Tuesday 24 May 2016

Souss Valley, Oued Massa & Oued Souss

On our way to the Ooarzazate a roadside stop produced excellent views of Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Crested Larks, Serins, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Rufous Bushchats and more.
Moroccan Pied Wagtail (Subpersonata)
An overnight stop at Ouarzazate allowed some time at the barrage at Mansour Eddahbi where we saw Moroccan Wagatail, Collared Pratincoles, Black-winged Stilts, Greenshank, Little-ringed and Kentish Plovers, Stone Curlews, Gull-billed and Black Terns, Flamingos, Spoonbills, Purple Herons, Marbled Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Shelduck, Bonelli's and Melodious Warblers, Hoopoe's and much more.
Collared Pratincoles
Hoopoe
Melodious Warbler fly catching from a pinnacle atop the hotel 
House Bunting on another Pinnacle
Juvenile Black Wheatear
Next day we headed for the Oued Massa south of Agadir for 2 nights. In the evenings and mornings we sea watched from our hotel balcony seeing several Cory's Shearwaters, Balearic Shearwaters, Gannets, Sandwich Terns, Yellow-legged Gulls and 29 Bald Ibis's. In the National Park a Barbary Falcon sat on a pylon, Little Owls and Crested Larks seemed abundant and good numbers of Bald Ibis's were seen.  In the valley the fields were teeming with birds. Cirl Buntings, House Buntings. Nightingales, Rufous Bushchats, Sardinian, Melodious, Fan-tailed, western Olivacious Warblers, Blackcaps, Serins, many Turtle Doves and Laughing Doves, Moussier's Redstart, Stonechats, Crested Larks, Common, Pallid and Little Swift, Brown-throated Martin, Red-rumped and Barn Swallows and best of all superb views of Black-crowned Tchagra.
Barbary Falcon
Bald Ibis
Moussier's Redstart

Fan-tailed Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Black-crowned Tchagra




Stone Curlew
Rufous Bushchat
Cirl Bunting
House Bunting
Our last stop was at Oued Souss where we had superb views of Black-winged Stilts, Flamingos, Grey Plover, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Sanderling, European Bee-eaters, Sardinian Warblers, Gull-billed Terns and more. The end of brilliant trip with Chris and Mark. Brahim and Hamid were excellent hosts, giving us a superb Moroccan birding experience. If you are thinking of going to Morocco on a birding trip we thoroughly recommend them. Brahim can be contacted at http://www.gayuin.com/  I am sure you will not be disappointed. 
Black-winged Stilts
Maroccan Cormorant 
Greater Flamingos

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