2011 Tour Narrative
We must have presented a strange sight to the locals of the Jemma valley as we piled out of the bus to line up along the edge of the road and begin peering through our binoculars down into the valley, only to suddenly do a quick about-turn and start staring at the other side of the road. The object of our attention was a fine Harwood’s Francolin which, instead of showing below us as expected, magically appeared right on the opposite edge of the road just feet away. The fine views we had of this endemic set the scene for the rest of the tour with almost all of the birds showing really well.
The valley proved to be a rich source of birds, with wonderful views of a perched Fox Kestrel that took the ‘bird of the trip’ award for many people. A perched African Hawk Eagle, Vinaceous Dove, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Grey-headed and Half-collared Kingfishers, Copper Sunbird (eventually), stunning Black-winged Red Bishops, and Speckle-fronted Weavers were just a few of the other highlights from this dramatic setting. Earlier we had travelled across the Soluta Plain where we found five species of vulture together, including some great views of White-headed Vulture in flight and perched. Endemics in the form of White-winged Cliff Chats and Black-headed Siskins, a Pied Wheatear of the white throated form vittata, and lots of Groundscraper Thrushes and Red-breasted Wheatears appeared all before we reached out lodge at Debre Libanos. Here Rüppell’s Black Chat bounced around the rocks and a variety of raptors patrolled the cliff edge. Erckel’s Francolin showed well and there were noisy troops of Gelada Baboons.
A visit to the fish market causeway at Lake Zwiay is always engaging and we spent an enjoyable hour or so amidst the very tame Marabou Storks, Hamerkops, Great White Pelicans, Grey-headsed Gulls, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, African Jacanas, Squacco Herons, and various waders. This location usually produces something unusual and whilst watching Black Crakes we discovered an Allen’s Gallinule which performed superbly for us. Our first visit to Lake Langano gave us Greyish Eagle Owl and roosting Slender-tailed Nightjars. The water level in Lake Abiata was very low and required a long walk to get anywhere near the tens of thousands of birds along the lake shore. These comprised mainly of Greater and Lesser Flamingos, along with huge flocks of Northern Shoveler, but there were lots of waders as well including Pied Avocets and Kittliz’s Sandplovers. Our next lake was Awassa where we stayed in a wonderful hotel set splendidly right on the lake shore. The grounds gave us great views of Spotted Creeper while the lake shore was alive with birds – masses of Black Crakes, an incredible number of Malachite Kingfishers, and flocks of Yellow Wagtails, the latter including Ethiopia’s third record of Citrine Wagtail while the Lesser Swamp Warblers were joined by first a Basra Reed Warbler and then a Great Reed Warbler.
Leaving the Rift Valley behind we began our steady climb up into the Bale Mountains. On the way up we stopped for Red-chested Swallows and the first of many migrating Lesser Kestrels, while an African Goshawk joined us briefly for lunch. This became the day of the owls as we first saw two Cape Eagle Owls, followed by two African Wood Owls and then a pair of Abyssinian Owls. Next, came our day on the amazing Sanetti Plateau, the real roof of Africa. The weather is always crucial up on the plateau and we were pretty lucky both with the weather and the birds and mammals. A pair of Wattled Cranes showed beautifully right by the road, and we had encounters with 2 Ethiopian Wolves. We watched their main prey, Giant Root Rats peering out of their burrows, and we found a host of birds including African Black Duck, Chestnut-naped and Moorland Francolins, Spot-breasted Lapwings, Rouget’s Rails, and masses of Black-headed Siskins. Below the plateau, the long walk downhill through the forest was worth it for immature Lammergeier perched right by the road, White-cheeked Turaco, three Abyssinian Woodpeckers perched together, Abyssinian Ground Thrush singing at us, Abyssinian Catbird, White-backed Black Tit, and a very showy Cinnamon Bracken Warbler to mention a few. The day ended with a Sunbird tradition – tea and cakes from Goba’s famous pastry shop.
