Day 1 – Marrakech & Oukaimeden (24thFebruary 2019) House Bunting – 24th February – Marrakech (First seen on the window ledge of our Riad. Abundant in the city with a group of 30+ seen feeding on split grain at close quarters.) Maghreb Magpie – 24th February – R203 Marrakech to Tahnaout (Seen foraging next to the road. Abundant and seen well throughout the trip. Recently split.) Common Bulbul – 24th February – Ourika (First seen in the trees near the pottery shops driving up to the Atlas Mountains. Relatively common throughout Morocco.) African Crimson-winged Finch – 24th February – Ouk ..read more

With almost a whole day ahead of us before our flight back to Manchester, we headed back to the Oued Sous in daylight, notching up a small flock of Greater Flamingos on the sandbar as a small number of Avocets and Greenshanks probed in the shallows. Several Sandwich Ternsfished further out to shore, whilst both Maghreb Magpies and a duo of Moroccan Wagtails put on a great show at close quarters. Maghreb Magpie - recently split this is now recognised as its own species - mainly due to the blue patch of colour behind the eye. Laughing Dove Moroccan Wagtail ..read more

Awaking bright and early and taking a punt on some info we’d found online for Fulvous Babbler, we headed east towards the town of Taroudant, an hour or so away from Agadir. With scattered Babbler records in the area dating back a few years, whilst not nailed on we felt it was at least worth a shot, and sure enough, upon arrival in this unlikely location the habitat looked ideal, with numerous shrubs and bushes on the parched ground – perfect for Babblers!  Prime Babbler habitat at Taroudant aerodrome After parking up at the side of the compound fence at the aerodrome, almost imme ..read more

Arising early the next morning armed with the correct gen for exactly where we needed to go to access the Souss Massa National Park, we headed south once more, making good time and arriving shortly after dawn. This time locating the car park with ease and feeling happier that our possessions were safely stored in the hotel instead of waiting temptingly in the boot, we set off down the track heading above the winding river below.  Almost immediately we locked on to an exquisite male Moussier’s Redstart feeding just outside the car park, a particularly tolerant individual that came to with ..read more

Bidding farewell to a bright and bustling Marrakech early the next morning, we made the relatively easy 3-hour drive to Agadir, the roads in surprisingly excellent condition and successfully bypassing the majority of traffic and speed enforcement officers by taking the roll route. Upon arriving at this popular coastal holiday destination, we immediately made our way to one of the main river sites in the area – the well-known Oued Massa. Noted as a good spot for both Black-crowned Tchagra and Brown-throated Martin (previously Plain Martin before it was split) – both sought after birds in the We ..read more

Our final day in the Atlas Mountains dawned crisp and fresh once more, and being our last chance for Alpine Accentor we checked out early and took the winding road back up to the summit. The Crimson-winged Finches once more put on a show in the first car park, while the now familiar Rock Sparrows, Horned Larks, Bramblings and African Chaffinches foraged in the hay. African Crimson-winged Finch African Chaffinch This time exploring the summit next to the TV transmitter (the area the Accentors apparently favour), there was an abundance of Black Wheatears (the African subspeci ..read more

Our next day dawned with sunshine and beautiful blue skies, the harsh call of a Levaillant’s Woodpecker echoing around the valley as we ate breakfast proving to be a promising sign in our attempt at connecting with this endemic species.  The wooded surroundings of Aurocher With a number of Serins serenading us as we left the car park, we drove slowly up to Igunane, scanning the bare trunks and oak thickets favoured by the Levaillant’s, the early morning playing to our advantage with a distinct lack of people. In no time at all our dawn start had paid off, and we were soon enjoyin ..read more

Morocco – often many birders first taste in to the fantastic culture of North Africa, complete with its treasure trove of mouth-watering endemics and cracking avian delights. With a range of habitats, from the spectacular Atlas Mountains to the scorching deserts and everything in between, Morocco has a swathe of mind-blowing scenery to boot, not to mention a range of cultural delights from the many roadside tagines and ornate hand-woved rugs, baskets and pots the country is famous for, to the enticing aromas of heavenly spices and street food in the souks.  With many birders choosing to ..read more

The Netherlands – home to a network of winding waterways, windmills, cyclists and for winter 2018/19 at least, surprisingly the host of a vagrant Spotted Nutcracker. Originating from the vast Russian mountains far over to the east, this popular, showy and well-watched individual originally set up home in the Dutch town of Wageningen back in the middle of November, and having stayed faithful for over a month, we made the decision to head over for the weekend in an attempt to connect.  The rather showy Spotted Nutcracker that took up residence back in Winter 2018/19 Having booked our flights on ..read more

Michigan Trip Photo Gallery: Lifers Acadian Flycatcher - Nan Weston Preserve (31st May 2018)Alder Flycatcher - Haughton Boardwalk (26th May 2018)American Woodcock - Magee Marsh (25th May 2018)Bobolink - Fibre (30th May 2018) Brewer's Blackbird - Grayling Forest (26th May 2018)Broad-winged Hawk - Mayfield (28th May 2018)Brown Creeper - Oak Openings Preserve (1st June 2018)Clay-coloured Sparrow - Grayling Forest (28th May 2018)Common Nighthawk - Grayling Forest (26th May 2018)Dark-eyed Junco - Grayling Forest (27th May 2018)Dickcissel - Sharonville SGA (31st May 2018)Evening Grosbeak - Hartwick ..read more