We tried to reach Cap Blanc by car for some seawatching. However the route was impassable without a 4x4.
osprey
Indeed we saw hardly any birds at all on the way and before we had to turn back. An osprey was the main exception.
As an alternative to Cap Blanc we went to a spot we knew from before. It is a large set of bushes and trees surrounding fresh ground water. This is just to the east of Cansado.
It was good last time and made excellent birding this time. There is no other fresh water source we know of in the peninsula and so it is an obvious migrant trap.
Things started very well. As we walked to the first visible ground water, we flushed a drinking pharaoh eagle owl.
We traced it a second time and got excellent views.
pharaoh eagle owl 1
It finally flew into a near-by tree and fell asleep. I am very pleased we did not wake it up for all of the rest of the time we were on site. We wandered near-by for another 90 minutes without disturbing it. However it was nice to look up at it every now and again to realise it was still there.
This was my first pharaoh eagle owl in Mauritania.
It wasn't the only bird of prey on site. Two black kite drifted over from time to time though they spent more time at Cansado's small rubbish dump near-by. A marsh harrier was seen briefly.
pharaoh eagle owl 2
Being the only fresh water for a long way was probably the reason a glossy ibis was seen at such a small site.
glossy ibis
There were several white wagtail and the numbers got higher as we headed towards dusk.
white wagtail
In the bushes were different types of warbler. Two sedge warbler were observed as well as a reed warbler near the water. Bluethroat were in the same areas. Common chiffchaff and willow warbler were also present but were more wide ranging as you might expect.
tree pipit
At one stage we saw a samll eclectic group of an ortolan bunting, tree pipit and yellow wagtail grazing in a shaded area. However, some people walked by and disturbed this odd group.
In one corner of the site, the fresh water gives way to a deeper salt water pool.
common redshank
Not unexpectedly, a small number of waders were seen there. There was a single common redshank.
common sandpiper
A common sandpiper showed and was bobbing its rear end endlessly as usual.
ruff (right)
Two ruff joined the common redshank at one stage. I couldn't make the female into anything more exotic like a vagrant buff-breasted sandpiper. Although I am always on the look-out. Mauritania sticks out well into the Atlantic and American vagrants are here to be had.
spotted flycatcher
One of the last birds seen was a spotted flycatcher helping to prove they get almost everywhere in Mauritania in October.
The next day, Mohamed Vall and I took all day to head home to Nouakchott allowing some birding on the way. I will blog about this next.
Cattle Egret
Glossy Ibis
Western Marsh Harrier
Black Kite
Ruff
Common Sandpiper
Common Redshank
European Turtle Dove
Pharaoh Eagle Owl
Willow Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Sedge Warbler
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Spotted Flycatcher
Bluethroat
European Pied Flycatcher
Common Redstart
Western Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail (alba)
Ortolan Bunting
House Sparrow
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