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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GDK" data-source="post: 1144003" data-attributes="member: 21712">Hi Rob (and Dave),I agree with Dave’s comments.  I was birding with Dave last year in Morocco and provide below a day-breakdown of our movements on that trip for you as it sounds like you are going to attempt what we initially attempted to achieve.  I think it is doable, but do heed Dave’s cautions.Regarding accommodation in Ouarzazate, I believe (pretty sure) we stayed in this Kasbah, it was inexpensive and basic, food was nice enough.  Does that look right Dave?  We didnt book and turned up at dusk. I didnt note the name of it down, and if I had the Rough Guides book (we got virtually all our accommodation from that source) could probably remember from the map, just south of the river (whiskered and Gull Billed Tern at dawn and Kentish Plover).  Note the Google map doesnt quite tie in with the aerial photo.<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Morocco&t=h&ie=UTF8&ll=30.902837,-6.910889&spn=0.00226,0.003422&z=18" target="_blank">http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Morocco&t=h&ie=UTF8&ll=30.902837,-6.910889&spn=0.00226,0.003422&z=18</a>-----------------------------------------------Our Itinerary:Sun Arrive Marrakesh early, collect car and drive to Oukaimeden, stopping on the way for usual stuff m. redstarts, black wheatear, lev Woody, police speed trap fines, kids with stones, and lunch.  Stay overnight in YHA Club Alp nest (cheap, no pre booking was required, food great, but v.cold at night).Mon Oukaimeden via Tizi-n-Tichka pass to Ouarzazate.  We spent a lot of time searching for Tristam’s which was not that productive, but fun birding mid alt Atlas.  Arrived at dusk accom. as above in link, we just turned up and settled in.  Tues Bird route all day from Ouarzazate to Tagdilt first taste of desert specialties, eve birding Tagdilt Track (overnight in usual birders Kasbah: Kasbah Tizzarouine?) – we spent a lot of time on this day just trying out desert areas along the road.  Got a lot of species, but nothing we didn’t see elsewhere, apart from Golden Eagle.Wed morn spent on the Tagdilt, lunch birding Gorge du Toudgha (waste of time birding wise), and pm Desert/Scrub warbler sites well west of Er-Rachidia – which were great but didn’t see either of those two at these sites - at dusk we opted to night drive to Erfoud (arrive late in Erfoud find dive of accommodation on main road c11pm, wake them up, cheap and in and out!)  Thurs bird Desert Inn area am; pm we did Yasmina, eagle owl at Rissani etc (overnight in Desert Inn - more expensive).  We saw all the regular desert specialties here except Houbara on this dayFri Desert area: Hire guide for dawn Houbara (via desert inn owner), usual guide taken by Birdquest group, but she reassures us that this other guy knows his Bustards.  Result, our guide knows nothing and we end up at Yasmina!  Three less than happy birders and a lot of explaining to do for one Kasbah owner:  Beware make sure you get the correct guy – Ali Mouni see the following link for how to do it correctly! <a href="http://birdblog.merseyblogs.co.uk/archives/2007/04/morocco_april_2.html" target="_blank">http://birdblog.merseyblogs.co.uk/archives/2007/04/morocco_april_2.html</a>pm Merzouga, eve looking round Desert Inn area for Egyptian NJ and dinner at Inn (nice food!) then drive back to Erfoud as we were almost trapped in the desert the night prev.  Acccom same as Wed.Sat - Our aim was to get as far to the coast as poss, with minor birding on the way to try and get Scrub Warbler.  Heavy rain and hail blocked all routes out of Erfoud until tea time, so we wasted a day birding wet desert round Erfoud, and watching the carnage on the roads unfold in front of us.  We stayed overnight in an empty hotel in Er-Rachidia, arrived after dark and woke the duty/owner up.  He told us the road between Boulmane and Er-Rachida was also impassible because of flooding so we were forced to head north next day.Sun Middle Atlas area: - am Scrub warbler sites just west of Er-Rachidia, Tizi-n-Tairhemt pass north for Tristam’s and pm we headed for Atlas Fly north of Zeida (seemed easy in suitable habitat), end up at Red Knobbed Coot site, Ifrane, and Fes for dusk (money/petrol needs).  Drive back to Marrakesh on motorway through the night - we thought it would be a safer option than skirting the edge of the Atlas. Arrive at about 5am on fumes and half a car; find garage with vacuum and car wash and patch up the worst of the mess.  With some pre planning we could have made the Marsh Owl roost rather than some boring coot site.  Or maybe if this had been in our original itinerary we could have worked in the Duponts Lark site (we didn’t really stop as we passed it mid-day).To look at this area, and for ideas of distances you could travel see Rob Morris’s Trip report, he was at the Desert Inn same time as us:  <a href="http://www.go-south.org/tripreports2/R157-2007_04_morris.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.go-south.org/tripreports2/R157-2007_04_morris.pdf</a>Mon Fight out at about 8am.---------------------------------------I think we were pushing it to reach the coast on the last day, which was our original intention, but had we not got stuck in Erfoud we probably would have made it.  Also, we could easily have saved a little time at a few other places, and you are not intending to do a Houbara trip?  If you are strict you can make your itinerary, or like we did you can risk night driving to make up for the inevitable unscheduled stops in nice looking areas, and over birding other areas.  Also have a think about the Marsh Owl/Buttonquail/Atlas Fly/RK Coot/Duponts option over Bald Ibis etc on the coast.On our original, original itinerary we were going to try fit in Marsh Owl, etc; and atlas; and desert; and coast.  Now that would have been (a bit) crazy.Ive just got round to starting writing up my notes on last years trip, if I manage to do it before you go away Ill send you our trip list etc if you want it?Cheers</blockquote>

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