Boletas Birdwatching Centre was one of the pioneers organizing this superb birdwatching tour in North Africa covering the birdlife of desert, mountain, coast and wetlands, plus the spectacle of spring migration from Africa to Europe. Morocco has specialities and near-endemics only found in the south of the Western Palearctic, and the country could have been designed purely for birding! The variety of habitats includes; arid stony deserts, dry wadis, sand dunes, lakes, rivers, estuaries and the homnipresent snowed Atlas Mountains , where we drive to around 2600m to go birding. giving it extremely interesting avifauna. The birdlife is complemented by amazing polychromatic rocky landscapes which makes driving a picturesque sequence of endless pleasure. Morocco still has a rural style of life lost in most of the European countries, which has helped birdlife for centuries. In early spring passerines are migrating to Europe and the beautiful Morrocan landscape explodes into bloom, helping birds such as Nightingale, warblers and buntings on northward migration, adding an extra dimension to the tour. By fully exploring all these habitats we should find a mouth-watering hitlist of species.
This tour, fruit of our expertise and experience in this country, has been designed to avoid long strenuous driving distances making it a relaxed birdwatching holiday experience.
Itinerary
Day 1.- Meet you at Marrakesh airport where House Bunting is at the terminal building. Outside the airport is an excellent place to start or birding holiday, Common Bulbul, Pallid & Little Swift are possible and migrants can be localised in the t gardens. Time permitting we will drive to the foothills of the Atlas mountains , walking down a river Bonelli´s Eagle, Hawfinch or Levaillant Woodpecker are possible. Overnight in Marrakesh
Day 2.- Atlas Mountains - This morning we will drive up into the High Atlas Mountains and visit Oukaimeden (2600m). As we drive along the cultivated valley floor we should find a good mix of resident and migrant species such as, Woodchat Shrike, Common Crossbill, Hawfinch, Brambling, House , Rock & Cirl Bunting and we may well see our first stunning Moussier's Redstart. Slightly higher up among the rocky slopes we will search for Barbary Partridge, Blue Rock Thrush and the endemic Levaillant's Woodpecker. When we finally reach the ski resort of Oukaimeden we will take some time to admire the stunning scenery before beginning our search of the snowline for the handsome Crimson-winged Finch. Other species here include Rock Sparrow, Water Pipit, the now new espcie of Seebohm´s Wheatear, Red-billed and Alpine Chough and Shore Lark. Raptors to keep an eye out for include Golden Eagle and possibly the majestic Lammergeier. Optional visit to Marrakesh city after dinner. Overnight in Marrakesh
Day 3.- From Marrakesh to Boulmane . We will drive through the High Atlas Mountains where its snowy peaks seen from miles away decorate the landscape through an unexpected series of different habitats. As fruit of our several trips , we have discovered a raptors watch point named: BRWP – Boletas Raptors watch Point , resident and migrant birds such as Lanner, Barbary Falcon, Lesser Kestrel, Black Kite , Long-legged Buzzard, Short-toed & Booted Eagle can be observed gliding together bellow the clean Moroccan blue sky. Drive through the scenic and rather impressive Tizi `n' Tichka pass to admire its fabulous geological rock formations before continuing on our journey to the plains. The road down the mountains is extremely winding and we will take our time, stopping at a few convenient locations which will produce and exciting number of interesting birds such us Levaillant´s Woodpecker, Mourning Weathear, Desert Lark or Trompeter Finch. A short walk through a small stream surrounded by olive and palm trees use to be very good for migrants. Drive to our base in Boulmane with impressive views to the Dades river.
Day 4.- Hammada Stony Desert - After a good night's sleep, early morning we will visit the famous and exciting Tagdilt Track. Despite the nearby rubbish tip and its plastic bags spread by the wid all over the area, still an excellent spot for some very special birds. Careful searching of the area could reveal Cream coloured Courser, Black-bellied & Crowned sandgrouse, Thick-billed, Bar-tailed, Desert and Temminck's Horned Larks, as well as Red-rumped and Desert Wheatears and Trumpeter Finch. In 2006 we were lucky to spot Houbara Bustard 10 mts. from our vehicles, this bird was not record in the area in many years. Since 2006 we have had lunch in a ruined building where Desert, White-Crowned, Red-rumped and Mourning Weathear have been regularly breeding and Lanner , Long-legged Buzzard and Cream-coloured Courser are regular birds in the area. After lunh and depending of the midday temperatures we can walk through a river bed with good chances of Hoopoe , Bee-eater or Orphean Warbler.Overnight in Boulmane.
