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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus

Near Ouarzazate, Morocco

A summer migrant from late March

Photo: John Caddick

The African Bird Club bulletin includes the following largely unconfirmed records some of which were first published in Birding World and Dutch Birding.

Records from October 2006 - April 2007 include the following. A Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator, a rare winter visitor, was at Oued Souss on 16 January. A Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris was found in the Lower Loukkos marshes, Rharb, on 20 March; the species is a former breeder (at this site), but is now a scarce passage migrant and rare winter visitor. The first Green-backed Heron Butorides striata for Morocco was discovered 70 km south of Tazenakht, in the Anti-Atlas, on 18 April. At Merzouga, a dark-morph Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae was observed on 30 March; this is an early date. An Aquila 11 km west of Tantan, Draa, on 16 December may have been a Tawny Eagle A. rapax or, perhaps, a Spanish Imperial Eagle A. adalberti. A juvenile Spanish Imperial Eagle was photographed west of Tan Tan in December and again in February; recent satellite tracking indicate birds disperse as far south as Senegal. On 31 December, an adult Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates was reported at Oulad Teima, where the species has not been seen for many years. In February, Barbary Falcons Falco pelegrinoides were recorded at Agadir (an immature), Tamri (a pair) and near Oukaimeden (a pair).

A Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii video-taped at Dayet Srji, Merzouga, Tafilalt, on 13 March 2006, was recently identified and appears to be the first for Morocco. A Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus was photographed at Oued Souss on 23 March; The Birds of Morocco (Thévenot et al. 2003) mentions 11 previous records for the country, of which six at the Souss estuary. On 24 December, a first-winter Franklin’s Gull Larus pipixcan was reported from Oued Souss. A first-winter Grey-headed Gull L. cirrocephalus was at Oued Massa on 24 October. Ring-billed Gulls L. delawarensis were identified at Anza (first-winter on 16-21 January) and Oued Chbika (second-winter on 19 January). Two Common Gulls Larus canus were at Oued Souss on 16 January, with one there on 3 April.

Good winter rains resulted in exceptional numbers of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata at Ikniouen Road in late March, with a flock of c.1,000 passing over on 29th; c.200 flew over Merzouga on 24th and 30th. A Marsh Owl Asio capensis was found dead at the mouth of the Moulouya River in the north-east on 11 February. The first Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus for Morocco was a first-winter male at Essaouira on 23 February. Three Brambling Fringilla montifringilla were in the Oukaimeden area on 17 February.

Records from March-August 2006 include the following. Three Madeiran Storm-petrels Oceanodroma castro were feeding in Dakhla Bay, Western Sahara, on 11 March. A single Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata was seen at the species’ former stronghold at Tagdilt track, Boumalne-Dadès, on 26 March. In Tafifalt, 12 km north-east of Merzouga, a nest was found but all hatchlings were trapped and taken to a Saudi breeding programme in the first days of April. The second Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis for Morocco was photographed at Ouarzazate on 24 April; the first record was in 1996. Another was found with an Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda between Sidi Moussa and Oualidia on 28 September. A second-year Baltic Gull Larus f. fuscus ringed at Pori, Finland, on 28 June 2005, was discovered at Anza, Agadir, on 23 February; this is one of the westernmost ringing recoveries of a gull ringed in Finland for Africa. If accepted, an adult Kelp Gull L. dominicanus vetula on the beach at Agadir on 28 August will be the first for Morocco. An adult Common Gull L. canus was at Merja Zerga on 28 May. At least three Plain Swifts Apus unicolor were identified at Larache on 7 May; this is further north than previous records.

Three Dunn’s Larks Eremalauda dunni were seen between Dakhla and Awserd (Aoussard), Western Sahara, on 12 March; Black-crowned Sparrow Larks Eremopterix nigriceps were found to be common there, with at least 25 individuals counted. On 5 April, a Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti was watched at Tizi-n-Taghatine, a western breeding site which was unknown until recently. The third Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola for Morocco was observed at Oued Massa on 17 April. On 12 October, a first-winter Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus was photographed at Oukaimeden, High Atlas; several other individuals were also present at this ski resort. The westernmost Balearic Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator badius for the country was observed at Aoulouz on 5 April. In Western Sahara, six Desert Sparrows Passer simplex were seen between Dakhla and Awserd, including a pair with young.

