MOROCCO: Zagora to M’Hamid

Day 6 – After a traditional, carb-heavy breakfast of bread, crepes, corncake and jam, we checked out of the Kasbah Sirocco and got on the road a little after 8 am. We stopped at the main town circle for quick photos of the sign pointing the way to Timbuktu, “52 jours” away. Centuries ago, Zagora was an important stop for traders making the long journey (52 days by camel) south to the bottom of the Sahara and visa versa.

Timbuktu “52 days”

As expected, morning was chilly in the desert, but warmed up quickly as the sun rose. On the outskirts of Tamegrout village, we stopped for birds pecking along the roadside, and were delighted to find a pair of Long-billed Larks, along with White-crowned Wheatear and Blue Rock Thrush. We parked a few minutes to explore the banks of the Draa River where it passed under our road, at the bottom of a lush valley. It was scenic but quiet, with only a White Wagtail drinking from a pool, and Common Bulbuls singing from the tops of date palms. An unusually friendly dog followed us most of the way, playfully jumping up for attention. We found most of the domestic animals to be respectfully aloof of all people except their masters; this behavior ensures they won’t be killed for aggression, nor stolen to toil for someone else.

Erg Lihoudi

Continuing south to M’Hamid, the landscape flattened to small rocks set in rust-red sand, framed by distant flat-top plateaus. In this hamada terrain we found Desert Grey Shrike and a flock of 8 Bar-tailed Larks. About 18 km before M’Hamid, we turned off the paved road onto a sand track into the desert. Multiple vehicle tracks spread-out in all directions, seemingly leading to nowhere, but Mustapha knew the route to follow, and soon we reached the Erg Lihoudi sand dunes. Clusters of large square tents were set-up around the dunes, catering to tourists interested in sleeping in traditional, nomadic bedouin tents, known as bivouacs. We saw a few men and 2 tethered camels, but no visitors. We decided to climb some of the dunes to experience it for ourselves. We saw the tracks of small desert rodents, lizards and beetles, as well as those of people and round-footed camels. From the top of a tall, steep dune, Deb rolled down in the sand lengthwise, while Adrian took photos for posterity.

Desert Sparrow

After our fun in the sand, we were drawn to one of few scraggly Caloptropsis (Apple of Sodom) trees near the bivouac camps, on which over a dozen Desert Sparrows were chirping and moving around. Upon further inspection, we realized there were over 30 birds, flying back and forth between that tree and the area where the 2 camels were tethered. We moved closer to the poor beasts and spent ample time photographing the sparrows, as well as several Temminck’s Larks, and Bar-tailed Larks. Hearing soft, bubbling calls, we looked up in time to see two separate flocks of sandgrouse flying overhead. Their long pintails and black underbelly line confirmed their I.D. as Spotted Sandgrouse, a nice find in the desert. Returning back along the track, we saw several large locusts jumping around the rocks, and a Common Kestrel perched nearby, in the right spot to catch a meal!

Hamada and acacia lined sand wadi near M’Hamid

At 12:45 pm we were back on the paved road to M’Hamid, driving through flat, rocky terrain dotted with Acacia trees and foot-high jujube thorn bushes. Tamarisk trees grew atop medium-size sand dunes undulating near and far. Low fences made of palm fronds zig-zagged along the roadside, catching sand to form new sand dunes and stop the advancement across the road. We saw workers moving stacks of palm fronds in a pick-up truck. On the outskirts of town, concrete irrigation channels funneled water to squared-off plots in palmeries, in which people grew fruits and vegetables.

Erg Lihoudi

After a roadside picnic lunch, we checked into “Chez Le Pacha,” a very comfortable and picturesque accommodation in the desert. We set-out shortly to try another off-road track at the end of town, where the pavement stopped, and the road simply ended in sand. A large flock of Brown-necked Ravens welcomed us to the desert, alighting on the ground nearby, then flying high in the sky to form a large kettle of over 30 birds. Alas, the deep sand on our intended route proved too difficult to navigate, and we detoured back towards the Erg Lihoudi dunes.

Tristram’s Warbler

We stopped at several promising-looking spots to search for birds, and were rewarded with great looks at an adult Tristram’s Warbler popping around a good-sized tamarisk. We explored a small part of an expansive wadi that stretched for many kilometers, providing resources for many creatures, even though it was dry. Scrub foliage provided shade for travelers like the camel herder we saw crossing in the distance, as well as a variety of small animals whose tracks we saw in the sand. A handsome Desert Wheatear posed for us on top of a shrub, changing perches while giving us great looks. Another Tristram’s Warbler, an immature, flitted into sight and followed us several yards down the wadi.

Camel at sunset

We left the area around 4:30 pm, with less than an hour’s daylight remaining. We used some of this time pushing our vehicle out of a deep sand dune, with help from a local man who was bringing 2 tourists on their camels back to the nearby bivouac camp. He quickly scooped long armfuls of sand away from the back tires, and helped push us out of the sand so we could proceed without further trouble. Adventure abounds in the desert!

The setting sun spread beautiful shades of orange, pink and purple across the vast desert sky. Temperatures dropped as shadows lengthened, making it harder to distinguish peaks and valleys on the bumpy, trackless terrain. We finally reached the paved road and made our way back to Chez Le Pacha in the last rays of light.

Kasbah Le Pacha

We relaxed at the bar with cold “Speciale” beer, and chatted with the friendly bartender, Brahim. He marveled that we were touring southern Morocco to look for birds, and showed interest in our checklists. We were amazed when he pointed out a local White-crowned Wheatear roosting in the palm-wood rafters above our barstools. Brahim says it comes nearly every night to sleep in that spot!

We dined on another delicious chicken tajine and retired in bliss after a wonderful day at the edge of the Sahara Desert.

text © debbie beer; all photos © adrian binns