Day 5,.- From Boulmane to Merzouga. After a last look at the Tagdilt Track we drive on towards our secluded auberge at Merzouga, situated right on the edge of the Sahara where we will stay the next three nights. The drive east will no doubt be punctuated with stops to check out the numerous wadis and palm-fringed oases, as we look for Bluecheeked Bee-eater, Lanner and migrants such as Subalpine Warbler, European Bee-eater amongst others . A short walk before Merzouga will give su the chance to see the magnificent desert race of Eagle Owl in one of the two spots we know. Overnight in Merzouga
Day 6 &7. The Sahara Desert . Our auberge with its attractive gardens and surrounding palm trees attracts a good variety of migrants, and the immediate area is worth checking at every opportunity for species such as Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike, Wryneck, Rufous Bush Robin or Nightingale. We will spend two days checking various sites around the edge of the red sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi - the largest dune system in Morocco . Our major prize should be found around the various cafes that are dotted about the landscape, and in one of these remote outposts we hope to find the elusive Desert Sparrow. Other species we will search for include Fulvous Babbler, Hoopoe Lark, African Desert Warbler and Brown-necked Raven. There are sometimes seasonal lakes, which attract numerous wildfowl and waders such as Marbled Duck the attractive Ferruginous Duck , Greater Flamingo or Marcs Harrier - an amazing sight out here in the desert! It is also worth scanning the skies for visible migration, and as the day warms up it is possible to see good numbers of storks and raptors rising on the thermals and heading north towards their breeding grounds. We will also spend some time at dawn or dusk searching for the rather unpredictable Egyptian Nightjar, which sometimes breeds in nearby wadis. Other species in this area include Short-toed and Bar-tailed Desert Larks, Desert and Black-eared Wheatears, Dartford and Spectacled Warblers, Trumpeter Finch, Southern Grey Shrike and possibly Spotted Sandgrouse. One early morning we will drive through the desert areas near the Algerian border in the search of the reintroduced from captivity Hubara Bustard. Overnight in Merzouga.
Day 8.- Transition day from Merzouga to Ouazarzate. We will drive through the Anti-Atlas , the second Moroccan mountain range in importance; a series of rocky hills , cliffs and deep gorges of volcanic geological formations. Roadside birding will produce migrants and lots of wheatears, in 2005 we were lucky to find a Bonelli´s Eagle nest . Walk around Ouazarzate reservoir with an exquisite selection of birds which include Moussiers Redstart, Wryneck, Western Bonelli´s, Western Orphean , Subalpine & Olivaceus warblers , Desert , Northern & Black-eared Wheatear, Bleu-cheeked Bee-eater, Rock & House Bunting among other migrants.. Overnight in Ouazarzate.
Day 9.- After breakfast we drive from Ouarzazate to Agadir. Today we need to drive to the Atlantic coast. We will stop in the famous medieval Kasbah Ait Benhadou where birding is first class and local specialities include Desert Lark, Trompeter Finch or Mourning Weathear. After Lunch in the scenic Tzin Izhsane we continue to the fertile Sous Valley through scrub thickets and citrus groves where we could find European Roller, Black shouldered Kite or Western Orphean Warbler. We could find anything from Black Kites migrating overhead, Bee-eaters resting on roadside wires, to skulking Subalpine Warblers or a Lanner in a roadside promontory. Several stops will produce interesting migrants passerines, raptors, waders or storks. Overnight in Agadir
Day 10.- The Atlantic Coast -An early start will see us ahead to the Atlantic coast. We will spend the morning in the Sous Massa National Park . We will walk all along this important spot for the endangered Bald Ibis, one of the rarest birds in the planet, with an important bird population, we will search the vegetation along the water's edge for skulking Squacco Heron, , whilst the distinctive call of Black-crowned Tchagras ring out from dense cover. More easily observed birds can include Marbled Duck, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Black-shouldered Kite, Glossy Ibis, Squacco and Purple Herons, Ruddy Shelduck, Plain Martin and possibly Tawny Eagle. Other possibilities include Savi's, Western Olivaceous and Moustached Warblers, Zitting Cisticola, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Pallid Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Common Bulbul, Spotless Starling. After lunch we will drive along the semi arid steppes of the Sous valley with good chances for Lesser Short-toed Lark, Cream Coloured Courser, Stone Curlew or sandgrouse. Later in the afternoon we will visit the Oued Sous - a delightful area which is very good for waders, terns and large flocks of roosting gulls, including Slender-billed, Audouin's and Mediterranean. Other species here include Greater Flamingo, Zitting Cisticola and Sardinian Warbler. At dusk we will check a nearby site for Red-necked Nightjar. Overnight in Agadir
Day 11.- After Breakfast and time permitting we will drive to Tamri where we will see one of the world's biggest colonies of Bald Ibis, and where we hope to see Audouin's Gull, Zitting Cisticola, Barbary Partridge, Moussier's Redstart and Sardinian Warbler. Transition from Agadir to Marrakesh to take your flight home.
