Awsred road (southernmost Sahara) specialities (1 Viewer)

[Acrocephalus]

Hi,

I found myself traveling to the southernmost Sahara, Morocco during next days without any preparation. This is because it was planned to go to around Tarfaya/Cape Juby, then some people asked if I wanted to go with them to southen Sahara. I accepted right away even I don't have any knowledge of the birding scene in autumn in this area and I didn't prepare the trip (also the bad quality of the computers in the only cyber cafe in the village I am based now don't help to search right now). My targets are the "Awsred road specialities": cricket warbler, Dunn's lark... So, do I have any chance of seeing these birds in autumn as these birds were seen in mainly in spring trips? If you don't have any tip which I can pick up during the following 3 days, just wish me good luck.

regards,

 

[StuartReeves]

Hi Mohamed,

This trip report has some information: http://www.freewebs.com/punkbirder/sahara2010.htm

 

[Acrocephalus]

Thanks StuartReeves for the link. I have already seen 4 lifers around Dakhla, 3 of them can also be observed further north (the exception is the Isabilline Wheatear). Tomorrow is for Aoussered road and beyond.

 

[dantheman]

Go for it, imagine at least some of the birds will be in the area (where else would they be going, seeing as they are so closely associated with that habitat type on the roadsides?), and there's always the chance of something totally new or unexpected for the region ...

Good luck.

(Presumably on your way by now?, and you're aquainted with the usual go-south resources ...)

 

[Acrocephalus]

Just arrived to Tétouan after an excellent trip to the southern Sahara. If I didn’t prepare the trip, my colleagues were well prepared, they organised the trip purposely after the rains (by the way one of them was looking for plants which were blossomed). Target birds were literally everywhere (in the right habitats) and I got many new lifers, I will write about this asap.

 

[Acrocephalus]

Important rainfall in the Sahara: birding opportunities

...my colleagues were well prepared, they organised the trip purposely after the rains (by the way one of them was looking for plants which were blossomed). Target birds were literally everywhere (in the right habitats)

The important amount of rains that have fallen during the last week of September in the whole region of Oued Ed-Dahab - Lagouira (including Dakhla, Aousserd, Tichla…) reminded me of autumn 2010 when we visited this area after the rains of late summer/early autumn of that year. We have easily seen all the specialities of the area with many of them were breeding. I wrote a quick blog-post (with photos from the 2010 trip) to remember fellow birders that want to visit the WP frontier to see its specialities that this autumn (from early November onwards) is probably the perfect moment to go.

http://moroccanbirds.blogspot.com/2012/10/Birding-the-Sahara.html

Best regards,