Morocco one of my Favorites.

I started to go to Morocco in 2006. Since than I have been many times and always enjoyed the Country. I love the birds in Morocco, but besides that the country offers a lot more. The scenery is amazing, the people are friendly and enjoying the Moroccan culture, being in their famous cities, never get boring. Several times we went for the Houbara bustard, and sometimes we were lucky to find it. This really beautiful bird is suffering a lot because of the completely ridiculous hunting-fever of rich Saudis. The actual situation is quite alarming and has to be stopped as soon as possible, because otherwise this bird will be exterminated. All means are used to localize the bird .. In several occacions we were stopped by Un-official guards working for the Saudi-hunters. They really have a nasty behaviour. It is possible to get special permission to visit the places where they still can be found, but this is also really complicated.  Morocco is a paradise for birdwatchers because of the great variety of habitats. One will find agricultural areas and big marsh-areas,high mountains, but also sandy- and stone-deserts and a very long coastline. The trips I have made are developed in close collaboration with Spanish Nature, a specialist birding Agency. One trip is exploring the mountainous- and desert areas, the other one is covering those regions with special importance for migration birds.

Click on next to go to - Desert Trip

Trip to the Desert

The first trip starts in Marrakech, one of the most interesting cities in Morocco. Here you will find an interesting mixture of modern life and the ancient arab culture. During the last decade many people from all places in the world found in Marrakech their second home, buying their house in one of the modern build living areas just outside the city. The souk in Marrakech is rightly famous and is a feature in the older part of the city. This market and its unique atmosphere is a must for anyone wanting a true ‘Moroccan' experience!

From Marrakech we ascend the peaks of the High Atlas. The scenery is beautiful and becomes noticeably more arid as we descend towards Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Sahara, that is at least what locals call Ouarzazate. From here we travel to Agdz and then following the Draa Valley, going off road in the Wadi's, taking the route of many migrating birds and finally ending in Zagora. Zagora is set around the midway point of the Draa Valley and is perfectly located for us to explore the sandy deserts of the Sahara which are some 50kms further south. Here you will be able to experience some of the famous Berber culture.

We will stay in Zagora for a couple of days to explore the Sahara. Birdlife here is special with different Lark species, Cream-coloured Courser, Sandgrouse and many more. The Sahara has one of the harshest climates in the world. The desiccating and dust-laden winds are sometimes felt north and south of the desert, where they are variously known as sirocco, khamsin, simoom, and harmattan. During the summer: daytime temperatures are high, with records reaching 45°C to 50 °C. During the winter: warm during the day however freezing temperatures are not uncommon at night from December to February. Rainfall is sparse, with an average annual total of less than 5 in. (12.7cm); rainfall is usually torrential when it occurs, often after long dry periods that sometimes last for years. Sandstorms may happen throughout the year, and if you are lucky enough to experience the " Ajaj " (fierce sand carrying winds) you will never forget it.

From Zagora we will travel North-east to the sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi, which occupies Morocco's south-east corner. The sand dunes are spectacular en to watch the sunset here is something really special and the reason why most travellers visit this part of the country. For us it is not only that, in good years there is water present in the Dayet Srji a local lake where it had been dry for many years prior to 2007. If we are fortunate enough to find water here, then a real mixture of water birds will be on display. This region is also well known for the Houbara Bustard. With help of a local guide we were able to locate this bird several tims, however it gets more difficult every year because of th Saud-hunters.

We continue our route to Boumalne de Dades, making a stop to visit the Todra Gorge. A mixture of habitats from Tinejdad to Boumalne de Dades promises much in variety of species. Close to Boumalne you will find the famous Tagdilt Track, the area is well known by birders, which is a stone desert surrounded by the Atlas mountains . The altitude is around 1600 meters. The area has very good populations of Red-rumped Wheatears and Temminck's Horned Lark, plus Trumpeter Finches. But we normally find also Sandgrouse species and the elusive Thick-billed Lark. From Boumalne de Dades we go back to Marrakech staying one more night in Ouarzazate.

Click on next to go to - Migration Watch

Migration Watch.

This tour has been especially tailored to take in some of the rarest birds in Morocco, whilst also timed to view autumn migration where ‘anything’ might turn-up. We also visit one of the largest breeding colonies in the world for Eleonora’s Falcon! This tour also starts in Marrakech, famous for the historical "Djemâa El Fna" central square, the "Koutoubia" minaret, the beautiful garden of "Agdal", the royal "Menara" and the congress palace.
From Marrakech to the Atlantic coast we will journey into the Anti Atlas Mountains and also stay in the southern deserts. The scenery alone is worth joining the tour for. The first destination will be Essaouira. The journey will take us through many different landscapes from grape producing areas to open desert and juniper woodlands.Here we spent time observing the Eleonora’s Falcon colony (675 breeding pairs recorded in 2001 which is 10% of the world population) and then visiting the Oued Ksob. This river mouth is a very good place to observ many migrants. The next day we will leave for the Paradise Valley. On our way we will stop and spend time at and around Tamri lagoon and shoreline. The lagoon and marshes at Tamri are a favoured area for migrants and the  Bald Ibis on the surrounding dunes. The Paradise valley is a wonderful place to wander and explore, mountain paths, woodland and incredible rock formations.  You can make make journeys into the surrounding valleys and explore the mountain areas for such species as Bonelli’s Eagle, Barbary Partridge, Crossbill and Little Swift etc. It is certainly worthwhile to stay here for more than one day.

From the Paradise Valley we will travel to the desert west of Guelmim. Our journey takes us around the eastern ring road of Agadir and we hope to have time to stop near the roadside a little further south for birding the Oued Massa. The area between Bouizakarne and Guelmim is good for lark species and Fulvous Babblers. After Guelmim we head out into the desert and take a stop near to a small river, where we can walk a little way upstream looking for waders and warblers. This again is an area to stay more than one day. We would recommend a day trip into the surrounding desert and visit to the beach Plage Blanche.

For those who fancy walking along the track westwards there is an old and interesting Foreign Legion Fort (Bou-Jerif) and the surrounding desert can also be quiet interesting.  It is possible to do some sea watching here and also the mouth of the estuary can be very interesting. Leaving this area and heading for the area Sidi R’bat we can stop to take in the wadi and see the breeding site for a pair of Bonelli’s Eagle. We will then proceed to our next destination in the reserve of Oued Massa, a really important place for birds, with beaches, lagoons, desert areas wadi's and marshes. The area is a much favoured one for migrants as well as rare breeding residents. From this reserve we will travel north towards Agadir and near to the royal palace a visit  to the mouth of estuary for the Oued Souss can be very interesting. 

From here we will make our way back to Marrakech. The route takes us through the edges of the High Atlas and is scenically a beautiful route; we will take lunch early into our journey. Finally we will spend a morning to journey into the nearby High Atlas to the Ski resort of Oukaimeden,  We are hoping to bag a few mountain species here and the primary target is Crimson-winged Finch. Chough, Rock Sparrow and Shore (Horned) Lark are others we should see, but if we really get lucky then Alpine Chough might put in an appearance.