Two lifers today. Bar-tailed Desert Lark and Cream-coloured Courser.

Mar 16th

Today was mostly driving, as we had a journey of about 200 miles ahead of us. Prior to breakfast I took the opportunity of going after the Fulvous Babbler and this time I had a better view of the bird and even managed some photos of it. The Lanner Falcon was still on its perch but nothing else could be seen.

After breakfast we started our long haul, but we did do a short stop at a river bridge not long after we had left. Here we had Trumpeter Finch, Hoopoe, Fulvous Babbler, Woodchat Shrike, Crested Lark & Common Redstart. Now it was the long drive and we didn’t stop until we had covered nearly 120 miles. We did a quick toilet stop and a reward for stopping here was good, but brief, views of a Western Bonellie’s Warbler.

We had lunch and continued our journey until we reached our accommodation for the next three nights. It was the Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua - Desert Inn, situated a few miles from the magnificent Sand dunes at Merzouga but a few miles before we reached it, at a town called El Russani, we were treated to a distant, but satisfying view of three Blue-cheeked Bee Eaters, a lifer for me. Also seen here was a Booted Eagle.

At our accommodation all we had time for was a quick wash then back out to the cars as we were doing a twenty minute drive to a desert lake. But just before we left we were treated to at least three Blue-cheeked Bee Eaters over the hotel grounds.

Along the way to the Desert Lake we came across two Bar-tailed Desert Lark. At the lake we found two new birds for the year. Gull-billed Tern and Ferruginous Duck. Also on and around the lake were forty plus Ruddy Shelduck, forty plus Kentish Plover, five Marbled Duck (although I only saw three of them), seventeen Flamingo, a Marsh Harrier, a few Coot, a large number of Shoveller and Pochard, a couple of Grey Heron, four Cattle Egret and one Little Egret.

At the end of this day I had added one more Lifer, Blue-cheeked Bee eater.

Mar 17th

Not many miles done today. Prior to breakfast we decided just to stay around the hotel to see what birds we could turn up and it wasn’t a bad start to the day with quite a few good birds seen, I decided to bird mainly on my own and was rewarded with White-crowned Black Wheatear with chicks, Redstart, Chiffchaff with a few surprise birds. Wryneck, Lanner Falcon, Hoopoe, Western Bonelli’s and Subalpine Warbler.

After breakfast we went to the Desert Lake. On the way we drove slowly along the desert track back to the main road. This gave us a couple of bonuses with a Hoppe Lark feeding a very young chick which I managed to photograph, and a young Short-toed Lark, which I also managed to get a photo of. Also seen were a few Cream-coloured Coursers and a Bar-tailed Desert Lark.

The far side of the lake was very busy so we decided to drive over to there. Soon we were looking at a large gathering of Wildfowl including large numbers of Ruddy Shelduck and approximately ninety Marbled Duck. Also seen were twenty plus Kentish Plover, plus a few Garganey, Pintail, Shoveller, Pochard, Teal, Great Crested Grebe, two Little Stints, four Black-winged Stilts, a Wigeon, White Stork, Gull-billed Tern and three Marsh Harrier.

We had to be back at the hotel by 4pm as we were picking up a guide for the Houbara Bustard. After collecting him we went in a different direction away from the Hotel and soon we were treated to two Stone Curlew at the side of the path, as well as more Hoopoe Larks and Cream-coloured Courser.

The Bustard site was a big disappointment as it didn’t produce any, even after looking for two hours. Luckily I did have a lifer there when an African Desert Warbler was found. Also found was a Spectacled Warbler and a couple of Marsh Harriers.

We did have a problem here. Apparently the Saudi’s hire this area so they can shoot these Bustards and whilst they are away they leave a guard to dissuade people from going there. The guard turned up just as we were about to leave and after speaking to our guide we were told that we couldn’t use that guide again. It was then decided that we would not return to the site again because of the problem with the Saudi’s which meant that it became highly unlikely that we would see one of these birds.

One lifer today, African Desert Warbler.

Mar 18th.

We stayed local again today. Judy & Giselle joined me and we drove out from the hotel grounds and studied the area about a mile away. We started out at 06:15 and for the first 75 minutes it was very quiet with hardly any birds, apart from a couple of Marsh Harriers. As the sun rose so did the birds and we managed approximately forty Cream-coloured Coursers, quite a few Hoopoe Lark, one in a good photography pose, quite a few Short-toed Lark, a few Northern Wheatears, a pair of Bar-tailed Desert Larks and two Southern Grey Shrikes sharing a small bush with a Common Kestrel.

After breakfast it was decided to pay a visit to the Café Yasmin lake. On the way we saw a Black Kite over our heads but we were going too fast to stop. The visit to the café lake was a good decision as there were about twenty Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters there and they let us get quite close to them. This gave me a good opportunity to photograph them. Also here was a new year bird in the shape of a Western Olivaceous Warbler. A few Kentish Plover and Ruddy Shelduck plus two Yellow Wagtails were seen by me.

It was time for lunch back at the Desert Inn and after that we were taken to a series of pools near to the Desert Lake. It was very quiet with only a Ruddy Shelduck in attendance. It was decided to move onto the Desert Lake and almost as soon as we arrived we were watching three Cattle Egrets, one Squacco Heron, three Purple Herons and a male Marsh Harrier. Further around we saw a few Green Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, a few saw a Common Sandpiper, but I didn’t get onto it.

The drive back to the Desert Inn we hoped would produce a Sandgrouse species but after a good search only a Hoopoe Lark and a Black-eared Wheatear was seen.

