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Merdja Zerga and Sidi Bourhaba can now be accessed quickly and cheaply (toll only 30 dirhams in 1998) from the new autoroute as follows: Merdja Zerga Take the first exit as you travel southbound from Larache. This leads to a T-junction; turn right for Moullay Bousselham village and you will join the road which comes into my map from the right-hand side. If you wish to stay in Moullay Bousselham you may prefer the 'Bird House' B&B (run by Gentianne, a keen English-speaking birdwatcher from Rabat) to the bleak, soulless and unhelpful main hotel. Sidi Bourhaba Take the exit to Kenitra (Centre Ville), go straight on at the roundabout and follow the main road to the town 'high street'. Then turn left at the traffic lights and, after about 200 metres, turn right, signposted to Mehdya and Mehdya Plage. Page 6 Site 1 Roger Smith comments that this place is becoming more like a tourist resort than a fishing village. Even the little settlement at Gnafdi is becoming built up. Site 3 Up to 25 Marsh Owls were seen here in December 1998. Locals were offering to show birdwatchers owls at their daytime roosts for 100 dirhams. Site 5 The track shown on the map is now a tarmac road which goes all the way up the west side of the lake, beyond the eucalyptus plantation to the sandy point opposite Moullay Bousselham. It is from this road that Daniele Occhiato took the superb photos in Birding World (Vol. 19 No. 4 pp. 159-162) Site 6 Roger Smith found Black-shouldered Kite easily by this road, about 10 km north of the junction. Page 10 Site 2 In April 2005, Crested Coot were dead easy to see here. Page 12 The road to Sidi Yahya from Temara is now clearly signposted to 'Khourigba' and 'Sidi Yahya des Zaers'. Site 3 In December 98, the Francolins showed well here including one calling for about half an hour from a dead tree stump on the opposite hillside. The best views were of birds on a track parallel to the road. This was borne out by my experience in May 2005 as a result of which I suggest birders should give the 'car park' a miss and try on this track instead. Full details are given in my article at www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=524. Page 14 Site 1 In May 2005 I had great views here of lots of Hawfinch, at least one Levaillant's Woodpecker and, unexpectedly, a singing male Atlas Flycatcher which was flirting around a potential nest-hole, just east of the picnic site. This site is not in the traditional areas for Atlas Flycatcher so this may have been a 'one-off'. I did find several more Atlas Flycatchers closer to Ifrane and others have been successful there too; full details are given in my article at www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=521. Jon Hornbuckle also found Atlas Flycatchers (plus Levaillant's Woodpecker, Goshawk, Honey Buzzard, Roller, Firecrest and, remarkably, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater) 5-6 km north of Ifrane on the Imousser road. Site 4 Most of this wood has been felled! But don't dismay, Levaillant's Woodpeckers should still be easy to find here, especially in the wood on the slope to the south of the track I have drawn. In May 2005, I found a nest opposite this wood, in one of the trees right next to the track. The area was also good for Crossbills and Helmeted Guineafowl (presumably of domesticated origin). In May 2006, Jon Hornbuckle had Atlas Flycatcher here too. Page 16 Dupont's Larks can still be seen here! Bill Simpson had at least 3 calling birds here an hour before dawn on 4th April 1999. These birds were all between the 2 tracks which lead east from the road between km 26 and km 25 (remember these are wrongly labelled on my map – see the notes in the back of my book). The Timna Logbook gives details of where another crew had 7 Dupont's Larks. Just north of km 25, look for a track to the right, which starts between two piles of white stones. Follow this track for a couple of kilometres until it forks. The larks were on the high ground reached by taking the left-hand fork. In April 2005, I had terrific views of a singing male which performed exceptionally well, hours after dawn, within a few feet of one of the tracks. This same bird was later found easily by at least 2 other crews. The spot was 600 metres from the road, near where it says 'flock of Thick-billed Lark' on my map. A full account is given in my article at www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=531. Jon Hornbuckle reports that, in May 2006, Brown-necked Ravens were 'common' around the tip just before Zeida. |
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