Morocco December 2013-January 2014 list

Red- denotes new life species for me

Bold- denotes new African species for me

Italics- denotes new Western Palearctic species for me

1. Common Shelduck- one at Oued Massa
2. Ruddy Shelduck- 4 at Oued Massa
3. Mallard- several seen at Tamri and three seen in flight at Souss Massa
4. Pintail- four at Oued Massa
5. Shoveler- two at Tamri
6. Eurasian Teal- three flew past as we watched Marbled Teal at Souss Massa
7. Garganey- two at Oued Massa were a great surprise given the time of year
8. Marbled Teal- approximately 25 of this threatened duck on their 'secret pool' at Souss Massa
9. Barbary Partridge- groups of four and six seen at Bab Ourika
10. Little Grebe- one at Tamri and two at Oued Massa
11. Northern Gannet- large numbers offshore at Tamri and smaller numbers off Oued Massa
12. (Moroccan) Cormorant- very common at all coastal locations visited
13. Cattle Egret- abundant at all sites, excluding inside the city of Marrakech
14. Little Egret- common at all coastal sites visited
15. Great Egret- seven at Oued Massa
16. Grey Heron- seen regularly at most sites, excluding Bab Ourika
17. White Stork- about twelve seen  in flight from the road outside Marrakech and two pairs on nests on buildings in the High Atlas
18. Glossy Ibis- three flew over us at Souss Massa
19. Northern Bald Ibis- undoubtedly the bird of the trip- flock of 38 just south of the lagoon at Tamri
20. Eurasian Spoonbill- one at the 'secret Marbled Teal pool' in Sous Massa and two at Oued Massa
21. Greater Flamingo- sadly only eight (all first or second winters)- all at Oued Massa
22. Western Osprey- one at Sidi Kaouki (south of Essaouira), another at Tamri and yet another at Oued Massa
23. Western Marsh Harrier- one at Tamri and one at Souss Massa
24. Long-legged Buzzard- one initially seen in flight, then landed, at Souss Massa
25. Eurasian Sparrowhawk- singles at Tamri, Souss Massa and Bab Ourika
26. Common Kestrel- abundant at all sites
27. Lesser Kestrel- a group of nine seen hawking for insects over the fields at Bab Ourika
28. Eurasian Coot- abundant at Tamri and at Souss and Oued Massa
29. Common Moorhen- singles at Tamri and Souss Massa
30. Eurasian Stone-curlew- a group of six distantly in a field in the Tizi'n Test Pass
31. Cream-coloured Courser- a great surprise to see two very well by the roadside just outside the Souss Massa reserve
32. Common Ringed Plover- very common at Sidi Kaouki and Oued Massa
33. Kentish Plover- several at Sidi Kaouki and Oued Massa
34. Grey Plover- several at Sidi Kaouki and Oued Massa
35. Sanderling- very common at Sidi Kaouki and two at Oued Massa
36. Ruddy Turnstone- common at Sidi Kaouki
37. Dunlin- abundant at Oued Massa
38. Green Sandpiper- rather unexpected to hear and see one well as it circled over our hotel at Taroudannt
39. Common Sandpiper- abundant at Oued Massa
40. Greenshank- about a dozen at Oued Massa
41. Bar-tailed Godwit- one at Oued Massa
42. Black-tailed Godwit- six at Oued Massa
43. Whimbrel- at least two at Sidi Kaouki
44. Black-headed Gull- several at Essaouira fish port and abundant at Oued Massa
45. Mediterranean Gull- three at Oued Massa
46. Yellow-legged Gull- two at Essaouira and one at Sidi Kaouki
47. Audouin's Gull- c.350 at Tamri lagoon and c.50 at Oued Massa
48. Lesser Black-backed Gull- abundant at all coastal sites
49. Glaucous Gull- finding one of this mega vagrant to Morocco at Essaouira fish port was certainly the trip's greatest surprise!
50. Sandwich Tern- one past Essaouira and c.40 at Oued Massa
51. Caspian Tern- three at Oued Massa
52. Rock Dove- genuine Rock Doves seen in  the High Atlas- Feral Pigeons everywhere else
