Morocco birding trip (1 Viewer)

[Lanhua]

I am planning a trip to Morocco. I will travel alone and I am looking for a local guide for the area near Agadir.
Thanks for any advise

Mietek

 

[dandsblair]

We didn't really need a guide

When we went last year we just used Gosney guide and latest trip report information and hired car in Agadir for a very inexpensive price.

If you must get a guide we saw quite a few at Oued Sous as you enter the car park and none were too pushy.

Gosney mentions [email protected] who we met briefly at Camping Wassay where we saw the Bald Ibis.

HTH

 

[Andy Adcock]

When we went last year we just used Gosney guide and latest trip report information and hired car in Agadir for a very inexpensive price.

If you must get a guide we saw quite a few at Oued Sous as you enter the car park and none were too pushy.

Gosney mentions [email protected] who we met briefly at Camping Wassay where we saw the Bald Ibis.

HTH

Are guides in Morocco a relatively new thing? I don't remember seeing any, anywhere when were were there in 99.

 

[opisska]

Are guides in Morocco a relatively new thing? I don't remember seeing any, anywhere when were were there in 99.

Must have been a blessed time! In 2016, we first god at involuntary "guide" for the Marsh Owl (the guy straight up refused to leave us alone) and then around the Bald Ibis area, some more "guides" jumped on us the second we slowed down in a car park.

Gosney's books are much older and they also mention guides - for some sites, he even refuses to give directions to avoid hurting their business.

 

[James Lowther]

Must have been a blessed time! In 2016, we first god at involuntary "guide" for the Marsh Owl (the guy straight up refused to leave us alone) and then around the Bald Ibis area, some more "guides" jumped on us the second we slowed down in a car park.

Gosney's books are much older and they also mention guides - for some sites, he even refuses to give directions to avoid hurting their business.

almost all birding areas in morocco can be done without a guide and without hassle (although fossil sellers at Oukaimeden can be a bit irritating..).

probably the only exceptions the Merja Zerga marsh owl area and Oued Massa bald ibis site. Tamri bald ibis site can be done without a guide.

personally i'd recommend a guide for the marsh owl to maintain good relations between locals and birders, the site is extremely sensitive to habitat degradation and any money flowing into the local economy to try and counter that is a good thing IMO. There are details elsewhere on this forum.

there are good guides available in the Merzouga area but not necessary (although species like crowned sandgrouse, Saharan scrub warbler, dunn's lark if present, Egyptian nightjar might be difficult without them)

cheers,
James

 

[Andy Adcock]

Must have been a blessed time! In 2016, we first god at involuntary "guide" for the Marsh Owl (the guy straight up refused to leave us alone) and then around the Bald Ibis area, some more "guides" jumped on us the second we slowed down in a car park.

Gosney's books are much older and they also mention guides - for some sites, he even refuses to give directions to avoid hurting their business.

We dipped the Ibis and on the way to a spot where we'd been told they were nesting, two, uniformed guys on a motorbike, headed us off and prevented us from going any further?

 

[Steve Lister]

Are guides in Morocco a relatively new thing? I don't remember seeing any, anywhere when were were there in 99.

It is a while since I was there too (2009) but then there were 'official' guides based at Oued Massa, the long-term ex Slender-billed Curlew guy Hassan at Merja Zerga, now showing people the Marsh Owls, and desert guides in the Merzouga/Rissani area who had things like Egyptian Nightjars and sandgrouse pools staked out. All useful, but the Oued Massa ones are not really needed for knowledgeable birders except they might know exactly where to find feeding Bald Ibis flocks.

Steve

 

[jurek]

Morocco does not need a guide. Sites are well described in e.g. Gosney 'Where to watch birds...' booklet, plus many current observations on Observado and suchlike sites.

Few years ago in Oued Massa random people kept coming and pestering us saying things like guardian-ibis-d'argent, guardian-ibis-d'argent, guardian-ibis-d'argent... One needed to park the car and move in a way not visible to curious eyes, and be firm.

It is exactly how birding should not develop relations with the local community.

By the way, locals wanted to build a huge Club Meds hotel there at some point, because it offered even more money than ibises.

I still wonder, why some countries, including even poorer ones, don't develop this culture of pestering and scamming, but others do?

 

[Lanhua]

Thanks to all of you.
I have both Gosney DVD and his book as well.
like i said before i plan to travel alone and that is the only reason i ask for a guide.

Mietek

 

[Pitta Patter]

Hi Mietek. We used a guide a couple of years ago for 3 days in the Agadir region. I day looking for the bald ibis and 2 days in the desert to the south. He was pretty good. I will dig out the details and send them to you in a day or two.

 

[Pitta Patter]

Mietek - A friend and I used Mohamed Bargache. He is based near Agadir, knows the city well so can pick you up from your hotel. His prices were reasonable, it obviously helped splitting the costs in our case. The email address I have is [email protected] I am sure he would welcome your custom when it is safe to travel and the country is open for tourism. Feel free to PM me if you need for information.

 

[Lanhua]

Pitta Patter,
thanks a lot for your information.
Yes Morocco is still not open for tourist, but I think it will happen soon

Mietek