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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Egyptian Nightjar's at Auberge Kasbah Dakouah (1 Viewer)

Mark A Spedding

Well-known member
I think most folks on here know that one of the best area's to search for Egyptian Nightjar is at the rather nice Kasbah Auberge Dakouah, between Erfoud and Merzouga.
However, during my research for a trip to Morocco earlier this month, we found that most teams trying here for this species come away empty handed.
The normal tact would appear to be staking out the swimming pool area after dark. This is something we tried on our first (of two) nights there, but saw nothing.
At 4am the following morning my rather insomniac companion came up with the brain wave of trying in the last hour. Being a lover of my bed almost as much as birds I invited him to go and find out. This he promptly did, and less than 10 minutes later hot -footed it back to the room to get me as one bird had just flown over the pool.
After an anxious minute or so a bird was soon hawking back and forth over the pool. It was joined not long afterwards by a second bird. At the first sign of daybreak the show was over.
As if to prove it was no fluke, the birds did the same the following day (4.45 am).
 
Hi Mark - Guess what I stayed there with some friends on the 15.05.08 and also saw the Nightjar over the swimming pool, this was just after dark, we lured it in by playing the call on my Mobile phone.We saw it well on two occasions before retiring to the bar where a good night was had by all.
 
Steve- cn't remember exactly how much - somewhere is the region of £35 per night, half board. Super place to stay, good food, and some fine birding quite literally on the doorstep.
 
I can only say the money here is very well spent and worth staying for at least 2 nights. Whilst you are there why not drop-in any old binoculars to the nomad school within the grounds? We are developing a scheme with this and other schools to get interest among teachers and pupils for not just birds but nature in general.

As an aside and off topic slightly, had 3 male Houbara Bustard near to Guelmim last week!

Peter
 
Has anyone looked in the adjacent desert areas at night for the birds perched?

Cheers, a

The area to the north of the Auberge, where the smooth tarmac road from Erfoud stops, is also excellent for the nightjars, at least 3 calling there when I last visited and fantastic views of one bird on the deck at dusk.

Birders travelling further west should be aware of a very good site in the Sous valley, not too far from Tarroudant also.

Stew.
 
I arrived back on 16 March from a 16 day Morocco and Western Sahara trip. Hope to produce a trip report soon.

We have seen 224 species including most targets.

The torrential rains have changed the mouth of the Sousse considerably. The road leading to the Red-necked Nightjar site was washed away, so you have to walk through the golf course for about 100 metres. First evening we were let in, but not on the next. We even talked to the manager of the club, a French lady, but she refused, not too politely.

Oued Massa was also hit by the floods and we had a hard time to find Plain Martins. Finally we had a pair close to site No. 9 in Gosney.

Other places, such as Larache or Merdja Zerga were not affected by the floods, although roads were closed in the area due to floods and landslides.

Attila
 
We were there a couple of years ago - we connected at the swimming pool, but it was some time after nightfall if I recall correctly.

We didn't stay at the auberge (they were full, and we stayed at a cheaper one nearby), but we were able to go in and purchase a meal. Two of us then snuck off at intervals to check out the swimming pool - I had one actually outside the area viewable in the lights (but still inside the compound I think?), reporting back, we all checked it out and asked our waiter if we could eat by the swimming pool - he said yes. Maybe we should have asked at the onset!

The lady/owner? then later told us that someone had cancelled, so we could have stayed after all. We all got brief but good views shortly after as it came in for a few passes.

Checking both ends of the night makes a lot of sense, and there is a possibility of seeing them I guess without actually going into the auberge?
 
I arrived back on 16 March from a 16 day Morocco and Western Sahara trip. Hope to produce a trip report soon.

We have seen 224 species including most targets.

The torrential rains have changed the mouth of the Sousse considerably. The road leading to the Red-necked Nightjar site was washed away, so you have to walk through the golf course for about 100 metres. First evening we were let in, but not on the next. We even talked to the manager of the club, a French lady, but she refused, not too politely.

Oued Massa was also hit by the floods and we had a hard time to find Plain Martins. Finally we had a pair close to site No. 9 in Gosney.

Other places, such as Larache or Merdja Zerga were not affected by the floods, although roads were closed in the area due to floods and landslides.

Attila

We returned from a trip last week and the Plain Martins were just starting to return back to their colony on SW side of Oued Massa after being flooded out. You still have to walk to it though as the bridge is still not passable for general traffic.
We were successful with Egyptian Nightjar from the track just past Auberge Tresor near Rissani.
 
We returned from a trip last week and the Plain Martins were just starting to return back to their colony on SW side of Oued Massa after being flooded out. You still have to walk to it though as the bridge is still not passable for general traffic.
We were successful with Egyptian Nightjar from the track just past Auberge Tresor near Rissani.

we scored with both of these - the martins were quite easy at Massa, no walking involved.
The nightjars we had at the same site Allen describes - but we put one up in daylight - it lingered for a few seconds just over our heads allowing incredible views and we cursed the photographer in our party for leaving the camera in the car!
 
Here's a description of the location:
http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=750

I'll test it in the beginning of next month, though don't know if the heavy rainfall has made things different...

An Egyptian Nightjar was indeed calling at the location in the beginning of April. A Red-necked Nightjar could also be heard to the same spot, calling simultaneously with the Egyptian (but probably from the bank of the wadi).
 
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