Selsey Birder
Well-known member
Great photo of the Sandcat Jos, agree with DMW that type of photo gives a far better feel for the actual animal.
Ian
Ian
-
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Morocco & the Western Sahara, Two Hit the Desert (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jos Stratford
- Start date
Thanks all. Yep, when the image emerged as I lightened the shot, I have to say I was impressed ...almost like it was creeping out of the night again!
Dave Williams
Well-known member
With all the effort you put in you deserve the reward that went with it... well done indeed!
foresttwitcher
Virtually unknown member
Agree with all the above - good stuff, as usual.
So onto the next day...
21 June. Dakhla, Aousserd Road.
Day two on the Aousserd road, no better place to spend dawn than at the excellent Oued Jenna, sometime haunt of Sudan Golden Sparrows, regular hang-out of just about the only accessible Cricket Warblers in the Western Palearctic.
The sun was barely up, the temperature was a pleasant 25 C, a scraggly line of acacias marked the broad wadi. With camels ambling by, we set out on foot - an African Savannah Hare went hurtling off, a Southern Grey Shrike adorned an acacia, one Woodchat Shrike on the next. Moments later, the first distinctive chirps of a Cricket Warbler began to sound out and not many moments later, two were buzzing about in the low branches of an acacia, quite smart birds indeed. Little one was more impressed with the assorted assemblages of bones scattered across the desert, lugging great collections of them back towards the car! Leaving the initial pair of Cricket Warblers, we wandered a kilometre or so further, no less than 15 more Cricket Warblers encountered, several Desert Sparrows too. Also Desert Wheatears and a wandering pair of Brown-necked Ravens. A nearby wadi added a Rufous Bush Chat, more Desert Sparrows and a flock of Fulvous Babblers.
I couldn't stay too long however - I wanted to get back to Gleb Jdiane to check my mammal traps. Four I had set, each with generous supplies of food. And of the four, three had little critters in residence ...a Western House Mouse in one, Pygmy Gerbils in the other two. Roping in my younger companion to assist in the photography of one of the Pygmy Gerbils, she lifted the trap door as I sat on the sand ready with the camera ...click click click, it worked a treat as the individual paused a while. Then much to the little one's amusement, it ran full speed at me, straight under my bum and there it stayed! Hmm, I had not expected that! Lifting myself, as someone else was falling around on the sand laughing, off it scarpered again. With that, we returned to the desert for an hour or so ...the best of the birds, three Cream-coloured Coursers, a few Hoopoe Larks and about 15 Bar-tailed Desert Larks. Top critter of the day though was a magnificant Spiny-tailed Lizard, a giant prehistoric looking thing strutting through the desert.
As the heat climbed, we returned to Dakhla Bay to while the day away aside the sands and blue waters ...sand castles and paddling, a flock of 200 Greater Flamingoes, umpteen waders of assorted species, 50 or so Royal Terns, lesser numbers of Caspian Terns. Quite a relaxing day, not bad at all. Popping into Dakhla town late afternoon, a couple of Cory's Shearwaters cruised offshore, masses of Sandwich Terns milled, a few more Royal Terns too.
Finally the sun began to drop, evening was approaching ...time to return to the Aousserd road, another night drive on the cards. Starting at km 75 at dusk, my plan for this session was to focus on the key 35 km stretch up to km 110, driving it both ways, thereafter wandering right up to Aousserd if I was still awake or had not bumped into anything beforehand. Again, the overwhelming feel was of far lower numbers of animals than reported some years before ...'plentiful rodents' and 'a dozen Fennec Foxes' most certainly did not figure in my notes, but as we two hit the road again, I really only had two targets to think about, namely Fennec Fox and Striped Sahara Polecat.
A mere six kilometres into the drive, at km 81, one of these key species appeared just to the north of the road, the spotlight picking out a wonderful pair of Fennec Foxes sitting atop a small mount, quite possibly a den location. Humongous ears on bitty little bodies, classic desert animals. No big reaction from the animal, they sat and while and watched, then upped and ambled off, nice start to the evening. And that was almost it for the night ...in the following four hours, two more Lesser Egyptian Jerboas hopped across the road, one African Savannah Hare went lolloping off through the tussocks.
