MOROCCO - DAY 1 - MARCH 6TH 2014

MENARA AIRPORT (MARRAKECH) – OURIKA VALLEY

The weather was beautiful as we landed in Morocco, cloudless skies and a high temperature of 22C.

We all met up at Menara Airport at 4pm. This was unfortunately too late to do much birding before it got dark, so our usually trip up to Oukaimedan was left out of the itinerary until tomorrow.

LOOKING INTO THE OURIKA VALLEY WHILST WAITING FOR THE LITTLE SWIFTS

 

 

 

However, we did manage to see some species at the airport where we were welcomed by a singing House Bunting and outside we saw Common Bubul, Collared Dove and a few House Martins. Our route took us through some lovely countryside as we drove into the Ourika valley. We stopped to look at some raptors circling om the thermals, there were 5 Short-toed Eagles, 3 Common Kestrel and a distant Bonelli’s Eagle. We also saw a Great-grey Shrike (algeriensis) on a telegraph poles well as a couple of White Storks.

Deeper into the valley we logged several Cattle Egrets and a few Little Egrets before we stopped at a regular breeding site for Little Swifts. Whilst we waited for the swifts to appear we logged several nice species; African Chaffinch, African Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler (heard), Levaillant’s Woodpecker (heard), House Martin and a few common species. Just as we were about to leave a flock of Little Swifts turned up, they circled over us for a while before diving down to their nests under the eaves of a building.

It was now getting dark so we left and drove the short distance to the hotel, thus ended our first day in sunny Morocco.