Birdwatching trip from 28th May until 15th June 2014 by Hugues Dufourny: « Altogether we recorded 223 species, which is a remarkably high total for the late spring period ! The only really missed species was Mourning Wheatear. We also dipped White-rumped Swift (at Imlil) but the whereabouts of this species seem to be very unaccurate in Morocco … 
On the other hand, on land the trip produced nothing unexpected in terms of « rarities » (except perhaps the Roseate Terns at Dakhla but I strongly suspect them to be regular there). At sea, some very nice sightings were obtained; there are no doubt things to discover off Morocco, even in June ».

Interesting records have included:

• – Purple Heron: 1 adult at Ouarzazate Lake on 04-06.
• – Ruddy Shelduck: 106 at Dayet Hachlaf (Middle Atlas) on 29-05; 128 at Dayet Srji (Merzouga area) on 01-06.
• – Marbled Teal: only 1 at Oued Souss on 05 and 07-06. Not seen at usual places like Dayet Aoua or Dayet Srji
• – Ferruginous Duck: 80 at Dayet Aoua on 29-05.
• – Eurasian Spoonbill: 70 at Oued Souss estuary on 07-06.
• – Glossy Ibis: 3 at Oued Souss estuary on 05-06; c.40 at Oued Massa on 06-06.
• – Greater Flamingo: 88 at Dayet Srji on 01-06.
• – Great Cormorant: 1 sinensis at Ouarzazate Lake on 04-06.
• – European Shag: 4 adults + 1 flying juv. of the now very rare riggenbachi subspecies a few km north of Tamri on 05-06. Three pairs have bred there.
• – Black Kite: c.40 at Aguelmane Sidi Ali on 30-05.
• – Honey Buzzard: 1 male near Auberge Yasmina (Merzouga area) on 01-06; 1 female migrating NE near “Tagdilt Track” on 03-06; 3 migrating NNW near Aousserd on 11-06. Late migrants.
• – Booted Eagle: 1 at Oued Jenna on 11-06.
• – Osprey: 1 at Ouarzazate Lake on 04-06; 1 at Oued Souss estuary on 05/08-06.
• – Barbary Falcon: 1 female at Auberge Caravane (Merzouga area) on 01-06.
• – Eleonora’s Falcon: 2 at Azrou (Middle Atlas) on 29-05; 1 at Oued Massa on 06-06; 3 at Oued Souss estuary on 05-06; 1 between Tahanaoute and Asni (High Atlas) on 13-06. Inland records are always surprising but nevertheless quite normal at this time of year.
• – Lesser Kestrel: a colony of at least 6 between Tahanaoute and Asni (High Atlas) on 13-06.
• – Ringed Plover: 35 at Dayet Hachlaf on 29-05. High number at this inland location
• – Green Sandpiper: Ouarzazate, 04-06: 1 ex. Unexpected date
• – Cream-coloured Courser: one nest with two eggs (+ one pair + 3 ex.) 3 km south of Zeïda on 31-05; 21 between Gleb Jdiane and Oued Jenna (170 km) on 10-06.
• – Little Tern: 4 at Ouarzazate Lake on 04-06.
• – Black Tern: 3 at Ouarzazate Lake on 04-06; c.10 at Pointe de la Sarga on 12-06.
• – Whiskered Tern: 7 at Ouarzazate Lake on 04-06.
• – White-winged Tern: 1 adult at Ouarzazate Lake on 04-06.
• – Roseate Tern: 3 at Pointe de la Sarga on 12-06.
• – Gull-billed Tern: 10 at Oued Souss estuary on 07-06.
• – Caspian Tern: 2 still migrating N at Tamri estuary on 07-06.
• – Lesser Crested Tern: 2 at Oued Souss estuary on 08-06; c.10 at Pointe de la Sarga on 12-06.
• – Royal Tern: 7 in Dakhla Bay and 2 at Pointe de la Sarga on 12-06.
• – Spotted Sandgrouse: 3 (one pair + 1 female) at the Scrub Warbler site NE of Goulmima on 02-06; one pair at “Tagdilt Track” on 03-06; 7 at Gleb Jdiane on 10-06.
• – Crowned Sandgrouse: 15 at Gleb Jdiane on 10-06.
• – Pin-tailed Sandgrouse: 10 flying-over 3 km south of Zeïda on 31-05; 1 female with 32 Black-bellied Sandgrouses at Oued Anseguerine (between Zeïda and Midelt) on 31-05.
• – Eurasian Scops-Owl: 3 singing in full daylight at Dayet Aoua on 29-05.
• – Desert Eagle-Owl: 1 at its day roost in the “Tagdilt Track” area not far from the road to Ikniouen on 03-06. We had dipped the species on the previous day at its well-known site near Rissani.
• – Tawny Owl: 1 singing at Arbhalou (High Atlas) on 14-06.
• – Egyptian Nightjar: 1 at its day roost near Kasbah Saïd (Auberge Derakoua area, Erfoud-Merzouga area) on 01-06.
