Unidentified bird in Meknes, Morocco
Unidentified bird in Meknes, Morocco
One of the frustrating things about touring another country, one quite foreign to one’s home base, is not being able to quickly identify the birds you see. I get that even here in Australia, especially when I visit family in Sydney, two day’s drive from home. At home it is a different matter as I can generally ID a species merely by call. It’s even fun sleeping in, making a list of species in the dawn chorus.
On our two week tour of Morocco I was primarily a tourist, taking in all the sights, sounds, smells and cultural differences. Birding was low on my priorities, and photos – like those shown today – were taken on the run and often at extreme zoom.
I have really puzzled over the bird shown in today’s photos, which I took in Meknes. The best I can say is that I think it might be a Western Jackdaw. The general appearance seems to fit this species, as does the habitat – a large square with many people with several dozen of these birds present.
If any of my readers can throw a more positive light on it, please let me know. UPDATE: one of my readers has confirmed that the bird is indeed a Western Jackdaw. Thank you.
Unidentified bird in Meknes, Morocco
Grey Heron, Meknes, Morocco
No Comments »23rd February, 2013; Category: Camera, Ducks Geese and Swans, Herons and Egrets, Non-Australian birds
Reservoir in Meknes, Morocco
In Meknes we walked past this rectangular reservoir in the heart of the city. When I saw the water I was eager with anticipation at seeing some of the water birds of Morocco. I was disappointed.
On a structure way out in the middle was a solitary Grey heron accompanied by one unidentified duck. Grey Herons are widespread in Africa, Europe and Asia but don’t occur here in Australia, so this one bird was a new species for me. I never saw another one on our trip. Birding can be like that; exciting one day, disappointing the next.
The photos are disappointing too, but it was not surprising because the birds were over one hundred metres away so I was really stretching the capabilities of the zoom lens.
Grey heron, Meknes, Morocco
Grey heron, Meknes, Morocco (with unidentified duck)
- Unidentified Duck, Meknes, Morocco
White Storks, Morocco
No Comments »22nd February, 2013; Category: Non-Australian birds
White storks in Morocco
One of the common bird species I saw on our two week tour of Morocco was the White Stork.
In the photo above they lined the top of an ancient wall and made quite a sight. I’m not absolutely certain but I think this was taken in the city of Meknes.
Below I have included another photo of this species taken elsewhere. It seems that this species spends a great deal of time perched on a high vantage point overlooking everyone, and giving them a birds eye view of the city. Either that, or they prefer the penthouse view.
White storks in Morocco
Collared Dove, Rabat, Morocco
No Comments »5th February, 2013; Category: Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Non-Australian birds, Photos, Pigeons and Doves
Beautiful walled garden in Rabat, Morocco
On our guided tour of Rabat in Morocco we walked through the interesting walled quarter known as the Kasbah des Oudaias. A part of this quarter was this beautiful garden. In the garden I managed a few hurried photos of a Collared Dove, shown below.
I use the expression “hurried photos” deliberately. The bird was moving around constantly, not stopping for more a a second or two in any one spot, making focussing something of a challenge, even though the bird was quite close. The bird won.
Still, it was nice to add another species to my list of Moroccan birds.
Collared Dove, Rabat, Morocco
Collared Dove, Rabat, Morocco
Common Kestrel, Rabat, Morocco
Common Kestrel, Rabat, Morocco
During our brief visit to Rabat in Morocco I had a few opportunities to do some incidental birding as we travelled around, and particularly whenever we went walking anywhere. At one spot next to the coast I saw the Common Kestrel shown in the photo above.
The photo is not a very good one as the bird was quite some distance away and for once the zoom on my camera let me down a little; the closer shots are somewhat blurry. It the photo above, the bird is looking down towards the water and rocks below. In the photo below I’ve zoomed out to show the location and general habitat of this particular bird.
Coastal scene in Rabat, Morocco