As some of you know, October Big Day 2020 is coming! It will be on 17 October 2020 and we have a plan to make the most out of it. This is an initiative of Cornell Lab of Ornithology which basically consists on uploading as many bird lists to eBird as possible in 24 hours. All the data that is collected is of great use for birders, conservationists and scientists to better understand and protect birds.

This year’s October Big Day 2020 is happening during the first Global Bird Weekend. The goal of Global Bird Weekend is to support BirdLife International’s project to end illegal bird trade. We will also participating in the Global bird Weekend and you can sign up too, either as an individual or a team.

We are big supporters of eBird and all related initiatives such as the Global Big day, in which we have participated since 2013.. In fact, we started collaborating with Cornell and conformed the first team of reviewers in Spain. One of our first tasks was translating the list of birds in Spain, so Spanish users would find the platform attractive and useful. Since then, we have partnered with other organisations and built a large team of reviewers to make eBird España a great eBird portal. Thanks to these collaborative efforts, currently Spain occupies the fifth position in the ranking of countries with more lists uploaded to eBird. A great accomplishment thanks to more than 11.000 observers in the country!

Birding The Strait’s October Big Day 2020: Two Teams in two continents

As in previous editions of the Global Big Day and the October Big Day, both Birding The Strait and Whitehawk Birding and Conservation will be participating. Our colleagues on the other side of the Atlantic will be birding in Panama, one of the best birding destinations of the world, being on the top 20 with the largest number of bird species.

As for the Spanish team, we will be birding in the province of Cadiz, one of the best birding regions in Spain. Indeed, Cadiz has the second largest list of bird species in Spain, according to eBird data. However, we will also separate in two groups: one will cover the sea, and the other will cover land.

Birding Team 1: a pelagic trip to enjoy seabirds

On this very special day we have programmed a Pelagic off Chipiona. For the fifth time this season, Javi will be taking a group of adventurous seawatchers to find as many species of seabirds as possible in the Gulf of Cadiz. We will follow the eBird Pelagic Protocol, to make sure that our observations are valuable to the knowledge and conservation of seabirds. If weather conditions are favorable, we expect to see good numbers of Balearic, Cory’s and Scopoli’s Shearwaters, along with Great, Arctic and Pomarine Skuas (or Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers for our American friends!). Who knows, we might even add the scarce Sabine’s Gull for the province during the October Big Day.

Birding Team 2: a productive and mindful approach

On the other hand, Yeray and a group of fellow local birders will be hitting some of the best birding hotspots in the province. We have designed the shortest route between these productive sites, to get the maximum number of species of birds as possible in one day, while driving the shortest distance and cutting global warming emissions. Luckily, some of the best locations are very close to Tarifa, our hometown: La Janda, the Barbate marshes and the vicinities of Tarifa will be some of the places we will be visit, offering an excellent combination of raptors, shorebirds and both resident and migratory passerines, which are abundant in our area. We will surely look for some of the most charismatic ones too, like the Spanish Imperial Eagle, the Northern Bald Ibis and the Marbled Teal.

Joining forces at night

We intend to make the most out of the day… and night! There are a few nocturnal birds that we will be working to locate, mostly by hearing. October is a good month for owls, as most of them begin to be quite vocal. Also, we might get the first Short-eared Owls that migrate to southern Spain in the winter time. Other owls that we are likely to hear will be Barn Owl, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Long-eared Owl, Tawny Owl and Little Owl. Hopefully all of them!

What should we expect

We are planing on making our best Global Big Day yet! October is a great time for birding in Cadiz, and we think that we can make a good tally. In fact, October is, without a doubt, the best month to find rarities and scarce birds in the province, all of Andalucia and Spain. Some of the rare birds we have been fortunate to see in previous years in October include: American Golden Plover, Sociable Lapwing, Greater Spotted-Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Citrine Wagtail, Common Rosefinch and Little Bunting, to name just a few!

But the Global Big Day is not about rarities, but about celebrating all birds and sharing them with everyone. We will be posting our sightings in our social networks and using the hashtag #octoberbigday to share via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can also keep an eye on the official October Big Day page by the Cornell Lab.

How you can participate on the October Big Day 2020

Of course, anyone can join on the October Big Day 2020 and make a contribution to bird knowledge. If you are new to eBird, it’s very easy to get an eBird account. You can sign up and find all the information you need here. It’s entirely free and very intuitive to use. However, it’s always good to check out the free eBird Essentials course.

