Itinerary

Day 1 – Overnight flight from JFK, New York to Casablanca.

Day 2– The Northern Wetlands - We head north to Rabat and visit the Chellah Necropolis, which was built in the 13th century by the Merenids and whose walls enclose the remains of the ancient roman city of Sala Colonia where we will get a good introduction to some of the common birds. The afternoon will be spent along the Atlantic coast, visiting lagoons and saltpans including an excellent freshwater lake, Lac de Sidi Bourhaba for Marbled Teal.

Day 3 – The Zaers to Merdja Zerga - An early start to the oak forests of the Zaers to look for Double-spurred Francolin, a secretive game bird that calls from the tops of tree stumps and other woodland species. We then north to Merdja Zerga, a large coastal lagoon that holds thousands of waders,lingering ducks and flamingoes. The marshes hold the endemic African Marsh Owl, which we will have to wait till dusk to see and we will scan the beach and Atlantic Ocean for terns, gulls, any skuas on passage and Mediterranean Shearwater.

Day 4 – Volubilis and Fez - Head inland across the rolling agricultural plains and through olive groves to visit Volubilis, the largest and best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco dating back to the 3rd century BC followed by an afternoon visit to the medina in the oldest of the Imperial cities, Fez.

Day 5– The Middle Atlas - Travelling southeast we gradually climb into the beautiful cedar forests of the Middle Atlas and the Forest of Jabaa where Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Woodlark, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper and Firecrest are possible and were we should come across small troops of endemic Barbary Apes.

Day 6 – Zeida Plain to Erfoud - An early morning start to visit the stony plain near Zeida to search for Dupont’s Lark amongst the sagebrush as dawn breaks. The distant High Atlas will provide the perfect backdrop for our first stony desert birding. As we begin to head east through the arid landscape we will see Date Palm groves that line watercourses and we may encounter such species as Black, Black-eared and White-crowned Wheatear as well as Lanner.

Day 7 & 8 – The Sahara Desert - One of the highlights of the trip will be the 2 days spent driving by Land Rover into the Sahara desert to Erg Chebbi; the largest dune system in Morocco which makes for a spectacular backdrop for some high quality birding. We’ll search for Desert Sparrow, Hoopoe Lark and Brown-necked Ravens. The tamarisk covered wadis and the dry lakebed (in most years) here boast a good variety of true desert species, including Fulvous Babbler, Desert Wheatear and both African Desert and Tristram’s Warbler. At dusk we’ll look for Egyptian Nightjar and ‘Pharaoh’ Eagle Owl (small pale North African race).

Day 9 – Todra Gorge and the Vallee du Dades - We head west stopping to look for Lanner, Trumpeter Finch, Bar-tailed Desert Lark and sandgrouse. Driving through the lush palm groves of the Vallee du Dades, along the southern foothills of the High Atlas, we’ll be on the lookout for Blackbirds, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Golden Orioles, Rollers and Hoopoes as we head to the Gorges du Todra, whose towering pink rock walls are 3000’ high. Here Rock Bunting, Rock Sparrow and Blue Rock Thrush sing from the rocks, while Crag Martin’s and Bonelli’s Eagles are seen over the chasm.

Day 10 – The Tagdilt Track and Vallee du Dades - The Tagdilt track is a very productive area of hamada or black stone desert. It is here that we have our best chance of locating the desert loving wheatears and larks; Thick-billed, Lesser Short-toed, Desert, Bar-tailed and Temminck’s Horned Lark as well as Red-rumped Wheatear. We’ll also keep an eye out for other arid loving species such as Cream-colored Courser , Black-bellied and Crowned Sandgrouse, and the very rare Houbara Bustard. We then continue west through the Vallee du Dades stopping for lunch at a kasbah and finishing the day around the Mansour Eddahbi Dam .

Day 11 – The High Atlas - This morning we visit the fortified granary and village of Ait Benhaddou for heading east we’ll looking for the most elusive of Morocco’s seven breeding wheatears, the Mourning Wheatear and then it’s onto the snow-covered peaks of the High Atlas to our base 8000’ up at Oukaimeden. Special birds here found at the edge of the snow line include, Alpine Accentor, Alpine and Red-billed Chough, Shore Lark, Rock Sparrow and probably the most reliable spot for Crimson-winged Finches in the Western Palearctic.

