22 November 2013

A new trip report is available on the Trip Report webpage (David Walsh & Ornitholidays)

17 November 2013

A new paper is available in Go-South Bulletin:

• Ramos, J.J. & Díaz-Portero, M.Á. 2013. Aportaciones al conocimiento de la avifauna del Jebel Saghro (Anti-Atlas Oriental, Marruecos) en otoño. Go-South Bulletin 10 : 253-262.

13 November 2013

Le Groupe de Recherche pour la Protection des Oiseaux au Maroc (Unité Régionale de Marrakech-Haut Atlas) et le Laboratoire de « Biodiversité et Dynamique des Ecosystèmes » de la Faculté des Sciences Semlalia,Marrakech organisent les 7èmes Journées Internationales des Oiseaux d’Eau et Zones Humides «JIOEZH7 » sous le thème « Ecologie et Conservation des Vertébrés des Zones Humides ». Cet événement scientifique aura lieu à Marrakech du 20 au 22 mars 2014.

Pour toute information supplémentaire, veuillez nous contacter par Email au joezh7@gmail.com ou consulter le site web du Groupe de Recherche pour la Protection des Oiseaux au Maroc www.grepom.org (Pour le Comité d’organisation, Mohamed RADI)

13 November 2013

Une aire d’hivernage du Pouillot à grands sourcils Phylloscopus inornatus au Maroc ? Une courte visite dans la région de Figuig a permis de détecter 5 Pouillots à grands sourcils : un oiseau à Bni Guil, Figuig, le 3 Novembre, 3 oiseaux à Abbou Lakhal, Figuig, le 5 novembre, un oiseau à Mrija, Jrada, le 6 Novembre (maroc.observado.org, Benoît Maire, Karim Laidi, Alain Mathurin, Sabine Zégres).

13 November 2013

Superbe suivi migratoire d’un Martinet noir espagnol disponible sur http://www.migraciondeaves.org/en/#migracion.php. L’oiseau a survolé le Maroc et… le Golfe de Guinée !

5 November 2013

Highlights from the recent Ornitholidays’ tour based in Agadir and Guelmim:

• 27th October
  • • Agadir Kasbah: 2 Black-crowned Tchagra
  • • Tamri lagoon: 35 Northern Bald Ibis, 5 Red-crested Pochard, 500 Eurasian Coot, 1 Squacco Heron, c1000 Audouin’s Gull on beach
  • • Cap Rhir: 2 Barbary Partridge
• 28th October
  • • Sidi Bibi: 10+ Little Swift
  • • Massa valley (various places along river between the Massa ‘village bridge’ and Tassila): 1 Little Bittern, 4 White Stork, 1 Black Stork, 50 Glossy Ibis, 2 Eurasian Spoonbill, 1 juvenile Bonelli’s Eagle, 1 Water Rail, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 5 Laughing Dove, 2+ riggenbachi Crested Lark, 5+ Brown-throated Martin, 2 Red-rumped Swallow, 1 ‘Moroccan’ White Wagtail, 1+ Black-crowned Tchagra, 1+ ‘Moroccan’ Reed Warbler
• 29th October
  • • Anti-Atlas Mountains along main road: 2 Rock Bunting
  • • Asrir area: 1 Western Marsh Harrier, 5 Greater Short-toed Lark, 2 Desert Lark, 6 Fulvous Babbler, 1 White-crowned Wheatear, 4 Desert Wheatear, 10+ Red-rumped Wheatear, 2 Spectacled Warbler, 4 Trumpeter Finch
• 30th October
  Desert south-west of Guelmim along main road:
  • • Saltpans at km 12: 12 Ruddy Shelduck, c20 Trumpeter Finch
  • • Oued Boukila: 2 Scrub Warbler
  • • Km 26: 2 Greater Hoopoe Lark, 2 Bar-tailed Lark
  • • Km 30: 2 Greater Hoopoe Lark, 2 Bar-tailed Lark, c20 Thick-billed Lark, 1 Spectacled Warbler
  • • Km 34-35: 3 Cream-coloured Courser, 6 Thick-billed Lark, c50 Lesser Short-toed Lark
  • (overall counts of 4 Long-legged Buzzard, c10 Desert Wheatear, c15 Red-rumped Wheatear)
• 31st October
  • • Road between Aourir and Paradise Valley: 10 Barbary Partridge
  • • Summit just before Immouzzer: 5 Tristram’s Warbler, 1 ‘Atlas’ Common Crossbill, 1 Barbary Partridge, c10 Eurasian Crag Martin, 2 Rock Bunting
• 1st November
  • • Anezi Hotel, Agadir: 1 Peregrine perched on hotel at dawn (roosting on 10th floor!)
  • • Desert along road towards Barrage Youssef ben Tachfine: 2 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, c50 Black-bellied Sandgrouse, 1 Spectacled Warbler
  • • Massa village bridge: 2 Black-crowned Night Heron, 1 Squacco Heron, 2 Black-winged Kite
  • • Massa reserve entrance: 1 imm Greater Flamingo
  • • Sidi R’bat: flock of 130 Stone Curlews seen in flight
  • • Massa village: 2 ‘Desert’ Little Owl
• 2nd November
  • • Agadir bay: 1 Balearic Shearwater close inshore
  • • Oued Souss: 3 Slender-billed Gull, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 60 Greater Flamingo