If you have an eBird account and you are familiar with it, you already know how it works. you simply have to watch birds on 17 October. You have 24 hours to see or hear as many birds as possible, count them and marking them on your checklists. Every single list helps!

The October Big Day 2020 it’s a good reason to enjoy a day in the field. Either if you go with your family, a group of friends or on your own, be safe and have fun!

Between the 14th and the 20th of February we ran our second back-to-back tour to the Western Sahara in 2020. This time, it was a private tour for two clients. Following our success in 2019, our main target was to observe the rare Sand Cat. This way, we arranged the logistics and the itinerary to explore remote regions and optimize the effort spent in nocturnal spotlighting. For a change, this was not a birding trip!

We did find the cat! Moreover, we came upon some other totally unexpected highlights, including the very elusive Honey Badger!

In this post we summarize the itinerary, logistics and the wildlife highlights of the trip, including a selection of pictures.

Itinerary: In search of the Sand Cat

As usual, the tour started in Dakhla. Following the late arrival of the clients in a flight from England via Casablanca on the 13th, on the 14th we had an easy start. We departed from the hotel in Dakhla after lunch and took the road to Aousserd.  Halfway to Aousserd, we set our desert campsite. We spent two nights here and conducted two spotlighting sessions, including the Bougouffa Trail.

On day 3 we moved to Aousserd. Here we spent the following two nights.  We carried out two further spotlighting sessions off-roading in Laglat, Derraman and Oued Jenna. In addition, we spotlighted along the Aousserd-Dakhla road.

On Day 5 we drove back to Dakhla at an easy pace. This included stops at Oued Jenna and Gleib Jeidane. The Bay of Dakhla made our base for the last two nights. We carried out the last spotlighting session along the Bir-Anzarane road. On Day 6 we relaxed and birded around the hotel. In the afternoon we sailed off the bay.

The trip ended on day 7, with an early morning flight to England and Spain via Casablanca.

In total, we drove about 1400km, approximately one quarter of them off-roading.  We invested around 25 hours in nocturnal spotlighting.

Logistics: Western Sahara

We hired the services of a local team including: two expert local guides and drivers, a camp keeper and a cook.

Accommodation

During the three nights we spent in Dakhla we stayed at Dakhla Attitude Hotel. This resort, oriented to water sports, is placed in the northern limit of the bay. It offers great views of the inner bay and good birding possibilities, when not packed with kite surfers. Moreover, its gardens create an oasis effect attracting migrant and wintering birds. In our first visit to the area in 2016 we already highlighted the potential of the resort to attract birds in a desert context. Remarkably, in February 2017 the second White-throated Bee-eater for the Western Paleartic was found here. During our stay in 2020 we found two Olive-backed Pipits !

We set a desert camp in a forest oued, half-way between Dakhla and Aousserd. This way, we minimized the driving distance to some of the spotlighting hotspots. We used  portable and spacious Saharawi “Khaima” tents.

While in Aousserd, we stayed at a private home. This was a basic but very convenient building, entirely at our disposal. Here we had access to electricity, hot water, toilets, kitchen and private rooms.

Transport

We used two 4×4 vehicles. Both were fully equipped with spotlights, water and petrol reservoirs, and all the necessary gear to explore the desert.

For sailing off the bay, we hired a private three hours excursion in a catamaran with a local company.

Sand Cat, Honey Badger and more

Day one

Halfway between Dakhla and the desert camp, we visited the famous water tank of Tachektent (Aka Gleib Jeidanne). We easily found our two main targets: the African Green Toad and the Mediterranean Chameleon. The first is the only amphibian in the region. The second reaches here the southernmost limit of its range. The reptile was probably profiting from the large concentration of Vagrant Emperors perched on the Tamarisks.

In our first spotlighting session we explored the Bougouffa Trail off-road. We found up to eight Maghreb Hares and numerous Lesser Egyptian Gerboas and Lesser Egyptian Gerbils. We also got the first Fennec of the trip. After this, we headed to an area with scattered Acacias. In some of the trees we came through an unexpected group of 50+ Black Kites gathering in a communal roost. These were birds in northbound migration to their European breeding grounds.