Day 12 – Anti-Atlas to Taroudant - This morning we head southwest over the Anti-Atlas through the narrow and magnificent Tiz-n-Test pass, stopping on the way to look for two North African endemics, Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker in the Holm Oak belt, and Tristam’s Warbler on it’s breeding grounds (yes, they winter in the desert and bred in the High Atlas!) if we haven’t already seen them. At the bottom of the pass we enter the valley of the River Sous with its endemic argana forest, kasbahs and delightfully scented orange groves.
We spend the next several nights based in the old imperial southern capital city of Taroudant. We’ll explore the souk with all its exotic splendors; water sellers, Berber carpets and colorful spices. The fine art of bargaining will be necessary in order to return with a souvenir.

Day 13 & 14 - The Sous Valley - We will spend the next two days exploring the Sous Valley from Taroudant eastwards to the rugged gorge at Aoulouz. While common species such as Long-legged Buzzards, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes hunt from the argana, we will be on a constant look out for North Africa’s rarest raptor, the elusive Dark Chanting Goshawk. Being at the foothills of the Anti-Atlas, this is a wonderful area in which to scan the skies for falcons and Eagles - Golden, Booted and Short-toed are likely.
The valley should be full of passerines with migrating warblers such as Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Bonelli’s, Willow, Subalpine, Spectacled and Sardinian Warbler and flocks of Goldfinches, Serins and Spanish Sparrows while Black-shouldered Kites hover and Montagu’s Harriers quarter the irrigated fields. At dusk we’ll search the wadi’s for Red-necked Nightjar.

Day 15 - Massa National Park - We’ll spend the day at possibly the richest ornithological site in Morocco. The rich fertile estuary of the Oued Massa, with its reed beds and mudflats is surrounded by an arid landscape. It is here that Jonah is alleged to have been cast-up by the whale. Amongst the reed beds, with luck we’ll see Little Bittern or one of the rarer herons – Purple, Squacco or Night, and glimpse one or more of the Crakes. Cetti’s and Reed Warbler breed here, while Sedge and Great Reed should be migrating through. We should see a few lingering ducks such as Tufted and Pochard. A local specialty is the Brown-throated Sand Martin. Along the edge of alfalfa fields Corn Bunting sing from posts and Cirl Buntings dart back and forth while the secretive Black-crowned Tchagra will no doubt be heard before we find it sulking in the bushes, Laughing Doves ‘laugh’ from the palm trees and the buzzy call of Zitting Cisticola’s fill the air. In the extraordinary cactoid-euphorbia heath Little Owl’s dose in the shadows of rock crevices and Stone Curlews Cream-colored Coursers are found in rocky agricultural pastures.

Day 16 – Tamri, the Atlantic Coast & Sous-Massa National Park - Along the coast the slopes of Atlas Mountains fall steeply to the Atlantic Ocean. Our first stop will be at Cape Rhir where a little sea watching may produce Gannet’s, Cory’s and Mediterranean Shearwaters, Sandwich Terns or a Sabine’s Gull. On the golden beaches we’ll find small flocks of the rare Audouin’s Gulls amongst the common Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls. At Tamri along a thin strip of coastal steppe habitat we’ll search for one of the worlds rarest birds, the Bald Ibis, which use their long curved bills to probe the soft sand for insects.
The afternoon will be spent along the Oued Sous a wonderful wide sandy estuary. Here a good variety of waders, including Ruff, Oystercatcher, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Stilt and Avocet can be found. We’ll follow the paths through the low tamarisk scrub, coming across the North African race of Black-billed Magpie, possibly Wryneck, to the beach, where we should have excellent views of hundreds of Greater Flamingo’s as well as the white-necked Moroccan race of Great Cormorant.

Day 17 – Return flight Agadir – Casablanca – New York
Early morning flight from Adagir to Casablanca then onto JFK, New York