Boletas is proudly the company who every year guide more tours to Morocco with more than 40 bird tours in the last 10 years to this exciting destination. We consider ourselves the market leaders and in our tours you can find together both pure birders and keen photographers sharing the typical birding itinerary proposed. In recent years more and more people are joining the standard birdwatching tours carrying good cameras and big lenses instead of telescopes. There is now an increasing demand for photo tours. Due to our previous experience with several photographers, the knowledge of the Moroccan birds and our reputation in organising tours, we have designed this tour exclusively for photographers concentrating on the day by day activity of picturing of the most relevant of the Moroccan avifauna. At the beginning of March most of the Moroccan specialities wear their most beautiful breeding plumage ready to display before mating, in particular the impressive display of the Hoopoe Lark also the "dancing tails" that wheatears perform. At this time of the year the light in southern Morocco is never too strong, allowing for photography during most of the day. We want to invite to all photographers to join us in this unique photographic experience where we will concentrate our efforts in the target species.
Day 1 - Arrive at Casablanca, meet the local drivers and drive to Moulain Bouselham where time permitting we will try for Marsh Owl for first time. Overnight in Moulain Bouselham.
Day 2 - Boat trip through the famous Merja Zerja, a RAMSAR protected lagoon with an impressive concentration of wildfowl. Our photography targets here will be Squacco and Purple Herons, Audouin´s and Slender-billed Gulls, Red-knobbed Coot, Glossy Ibis, Little Owl and Purple Swamp-hen. Before dusk we will visit a roosting place for Marsh Owl where we will have just one or two minutes to "shoot" them in the best light before dusk. Overnight in Moulain Bouselham.
Day 3 - Long driving day from Moulain Boulselham to Agadir. Before arrival in Agadir we will visit Tamri in the Sous Massa National Park, one of the best Bald Ibis colonies in Morocco (Morocco holds most of the world population with 500 individuals concentrated in the Sous Massa National Park), with the hope to have close encounters with this scarce bird. Other possible specialities in the area include the difficult Tristram´s Warbler, Black-crowned Tchagra, Barbary Falcon and Moussier´s Redstart; a real jewel for photographers. Overnight in Agadir.
Days 4 - Early morning drive to the Sous Massa N. P. where bird photography is exceptional, but we will concentrate our efforts on the shy Black-crowned Tchagra, Moussier´s Redstart, Marbled Teal and the African race of Chaffinch. Drive south to Goulemine searching for local specialities, before dusk we will search for Scrub Warbler and Fulvous Babbler. Overnight in Goulemine.
Day 5 - A short distance south of Goulemine the terrain becomes more arid and sandy, where the Sahara influence is notorious. Birds we hope to find include Cream-coloured Courser, Thick-billed, Temminck´s, Bar-tailed, Hoopoe and Desert Larks, Desert Wheatear and Trumpeter Finch - a really hard working day for photography.
Day 6 - We will concentrate on the desert for birds we may have missed the previous day, before heading back to Sous Massa for Bald Ibis. Overnight in Agadir
Day 7 - Early morning we will drive to the Oued Sous where there are good concentrations of the Moroccan race of Magpie (Pica pica mauretanicus), always an elusive bird for photography, with its distinctive deep blue around the eye. Drive to the airport for you flight back home.
Target Species
Chances to get close encounters ( *easy **good chances ***difficult )
Tristram´s Warbler - ***
Moussier´s Redstart - **
Red-rumped Wheatear - **
Thick-billed Lark - **
Hoope Lark - **
Desert Lark - **
Bar-tailed Desert Lark - **
Fulvous Babbler - *
Cream-coloured Courser - *
Desert Wheatear - **
Scrub Warbler - **
Temminck´s Lark - **
Bald Ibis - ***
Red Knobbed Coot**
Marsh Owl**
Black-crowned Tchagra**
Hide : This work is done without any hides, but searching the best places from where we know it is possible to see these species at the shortest distances. For some birds we will use the vehicles as hide.
Clothing : Weather in winter can be cold but specially early morning and before dusk. Please check the weather forecast one or two days before the tour starts.
Equipment : The distance of displaying birds varies between 2 and 20 metres and the recommended focal lengths are 500 to 600 mm.
