Day 5 - Tata to Tagoudiche

A note on the birds seen during our trip by Mike Greer-Walker
The trail begins in Marrakesh and the old palace walls provide nesting sites for the WHITE STORK one of the regions larger birds. The nests are massive and a close approach can be made to observe the mandible clattering courtship display. The familiar HOUSE SPARROWS are present together with the HOUSE BUNTING which is also a commensal with man. The ubiquitous COLLARED DOVE and SPOTLESS STARLING can also be seen in the park close to the Hotel Ali.

The road to Zagora and the drive through the Anti Atlas yields some interesting species if full use is made of the photo-stops. The BLUE ROCK THRUSH is common and REDSTARTS (BLACK and MOUSSIER"S) occur with a number of species of WHEATEAR (WHITE CROWNED BLACK,MOURNING and RED RUMPED ) which are difficult to separate. STONECHATS and a GREAT GREY SHRIKE singing from the top of an Acacia tree were also seen. There are a number of LARKS endemic to this region but only the easily approachable CRESTED LARK was positively identified.

The palmeries and oases such as the Draa valley provide some of the best opportunities for birding. There has been little significant rainfall for the past three years and this is apparent. However, where open water remains there are GREY HERONS,LITTLE EGRETS,CATTLE EGRETS (which attend camels) ,RED RUMPED SWALLOWS, ROCK and CRAG MARTINS and WAGTAILS (PIED,GREY and YELLOW). In the date palms the black cheeked COMMON BULBUL is unmistakable .

In the more arid areas and towards Tata the birds are few but look out for QUAIL,BARBARY PARTRIDGE, DESERT FINCHES and LARKS (when camel riding make sure you are on the lead camel). If there were time a visit to one of the water reservoirs might be productive. In the mountains around Tagoudiche are RAVENS and CHOUGHS and the summit of Jebel Lekst is a good venue to look for raptors.

In Essaouira the thriving fishing port offers a complete contrast with SHAGS and CORMORANTS on the breakwaters and LESSER BLACK BACKED and YELLOW LEGGED GULLS taking advantage of the scraps left by the fishermen . There are many species of WADERS and TERNS that migrate this far south and a sea watch at this point could be worthwhile. The rare ELEONORAS FALCON breeds on the offshore islands but a permit is required for a visit and they migrate southwards at this time of year

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Hotel La Renaissance, Tata in the morning	and into the Anti-Atlas mountains
Distant Berber tents

Short diversion off road to a village with a tea house	We walked through the palmerie, again stricken with drought
Wayside flowers
One patch of cultivation	The new solar-powered well
Village houses	Ironwork
Shoes off for the tea huse	Washing in rose water first
Very good bread	Potted plants
OK to photograph donkeys - but not people	Flower
Back to the main road
	Rocks
and suddenly in this arid landscape	we find the amazing Igherm Souk
Useful articles made from old car tires	The main street (incredibly crowded, but we could not photograph in the crowds)
New tables, chairs, and chests	Iron tools
Spices	Copper kettles and pans
	Back on the road
	Off road again on the way to the "Blue Rocks"
They really are blue, painted as an "event"	. though we didn't think it was an improvement
Gnarled roots	and tree trunks
The Aladdin's cave of Berber and other local rugs	in the carpet shop at Tafraoute
	The stone called "Rose of the Desert"
Cacti by the road
We waked the 2 miles up the winding track	to the mountain village of Tagoudiche
Very mountainous	and a dirt road with many hairpins
Briefing on arrival	Our bedroom (shared with another counple). We had blow-up mattresses to keep us off the concrete
The communal room where most of the others slept on the settees round the walls	Very simple squat loos
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