Common Redstart, Volubilis, Morocco
Common Redstart, Volubilis, Morocco
On route from Meknes to Fes on our tour of Morocco we stopped to inspect the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. This was a wonderful introduction to the oldest structures my wife and I have ever seen. It was fascinating, made even more significant in that it was one of many UNESCO World heritage Sites we visited during our tour of Morocco and Spain.
Because the ruins are in the countryside with farmland all around, I managed to see a few birds – in between absorbing the experience of seeing these amazing ruins and taking heaps of photos.
One of the first species I saw was this Common Redstart, a new species for me, that is, it was the first time I had seen this species in my life. It posed nicely for me in clear view. On this leg of the trip I didn’t have a field guide to help me identify the birds I saw. I relied on taking reasobale photos of the birds I saw. It was only when I arrived back home in Australia that I was able to find out the names of the birds seen during this part of our holiday. I must say that some have been a little hard tracking down. Most, however, are covered very well by online sites with good photos. It has enabled me to wander down memory lane time and again as I look at my shots, and remember all the highlights of the trip – of which there were many.
Note: this article was updated and new material added on 12th March 2016.
Common Redstart, Volubilis, Morocco
Common Redstart, Volubilis, Morocco
Ruins of Roman town of Volubilis
Cattle Egret near Volubilis, Morocco
Cattle egret near Volubilis, Morocco
While travelling from Meknes to Fes in Morocco our guide asked the bus driver to stop briefly on the side of the road so we could take some photos. This was near the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. I’ll show photos of birds seen there in the coming days.
Across the road from our bus a farmer was ploughing his field using two donkeys to pull the plough. Donkeys were a common sight in both Morocco and Ethiopia. As the ground was tilled, several Cattle Egrets followed along, taking the opportunity to feast on worms and beetles and insects disturbed by the implement.
Farmer near Volubilis, Morocco