The Sahara (and other deserts)

Of course, one of the big attractions of Morocco is the lure of the desert - and we had a brilliant few days exploring various kinds of arid scenery, from the steppes of Tagdilt, to the rocky hamadas of Ouarzazate, and finally to the sandy dunes and epic wastes of Merzouga, on the northern fringes of the Sahara 'proper'.

Early starts and late finishes ensured we saw absolutely loads of great things - where to begin? How about with the "Desert" set? Desert Warbler, Wheatear, Lark and Sparrow, all nailed. Add in loads of larks (Hoopoe, Thick-billed, Temminck's, Greater and Lesser Short-toed, Thekla, Bar-tailed, Maghreb [?]), wheatears (Maghreb, White-crowned, Northern, Desert, Red-rumped) lots of desert specials (Cream-coloured Courser, Trumpeter Finch, Crowned and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Lanner, Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Bonelli's Eagle), some cool migrants (Quail, Subalpine Warbler, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Western Orphean Warbler), and even some waterbirds at Merzouga Lake (Greater Flamingo, Marbled Duck, Black-winged Stilt, Gull-billed Tern, Spoonbill, Ruddy Shelduck) and it's clear we did really well!

Other groups were well represented too - scorpions, chameleons, ants (again), even frogs and toads, stacks of fossils (ammonites, trilobites, belemnites) and best of all, a genuine (and professionally confirmed) METEORITE found by Mr. Hammerton.

Correctly garbed with sheshes and sunglasses we survived a desert sandstorm, and enjoyed a truly memorable sunset camel ride on the mighty dunes of Erg Chebbi.

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