Wildlife seen along the way
Our travels to date have not given much time for bird, or animal watching excluding stray dogs and cats. However, where we could we stopped and stared and this blog is a record of what we saw.
We hope you enjoy them.
A ringed parakeet seen in Rome
Monk Parrot
Monk Parrot
Stonechats getting frisky, at the Spainish mosque Chefchaouen, Morocco
Male Stonechat
Barbary macaque in the cedar forest of Azrou in the mid Atlas mountains.
These tail-less monkeys, called Barbary macaques, are the only African monkeys that live north of the Sahara, and the only macaques occurring outside Asia. They’re also only one of the few monkey species to dwell in a cold climate. Originally these macaques would have been found throughout North Africa and parts of Europe. However, the populations have declined rapidly to an estimated 5000 individuals, restricted to the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. A small (~200) semi-wild population also exists in Gibraltar.
We were conflicted by seeing these monkeys, they are fascinating to study, the image above is the grandmother. The parents were to be found by our feet and the young clinging to the lower branches of the trees.
The reason for our mixed feelings, as we climbed off the bus, we were surrounding by locals forcing unshelled peanuts into our hands. Seeing the food the mother and father monkeys would come towards us, reaching their arms, they would very gently take the nuts from us with their dextrous fingers. We also had chance to experience the parents pulling on our trouser legs in efforts to gain our attention, if they felt the supply of nuts was drying up.
It was far from a true wildlife experience but not the fault of the monkeys, but once again the influence of humans.
My advice, if you find yourself here - be prepared for the locals forcing food on you to give the animals, and don’t be afraid of the adult animals - even the big males from my experience they are gentle. However, when it comes to settling up pay no more than 20 - 30 MAD (2-3 euros) and stand your ground if the touts with the food get agitated.
Courting Storks - Fez
Stork over the Fez Medina
Find yourself walking around the Medina in Fez, look up overhead you’ll see storks and their nests. Dawn on the rooftop of our Riad and we had a ringside seat of the storks greeting each other after their individual flights across the city. This was the last wildlife image of note from Morocco.
A collection of images from our AirBnB in Warninglid, West Sussex.
Blue tit
Long tailed tit
Long tailed tit
This robin red-breast sang its heart out all during our stay in West Sussex and it is lovely to have a permanent record of this little but feisty little bird.