Highlights of the Ornitholidays tour to Morocco (25 Oct – 1 Nov, unusually high temperatures), based in Agadir and Goulimine, included the following:

26th October:

• Agadir (Hotel Anezi) – European Starling (2) feeding with Spotless Starlings (not seen later in the week)
• Agadir Kasbah – Barbary Partridge (4), Black-crowned Tchagra (2). Subalpine Warbler
• Tamri lagoon – Squacco Heron, Mediterranean Gull, Eurasian Coot (400), Eurasian Spoonbill
• Tamri coast – European Shag
• Aghroud beach – Audouin’s Gull (100+), Black-crowned Tchagra (2)

27th October:

• Sidi Bibi – Little Swift (10+)
• Ifriane – Bald Ibis (8), Barbary Falcon
• Sidi R’bat – Common Scoter (3 south offshore)
• Massa (various sites) – Black-crowned Night Heron (5), Cream-coloured Courser (5), Laughing Dove (5+), Little Swift (10+), Little Owl, Eurasian Hoopoe, Lesser Short-toed Lark (20+), Brown-throated Martin (5), Red-rumped Swallow (5), ‘Moroccan’ Reed Warbler (10+)
• Oued Souss – Little Stint, Mediterranean Gull (15), Moroccan White Wagtail (2)

28th October:

• Asrir area, south-east of Goulimine – Lanner Falcon, Greater Short-toed Lark (10+), Desert Lark (2), Thick-billed Lark (7), Red-rumped Swallow, White-crowned Wheatear (5), Desert Wheatear (2), Red-rumped Wheatear (3), Spectacled Warbler (2), Fulvous Babbler (7)

29th October:

• Desert south-west of Goulimine along main road: ‘saltpans’ at km 12 – Ruddy Shelduck 18, Marbled Duck (5), Ferruginous Duck, Black Stork, Long-legged Buzzard, Little Stint, Ruff (3)
• Oued Boukila – Scrub Warbler, Fulvous Babbler (4)
• km 30 – Bar-tailed Lark (2), Greater Hoopoe Lark (2), Thick-billed Lark (3)
• km 33 – Long-legged Buzzard, Bar-tailed Lark (3), Greater Short-toed Lark (100+), Lesser Short-toed Lark, Thick-billed Lark (3), Temminck’s Lark (4), Greater Hoopoe Lark, Tawny Pipit, Spectacled Warbler, Desert and Red-rumped Wheatears (at this site we were able to watch 7 species of lark from one spot!)

30th October:

• Summit just before Immouzzer – Tristram’s Warbler, Atlas Common Crossbill (2), Rock Bunting (2), Eurasian Crag Martin (10)
• Paradise Valley – Rock Bunting (2), Eurasian Crag Martin

31st October:

• Desert along road towards Barrage Youssef ben Tachfine: Osprey, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (3), Black-bellied Sandgrouse (250+), Spectacled Warbler (2), Desert Wheatear
• Massa (south end of valley) – Squacco Heron, White Stork (55), Glossy Ibis (220), Eurasian Spoonbill (3), juv Bonelli’s Eagle, Booted Eagle, Black-winged Kite, Barbary Falcon, Ruff (2), Laughing Dove (5)
• Sidi Wassay – Balearic Shearwater (2 north), Stone Curlew (40)

1st November:

• Oued Souss – White Stork (18), Eurasian Spoonbill (5), Stone Curlew, Slender-billed Gull (3), Greater Flamingo (80)

We noted 11 species of dragonfly and 14 species of butterfly, the highlight being Two-tailed Pasha in Paradise Valley.

(David Walsh)