Crossing the plateau again, we dropped down through the Harrena forest, most of which was cloaked in mist but birding along the road produced a perched Crowned Eagle, flocks of Yellow-bellied Waxbills, some Black and White Manikins and, after some effort, Abyssinian Crimsonwing. The long road to Negelle took us through some amazing country, land that Prince Ruspoli himself probably travelled through and it was fitting that the highlight of the journey was an encounter with his famous Turaco. From the dubious delights of Negelle town, we ventured out onto the Liben Plains where one of Africa’s rarest birds, Sidamo Lark showed very well and where we also found Temminck’s Courser, our first White-crowned Starlings, and hundreds of Lesser Kestrels. There was another excellent sighting of Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco, and north the town we found even more Lesser Kestrels, this time joined by a pair of Grey Kestrels. Another long drive through amazing country took us in a wide arc through to Yabello. There were plenty of stops – the first for another fine field breakfast by the Dawa river where, as well as Merid’s excellent porridge, we enjoyed a perched immature Shikra, White-winged Wood Doves, Juba Weavers, Northern Brownbul, Somali Crombec, Pygmy Batis, Gillet’s Lark, and Red-naped Bushshrike. The drive produced lots of Vulturine Guineafowl along the roadside, and lots of stunning Golden-breasted Starlings. As we neared the main road south of Yabello we stopped to see White-bellied and Buff-crested Bustards, and two special endemics, Stresemann’s Bush Crow and White-tailed Swallow. Other highlights here included lots of Black-capped and Grey-capped Social Weavers and a few Shelley’s Rufous Sparrows. Our lodge at Yabello was a huge improvement on the old accommodation, set in great countryside with lots of birds. It was hard to tear ourselves away, especially when a Martial Eagle sailed over just as we were leaving! Earlier, we watched a Somali Galago climbing through a roadside acacia, and located more of the special birds of this region: Bare-eyed Thrush and Pringle’s Puffback, along with Jacobin Cuckoo, d’Arnaud’s Barbet, and Black Cuckoo Shrike. The drive up to Wondo Genet was uneventful and we arrived in time for a sundowner on the roof of the restaurant. The following day, we walked through the sadly diminishing forest. It was still worth it for a number of birds, including a Mountain Buzzard, perched Sharpe’s Starling. Then it was back to Lake Langano and the wonderful lodge where the Yellow-fronted Parrots put on their usual early morning show for us, and where Scaly Francolins and Lemon Doves walked around our feet. Birding away from the lodge was excellent with one stop giving us great views of Heuglin’s Courser and a fly-over Abdim’s Stork.
The final stage of the tour took us first to the strange landscape of the lava flow surrounding the extinct volcano Fantale. Here we sorted out Sombre Chat from Blackstarts, and watched dark Striolated Buntings on the equally dark rocks, while there were a couple of frustrating fly-overs, first a flock of Pale Rockfinches and then a single Bimaculated Lark. The next drive was broken for an Arabian Bustard, then for a Black Scrub Robin and once at the following lodge birds of note included Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Ethiopian Swallows, Yellow-breasted Barbets and, after much hard work, Ménétriés’s Warbler. There was also a strange sparrow which appears to have been a male Somali Sparrow in non-breeding plumage. From Bilen we retraced our steps towards Awash, picking up a couple more Arabian Bustards on the way. Stopping off for a last picnic lunch we had an incredible encounter when we were entertained by displaying Steel-blue, Eastern Paradise, and Straw-tailed Whydahs, all in full plumage and all in the same location. Awash National Park gave us a variety of birds including Kori Bustard with a Northern Carmine Bee-eater riding on its back, lots of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Red-winged and Singing Bush Larks, Madagascar Bee-eaters, Eastern Grey Plantain Eaters, Rosy-patched Bush Shrike, Ashy and Desert Cisticolas, Somali Fiscal, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrikes, and African Silverbills. There was also a brief sighting of an African Wild Cat, although the endemic Soemmerring’s Gazelles were much easier to see. And then it was all over. We followed the slow road back to Addis, checked in to a hotel to repack and get ready for the flight home, and transferred to the airport, via the Roadrunner restaurant for some excellent pizzas! Another Ethiopia tour had come to an end and along the way we had seen lots of great birds, experienced some fascinating culture, and enjoyed some breathtaking scenery. Above all, we had a lot of fun doing it.
Steve Rooke
Updated: December 2011