The first day, there was nothing but occasional Small Whites, but the weather was fantastic, high 70’s dry heat. As the week progressed, the wide dusty and litter strewn boulevards provided some real gems, with the only disappointment being the lack of any Blue butterfly of note.
I insisted on an “excursion” to the Atlas mountains, which was quite a mistake. A couple of tantalizing glimpses of Greenish Black Tip, a fresh male Holly Blue and a Brimstone provided no photos, but I did manage a poor shot of a very active Green Hairstreak, (not avis as I initially hoped).
- Green Hairstreak
... Moroccan Orange Tips, male and female, Greenish Black Tip, and finally Green Striped White, which I only managed to photograph badly , but at least I now have a record shot. Lycaenids were restricted to Geranium Bronze, of which there were several, and a couple of Small Coppers. - female Morrocan Orange Tip
- male
- male
- Greenish Black Tip - charlonia
- charlonia
- Green Striped White
... horses, donkeys, bicycles, mopeds, cars, taxis, busses and lorries, with no rules, pure intimidatory push and shove ... and not a single accident seen! 
.... I wouldn’t fancy joining that melee in a hirecar! Yet, the Atlas mountains are just crying out to be explored in the way only a butterfly enthusiast can. 
On a brighter note, I was almost arrested by a furiously whistling policeman for trying to photograph a Moroccan flag on top of the Palace entrance
, and was attacked by a snake charmer for not wanting to pay him £30 for a photo! 
Possibly not the wisest type of local to annoy! 