The night ended with a watch for the Egyptian Nightjar which had been seen earlier by some Belgian birders but we never saw it.

No lifers today.

March 19th.

No too much birding today but what was done was quality. The day started before 5am when we tried again for the Egyptian Nightjar but we failed again with this species. A few of us did some birding before breakfast and I was rewarded with a three new birds for the trip (the 3rd a new one for the year). They were Blackcap, Tawny Pipit and Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. Other birds seen in this period were Subalpine Warbler, Redstart, Hoope Western Bonnellie’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Marsh Harrier and a couple of Swallows.

After breakfast we were driving to Boumalene and not long after we started out we came across two Montague’s Harrier. Another new year bird. After a few miles we went through a village and by the side of the road was a Long-legged Buzzard, which was confiding enough to allow us all to photograph it.

We didn’t stop again until we reached our lunch stop at the De Todra Gorge. Stunning place that is totally submerged in tourism. It was bedlam with cars, coaches and lorry’s trying to negotiate a narrow road that is not built for such traffic. There were some good birds here though. Crag & House Martin. Alpine & Pallid Swift with a few Common Swifts amongst them as well, a lone Blue-rock Thrush and a couple of very smart Grey Wagtails.

After our lunch break it was off to Boumalene and just before there we came across eight distant Long-legged Buzzards and also about fifteen European Bee-eaters flew over our heads.

Peter drove down to a road about four miles from Boumalene but just before it a female Desert Wheatear flew to the side of the car and gave me an opportunity to photograph it.

Peter took us down a quiet road and almost straight away we had connected with two lifers for me. Red-rumped Wheatear and Temmink’s Horned Lark. There were also a few male & female Desert Wheatears around.

The rain started to fall so we decided to carry on to the hotel to end the day.

An excellent day with two Lifers. Red-rumped Wheatear & Temmink’s Horned Lark.

Mar 20th

We stayed close to Boumalene until after 2pm then drove to Ouarzazate via the nearby Reservoir. We started birding at 7am and at first it was slow birding with a few Desert Wheatears, Temminks Horned Larks and a Northern Wheatear of the North African race seebohmi. As the sun rose, and it became warmer, so birds started to show. Quite a few Cream-coloured Coursers, a Lesser Short-toed Lark (a first for the year), a couple of Long-legged Buzzards and a Kestrel. We were getting close to leaving for breakfast when a shout rang out that some Sandgrouse were flying and five distant Black-bellied Sandgrouse were soon picked up on the horizon followed by another three then a final four making twelve in all. They had landed a fair distance away but we all managed to get on them using the scopes.

We left the site but returned a couple of hours later after breakfast in the hope that there would be some more Sandgrouse. We were treated to a couple of Lanner Falcon’s being chased by a Long-legged Buzzard but apart from a few more species that we had already seen it was fairly quiet. I started to walk towards a distant clump of dead bushes when a shout that another lone Sandgrouse was flying and thankfully this time it was of a species I hadn’t seen before. A Crowned Sandgrouse but unfortunately no other Sandgrouse made an appearance.

I carried on towards the dead clump of bushes when a female Red-rumped Wheatear came out and posed for me. Thankfully I had my camera ready and managed a few shots. Peter called us back to the car and we drove to an area that was well vegetated. There were plenty of species we had already seen but one bird was a surprise when a Wryneck popped up on a distant tree and posed long enough for all the group members to get onto it.

That was it for this area, apart from seeing about twenty Cattle Egrets near the restaurant we used in Boumalene. We made our way to Ouarzazate reservoir and the first bird seen was an Osprey that quickly disappeared. This, or another bird was seen later in another bay. This reservoir was not very busy for birds but we did have a couple of Purple Herons, a pair of Ruddy Shelduck and a Woodchat Shrike before we left for our Hotel in Ouarzazate.

One Lifer today. A Crowned Sandgrouse.

Mar 21st.

Last day of the tour. We started birding before breakfast at the river near to the Hotel. There seemed to be quite a few Warblers around, especially Chiffchaff with a few Western Bonelli’s & a lone Willow Warbler and Subalpine Warbler. Surprise bird here was a Nightingale that popped up in front of me before quickly disappearing into the undergrowth. Other good birds seen before breakfast were Black Kite, White Stork, three Night Heron, Cattle Egret about fifteen Bee-Eaters, Serin, Woodchat Shrike, Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Green Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers.

The only other birding was along the road from Ouarzazate to Marrakech, especially around the Café stop in the mountains were there was an obvious migration going on. Here we had 300 plus Bee-Eaters, a fairly large movement of Hirrundines, a few Booted Eagle and a fair few Chiffchaff and a Common Redstart in the trees.

Also seen along the route were Desert Lark, Wheatear, Black Kite, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Corn Bunting, Shorelark, Crag Martin, Griffon Vulture, Red-billed Chough, Trumpeter Finch and the star bird of the day of the day a pair of Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker, which was a lifer for me.

The only other birds seen were when we arrived in Marrakech. They were Pallid Swifts and Magpie’s.

One Lifer today. Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker

The end product for me was 177 birds seen of which 26 were Lifers.

This was a real bonus of a birding vacation. The first five days were very productive for birds but we did put a lot of hours in looking for them. The last seven organised days were done at a far more leisurely pace but still resulted in some excellent birds seen. Another plus point was the quality of the hotels we stayed at plus the excellent lunch stops we made each day. I can honestly say that booking through Spanish Nature was one of my better decisions and I can highly recommend anyone to use their services.