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Records from January-March 2006 include the following. Six dark-bellied Brent Geese Branta bernicla were at Knifiss lagoon, in the south, on 10 March. A male American Wigeon Anas americana was reported from Oued Massa, south of Agadir, on 15-26 January, with another at Marrakech on 21 January. A Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata was photographed at Oued Massa, in the south, where it is a rarity. A Laughing Gull Larus atricilla was found at Arghoud, near Agadir, on 1 March. The fourth Franklin's Gull L. pipixcan for Morocco was a first-winter at Oued Souss, Agadir, on 17 February. A first-summer Franklin's Gull was photographed at the same site on 6 April. A second-winter and two third-winter Great Black-backed Gulls L. marinus were found at Knifiss lagoon on 20 January; one was at Cap Juby on 10 March.

A flock of five Pale Crag Martins Hirundo (Ptyonoprogne) obsoleta of the race presaharica was encountered in a deep wadi west of Aouinet Torkoz, between Tata and Tantan, on 10 January; this species is not often reported with certainty in Morocco, because of confusion with Eurasian Crag Martin H. rupestris. The song of (Eastern) Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida of the race reiseri was recorded at Rissani on 4 April; the occurrence of this race in Morocco is poorly documented. A Brambling Fringilla montifringilla was at Dayet Aaoua, Ifrane, on 13 February, and a Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella in the Souss valley near Oulad Berhill on 17 March.

The first Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca for Morocco was at Oued Massa on 16 November. Morocco’s second and third Franklin’s Gulls Larus pipixcan were a first-winter at Oued Massa on 3 November and an adult at Oued Souss, Agadir, on 4 November. The third Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus was observed north-east of Agadir on 5 November.

Records from September 2004–April 2005 include the following. On 26 November, a Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis was seen at Dakhla. A Great White Egret Egretta alba was at Oued Souss, Agadir, on 14 April. At Lake Sidi Bou-Rhaba, a male Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris was found on 4 March. If accepted, an adult Sooty Falcon Falco concolor at Barrage Mohammed V on 19 September will be the first for Morocco. In November, 140 Eurasian Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus were observed at Itzer on 16th, and a Common Gull Larus canus and two Plain Swifts Apus unicolor at Oued Souss on 9th. Three Spotted Crakes Porzana porzana were foraging underneath Aoulouz bridge on 13 April. A first-summer Black-headed Wagtail Motacilla (flava) feldegg at Derkaoua, Merzouga, on 11-12 April, was about the fifth for the country. What was apparently the first Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus for the country, a first-winter, was also found the same month. At the Oukaimeden ski lift station, 22 Crimson-winged Finches Rhodopechys sanguineus were counted in late March-early April; this is a high number for this uncommon species.

On 16 August 2004, a massive movement of 38,000 Black Kites Milvus migrans took place across the Straits of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco. A first-winter Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus was reported from Oued Massa on 2 November; this would be the first for Morocco if accepted. A Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix, seen at Oued Smir lagoon just south of Ceuta on the Mediterranean coast on 22 October, may constitute the second for Morocco, following a report pending for 2003.

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The following were recorded in January to April 2004. An immature Great Northern Diver Gavia immer, 2 km south of Cap Rhir on 11 January, was the fourth for Morocco; possibly the same bird was seen off Aghroud, Agadir, on 2 April constituting the first spring record. Two Great White Egrets Egretta alba and a Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus (rare in winter) were at Ouarzazate Lake on 6 January. In the colony of Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita at Tamri, up to 49 possible nests were counted in March, with a maximum of 197 individuals present in the area. The entire Moroccan population now stands at 368 individuals, all in the Agadir region. At Dayet Merzouga, 190 Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea and 50 Marbled Ducks Marmaronetta angustirostris were counted on 14 April. A female Cape Shoveler Anas smithii, the second record for Morocco, was at Oued Massa from 25 February until at least 6 March; the previous record was of a pair at Oued Souss on 26 April 1978; pending further evidence these birds are regarded as escapes. An adult female Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis claimed from Lake Afenourir, 30 km from Azrou, Middle Atlas on 6 April  would represent a new species for Morocco if accepted; it was in the company of an adult male Ring-necked Duck A. collaris. In the Anti-Atlas, a Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius was reportedly present at a rainwater pool along Tagdilt track east of Boumalne de Dadès from 25 February until 4 March. At the Oued Massa beach, a Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus was noted in late February. About 500 Audouin's Gulls Larus audouinii were at Aghroud on 2 November and between Taghazoute and Tamri on 11 January. The fifth Iceland Gull L. glaucoides for Morocco was a third-winter at Aghroud on 11 January. At Massa, a European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur and 2­3 Wrynecks Jynx torquilla were seen on 12 January; there are few records of these species in winter. Also there that day was the first Rufous Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas galactotes in winter. The number of Desert Sparrows Passer simplex in the Merzouga area, Tafilalt, seems to be decreasing as only four individuals were regularly found in the area around Café Yasmina; in addition, a nesting pair was discovered in an old palm tree close to Merzouga village.

