randombirder

Almost exactly a year since the last trip to Morocco but there was unfinished business to attend to. The geographic diversity of the country provides a range of regional specialities and this time, we were hitting the desert. A long nine hour drive across an arid landscape skillfully avoiding incident while driving out of Marrakech arriving at the Kasbah Erg Chebbi by early evening. The accommodation and food here was incredible as were the views across the desert. The following morning provided the main focus of the trip - a guided half day tour out into the wilds of the desert for plenty of target species. On-board a 4x4, the guides Otman and Mohammad threw the jeep into the wilderness.  It wasn't long before these targets came into view. A group of sandgrouse were seen in the distance heading toward a watering hole. In no time at all, we were observing a decent group of crowned sandgrouse around a modestly sized watering hole. These birds were thought to have originated their j

Took me a while to get there but thankfully the ringtail hen harrier that has been faithful to a fallow field beyond Roe Green near Sandon was present and in full hunting mode as it quartered the field between 1600 and 1620 showing really well at times. This was my first for Herts. Also an impressive charm of goldfinch numbered at least 150 with probably the same number of fieldfare that fled for the skies as the harrier passed by. A group of at least 80 red kite toward Sandon was the largest gathering I had seen locally. The ground was saturated ploughing through the mud in the presence of at least 55 roe deer that included to impressive stags.