• – Red-necked Nightjar: 1 in full daylight at its day-roost at Oued Souss estuary on 05-06.
• – Eurasian Nightjar: 1 female at Gleb Jdiane on 10-06. Late migrant ?
• – Eurasian Roller: one pair between Tahanaoute and Asni (High Atlas) on 13-06.
• – Dupont’s Lark: 3 singing incl. 1 seen very well 3 km south of Zeïda on 31-05.
• – Thick-billed Lark: one pair with 1 flying juv. 3 km south of Zeïda on 31-05; 22 coming to drink in groups at Gleb Jdiane on 10-06. Not seen at all in the Boumalne-Tagdilt area (which is increasingly becoming a disgusting place covered with thousands of plastic bags).
• – Dunn’s Lark: only 1 between Oued Jenna and Aousserd on 11-06.
• – Black-crowned Finch-Lark: 23 (3+6+14) at Oued Jenna on 10/11-06; 1 5 km N of Aousserd on 11-06; 2 10 km S of Aousserd on 11-06.
• – Plain Martin: only 9 at Oued Massa on 06-06.
• – Sand Martin: 1 at Dakhla Bay on 12-06.
• – Atlas Flycatcher: 6 or 7 territories on the south shore of Dayet Aoua on 29-05, including a pair visiting a nest cavity; 6 territories at “Ifrane Park” on 30-05.
• – Scrub Warbler: one pair with 2 flying juvs. at a well-known site NE of Goulmima on 02-06.
• – Cricket Longtail: at least 13 (3+5+5) at Oued Jenna on 10/11-06; 2 5 km N of Aousserd on 11-06; 4 10 km S of Aousserd on 11-06.
• – “Saharan” Eastern Olivaceous Warbler: 3 singing c.20 km north of Erfoud on 31-05; c.10 ex. incl. one feeding a short-tailed juv. in tamarisks along the Oued Ziz at Rissani on 02-06; 2+3 singing at other sites in the Rissani area on 02-06; two families (c.7 ex. incl. short-tailed flying juvs being fed by adults) at Ouarzazate along a watercourse just east of town on 04-06. The species is very common in the whole south from N of Erfoud to Ouarzazate (where we did not find Western Olivaceous Warbler).
• – Western Olivaceous Warbler: 1 at Oued Jenna on 10/11-06; 3 10 km S of Aousserd on 11-06. Late migrants.
• – Melodious Warbler: 3 at Oued Jenna on 10/11-06; 1 5 km N of Aousserd on 11-06; 1 10 km S of Aousserd on 11-06. Late migrants.
• – Western Orphean Warbler: 1 male at Oued Jenna on 10/11-06; 1 5 km N of Aousserd on 11-06; 1 115 km N of Aousserd on 11-06. Late migrants.
• – Western Subalpine Warbler: 3 at Oued Jenna on 11-06; 2 10 km S of Aousserd on 11-06. Late migrants.
• – Whitethroat: 1 near Merzouga on 01-06; 1 c.10 km E of Ouarzazate on 04-06. Late migrants.
• – African Desert Warbler: 1 heard + 1 seen very well near Kasbah Saïd (Auberge Derakoua area, Erfoud-Merzouga area); 1 singing near the track from the Merzouga-Rissani road to Auberge Yasmina, all on 01-06.
• – Bonelli’s Warbler: 2 in the Merzouga area on 01-06; 1 10 km S of Aousserd on 11-06. Late migrants.
• – Willow Warbler: 3 at Gleb Jdiane on 10-06; 1 10 km S of Aousserd on 11-06. Late migrants.
• – Common Redstart: one pair + 1 flying juv. near Cèdre Gouraud (Azrou) on 28-05; 2 males near Ras El Ma on 30-05. Odd breeding population.
• – Fulvous Babbler: at least three family parties of respectively 4, 6 and 11 birds at Oued Jenna on 10/11-06.
• – Brown-necked Raven: at least 90 near Aousserd on 11-06.
• – Red-billed Chough: a group of 350 at Oukaïmeden on 14-06.
• – Desert Sparrow: a group of 100 + a group of 12 at Oued Jenna; 10 5 km N of Aousserd; 12 10 km S of Aousserd, all on 11-06. Not found near Merzouga.
• – Crimson-winged Finch: 8 at 2.800-2.940 m. asl in Oukaïmeden area on 14-06.
• – Pelagic Trip off Agadir on 08-06-2014: Balearic Shearwater: c.10 ex., Yelkouan Shearwater: 2 ex. identified as this species, Manx Shearwater: c.10 ex, White-faced Storm-Petrel: c.30 ex. incl. up to 6 together, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 1 ex, Grey Phalarope : 1 male in breeding plumage, Sabine’s Gull: 1 adult in breeding plumage, Great Skua: c.10 ex, Lesser Crested Tern: 1 adult, Black Tern: c.50 ex., all adults in breeding plumage.