As usual we recorded the vast majority of our target species and had excellent views of them, but the exceptionally low numbers of terns and shorebirds at Tamri, Massa and Souss meant that the overall species total was lower than normal. 
We noted 14 species of dragonfly and 12 species of butterfly – the huge numbers of Painted Ladies at virtually all sites was one of the most noteworthy events of the week (David Walsh)

4 November 2013

Les résultats du deuxième tour de la session #19 de la CHM sont disponibles.

4 November 2013

Passer iagoensis (Moineau du Cap-Vert – Iago Sparrow). Onze oiseaux ont embarqué à bord du navire Plancius lors d’une sortie en Zodiac près de l’île de Razo, Cap-Vert, le 6 mai. Une partie du groupe quitta le navire près des îles Selvages et quatre oiseaux continuèrent jusqu’aux Pays-Bas où ils débarquèrent à Hansweert, Zeeland, le 18 mai (ABC Bulletin 20 : 141,http://www.improbable.com/2013/05/20/a-homosexual-copulation-on-first-arrival-in-the-netherlands-from-the-cape-verde-islands/, Paul Borgerding comm. pers.). Durant son trajet, le Plancius a navigué dans les eaux côtières du Sahara Atlantique marocain (Paul Borgerding comm. pers.)

1 November 2013

Three new papers are available in Go-South Bulletin:

• Bergier, P. ; Alifal, M. ; Chevalier, F. ; El Balla, T. ; Qninba, A. ; Semlali, M.L. & Thévenot, M. 2013. Observations dans le massif du Negjyr, plus d’un demi-siècle après José Antonio Valverde. Go-South Bulletin 10 : 238-245.
• Ramírez, J. ; Aguilera, A. ; González del Campo, P. & Bergier, P. 2013. Les observations de Bécasseau tacheté (Calidris melanotos) au Maroc et première mention dans le Sahara Atlantique marocain. Go-South Bulletin 10 : 246-249.
• Ramírez, J. ; González del Campo, P. & Ramos, J.J. 2013. The first confirmed record of Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla in Morocco. Go-South Bulletin 10 : 250-252.

1 November 2013

Records from Essaouira, 19 – 25 October. There was a nice range of migrants and the included: Redstart, Nightingale, Whinchat, Woodlark, Pied Flycatcher (all on 23 Oct); Northern Wheatear (24 Oct), Black-Eared Wheatear (19 Oct), Whimbrel (22 & 23 Oct), Marsh Harrier (20 Oct), and large flocks of Swallows and Sand Martins mixing with Brown-Throated Martins.

The highlight was a sighting of a male Red-breasted Flycatcher on 23 Oct, which perched in open view for long enough to be certain that it was not just an unusual-looking Robin!

These observations conform very well to the findings of my study of birds using the Essaouira Golf Course – most of these records were on the Golf Course where regular irrigation has left lush vegetation in contrast to very dry woodland elsewhere, and suggests that it forms an attractive oasis for passing migrants. At least until a heavy thunderstorm on 25 Oct, most of the ponds and lakes near the town were almost dry. The numbers of waterbirds this week were consequently lower than I have often seen. Nevertheless, there were parties of Dunlin, Ruff and Curlew Sandpiper, as well as Spoonbills and two first-year Flamingos (one ringed). I also recorded Water Rail for the first time in Essaouira when one walked into the field of view of my telescope while observing a Brown-Throated Martin nest! (Peter Greig-Smith)