Morocco & the Western Sahara, Two Hit the Desert (1 Viewer)

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile

Staff member

• Jul 17, 2015

• #61

Three new birds for me on this trip - Borolo Shearwater, White-faced Storm Petrel and Plain Swift - but it was overwhelmingly a trip I planned for mammals, so the full mammal list for any thinking of a similar journey...

1. Risso's Dolphin
2. Algerian Hedgehog
3. Barbary Macaque
4. Ruppell's Fox
5. Red Fox
6. Fennec Fox
7. Egyptian Mongoose
8. Sand Cat
9. Barbary Sheep
10. African Savannah Hare
11. Barbary Ground Squirrel
12. Lesser Egyptian Jerboa
13. Pygmy Gerbil
14. Lesser Egyptian Gerbil
15. Wood Mouse
16. Western House Mouse
17. Fat Sand Rat

 

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile

Staff member

• Jul 17, 2015

• #62

hampers said:

Thank you once again for another great read.

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Pleasure, appreciate the feedback.

 

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile

Staff member

• Jul 17, 2015

• #63

And some closing shots of the 'honorary mammal' of the trip, Spiny-tailed Lizard ...

 

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Tree Sparrow

Well-known member

• Jul 17, 2015

• #64

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this, as I always do with your trip reports. Love the photo of the camels.

 

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile

Staff member

• Jul 17, 2015

• #65

Tree Sparrow said:

Love the photo of the camels.

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Not quite as atmospheric, but one specially for you :t:

 

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Tree Sparrow

Well-known member

• Jul 17, 2015

• #66

Jos Stratford said:

Not quite as atmospheric, but one specially for you :t:

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Thank you . Another great photo.

 

Jeff Hopkins

Just another...observer

• Jul 18, 2015

• #67

Enjoyable read as usual, Jos. Thanks for it.

 

E

etudiant

Registered User

Supporter

• Jul 18, 2015

• #68

Thank you for another wonderful trip report.
Am still amazed that you can sustain the interest of a six year old during an hours long sea watch. She will have a wonderful set of memories and experiences to build on as she grows up.

 

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile

Staff member

• Jul 18, 2015

• #69

etudiant said:

Am still amazed that you can sustain the interest of a six year old during an hours long sea watch.

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Simple, sleeping 5.30 a.m. to 8.00 a.m., clambering around on the rocks exploring rock pools etc thereafter :t:

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2015

MKinHK

Mike Kilburn

• Jul 19, 2015

• #70

Many thanks for another fine report from an enterprising trip full of hard-earned rewards.

That lizard looks pretty special, and the quality in the sea watch a real surprise, but the Sand Cat and the Fat Sand Rat sound like they're just waiting for immortalisation by Dr Seuss!

It seems that macaques behave just as disgracefully Morocco as anywhere else in the world.

Cheers
Mike

PS any sign of attitudes to Golden Jackal shifting in Lithuania? that was a quality paper arguing to change their status.

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Jul 19, 2015

• #71

Another interesting read and some great sightings there Jos.

Some great mammals - on our trips we barely touched on the potential. Our loss. Interestingly on the seawatch front I had a really quite similar mix and experience back in July 2011 - with an amazing Cory's passage, 6 Shearwaters and 2 Petrels etc, plus the one that got away, a half dozen or so what seemed with hindsight to be Cape Verde Shearwater.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2205004&highlight=risso#post2205004

I heard that others went out in summer 2012 having seen the potential from the above and Bonser's report, but basically bombed ... (?) Maybe the weather conditions at the time?

 

Last edited: Jul 19, 2015

jurek

Well-known member

• Jul 19, 2015

• #72

We tried seawatching off Cap Rhir in May, unfortunately nothing except Gannets and Audouin's Gulls. Some migration of common waders (Grey Plover etc.)

 

D

Dave Williams

Well-known member

• Jul 19, 2015

• #73

An enjoyable read, thanks for writing it.
You obviously put a lot more time and effort in to your Morocco trip than I did but it does seem that my overall impression of Agadir and surrounds was about right. Not really a lot obviously about during the month of June from an avian perspective!

 

viator

Well-known member

• Jul 19, 2015

• #74

Thanks for yet another great read.

 

jogresh

Bimble and patch

• Jul 20, 2015

• #75

Great trip report Jos - ta for posting.

Hi Dan, i'm still enthused by yours and others' seawatching results. Have you more info on, or a link to, the dud 2012 seawatch efforts? (you've prob mentioned it before, but my memory's going)..
Cheers.

dantheman said:

Another interesting read and some great sightings there Jos.

Some great mammals - on our trips we barely touched on the potential. Our loss. Interestingly on the seawatch front I had a really quite similar mix and experience back in July 2011 - with an amazing Cory's passage, 6 Shearwaters and 2 Petrels etc, plus the one that got away, a half dozen or so what seemed with hindsight to be Cape Verde Shearwater.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2205004&highlight=risso#post2205004

I heard that others went out in summer 2012 having seen the potential from the above and Bonser's report, but basically bombed ... (?) Maybe the weather conditions at the time?

Click to expand...

 

wolfbirder

Well-known member

• Jul 21, 2015

• #76

The seawatching was superb.

A great read yet again!