MOROCCO: The Souss Valley

December 4 –  Today we focused on birding locally in the Souss Valley, fertile lands bordered by the High Atlas Mountains to the north, Anti Atlas Mountains to the south and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. We spent a few minutes before breakfast on the building’s rooftop, counting an amazing number of satellite dishes on adjacent roofs around the city, along with pigeons, Eurasian Doves and House Buntings. In the distance, we saw a long stream of hundreds of egrets, mostly Cattle, flying east.

Bab El Kasbah, Taroudannt

It was another warm, sunny day as we drove out of Taroudannt. The city center is encompassed by thick, ochre-colored walls with imposing ramparts, dating back centuries ago to when Taroudannt was the capital of southern Morocco. Narrow, winding streets bustled with morning activity, as people opened shops, set-up fruit stands, and hurried to various destinations.

We exited via the Bab El Kasbah gate heading south. Soon we turned east to follow the Souss River. It would’ve been a massive river, if it had any water; alas, it was an expansive, rock wadi, with eroding sand banks. We wondered about the potentially fatal impact of modern irrigation and damning practices on this naturally arid part of the country and it’s increasingly westernized population. What happens when there is no more water?

We took a dirt track through scrub habitat dotted with agricultural plots and occasional dwellings. Within a few minutes we found our target birds, a pair of Fulvous Babblers posing atop a thorny acacia, highlighting their long tails and warm caramel coloring. There was plenty more avian activity to hold our interest, including Common Bulbuls, Crested Larks, Moussier’s Redstart, Sardinian Warblers, Spectacled Warbler, Serin and Spanish Sparrows. A Greenfinch flashed into view and disappeared before we could get better looks. We saw several Maghreb Grey Shrikes perched conspicuously, along with a few wagtails.

Our second stop was at Freija where we spent about an hour exploring a slightly different rural habitat. Adrian spotted a motionless Stone Curlew blended in perfectly against the rocks. Looking through binoculars, we realized there were more of them close by, out in the open, but well camouflaged. Only their yellow eyes contrasted with the surrounding earth-tones. Suddenly, 14 Stone Curlews flushed up out of the rocks and dirt clods and flew across the field!

We walked down the dirt road, birding the edges of thickets dotted with argana trees. A jeans-clad teenager herded a flock of slow-grazing sheep with help from his 2 dogs; we noticed many children working hard in agricultural society. Ubiquitous larks, Sardinian Warblers and Zitting Cisticolas sang their melodies, while Atlas Chaffinches, Spanish and House Sparrows darted around. A lone Laughing Dove perched atop a pole. Deb spotted a European Hoopoe flashing it’s patterned black-and-white wings and tail in flight, as we followed it down the road until it stopped and posed for a few minutes. Adrian heard a Black-crowned Tchagra call, and we located a pair of them moving around a shrub, occasionally perching in the open. A handsome Black-shouldered Kite bid us farewell from his perch on a snag as we drove out.

Continuing west, we stopped next in the village of Tiout, to explore the palmery – a large grove of palm trees interspersed with neatly-irrigated agricultural plots. Villagers were friendly and smiling, accustomed to many foreign visitors who tour the town’s culture and dine in the commanding kasbah on the hill. We declined a donkey ride, and appreciated the smiles of women working in their fields. Mid-day bird activity was light, but we found several Blackcaps foraging in the crowns of palm trees, along with many Common Bulbuls singing merrily. We joined other tourists in taking lunch in the kasbah, with lovely vistas of the valley below and snow-covered peaks of the High Atlas Mountains in the distance. Amongst the rocky slope leading to the kasbah we got our best look to date of a Black Wheatear.

The vegetation of the Souss Valley features olive and orange groves, as well as date palms, nuts and argana trees. The Argan forests, endemic to this region of the world, are reminiscent of open savannah in East Africa, but here the grasses and land below has been cleared for agricultural uses. The Argan fruit is prized for the high-quality oil pressed mostly by women, and used commercially for cosmetics as well as cooking. The hard wood of the twisted Argan tree is made into charcoal, and camels and goats eagerly nibble good-tasting leaves. Some goats have been trained to climb the trees, to the delight of tourists, but the detriment of the endemic forests.

We decided to head on to Aoulouz Gorge, though it was nearly 2:00 pm, and it would take over an hour to get there. We saw an Atlas Long-legged Buzzard during the drive, but no other raptors, though the valley is usually a good place to see some. We arrived around 3:00 pm, and stopped a few minutes on the bridge to scan the river. At this point, the Souss River emerges from its source in the mountains and flows steadily downstream, but the dry, stone riverbed was far wider than the actual water that flowed through it, and any aquatic vegetation that lined the water course had vanished.

We walked a circuit route around the gorge, scanning for raptors in the tall cliffs around us, and looking for passerines in the lush vegetation at the river’s edge. We passed a few men on donkeys, and women working in terraced plots of corn, alfalfa and vegetables. Two friendly young women were kneeling at a stream washing turnips. They had amassed large, shining piles of the root vegetables, and would walk through the mountains carrying these heavy loads. We found several large piles of olives on the ground near a tethered mule under some olive trees. Nobody seemed to be around, but surely the olives would be carted off to market.

Birds were active in riverine greenery, with Chiffchaff, Black and Moussier’s Redstarts, and a flock of Eurasian Goldfinches feeding in shrubs. On the river, we saw Great and Little Egrets, Common and Green Sandpipers, Moroccan and Great Cormorants, Gray Heron, and a hunting Common Kestrel. A pair of Barbary Squirrels scampered up the cliffs, and a Bibron’s Agama sunned itself on a rock. Numerous butterflies, including Desert Orange Tips and Bath Whites, flitted along the sunny dirt trails.

Our adventure at the Aoulouz Gorge was complete when we crossed the riverbed via a fast-flowing concrete ford, requiring us to step carefully through 2-inches of water, not to fall on the slippery, moss-covered wall!

On the drive back to Taroudannt, we scanned the fields as the sun set before us. Adrian spotted a Little Owl sitting atop a large man-made rock cairn, requiring a quick slam of brakes and turnaround. Fortunately the owl was unfazed and only turned it’s head to look at us. It was a great bird to end our day list!

As before, we were greeted like old friends at our accommodations, and presented with another amazing dinner featuring a variety of side dishes, chicken bastilla entree, tiramisu dessert and hot mint tea. Our stay at “La Maison Anglaise” will not be forgotten, with it’s amazing food and incredible hospitality!

text © debbie beer; all photos © adrian binns