Tuesday 15 March 2011

En route to West Africa, 11th Jan 2011

I'm not entirely sure what the exact route was that we took and i don't think the pilot did either judging from his commentary. Photos above show the Atlas mountains in Morocco, an amazing ridge between Morocco and Algeria which is visible on Google Earth and desert in Western Sahara/Mauritania. You can imagine many migrating raptors following this ridge south-west towards the coast after crossing the High Atlas.

First Osprey of the African campaign, 11th Jan

A juvenile female perched on a palm stump by the roadside as we drove from the airport to Tanji.

Juvenile female Osprey among Caspian Terns and Grey-headed Gulls, Tanji

This juvenile flew low overhead, soaking wet after failing to catch a fish and plonked down on the edge of the tern and gull colony. All the birds carried on as usual, not at all bothered by the bedraggled Osprey.

Caspian Terns, Tanji

White-Faced Scops Owl and Pearl-Spotted Owlet

Fish arriving, Tanji beach