PART FOUR  – For some years now I have wanted to experience the desert birding in Morocco, and during 2017 I was fortunate enough to achieve my goal and I spent a week there, between 10th March and 20th March 2017, birding in the special desert areas. I traveled with Boletas Birdwatching Tours, operated by Josele Saiz. Our team comprised of 7 birders, most of which were also keen photographers, two leaders – Chris Townend and Danny Cazo Monesma and not forgetting our brilliant driver, Mohammed. It was a stunning trip, managing to see 30 new species and over 170 species for the week, 11 species of butterfly, 4 species of dragonfly, not to mention 3 species of frog and a single species of gecko. A massive thank you to Chris and Danny for their superb leadership skills, to the rest of the guys on the trip (Steve x 2; Pete, Rob, Chris and Karim), to Mohammed and lastly to Boletas Birdwatching Tours.

I saw all my target birds, which included Bald Ibis, Pharoah Eagle Owl, Crowned & Spotted Sandgrouse, Brown-throated Martin, Thick-billed Lark, Moussier’s Redstart, Egyptian Nightjar, Red-rumped Wheatear, White-crowned Wheatear, Magreb Wheatear, Seebohm’s Wheatear, Scrub Warbler, African Desert Warbler, Crimson-winged Finch, Levaillant’s Woodpecker, Temminck’s Lark, Hoopoe Lark, Bar-tailed Lark, Black-crowned Tchagra, Tristram’s Warbler and Desert Sparrow. Some of which I managed decent photos, some were only record shots. Nevertheless all the birds were seen well. Some of the best views of Quail I’m ever likely to get, thanks to Danny, the “Quail King”, along with a stunning “Swift Extravaganza” and we even found a Lesser Scaup, the 7th record for Morocco and also, what was almost certainly, a Rock Martin. All in all some fabulous birding experiences.

Summary of the trip – We commenced our birding journey in Marakesh, spending a full day in the high Atlas Mountains. Then a long drive east to Boulmane Dades, visiting the stoney desert area of Hammada and the Tagdilt Track. Another long drive further east to the Sahara Desert, staying in Merzouga for three nights and birding the vast desert area. Our return journey was via Ouarzazate, visiting the Anti-Atlas Range and the large Mansour Reservoir, where we found a Lesser Scaup. Then on to Agadir, birding the coastal river and the famous Sous Massa area and finally returning to Marakesh. 

I thought my time with Morocco’s Desert Birds was summed up perfectly in an email that Chris Townend sent to me – ” Hope you are not missing the Desert too much – The sand stays in the optics for weeks afterwards” –  very true words and I’m missing it already…

Little Swift – Above 2 images – Mansour Reservoir, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison© 

Desert Sparrow – Above 3 images – Mazouga Desert Area, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison©

Black Wheatear – female – Above 2 images – Todra Gorge, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison©

Ruddy Shelduck – Above 2 images – Mansour Reservoir, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison©

Cream-coloured Courser – Merzouga Desert Area, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison© – Unfortunately we only saw 2 birds and they were in an area that was extremely difficult for photography

Spotted Sandgrouse – Above 2 images – Merzouga Desert Area, Morocco – Tony Davison© 

Crowned Sandgrouse – Above 2 images – Merzouga Desert Area, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison©

Fulvous Babbler – Above 2 images – Mazouga, Morocco – Tony Davison©

Bonelli’s Eagle – Above 2 images – Todra Gorge, Morocco – Tony Davison© – a pair put on a great show high above this magnificent valley.

Brown-throated Martin – Above 3 images – Oued Sousse, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison© – a few record shots

Scrub Warbler – Mazouga Desert Area, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison© – a real difficult bird to see, let alone photograph. 

Greater Flamingo – Oued Sousse, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison© – something different but not sure whether it works?

Green-striped White  – Oued Sousse, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison©

Greenish Black-tip – Oued Sousse, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison© – I apologise for such a poor record shot but only one I was able to get of what I found to be a difficult butterfly species to photograph.

Clouded Yellow – Oued Sousse, Morocco – March 2017 – Tony Davison©

My wife & I spent another glorious week at our favourite place on Samos, at the small fishing village of Kokkari on the north coast of this beautiful island. This was our third year running on Samos and I must admit, it is one of my favourite places to just simply chill-out for a week and do very little at all. We were one week earlier than last year and so a little too early for the passage of  Eleonora’s Falcon. However I did have a huge passage of Bee-eaters on 22nd May. During the day well over 100 birds passed over our hotel in small parties, a spectacular sight but alas they were not close enough for photographs. I heard or saw Bee-eaters every day during the week. Several pairs of Red-rumped Swallow were nesting in the usual place and during the late afternoons a few Alpine Swift would pass by the hotel. One morning I discovered a Woodchat Shrike in the small Olive Grove below our Hotel. It was gone the next day, so obviously a migrant. Another morning a Raven flew over heading north.

On the 26th May I took an early morning walk into the mountain valley behind our hotel and found at least three singing Ruppell’s Warbler, a few Sardinian Warbler and a single Cetti’s Warbler. A pair of Bonelli’s Eagle, Peregrine, a single Eleonora’s Falcon, Common & Long-legged Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle and a Kestrel. Not a bad raptor list. Several Olivaceous Warbler were singing near the hotel and in a small marshy area heading into the village of Kokkari. Yellow-legged Gull, Jay and Hooded Crow were generally quite common. Plenty of Common Swift, Swallow and House Martin, House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon and Collard Dove.