Somewhere approaching 1 a.m., still feeling over the moon with the Sand Cat of the day before, I decided we had actually seen virtually all that we were realistically likely to encounter. The desert was largely quiet, so we pulled off and set up camp for the night.
21 June. Dakhla, Aousserd Road.
Day two on the Aousserd road, no better place to spend dawn than at the excellent Oued Jenna, sometime haunt of Sudan Golden Sparrows, regular hang-out of just about the only accessible Cricket Warblers in the Western Palearctic.
The sun was barely up, the temperature was a pleasant 25 C, a scraggly line of acacias marked the broad wadi. With camels ambling by, we set out on foot - an African Savannah Hare went hurtling off, a Southern Grey Shrike adorned an acacia, one Woodchat Shrike on the next. Moments later, the first distinctive chirps of a Cricket Warbler began to sound out and not many moments later, two were buzzing about in the low branches of an acacia, quite smart birds indeed. Little one was more impressed with the assorted assemblages of bones scattered across the desert, lugging great collections of them back towards the car! Leaving the initial pair of Cricket Warblers, we wandered a kilometre or so further, no less than 15 more Cricket Warblers encountered, several Desert Sparrows too. Also Desert Wheatears and a wandering pair of Brown-necked Ravens. A nearby wadi added a Rufous Bush Chat, more Desert Sparrows and a flock of Fulvous Babblers.
I couldn't stay too long however - I wanted to get back to Gleb Jdiane to check my mammal traps. Four I had set, each with generous supplies of food. And of the four, three had little critters in residence ...a Western House Mouse in one, Pygmy Gerbils in the other two. Roping in my younger companion to assist in the photography of one of the Pygmy Gerbils, she lifted the trap door as I sat on the sand ready with the camera ...click click click, it worked a treat as the individual paused a while. Then much to the little one's amusement, it ran full speed at me, straight under my bum and there it stayed! Hmm, I had not expected that! Lifting myself, as someone else was falling around on the sand laughing, off it scarpered again. With that, we returned to the desert for an hour or so ...the best of the birds, three Cream-coloured Coursers, a few Hoopoe Larks and about 15 Bar-tailed Desert Larks. Top critter of the day though was a magnificant Spiny-tailed Lizard, a giant prehistoric looking thing strutting through the desert.
As the heat climbed, we returned to Dakhla Bay to while the day away aside the sands and blue waters ...sand castles and paddling, a flock of 200 Greater Flamingoes, umpteen waders of assorted species, 50 or so Royal Terns, lesser numbers of Caspian Terns. Quite a relaxing day, not bad at all. Popping into Dakhla town late afternoon, a couple of Cory's Shearwaters cruised offshore, masses of Sandwich Terns milled, a few more Royal Terns too.
Finally the sun began to drop, evening was approaching ...time to return to the Aousserd road, another night drive on the cards. Starting at km 75 at dusk, my plan for this session was to focus on the key 35 km stretch up to km 110, driving it both ways, thereafter wandering right up to Aousserd if I was still awake or had not bumped into anything beforehand. Again, the overwhelming feel was of far lower numbers of animals than reported some years before ...'plentiful rodents' and 'a dozen Fennec Foxes' most certainly did not figure in my notes, but as we two hit the road again, I really only had two targets to think about, namely Fennec Fox and Striped Sahara Polecat.
A mere six kilometres into the drive, at km 81, one of these key species appeared just to the north of the road, the spotlight picking out a wonderful pair of Fennec Foxes sitting atop a small mount, quite possibly a den location. Humongous ears on bitty little bodies, classic desert animals. No big reaction from the animal, they sat and while and watched, then upped and ambled off, nice start to the evening. And that was almost it for the night ...in the following four hours, two more Lesser Egyptian Jerboas hopped across the road, one African Savannah Hare went lolloping off through the tussocks.
