While Moth counts have
expectedly dwindled after Friday’s bonanza, over the past 3 days what might be
considered a Winter ‘highlight’ amounted to a single
SATELLITE
whereas the total of Mammal
species recorded here over the last 2 weeks is unprecedented, the list totalling:-
Red Fox, Rabbit, Roe Deer, Wood Mouse, Grey Squirrel, Otter, Short-tailed Field
Vole (still thriving underneath the caravan), Mole (as represented by fresh
early Bronze Age earthworks popping up all over the place on a daily basis),
Brown Rat and Badger.
Additionally we also
received a most welcome and interesting document from John Gifford
concerning another of our favourites
AUDOUIN’S GULL
Now reported as
breeding, for the first time, along the French Atlantic coastline and bringing back
memories of our only encounter with such in Morocco in 2006. Ostensibly not a ‘birding’
trip at all, but some would sure come our way, but a long desire to follow in the footsteps of my
all time hero
James Marshall (JIMI)
Hendrix.
Don't You Know Were Riding on the Marrakech Express - Crosby, Stills and Nash.
In 1967 he is said to have taken the path from Rabat to Essauira, sticking pretty much to the coast, except for a diverssion to Marrakech which was the track to be followed except for my starting point being Casablanca. It is also recorded that he found much inspiration for the album
AXIS BOLD AS LOVE
but more particularly the track Castles Made of Sand which is said to document his all to short life.
Lush Vegetation with a backdrop of the
ATLAS MOUNTAINS
and
AUDOUIN'S GULLs
prolific but distant at 2 or 3 coastal location with a tidy flock of
BALD IBIS
at one estuary.
A bit of a lottery as far as the few small hotels in Essauira were concerned
as each claiming to be
the one in which Jimi stayed this being the one that most caught my eye
and also assuring me that it was his bed I would be sleeping, just best to go with the flow and get the best out of it, but at least there were authentic
HOUSE BUNTINGs
on the windowsill and images of
My Man
on the bulkheads.
Part II to follow as 'n' when!
