Morocco Birding Trip Report - Day 3 (Tuesday 26th February 2019)

Our final day in the Atlas Mountains dawned crisp and fresh once more, and being our last chance for Alpine Accentor we checked out early and took the winding road back up to the summit. The Crimson-winged Finches once more put on a show in the first car park, while the now familiar Rock Sparrows, Horned Larks, Bramblings and African Chaffinches foraged in the hay.

African Crimson-winged Finch

African Chaffinch

This time exploring the summit next to the TV transmitter (the area the Accentors apparently favour), there was an abundance of Black Wheatears (the African subspecies riggenbachi) and we counted no fewer than 9 birds, one pair in particular giving outstanding views as they made display flights from the rocks in front of us. 

Male Black Wheatear

The views from the track up the mountains

Sadly however, despite several hours searching, the Alpine Accentors just weren’t to be found, and we headed back down the mountain feeling slightly dejected having failed to connect, reports of two birds at the very TV station we searched at a few weeks later particularly galling.

The TV towers at the top of the mountain where the Alpine Accentors are said to favour - however not for us sadly

Enjoying a last glass of thirst quenching fresh orange at Aurocher, we left the Atlas Mountains and the charming maze of traditional villages behind for the last time, completely enchanted by the simple lifestyle of the villagers, the heart-warming smells coming from the roadside bread ovens and the lines of bubbling tagines.

The views of the Aurocher gardens

The traditional Berber villages had a particular magic about them

The views on the Atlas Mountains had been stunning

Traditional farmland with a backdrop of the Atlas

Having identified a spot with good records of Moussier’s Redstart online, we made our way straight there, stopping one last time to get a shot of the distant Atlas Mountains as a backdrop against the road to Marrakech. Almost immediately upon arrival we struck it lucky, spotting the striking black and orange combination of a male Moussier’s Redstart, albeit distantly, foraging in the farmland shrubs.

Moussier's - honest. Not quite the frame filling shot I had been hoping for...

With the heat haze rendering viewing through the scope difficult to say the least, we headed further up the track in search of any closer birds. A number of Maghreb Magpies parading along the field margins down to a matter of feet was a vast improvement on our previous sightings, while the scratchy song of a Sardinian Warbler rattled around us. 

Maghreb Magpie

The farm track near Marrakech favoured by the Moussier's Redstart

It wasn’t long before we’d located a second Moussier’s – this one much showier than the first and allowing us a relatively close approach if we stayed hidden behind the large gnarling trunks. With a flaming orange belly and bold black and white markings, Moussier’s Redstart was the star attraction of the trip for me and a bird I had been wanting to see for a very long time, so this was a very special moment indeed and we savoured every second of it.

Moussier's Redstart - my star bird of the trip!

With the afternoon drawing on and the Moussier’s disappearing off deeper in to the Olive grove, we made our way to our Riad for the night - in what transpired to be in the heart of Marrakech. Describing the traffic as chaotic would be a complete understatement, as scooters, bikes, rickshaws, donkeys, taxis and pedestrians all jostled for position in the un-laned roads and alleyways. With our sat-nav attempting to take us the wrong way down a one way back alley to reach the Riad, we abandoned ship in the nearest and safest looking car park we could find, navigating the sleeping dogs and masses of people as we trawled our suitcases through the bustling market street.

House Bunting - common but beautiful

They loved the spilled seed

A huge gathering of around 30 House Buntings was a welcome distraction as they congregated on a large pile of spilled seed and grain by the side of the road, and we stopped to photograph these showy common town birds as curious locals looked on. 

Several huge White Stork nests en-route atop the city walls were some of the first birds back to breed, while crowds of Pallid Swifts swept over our heads as they prepared to roost in the nooks and crannies.

Our Riad for the evening was once more in the traditional style of our first evening, again accessed through back alleyways that looked less than safe and secure. Never the less we were made to feel especially welcome once we arrived, and a pair of House Buntings scavenging on leftover biscuit inside the complex kept us entertained for our visit (though not so welcome giving loud bursts of song outside the room before 5am!). With the journey across to Agadir ahead of us the next day we settled down to a rather poultry meal of pot noodle and frazzles, stocking up on water supplies from the Riad owner after debating whether the 4x huge 5l bottles of Bahia osmosis water from the local shop that Alex had hauled back were indeed legit to drink!

House Bunting in the Riad!

Morocco Birding Trip Report - Day 2 (Monday 25th February 2019)

Our next day dawned with sunshine and beautiful blue skies, the harsh call of a Levaillant’s Woodpecker echoing around the valley as we ate breakfast proving to be a promising sign in our attempt at connecting with this endemic species. 

The wooded surroundings of Aurocher

With a number of Serins serenading us as we left the car park, we drove slowly up to Igunane, scanning the bare trunks and oak thickets favoured by the Levaillant’s, the early morning playing to our advantage with a distinct lack of people. In no time at all our dawn start had paid off, and we were soon enjoying fantastic views of a male Levaillant’s Woodpecker, boring in to the thick trunk of a large dead tree in front of us and posing statue like as we drank in the views. 

