Morocco – Fort Bou Jerif’s Desert Surrounds – 25th March 2010

For this day, as most of the area to be covered was at best by track, we decided to ask the Hotel to arrange for a local driver to take us out. So by nine in the morning we were enjoying the rest from actually driving and aboard a Landrover heading generally towards the sea.

Crested Larks, Red-rumped Wheatear and Black-eared Wheatear were abundant. We soon reach the river, surprisingly little to see, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Grey Heron. By lunch we were at Plage Blanche with Sandwich Tern & Yellow-legged Gull on the shore line and Cormorant & Gannets offshore.

In the afternoon we had Bar-tailed Lark, Temminck’s Lark and Rufous Bush Robin, along with many Camels before we started to head back with views of a Booted Eagle on the way and Richard’s Pipit on the track side.

Life bird count: 395 Year bird count: 172 Month bird count: 138

Photo: Red-rumped Wheatear (Oenanthe moesta); Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)