A presumed Cinnamon Teal x Shoveler hybrid (Spatula cyanoptera x S. clypeata) photographed at Dayet Srij near Merzouga, south-eastern Morocco. The bird was found by Frieder Klöpfer and Laura Lüdtke on 3 March 2019 and reported by Marc Illa.
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 on 26 February and a male found on 3 March (Marc Illa).
Nearby in the desert, a Sand Cat (Felis margarita) was sighted for the first time in almost three decades in this part of Morocco.
Update:
- The Isabelline Shrike found at Tamri estuary on 2 January was still present on 3 Marsh 2019 (more than two months now!).
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.