Levaillant's Woodpecker

The rows of trees lining the road at Igunane that the Levaillant's favoured. There was only a small stretch half way up to Oukaïmeden that seemed suitable.

The Woodpecker's favourite dead tree - next to one of the small Atlas cafes

Dropping down unseen in to a grassy slope next to one of the tagine stands, our woodpecker didn’t resurface, so once more we headed up to the summit in an attempt to catch up with what was now turning in to a bit of a regular nemesis – Alpine Accentor. Upon arrival, the contrast between the previous day was startling – where there had been hundreds of bustling tourists and locals selling their wares a day earlier now stood empty, with not a single person in sight. 

A rather more peaceful Oukaïmeden

Pulling up beside the first car park, several Alpine Choughs lined the wires in front of us, offering much better views than the distant specks I had seen in Spain 5 years earlier, while a small flock of Crimson-winged Finches gave outstanding views on the small wall next to the car, snaffling the leftover seeds and nuts from the previous day’s wares.

Alpine Chough - note the yellow bill

African Crimson-winged Finch - the star of the show at Oukaïmeden!

It was incredible to watch these charasmatic finches feed at such close quarters

Almost like another world compared to the chaos of Sunday and much more enjoyable in the peace and quiet, it would be wise to plan any trips to Oukaimeden for a weekday morning, avoiding the absolute carnage and madness that seems to unfold on a weekend. 

Scanning the slopes once more revealed a huge mega flock of African Chaffinches, several Atlas Horned Larks and Bramblings mixed within, while Rock Sparrows bustled along the walls and fences. Higher up the slopes where some of the larger snow patches remained produced our first Rock Bunting for the trip, while a pair of Black Wheatear held territory on one of the larger boulders – fascinating to hear the male sing and display. 

Rock Bunting

Snow!

Looking back down at the main resort and village

Clear skies from the watchpoint!

A single Barbary Partridge flushed from the Atlas lookout point was a nice surprise, while Black Redstarts once again flitted from rock to rock. With an extensive search yet again yielding no Alpine Accentors, we headed back down the mountain, a small flock of Crag Martins wheeling around the cliff face our first of the trip while a second Rock Bunting perched below. 

Rock Bunting

A stop off at Aurocher for a spot of lunch saw us sample the delights of the delicious Atlas Mountain Morels, a speciality of the area and cooked to perfection in a much needed omelette, providing the opportunity for a relaxing break with an ice cold fresh orange juice, soaking up the scenery after a busy morning at the summit. 

The fantastic Aurocher - complete with stunning mountain backdrop

Refreshed and heading further down the mountainside, a stop off in some sheltered pines revealed a handful of singing Firecrests, while a bit of patience resulted in our first Coal Tit for the trip (ssp Atlas). The lower levels of the mountain saw an abundance of Red-rumped Swallows artfully weaving across the roadside, while scoping down to the riverbed below resulted in our first Moroccan Wagtails (a subspecies of White Wagtail), their black bridles and head straps clear to see despite the distance. 

The amazing views of the Atlas Mountains on our descent

A handful of Common Bulbuls offered a chance for some photos as they lined the trees next to the lush streamside vegetation, while more Red-rumped Swallows floated gracefully overhead. 

With the stupendous Moussiers Redstart on our minds, we set about exploring the farmland and villages at the base of the Atlas, still yet to connect with one of Morocco’s star species. Heading towards the nearby village of Ourika once more saw us experiencing Moroccan traffic at its finest, the locals deciding the main road and bridge over a river would provide the best location for an outdoor market - carts, donkeys, animals, stalls, mopeds and a swarming mass of people all adding to the chaos.

The difference in farming between Morocco and the sterile grasslands of the British farming scene was never more apparent than in the back roads of Ourika, with the fields and hedges absolutely teeming with life. Corn Bunting songs jangled from every bush, while no fewer than 7 pairs of Stonechats made their territory in the hedgerows. House Sparrows, finches and Serins flittered in abundance as coveys of Barbary Partridges made their way gingerly through the crops, while our first Woodchat Shrike of the trip added a splash of colour as it perched on surrounding branches.

A three-point turn in one of the narrow village back roads (realistically more like a 50-point turn) to get back to Ourika once more turned in to an event in itself as locals swarmed en-masse to see what was occurring, with clusters of eager children pawing at the car enthusiastically - our impromptu visit clearly creating mass excitement in an undoubtedly normally event-free rural village community. 

Common Bulbul

A particularly showy Common Bulbul provided a good photo opportunity despite the backlight, but with a lack of Moussiers Redstarts in the area and evening approaching, we headed back to Aurocher (once more having to work our way through the stresses of the bridge market!), a dinner of hummus and delicious lamb cutlets waiting for us in the peace and tranquillity of the Atlas mountain backdrop.