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Records from October to December 2003 include the following. At Dakhla, a dark morph Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis was seen on 7 December. Five Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca were at Oued Massa on 10 December. At least four Tawny Eagles Aquila rapax were between Goulimine and Tan Tan on 26 October, with another on 31 October. A Golden Eagle A. chrysaetos was 3 km south of Goulimine on 9 December. Single Barbary Falcons Falco pelegrinoides were observed at Mirleft, Massa, Tata and Lemseied in late October (with another at Tamri on 3 January 2003). A Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus, 30 Royal Terns Sterna maxima and a Little Swift Apus affinis were seen at Dakhla on 7 December. Six Orphean Warblers Sylvia hortensis were at Dawra on 27 October, with a late one at Oued Massa on 10 December.

Records from April 2003 include the following. An Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius was at the Auberge Kasbah Dakaoua between Erfou and Merzouga on the 12th. Single Icterine Warblers Hippolais icterina were noted at Skoura on 9th, Jorf on 10th and Merzouga on 12th. Two pairs of Desert Warblers Sylvia nana were found nesting at Dayet Srji , Mergouza on 11th. Twenty Desert Sparrows Passer simplex were seen at the well-known café Yasmina, Mergouza on 11th and 12th. The breeding season of 2003 was quite successful for the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita population at Oued Massa, where some 85 pairs fledged 100 young.

The following were reported in January to April 2003. A Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris was at Oued Massa on 3rd March and 10th April. At Oued Massa, 52 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus were counted on 4th February. A feeding flock of 115 Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita was regularly seen in the Tamri area. Five Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca were at Oued Massa on 3rd March with a female Ring-necked Duck A. collaris. Barbary Falcons Falco pelegrinoides were seen at Tazzarine on 5th April and Boumalne on 7th April. A female Little Crake Porzana parva was at Oued Ziz on 12th February. A Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata was at Missour on 12th April. A flock of 10 Great Spotted Cuckoos Clamator glandarius was 51 km. east of Freija in the Souss Valley on 6th February. Four Iberian Chiffchaffs Phylloscopus ibericus were in the Marrakech area on 6th April. 

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Records from the period October to December 2002 include the following. At Layoun, 35 Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea were seen on 23rd October and 100 Marbled Ducks Marmaronetta angustirostris were at Oued Massa on 7th December. A Red Kite Milvus milvus was observed between Layoun and Boujdour on 28th October. Forty Great Bustards Otis tarda were noted at Asilah on 11th December. At least 2,000 Audouin’s Gulls Larus audouinii were at Dakhla in October and a flock of 250 was on a beach north of Agadir on 10th December. At Merja Zerga, 26 Marsh Owls Asio capensis were counted emerging from their well-known roost on 29 November. 20 Plain Swifts Apus unicolor were at Layoun on 23rd October, with another 3 at Awfist on 28th. A Bluethroat Luscinia svecica was at Dawra on 29th October.

Records from the period March to April 2002 include the following. The adult Common Gull Larus canus at Oued Sous, Agadir was presumably the same individual present in previous years. There was also a Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis present on 14th April. Isabelline Wheatears Oenanthe isabellina were recorded at Bou-Bernous on 28th March, at Tazenakht on 2nd and 13th April, and at Erfoud on 11th April.

Records from September 2001 to February 2002 include the following. An American Black Duck Anas rubripes was claimed at Oued Massa on 15th February. Five Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca were at Sidi Bourhaba on 6th November. An immature Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax was seen 10 km north of Moulay Bousselham, in north-western Morocco, on 28 February; this is an unusual site for this species. At Oued Loukkos, Larache, 900 Red-knobbed Coots Fulica cristata were counted on 4th November and more than 1,000 on 28th February. An adult Common Gull Larus canus was recorded at Oued Sous on 4th  February, an Iceland Gull L. glaucoides at Agadir harbour on 21st  January and a Common Guillemot Uria aalge at Cap Rhir on 2nd February. A Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica was briefly seen at Tassila, Oued Massa, on 21st  September. Isabelline Wheatears Oenanthe isabellina were reported from the Sous Valley south-east of Igoudar on 21st February and near Erfoud on 24th February. During mid-September, Iberian Chiffchaffs Phylloscopus ibericus were seen at Ifrane and Michliffen (with three on 13th), Aguelmame Sidi Ali and Sidi Bettache. At least two adult Woodchat Shrikes Lanius senator of ssp.badius were identified at Aoulouz. gorge on 19th September. An Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana was claimed to have been briefly seen from an airplane that had landed at Tangiers on 8 January; this would apparently constitute the first for Morocco and Africa.

Last page update 10th December 2007

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