Somewhere approaching 1 a.m., still feeling over the moon with the Sand Cat of the day before, I decided we had actually seen virtually all that we were realistically likely to encounter. The desert was largely quiet, so we pulled off and set up camp for the night.
jurek
Well-known member
Great trip Jos, and I am really jealous of your daughter. Give us tips how to raise kids like that 
Interestingly how different it is compared to the same road less than two months ago. At that time there were plenty of Savanna Hares, Jerboas and Desert Hedgehogs but no carnivores, and at daytime plenty of conspicious Spiny Lizards.
Interestingly how different it is compared to the same road less than two months ago. At that time there were plenty of Savanna Hares, Jerboas and Desert Hedgehogs but no carnivores, and at daytime plenty of conspicious Spiny Lizards.
Jeff Hopkins
Just another...observer
I just love the Jerboa shot, Jos!
JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
Greater Hoopoe Lark
James
James
wolfbirder
Well-known member
Wonderful read and a reward for your endurance.
Jeff Hopkins
Just another...observer
Cream-colored Courser
Prize goes to James, Hoopoe Lark it is. Struggling to think of any other passerines that the young leave the nest at such young age ...this little fellow was like a wader chick, running around begging to to fed by the adult.
Photo below of adult and chick together.
Photo below of adult and chick together.
Attachments
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Onward...
22 June. Dakhla to Laayoune.
In a random patch of desert, I caught a Lesser Egyptian Gerbil in the traps overnight, another new species and a good way to start the morning. Thereafter, we shifted to Gleb Jdaine to see if any sandgrouse came to drink, but not a single one did. Still, couldn't complain too much - four Stone Curlews lurked in the shade of bushes and a bunch of Trumpeter Finches dropped in.
With that, after an obligatory few hours on the beaches of Dakhla Bay, I decided to forego anymore night explorations of the Aousserd road and instead begin the long drive back to the north, albeit a rather more sedate pace. Cream-coloured Coursers in two locations, a superb Hoopoe Lark feeding a small chick, several Red-rumped Wheatears, so the first hundred kilometres rolled past. Just beyond Chtoukan, about 175 km north of Dakhla, a major surprise ...dark swifts swirling through a rocky ravine. After days of Pallid Swifts, an apparent smaller size and uniform dark plumage immediately caught the eye, the birds in good light and flying low. Plain Swifts, fast agile flight, turning much onto the ravine, overall blackish-brown plumage, barely discernible throats. Abundant on the nearby Canary Islands, Plain Swifts are not confirmed as breeders in Morocco or the Western Sahara, but these certainly seemed to be in suitable habitat. Either way, a cracking record and a new bird species for me, the first of the trip!
Next up, a Fat Sand Rat about 200 km further north and another 100 km beyond that, the piece de la resistance of the journey north, the simply amazing Laayoune lagoon. Bordered by towering sand dunes and boasting a string of deep pools and luxuriant vegetation, this is truly the greatest freshwater oasis on the long coast of the Western Sahara. Having previously visited this site in winter, I was keen to sample its delights in summer and we soon found ourselves traipsing over the piles of rubbish at the edge of Laayoune city to access the site. With a good two hours before sundown, we 'surfed' down a last few dunes to grab a perch overlooking the best of the pools ...and what a feast for the eyes it was! To be honest, I was not expecting the pools to hold so many birds in summer, but how wrong I was! The place was teeming ...Marbled Ducks, Ruddy Shelducks, Glossy Ibises, Purple Herons, Greater Flamingos, birds everywhere! Gull-billed Terns patrolling, Pallid and Little Swifts overhead, Eurasian Spoonbills and Squacco Herons at the edges of reeds. Camels plodded up the dunes, I set about making a few counts of the most common species ...with the pools stretching beyond sight, all were conservative estimates, but Marbled Ducks clicked in at a minimum of 800, Ruddy Shelducks at 250, Glossy Ibises at 80 and Little Grebes at 40. Quite a wow factor indeed. Then to cap it all, a Barbary Falcon cruised directly overhead and a flock of about 20 Collared Pratincoles dropped in, hawking the pools for the last half hour of the day. Little one decided to extract a loose tooth at that moment, fortunately not squealing in response.
