Sunday 6 March 2016

Western Sahara continued

I think the desert's unique atmosphere affected my memory as the events in getting to Dakhla and our first day in the Desert got slightly out of sequence in the previous post. Anyway to continue. We had one more species we really wanted to see and it would probably take some finding. Cricket Longtail is right on the limits of its range just north of Assouerd. We stopped at a Wadi with scattered trees and bushes which extended for miles either side of the road. The line of trees gave shelter and relief from the endless desert to a variety of migrating birds. We saw several Spectacled and Sub Alpine warblers, Southern grey Shrikes and Black eared and White crowned Wheatears as well as Orphean warbler, Red rumped Swallows and Tree pipit as we searched for the Longtails. It was hard going in the soft sand but our efforts were rewarded when we got our first sighting of a pair of Cricket Longtails.

Cricket Longtail

Cricket Longtail

Cricket Longtail

Southern grey Shrike

White crowned Wheatear

So, a successful day in the desert with 3 new species to me, but the bird of the day was a cracking adult male Lanner perched on top of a roadside bush seen at eye level from the bus.

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