The African Wild Cat

Suddenly, the beam of our torches unveiled the presence of a mammal partially hidden at the base of an Acacia. Luckily, it walked calmly and we could reliably identify it as an African Wild Cat. Indeed, the cheetah-fashion walk is characteristic of the species. It rapidly disappeared. We, therefore, got off the cars and inspected the surroundings on foot. Luckily, we relocated it thanks to the glow of its eyes. It was hidden, immobile, lying on the sand under a bush. We steadily approached it. Amazingly, the cat kept immobile, relying on it camouflage skills. For over 15 minutes we enjoyed the scene, until it just decided to disappear in the darkness.

It wasn´t the Sand Cat, but at this point, we knew we had experienced one of the greatest moments of the trip.

Probably prompted by the warm temperatures and calm wind, at a certain point of the night, hundreds of moths approached our spotlights. We suffered a real invasion!

On our way back to the camp we found a Rüppell´s Fox and a Fat-tailed Gerbil, along with more Maghreb Hares and Lesser Egyptian Gerboas.

Day two

During the day, we cached up with sleep and relaxed around the camp. Bird activity was rather slow. However, we got decent views of: two Lanners, a group of Fulvous Babblers, Greater Hoopoe Larks, Cream-coloured Coursers, Spectacled Warblers , Desert Wheatears, Bar-tailed Lark and the inquisitive Desert Grey Shrikes.

In the second spotlighting session of the trip we explored the surrounding of the camp. We patrolled off-road the ecotone between sand dunes and a the forested oued. Next, we spotlighted along the road. The night turned out comparatively shorter and less productive. As usual, the first mammals we found were Maghreb Hares and Lesser Egyptian Gerboas. Furthermore, we found a Long-legged Buzzard and yet another group of Black Kites roosting atop the Acacias. Once in the asphalt, we found a Fennec sheltering in a shallow depression in the sand. We thought that this particular individual showed especially pale coat.

We found no signs of cats, except for some distant glimpses of suspicious unidentified signing eyes…

Back in the camp we found a rather impressive Arrowbreasted Scorpion. We were pleased with this finding, except for the fact that it was right next to our tents!

Day three

As usual in this trip, we had an easy first half of the day. Hanging around the camp site, we found all the usual species we had in previous days. A White-spotted Wall-Gecko was a new find here. After lunch, we left the camp and headed towards our next base in Aousserd. We reached our accommodation in the early afternoon. We had time to relax before our next nocturnal outing.

In the late afternoon, up to 110 Brown-necked Ravens gathered together in an empty lot next to our home. Despite the effort, we did never get to understand what did attracted them there.

On the third spotlighting session we explored south of the Aousserd road, mostly off-road. We intensively scanned a region with optimal habitat for the Sand Cat: sandy soil with sparse vegetation. Indeed, we knew of recent records in the area. In our quest we found a Pharaoh Eagle Owl on the ground. We watched it in detail through the scope. It was surprising to observe how skilled it was running. A bit further, we came through a Rüppell´s Fox, which we had to follow for a while before we could reliably identify.

The Honey Badger!

Next, we faced a rather long period with no remarkable sightings. However, our perseverance was greatly rewarded when a gorgeous Honey Badger showed up.  Right next to us!

It is important to remark here that, over the last decades, there have been only a handful of documented records for the species in the region. Indeed, very little is known about its ecology and distribution north of the Sahara (Cherkaoui and Bouajaja, 2017).

A recent study in Morocco showed that Spiny-tailed Lizards make up to two thirds of its diet. The authors concluded that Honey Badgers behave as a trophic specialist in the Sahara. This is probably thanks to exclusive anatomical adaptations for digging their prey out of their burrows.

It is curious to note that  the black and white pattern of the Honey Badger is a warning coloration (also known as aposematic) advertising not only the extreme ferocity of the species, but also its capacity to produce noxious secretions with anal sacs.

We kept track of the badger for about 10 intense minutes before it disappeared in the vast plains.

To our knowledge, the ones we got are the only available pictures of a wild Honey Badger alive in the Maghreb region, except for those got by means of camera-trapping.

Back in the asphalt road, already in our way back to Aousserd, we got yet another rewarding encounter. This was about nothing less than a much-anticipated Horned Viper.

After an exciting photography session, we retrieved the snake from the road and resumed our way back home, where we reached shortly before 4 AM.

Day four

In our second day in Aousserd, we accidentally found a colony of Lesser Mouse-tailed Bats within an abandoned building. We counted over 50 individuals. However, we  didn’t inspect other occupied rooms in order to avoid disturbance.

Every now and them, we saw small groups of Black Kites in active northbound migration over the village. A White-crowned Wheatear and a pair of Desert Sparrows visiting the window of our living room was great joy too.

