A presumed Cinnamon Teal x Northern Shoveler hybrid (Spatula cyanoptera x S. clypeata) was photographed at Dayet Srij near Merzouga, south-eastern Morocco. The bird was found by Frieder Klöpfer and Laura Lüdtke on 3 March 2019.
The desert lake is full of water and birds. About 500 Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) and several species of ducks and waders are recorded by Marc Illa since the end of February.
Another North America species was also present at the lake: a female Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) was found there on 26 February and a male found on 3 March (Marc Illa).
In the nearby desert, a Sand Cat (Felis margarita) was sighted for the first time in almost three decades in this part of Morocco.
Thanks to Marc Illa for reporting the sighting.
Wanted!
Has anyone seen Golden Nightjars or Sudan Golden Sparrows this season? It’s nearly mid-March and there are still no signs of these species in Aousserd.