MOROCCO SHORT BREAK-FEB 29TH 2012

DAY 3 - WED FEB 29^TH – Rabat – Tangier – with stops at Plage de Shikrat and Larache East Marshes

It was cloudy when I left the hotel at 8am, but it was dry and hardly a breeze. I went straight to the beach which was on the way to the auto-route. Two new species for the trip list and yet another first for Moroccan list. A few Ruddy Turnstones were added to the list and a Common Gull (2 cy) was on the beach with the other gulls. Impressive numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also on the beach, about 1,000 and also several hundred Mediterranean Gulls some of them in their superb summer garb.

There were also Audouin’s Gull and I saw Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Common Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Sanderling, Dunlin, Eurasian Curlew and a lot of Barn Swallows.

I then drove onto the motorway and headed north, it only took an hour and half to reach Larache, so I ahd plenty of time to visit the marshes as my ferry back to Spain was due to leave at 4pm.

What a superb place Larache Marshes is, in my opinion the marshes are as good as Coto Donana at this time of the year. I must of seen 50 species in the space of 2 hours, I found it hard to drag myself away!

I found many of the species seen two days ago but added some nice waders to the trip tally. A few Wood Sandpipers, lots of Avocets, the odd Little Stint, a couple of Spotted Redshank and a small flock of Knot were all new for the trip. In ther meantime I saw thousands of other waders, the most numerous were Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Redshank, Common Snipe (100+), I’ve never seen some many snipe in one place. Glossy Ibis numbered over 500, Yellow Wagtail the same, also lots of Water pipit, Red-knobbed Coot, Marsh Harrier, Teal, Shoveler, Mallard and Wigeon.

I never found the Spotted Crake again but I did find a Common Kingfisher’s nest hole and had good views of Cetti’s Warbler and lots of Common Chiffchaffs, I also found my first Common Starlings of the trip and a nice flock of Spanish Sparrows.

Eventually I had to leave, but I stayed on the slow road backtoTangier,and pulled off whenever I felt like it. I visited the seasonal pools on the side of the road near Asilaha for a second time , the Greater Flamingo flock was still there, as was over 300 Golden Plover. Black-winged Stilts, Kentish Plover, Common Sandpiper and Sanderling made up the other sightings.

Just north of Asilah I stopped and walked in some cork oak woods, it was very quiet, probably because it very warm and approaching midday. A small flock of African Chaffinch, a few Serin and a group of Moroccan Magpies was the pick of my sightings.

During the drive I also noticed Common Buzzard, Black Kite, Common Kestrel, also my first Osprey. Wood Pigeon was the last bird on the list. I didn’t watch the sea from the ferry because I left my bins in the car and for some reason I fell asleep.

I can’t wait to return next week with a small group to repeat this trip, the marshes at Larache should be fantastic with lots more migrants passing through.