Today we had an early supper consisting of a Harira soup, a Moroccan speciality.

We left Aousserd in the late afternoon and reached Derraman area well before sunset. Here, we were welcomed by a pair or Lanners. These offered a nice display, both in flight and perched. Several Pale Rock Martins flew by along the cliffs.

We strolled around enjoying a magnificent scenery with black rock outcrops emerging from the dunes in a vast unspoiled pre-Sahelian landscape. Remarkably, the Western Sahara is one of the most sparsely populated regions of the planet.

After sunset, we continued for our fourth spotlighting session. First, we explored the Derraman area where we spotted  a Rüppell´s Fox and several, Hares, Gerboas and Gerbils. In this rocky area, we found a remarkable density of Geckos. This included Petrier´s Sand Gecko and White-spotted Wall Gecko. Back in the asphalt we came through a Diadem Sand Snake.

Day five

Today we left Aousserd to return to Dakhla. In the outskirts of Aousserd we found abundant Sudan Spiny-tailed Lizards. We spend some time trying to approach and photograph these impressive reptiles. In doing so, a group of Dunn´s Larks joined in the scene.

In our next stop, Javi retrieved a camera trap he has been using over the last weeks in the area. Fennec, Rüppell´s Foxand a Camel (!?) where among the most remarkable footage it recorded. This has to be added to the Desert Hedgehog and the African Golden Wolf got on previous weeks. Not bad at all!

Before reaching Dakhla, we revisited Gleib Jeidane. Here we found a Mediterranean Chameleon again. In addition, we spent some time trying to photograph Trumpeter Finches and a Desert Grey Shrike  as they approached the water. 45 minutes later we reached our hotel in the bay of Dakhla. We accommodated in our rooms and had some rest before dinner.

After sunset, we hit the road again towards the nearby Bir Anzaranne road for the last spotlighting session of the trip. Our first stop was by a water hole. Here we found a Rüppell´s Fox drinking. Some 30km later we found a second Rüppell´s. This time it was lying on the ground, sheltered by a bush.

The Sand Cat!

Not far, we detected a suspicious pair of signing eyes. We kept track of it until it showed its whole body. Bingo! there it was, a Sand Cat! We saw it at medium distance (90m approx.). At first, it fixed its gaze on us and stayed immobile. Then, it relaxed and kept foraging. However, it still turned its head towards us from time to time. We got off the vehicle and approached the cat on foot. This way, we got a brief but better view of its short-legged structure and ringed tail-tip. After a few minutes of observation, the Sand Cat walked away to disappear behind the slope.

Well, we couldn´t get any pictures, but there it was! After many hours of intense nocturnal search, we got convincing views of the elusive creature!

Having delivered the corresponding congratulations, we resumed our way. Amazingly, a few kilometres after we connected with a second Sand Cat, which offered a similar show!

Gratified with our Sand Cat in the pocket, we decided to call it a day and drive back to the hotel, shortly after midnight.

Day six

During the morning we relaxed around the hotel. Surprisingly, Javi found not one but two Olive-backed Pipits right at the doorstep of his bungalow! According to the existing information, this was only the third record in the Western Sahara. The Siberian Vagrants did totally eclipse the presence of abundant Black Wheatears, Painted Ladies and Vagrant Emperors.

Sailing off Dakhla

In the afternoon, we went sailing off Dakhla. We organized a 3-hours private sailing excursion to explore the inner part of the bay. Our main target here was the Critically Endangered Atlantic Humpback Dolphins. Nowadays, the bay ofDakhla constitutes the northernmost limit of the species distribution.

Unfortunately, we had a very windy day and choppy sea. This frustrated our chances to find the dolphins. We did, however, enjoy a smooth and most enjoyable sailing.

In terms of birding, we came through some nice species including: a single African Royal Tern, numerous Caspian Terns, Gannets fishing, some big groups of Bar-tailed Godwits, Great Cormorants of the lucidus/marocanus subspecies and one Osprey.

We returned to the hotel in the late afternoon, with time for packing our luggage before dinner. Next morning, we had an early departure from the nearby airport of Dakhla.

