Fauna and Flora: There are more in heaven and earth of Middle Atlas Mountains, Horatio, than Barbary Macaques

During my first month in Morocco I was astonished by the species in the forest, looking forward to know them before leaving and, as usual, I collapsed. The extremely busy days, the work of the training and, afterwards, the work itself, has been delaying this for months. The situation hasn't changed but, given that I've got short before leaving is time to do the homework. I could not give a very good guide of the living organism of the Middle Atlas mountains, but at least a couple will be cited here (I admit corrections, specially on plants. I did the identifications quite careless and I've been here from autumn to the very beginning of the spring, so I haven't seen most of the plants flowering...my phanerogamic plants professor would be quite ashamed, sure...the guide I've got here is has not even a dichotomous key!!).

Birds & other animals


Great tit (Parus major)



Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)



Coal tit (Periparus ater)


Others, seen but too quick to take a picture are: Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius), Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)...

Among some animals that I have been lucky enough to cross on the field, but without photo opportunity, have been: Wild board (Sus scofra), jackals (Canis aureus), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)...


Plants



Atlas Cedar(Cedrus atlantica)









Prickly Juniper(Juniperus oxycedrus)






Stinking iris (Iris foetidissima)

( I could only see the remains...but if I'm right it's a feat to know it just with this!)







Hoop petticoat daffodil(Narcissus bulbocodium)







Mistletoe(Viscum sp.)









Euphorbia sp. (Maybe Large Mediterranean spurge (E.characias)








Hawthorn (Crataegus sp. maybe C.granatensis)






Oak (Quercus ilex)










Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus)
I was quite happy when I found this plant, because it has cladodes (its stems resemble leaves, that is why the flowers are on the "leaves"), and I always enjoy to see that my botanic lectures were useful somehow.








Holly (Ilex sp.)















PD: Thanks to the Valencia who identified the bird species (though I knew the P.major!...yeah, ornithology is not my field at all...)And to the guide "Wild flowers of the Mediterranean- Marjorie Blamey & Christopher Grey-Wilson. Domino Guides"; the only handy book about plants here.