October 2023 (Debra Bangasser Waxler from USA )
There are rare days when wildlife photography is exceptional! My day trip with Mohamed El Golli in Oct. 2023 was one of those days.
My focus was on photography, so this report reflects my favorite photos although we saw many additional species not mentioned here (aka the uncooperative ones). Mohamed and our driver, Yassine Daoud, who is also an expert archeology guide, picked me up at my hotel in Carthage and we headed to Sijoumi Salt Lake for flamingos. I got amazing shots of the birds with Tunis in the background and also spotted a great grey shrike. On our way to the Mornag area, I commented on the Roman aqueducts so we stopped at a spot so I could check them out more closely. There was a bonus photo of a green finch.
In the Mornag area, I got great photos of Moussier’s redstart and Western black-eared wheatear. Then we went to Zriba for house buntings, blue rock thrushes, Thekla’s larks, black wheatears and Rock sparrows. This is also the site of a historic Berber village, which is stunning to see. Then we had a lovely picnic lunch in Zaghouan and I learned how Tunisians, or at least how Yassine, likes to make a sandwich…key ingredient: harissa (lots of it). At lunch a European robin greeted us.
Then we moved on to the Water Temple, the source of the Aqueduct of Carthage, an amazing historic site. Along the way, we saw a hoopoe, Tunisian Chaffinches and Dartford warbler. On the way back to Carthage we had one more productive stop along the side of the road by a spring for corn buntings and linnets. Overall, it was an outstanding day of birding, photography, and history. Not only did I see lifers, but I saw part of Tunis I would not have otherwise had the chance to visit. I highly recommend birding with Mohamed if you are ever in Tunis!
Debra Bangasser Waxler
Birdwatching Tunisia 