Recommended bibliography

There are several recent publications which greatly enhance the knowledge on the Moroccan and Western Sahara wildlife. We have used them and we do eagerly recommend it:

• Amphibians and Reptiles of Morocco. 2019. Martínez del Marmol, et al. Edition Chimaira
• Oiseaux du Sahara Atlantique Marocain. 2017. Bergier, P., Thévenot, M. and  Abdeljebbar Qninba.
• Mammiferes Sauvages du Maroc. Peuplement, Repartition, Ecologie. 2017. Aulagnier et al. 2017. Societe Frencaise por Létude et la protection des mammiferes.

Our previous trips to the Western Sahara

Check out the following links to read the trip reports of our previous visits to the Western Sahara. These trips were primarily focused on birding. The reports include a varied selection of photos, including the Sand Cat!

• Birding Trip to the Western Sahara, February 2016 – Trip Report by Yeray Seminario and Javi Elorriaga
• Birding Trip to the Western Sahara, January 2019 – Trip Report by Yeray Seminario and Javi Elorriaga. 

Acknowledgements

We want to express our most sincere gratitude to Martina Milanese and Nicolo Calcagno and their team: Sidi, Amina and Sara. Thanks to them we safely visited remote regions of the Western Sahara and enjoyed its wildlife, including the Sand Cat.

These are days to recall past birding experiences and let our imagination run free to plan future trips. A year ago, we organized a private birding trip to one of our favourite destinations, Southern Morocco. This was a bespoke tour, ran between the 27^th of March and the 3^rd of April 2019. The main target was simple, enjoy all the local birding specialities while getting immerse in the Moroccan culture! Moreover, we specifically designed this tour to complement, in terms of species, a previous one to the northern half of the country.

Trip Report

You can find the trip report here. It contains a day-by-day description of the itinerary. It also shows a selection of pictures of birds and landscapes. Next, we summarize some of the highlights of this trip.

Birding in Southern Morocco Highlights

• We got good views of the whole set of Moroccan wheatears within the first 24 hours of the trip. Namely: White-crowned, Black, Northern, Seebohm’s, Maghreb, Red-rumped, Black-eared and Desert Wheatear. Remarkably, we found Maghred Wheatears at two different locations. And all these at an easy pace!
• A Pharaoh Eagle Owl offered dreamed views during the golden hour. Remarkably, we got it in full view, preening and getting ready for his nocturnal hunt. All this in a wonderful desert scenario.

• Coming through a congregation of 500+ Blue-checked Bee Eaters was a major surprise. We saw the birds gathering around their night roost in a patch of Eucalyptus trees.
• The Egyptian Nightjar is a must in any  tour to Southern Morocco in spring. As usual, it beautifully performed for the group in Merzouga.
• A Dunn’s Lark near Merzouga made the biggest  surprise of the trip. And we got a record shot!
• Connecting with all the specialities in Oukaimeden took us a bigger effort than usual. Once we found them, we did specially enjoy the views of the African Shore Lark, Tristram’s Warbler and Crimson-winged Finch.
• Finding the Lake of Merzouga, Dayet Srij, flooded is a dream for every enthusiast of the Moroccan birdlife. And we did so! The view of over 1000 Flamingos with the dunes of the Sahara in the background was memorable.Finding the Lake of Merzouga, Dayet Srij, flooded and full of birds is a rare sight.
• Sightseeing made a remarkable part of this trip. A visit to the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou and strolling at dusk in the Jemaa El Fna square of Marrakech was great. Indeed, both are included within the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Birding in Morocco

Every year we organize several birding trips to Morocco. These are both open to individual travellers or customized private trips.

Contact us if you are interested on a Birding Trip to Morocco!

And stay tunned for our forthcomoing tour report on our last visit to the Western Sahara in February 2020!

Dear friends,

As you might expect, the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis has drastically affected our work. Starting yesterday, all our day trips, tours and activities outdoors in Spain and Morocco during this spring season have been cancelled or postponed until further notice. The health and safety of our clients and society at large is unquestionably our top priority.

As a travel agency, we want to specially express our solidarity to all our colleagues in the travel industry and our commitment to cope with this undesirable situation positively and severely. In Birding The Strait, we are convinced that with our combined efforts we will promptly overcome this situation.

We will take this time as an opportunity for introspection, get back to those unfinished projects, pending books, writing, studying and planning for the near future. No doubt, we will soon be ready and reinforced to keep enjoying with you our wonderful nature!

In the meantime, migration is still going in Tarifa. Raptors and other migratory birds keep reaching Europe and will continue their relentless natural course. We will be here to witness their efforts, the marvel of migration and life, in times to come.

See you soon,

Birding The Strait Team