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Egyptian Nightjar in recent years, and after a brief search there we decided to return to Auberge La Caravan. After a one-hour break we went on another four-wheel drive at 4 p.m. and searched until nightfall for Houbara Bustard in the stony desert east of Erg Chebbi, reaching very close to the Algerian border. The sandstorm wasn’t helpful and unfortunately we were again unsuccessful. We stayed a second night at Auberge Le Caravane – two of us in a berber tent, a nice experience. 15.04. Rissani, Hassan Addakhil, Zeida Plains Yesterday’s sandstorm had quietened down and so we left Auberge Le Caravane at 4 a.m. to try our luck with the Egyptian Nightjar at the new hotspot at Auberge Tresor. We heard 1 bird in first light but didn’t manage to see it. We continued to Rissani, where we walked along the Oued Ziz. This dried out river bed is mentioned by Gosney as the most reliable site for Saharan Olivaceous Warbler (race reiseri), which is sometimes thought to be a separate species. After searching for the species north of the bridge without success - although at least 12 Blue-cheecked Bee-eaters and one Moroccan White Wagtail (race subpersonata) were some consolation - we located 3 singing birds in the tamarisks south of the bridge. After a delightful breakfast in Rissani we searched for our final target bird in the area, Longbilled Crested Lark race macrorhyncha. This subspecies is often treated as a separate species and we found it to be quite common along the drainage channels next to the road to the well-known site for Pharaoh Eagle Owl. Saharan Olivaceous Warbler, Rissani, 15.04.2010 14 Long-billed Crested Lark, Rissani, 15.04.2010 We continued north towards Midelt with several stops along the way, including a quick swim at the beautiful Source Bleue de Meski near Er-Rachidia and some birding at the famous dam at Hassan Addakhil, where we had a small flock of Greater Flamingos, Ruddy Shelducks and 5 Marbled Ducks. We arrived at the Zeida plains in the late afternoon, where we visited a site mentioned by Gosney. Three km south of Zeida we turned right at the crossroads between two bends, close to the km post that says “Er Rachidia 167” and “Meknes 162”. We stopped after a few hundred metres along this track (32.7944 N 4.9335 W) and searched for Dupont’s Lark in light rain. Our hopes were low due to the bad weather and the late time of the day but after a brief but heavy thunderstorm the sun came out. We were very pleased to hear 5-8 birds singing, together with 20+ Lesser Short-toed Larks and 15+ Greater Short-toed Larks. After a long hunt, we managed to get brief views of 2 Dupont’s Larks, which proved extremely difficult to locate although they were singing directly in front of us. We stayed at the nearby Hotel Timnay, which turned out to be good value. Although it was not the cheapest hotel, it can be highly recommend and keeps a birding logbook. It is located about 2 km south of the junction to the track for the larks on the left when coming from the north. We spent a pleasant evening at the hotel.
16.04. Zeida Plains, Azrou, Ifrane, Sidi Yaya – Sidi Bettache, Temara Zeida Plains, 15.04.2010 I felt sick during the night and so did not join Seppi and Helmut in their hunt for Dupont’s Lark at first light. They found 5 birds at the same spot and enjoyed excellent views of this highly elusive species. Dupont’s Lark, Zeida Plains, 16.04.2010 After breakfast we headed on north towards Ifrane. Our main targets were Atlas Pied Flycatcher and Levaillant’s (Green) Woodpecker, which we had so far only heard. On our way we added 2 adult Egyptian Vultures to our list and encountered 3 Seebohm’s Wheatears. We were surprised to find huge numbers of White Storks at a high altitude of up to 2000 metres feeding by small lakes or in open grasslands. A few kilometres south of Azrou we stopped by chance and were lucky to find a male Levaillant’s (Green) Woodpecker immediately in an oak forest. Although we put some effort into locating an early Atlas Pied Flycatcher we failed to see the species, which is hardly surprising as the first individuals do not normally arrive until the end of April. 15
Page 1 and 2: TRIP REPORT MOROCCO AND WESTERN SAH
Page 3 and 4: flamingo_290@hotmail.com, phone 002
Page 5 and 6: close to the sea, 50 km south of Ta
Page 7 and 8: Desert Sparrow, Oued Yenna, 08.04.2
Page 9 and 10: 10.04. Essaouria surroundings, Oual
Page 11 and 12: We decided to avoid the Marrakesh t
Page 13: Pharaoh Eagle Owl with three chicks
Page 17 and 18: Marbled Duck, Lac de Sidi Boughaba,
Page 19 and 20: were watching some waders, gulls an
Page 21 and 22: Complete Trip List 1. Zwergtaucher
Page 23 and 24: 112. Mönchssittich° Myiopsitta mo
Page 25: 219. Bluthänfling Acanthis cannabi

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