Butterflies were fairly scarce. Several Painted Lady, Scarce Swallowtail, a single Long-tailed Blue and several Hummingbird Hawkmoth were seen around the hotel garden. A single Two-tailed Pasha, Meadow Brown and a single Ilex Hairstreak along the mountain track. The most unusual sighting during the week was that of a Mediterranean Monk Seal, hauled up on the shingle beach in Kokkari village. The animal is so rare, that it had it’s own personal body guards, protecting it and in order to keep the public at a safe viewing distance.

Red-rumped Swallow – above five images – Samos, Greece – Tony Davison©

Ruppell’s Warbler – Above two images – Kokkari, Samos, Greece – Tony Davison©

Olive Grove below our Hotel where I found the following Woodchat Shrike – Samos, Greece – Tony Davison©

Woodchat Shrike – possibly of the Eastern race niloticus? Bird showed a huge white rump patch right down to base of tail. Any comments appreciated – Tony Davison©

Kokkari village from our hotel – Samos, Greece – Tony Davison©

Ilex Hairstreak – Samos, Greece – Tony Davison©

Meadow Brown– Samos, Greece – Tony Davison©

Orchid species – Any help with ID would be appreciated – Tony Davison©

Mediterranean Monk Seal – Kokkari Beach, Samos, Greece – Tony Davison©

Last year my wife & I visited the Greek Island of Samos for the first time. We were so struck by the place, we went back this year to the same Hotel and location. Another very relaxing holiday and dispite the fact that it wasn't what I would call a wildlife holiday, I managed one or two special moments with birds and butterflies. Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, lying just off the coast of Turkey.

The area of the island is 478 km2 (185 sq miles), 43 km long (27miles) and 13km wide (8miles). It is seperated from Anatolia by the approximately 1 mile wide Mycale Strait. Samos is remarkably mountainous but also has several relatively large and fertile plains, it is also very green for an Agean island. A great proportion of the island is covered with vineyards, from which muscat wine is made. The islands population is around 34,000, which is the 9th most populous of the Greek islands. The climate is typically Mediterranean, with mild rainy winters and warm rainless summers, except our week which was very mixed weather.

Samos is dominated by two large mountains, Ampelos and Kerkis. The Ampelos massif (locally referred to as Karvounis) is the larger of the two, rising to 1095metres (3,593 ft) and occupies the central area of the island. Mount Kerkis, though smaller is the taller and its summit is the highest point on the island at 1434 metres (4705 ft).

My early morning walks took me into the foot hills of mount Ampelos, just behind our hotel. Surprisingly there were very few bird species in the mountain valley and butterflies were also thin on the ground. I managed to find many Two-tailed Pasha in this area and they were quite common the higher up the valley one travelled. Also several Cleopatra, a single Wall, Speckled Wood and what was probably a Mallow Skipper. Several Small Skipper were also on the wing. Several dragonflt species including numerous Odalisque, Beautiful Demoiselle and a species I've yet to identify.

I also discovered a new sepecies of reptile that I had not seen before,  Erhard's Wall Lizard. Bird wise, the most impressive sight was a movement of Eleonora's Falcons during the morning of Wednesday 4th June. Approximately 65 birds moved over the hotel located on the northern part of the island, during a strong easterly wind. The birds were moving through with large numbers of Swift and Yellow-legged Gull. During the week I had two regular Short-toed Eagle; a single Goshawk; 2 Long-legged Buzzard; numerous Common Buzzard; 2 juvenile Peregrine; up to four pairs of Red-rumped Swallow; three fly-over Bee-Eater; Sardinian Warbler; single Olivaceous Warbler; single Alpine Swift, several Great Tit, single calling Tawny Owl, Wren, numerous Jay, Hooded Crow, Swallow, House Martin, Swift, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Collard Dove, Wood Pigeon, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Yellow-legged Gull, all from the Hotel and surrounding mountain valley.

Above two images – View from our Hotel Balcony

Above four images – first three pale phase Eleonora's Falcon – above image – dark phase Eleonora's Falcon. – Kolkkari, Samos – Tony Davison©

Above three images – Two-tailed Pasha – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – Tony Davison©

Above six images – Red-rumped Swallow – Kokkari, Samos – Tony Davison©

Above four images – Sardinian Warbler– male – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – Tony Davison©

Above two images – Erhard's Wall Lizard – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – Tony Davison©

Mating pair of Odalisque Dragonfly – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – Tony Davison©

Above two images – Beautiful Demoiselle – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – Tony Davison©

Wall – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – Tony Davison©

Speckled Wood – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – Tony Davison©

Small Skipper – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – Tony Davison©

Above two images – Swallow – Kokkari, Samos – Tony Davison©

Goshawk – Mount Ampelos foothills, Samos – heavily cropped image as bird was very distant – Tony Davison©

Kokkari, Samos – Tony Davison©

Kokkari, Samos – Tony Davison©

View over Kokkari during a day of thunderstorms – quite spectacular – Tony Davison©