As the day drew to an end, with Black-winged Stilts making a right racket and a flock of Slender-billed Gulls bathing in the shallows, we wandered back up to town. Pallid Swifts by the hundred filling the sky, I did have plans to celebrate by staying in a hotel ...the place we checked out looked a dump however, so we quit those ideas and drove further north, camping instead near Khnifiss Lagoon.
22 June. Dakhla to Laayoune.
In a random patch of desert, I caught a Lesser Egyptian Gerbil in the traps overnight, another new species and a good way to start the morning. Thereafter, we shifted to Gleb Jdaine to see if any sandgrouse came to drink, but not a single one did. Still, couldn't complain too much - four Stone Curlews lurked in the shade of bushes and a bunch of Trumpeter Finches dropped in.
With that, after an obligatory few hours on the beaches of Dakhla Bay, I decided to forego anymore night explorations of the Aousserd road and instead begin the long drive back to the north, albeit a rather more sedate pace. Cream-coloured Coursers in two locations, a superb Hoopoe Lark feeding a small chick, several Red-rumped Wheatears, so the first hundred kilometres rolled past. Just beyond Chtoukan, about 175 km north of Dakhla, a major surprise ...dark swifts swirling through a rocky ravine. After days of Pallid Swifts, an apparent smaller size and uniform dark plumage immediately caught the eye, the birds in good light and flying low. Plain Swifts, fast agile flight, turning much onto the ravine, overall blackish-brown plumage, barely discernible throats. Abundant on the nearby Canary Islands, Plain Swifts are not confirmed as breeders in Morocco or the Western Sahara, but these certainly seemed to be in suitable habitat. Either way, a cracking record and a new bird species for me, the first of the trip!
Next up, a Fat Sand Rat about 200 km further north and another 100 km beyond that, the piece de la resistance of the journey north, the simply amazing Laayoune lagoon. Bordered by towering sand dunes and boasting a string of deep pools and luxuriant vegetation, this is truly the greatest freshwater oasis on the long coast of the Western Sahara. Having previously visited this site in winter, I was keen to sample its delights in summer and we soon found ourselves traipsing over the piles of rubbish at the edge of Laayoune city to access the site. With a good two hours before sundown, we 'surfed' down a last few dunes to grab a perch overlooking the best of the pools ...and what a feast for the eyes it was! To be honest, I was not expecting the pools to hold so many birds in summer, but how wrong I was! The place was teeming ...Marbled Ducks, Ruddy Shelducks, Glossy Ibises, Purple Herons, Greater Flamingos, birds everywhere! Gull-billed Terns patrolling, Pallid and Little Swifts overhead, Eurasian Spoonbills and Squacco Herons at the edges of reeds. Camels plodded up the dunes, I set about making a few counts of the most common species ...with the pools stretching beyond sight, all were conservative estimates, but Marbled Ducks clicked in at a minimum of 800, Ruddy Shelducks at 250, Glossy Ibises at 80 and Little Grebes at 40. Quite a wow factor indeed. Then to cap it all, a Barbary Falcon cruised directly overhead and a flock of about 20 Collared Pratincoles dropped in, hawking the pools for the last half hour of the day. Little one decided to extract a loose tooth at that moment, fortunately not squealing in response.
As the day drew to an end, with Black-winged Stilts making a right racket and a flock of Slender-billed Gulls bathing in the shallows, we wandered back up to town. Pallid Swifts by the hundred filling the sky, I did have plans to celebrate by staying in a hotel ...the place we checked out looked a dump however, so we quit those ideas and drove further north, camping instead near Khnifiss Lagoon.
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