53. Common Woodpigeon- common in the Tizi'n Test Pass and at Bab Ourika
54. Eurasian Collared Dove- abundant at all sites
55. European Turtle Dove- unexpected to see one regularly with the Collared Doves at Sidi Kaouki
56. Laughing Dove- seen well at Tamri and Souss Massa
57. Little Owl- two seen regularly on a wall behind our hotel at Sidi Kaouki and one at Oued Massa
58. Pallid Swift- two at Souss Massa
59. Common Kingfisher- one at Oued Massa
60. Levaillant's Green Woodpecker- one was seen and hear as it flew past us before dawn at Bab Ourika
61. Crested Lark- Crested/Thekla Larks very common- two confirmed as this species- one at Sidi Kaouki and one at Souss Massa
62. Thekla Lark- two confirmed as this species at Sidi Kaouki
63. Brown-throated Martin- several of this Moroccan speciality seen near their nesting site south of Essaouira
64. Eurasian Crag Martin- common at Souss Massa, Tamri and in the High Atlas
65. Barn Swallow- several seen at Sidi Kaouki, and abundant at Souss Massa
66. Moroccan/White Wagtail- very common at most sites. Seemingly alba White Wagtails seen at Sidi Kaouki
67. Grey Wagtail- three seen on a pebbly river in front of our restaurant in the Tizi'n Test Pass
68. White-throated Dipper- one seen in the Tizi'n Test Pass
69. European Robin- common at Sidi Kaouki
70. Common Redstart- surprising to find one at this time of year at Sidi Kaouki
71. Black Redstart- generally common at most sites
72. Moussier's Redstart- again generally common at most sites, especially Sidi Kaouki (how did I manage not to see one of these last time we came to Morocco??!!)
73. Black Wheatear- two seen in the Tizi'n Test Pass
74. (Common) Stonechat- very common at most sites- African Bird Club has not yet split African Stonechat
75. Common Blackbird- common at most sites- the race in Morocco seems to show no sexual dimorphism
76. Blue Rock Thrush- one sat on a telegraph wire in the Tizi'n Test Pass
77. Blackcap- just one seen- a female at Sidi Kaouki
78. Sardinian Warbler- very common at Sidi Kaouki, and common at most other sites
79. Spectacled Warbler- two seen very well at Tamri
80. Zitting Cisticola- one at Souss Massa
81. Cetti's Warbler- two at Souss Massa
82. Common Chiffchaff- with Collared Dove and House Sparrow, probably the most common bird of the trip- seen everywhere in good numbers in all habitats
83. Great Tit- seen at Sidi Kaouki and Bab Ourika
84. Coal Tit- three seen in the Tizi'n Test Pass
85. African Blue Tit- seen at Sidi Kaouki and Bab Ourika
86. Southern Grey Shrike- common at all sites- race elegans seen near Marrakech and at Bab Ourika and algeriensis at Sidi Kaouki and Souss and Oued Massa
87. Black-crowned Tchagra- sadly three were heard only at Souss Massa- this would have been a new Western Palearctic species for me
88. Common Bulbul- common at all sites
89. Maghreb/Common Magpie- common at all sites- these birds are very distinct, with blue behind their eye
90. Spotless Starling- common at all sites
91. House Sparrow- remarkably abundant at all sites
92. Spanish Sparrow- one seen well at Souss Massa
93. African/Common Chaffinch- this very distinctive 'race' (surely a separate species??) of Chaffinch was a common bird at all sites
94. Linnet- common at Sidi Kaouki, Tizi'n Test and at Oued Massa
95. European Goldfinch- seen in small numbers at all sites
96. European Greenfinch- common at all sites
97. European Serin- common at most sites
98. Trumpeter Finch- a small flock was seen near the roadside between Marrakech and Essaouira
99. Cirl Bunting- reassuringly common at most sites, particularly Sidi Kaouki
100. Rock Bunting- three at Bab Ourika
101. House Bunting- common at all sites