Our heavy hearts were somewhat compounded for some of those present (Ben!) after receiving news via text that a Black Lark has just turned up at Winterton!!
We stop at marker 172 where we find our western most Thick-billed Lark displaying and further along a small flock (6) of 'pipits' on the road prove to be Ortolan's that flit up onto the rocks to feed among the grasses. Also here we have Corn Bunting. A stop close to the summit of the Tizi- n-Tichka pass gets us more Moussier's Redstart, Long-legged Buzzard, Cirl Bunting and Subalpine Warbler. We also partake in the classic 'two' bird therory game (but with three) as we veiw a high flying eagle " Bonelli's!" "nah...thats Golden"......."looks like a Booted to me" then realise we are each watching different birds, and we were all right!
Long-legged Buzzard
In the valley we again hear Levalliant's Woodpecker calling from the other side and decide to drive down and over to see if we can pin it down. We find a track that rises adjacent to the valley but despite hearing it again we fail to locate it, adding only Woodlark and Black-eared Wheatear to the tally.
Woodlark
We continue onwards back towards Marrakech where on the outskirts we stop at a fairly broad, gravel-bedded oued where we connect with further subpersonatta along with flava and iberiae. Another brief stop on the way to the hotel for a better look at North African Magpie, and that was it, the trip over, all bar the beer at the hotel with wheeling Little Swifts overhead and my first hint of a dodgy stomache, just before flying home , typical!
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