I'll be heading to Essaouira in October, have already tapped up Henry Cook for info on the area, but if anybody else can give any hints or tips about the area, I'd be glad to hear from them!
Apart from the endless hassle (made worse by being in French!), I enjoyed Morocco. I'm not sure about sea watching at this time of year, but shearwaters were certainly passing close off shore in November. There was a sort of park like place just by the main road through Agadir which was great for migrants in the morning. So if you're close to that you can cram some birding in without having far to go. Unfortunately, it was also the country which brought my worst birding moment when our party witnessed a juvenile bald ibis being knocked down by a car. Stunned did not really describe the mood thereafter.
Ian, I've birded both Tunisia and Morocco, and found Morocco to be a fantastic destination and offers them desert specialities. My guess is your wife will keep you on a tight leash, but if you do manage to "escape" and hire a car, like Henry said visiting Oued Massa is a no brainer really and is fairly close to Agadir. Moussier's redstart is a relatively easy bird to see around the Oued Massa and you might get some Bee-eaters near the river. We had Bald ibis on the south side of the estuary in fields near the rivermouth - one of the rarest birds in the Western Palearctic.
Even around your hotel you should see Spotless starlings, Little swifts (& also Pallid), Red rumped swallows etc.
I have sent you a trip report which will give you a feel for the place and shows the potential & the possibilities if you were to travel into western sahara which offers some outstanding birding but I wouldn't imagine you will be travelling too far on your own.
On the coast road north of Agadir is Tamri, the best place for Bald Ibis. In 2008 we saw 11 in a roadside field 6k north of Tamri. I agree with Henry - try to get to Oued Massa, but if you do don't be conned into thinking you can only access the site accompanied by one of the many 'guides'. You are free to wander on your own and will probably see just as much if not more.
The Oued Souss and Souss valley is just to the south of the city. A worthy area which has potential for day-upon-day of visits. It's been a few years since I visited the area but it holds several of the Moroccan specialities and generally good birding. Sightings can include Barbary Partridge, Black-crowned Tchagra, Moussier's Redstart, Greater Flamingo, Black-winged Stilt, Moroccan Wagtail (race), Kentish Plover, Mahgreb Magpie (race), Red-necked Nightjar (can be seen at dusk by the royal palace), Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Audoin's Gull and Stone Curlew. By August there should be some wader action too which could include Curlew Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint etc.
If you have a car and fancy an excellent day-trip, the Oued Massa just a bit further to the south is totally mind-blowing. Here you can find Marbled Duck, Brown-throated Sand Martin, Northern Bald Ibis, Blue Rock Thrush, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Zitting Cisticola, Moustached Warbler, Long-legged Buzzard, Cream-coloured Courser, Spanish Sparrow, Audoin's Gull. Once again there are chance of migrant waders and also passerines including Woodchat Shrike, Southern Grey Shrike, Bluethroat, Great Spotted Cuckoo etc
Both estuaries regularly record west pal scarcities (Thick-billed Lark, Tristram's Warbler etc) and the occasional yanky duck/shorebird/gull (both Franklin's and Laughing Gulls in recent years etc).
I didn't do much birding around the town itself but reports suggest that the common garden birds include Mahgreb Tawny Owl (race), Yellow-legged Gull, Spanish Sparrow, Common Bulbul and Spotless Starling. So to conclude the local area around Agadir can be excellent. I look forward to reading your trip report! Henry.
Have you done a Google search Ian, Agadir birds/birdwatching, or similar? Looks like some decent birding to be had right in Agadir itself and certainly around the immediate area.
Hi all Just booked 2 weeks all inclusive at Agadir from 8th Aug, no nothing of birding potential in the area, sure someone out there will be able to advise Cheers in anticipation, Ian
. Cheers for the info Simon
