The Long Day to Negelle

We left Goba early and drove back across the Sanetti Plateau, seeing much the same as before but an Abyssinian Longclaw and Yellow-crowned Canary were a bonus. 

Abyssinian Longclaw

The morning was very cold with a blanket of sharp frost covering the vegetation, making photography of Chestnut-naped and Moorland Francolins and Rouget’s Rail all the more appealing.

Chestnut-naped Francolins in the early morning frost.

Great views of Moorland Francolin this morning.

Moorland Francolins showed well

Dropping down into the Harenna Forest, it proved to be rather quiet and all we had to show for our efforts were Black-and-white Mannikin, Yellow-bellied Waxbill and Grosbeak Weaver. We lost a lot of time this morning looking for woodpeckers and also searching for a missing walkie-talkie, so had to press on as it is a very long drive down to Negelle. Then we drove down into the ‘bush’ country and travelled for many miles in order to reach the area for Ruspoli’s Turaco. 


With a further delay for a flat tyre our arrival was much later than planned but we quickly found the turaco thanks to some local help – and pure relief all around as this is quite possibly the No 1 endemic to see here.

Red-and-yellow Barbet

Other birds seen on the drive included White-backed Vulture, Black-chested Snake-Eagle for some, Lesser Spotted Eagle, African Harrier-Hawk, Diederik Cuckoo, African Grey Hornbill, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Straw-tailed Whydah and others.

Mammal highlight were Eastern Black-and-White Colobus, Ethiopian Wolf, Gunther’s Dikdik, and Ethiopian Klipspringer.

Sanetti Plateau

Today we birded the highest road in Africa, under the second highest mountain in Africa and found the rarest ‘canid’ in the world – Ethiopian Wolf. 

Ethiopian Wolf

The scenery was stunning amidst fine Afro-alpine moorland habitat with giant lobelias dotted across the moorland plateau. 

Sanetti Plateau

We made a short walk at the treeline and quickly nailed the local race of Brown Parisoma before setting off across the plateau where we found our first  Spot-breasted Lapwings. 

Brown Parisoma

Augur Buzzard

The endemic Moorland Chat is very common

There was also Chestnut-naped Francolin, a small group of Moorland Francolins, lots of Rouget's Rails, Ruddy Shelduck, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Red-billed Chough, and some flyby Slender-billed Starlings.

The endemic Rouget's Rail is very common in the Bale Mountains

 We returned to the hotel for a late lunch and then drove on to Dinsho. As soon as we arrived at the Park HQ a local ranger met us and showed us a day roosting African Wood Owl – a good start. 

African Wood Owl

We then walked through the juniper forest and quickly found Abyssinian Catbird as well to make our visit here really worthwhile.

Sof Omar

We headed on the long, bumpy drive to Sof Omar, leaving the hotel early doors and driving a lot of the way in the dark. Once the sun rose above the hills we started seeing a few birds such as Kori Bustard, Chestnut-naped Francolin, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Boran Cisticola, and a trio of new hornbills: Von Der Decken’s, Northern Red-billed and Eastern Yellow-billed. 

Boran Cisticola

Rosy-patched Bush-Shrike

The road became almost impassable as it went down into the valley but our landcruisers made light work of it and after parking in the shade of some acacia trees we set out on a walk to see what was around.

I thought it was rather quiet here and we failed to get definitive views of Salvadori’s Seedeater apart from a dubious flyover. But we did see a bunch of good birds including Shikra, Verreaux’s Eagle, Crested Francolin, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, African Orange-bellied Parrot, White-bellied Go-Away-Bird, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Cardinal Woodpecker, White-browed Coucal, Rufous Chatterer, Northern Brownbul, Brown-tailed Rock-Chat, Northern Crombec, Grey-headed Batis, Northern White-crowned Shrike, Brubru, White-crested Helmet-Shrike, Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Acacia Tit, Shining Sunbird, Bristle-crowned Starling, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Red-headed Weaver and Purple Grenadier.

Cardinal Woodpecker

Driving back towards Goba across the huge open plains with arable fields either side had a few good birds such as Black-winged Kite, Rattling Cisticola, Pallid Harrier, Lanner, African Stonechat, and we also heard a calling Common Quail.

Garden Birding and Roosting Owls

It made a pleasant change to just walk out of our rooms and bird the gardens for a few hours this morning. And what a cracking session we were treated to as we saw so many new trip birds, beginning with a Red-faced Cisticola, African Thrush, Spectacled and Little Weavers,  and at least 3 Black Crakes that all showed nicely. Walking out the gate to view the lake 3 African Pygmy Geese (and what stunners they are!) and our first Grey-headed Gulls were present.

African Pygmy Goose

Following the path bordering the lake many more new birds appeared such as a Nubian Woodpecker, Blue-headed Coucal, Marsh and Sedge Warblers, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, White-rumped Babbler, Common Waxbill and after much scrutiny a Lesser Swamp Warbler.

The above two photos are Lesser Swamp Warbler......

And we had really close views of plenty of other species such as White-winged and Whiskered Terns, Black-winged Lovebird, a flock of really confiding African Citrils, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Sand Martin and more.

Returning to the gardens we had a mad spell with birds everywhere as first of all a group of Black-billed Wood-Hoopoes were seen, followed by Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Northern Puffback, Black-headed Batis, Brown-throated Wattle-eye and Buff-bellied Warbler. Then it was time to search for Spotted Creeper, but it was hard as we kept getting distracted by more birds including Grey-headed Kingfisher, both Eurasian and Red-throated Wrynecks, Ethiopian Boubou, Northern Black Flycatcher, Cut-throat Finch, nest-building Bronze Mannikins and Grosbeak Weaver. Eventually we found a pair of Spotted Creepers as well to round off a really great pre-breakfast session.

Reluctantly leaving here, we drove just five minutes down the road to Hawassa Fishmarket but didn’t stay long as the hoped for Goliath Heron wasn’t around. There were still plenty of birds and we particularly liked the close views of African Fish Eagle calling evocatively from the top of an acacia. A Spur-winged Goose, Hadada Ibis, plus many Hamerkops and Squacco Herons were also nice.

So from here we began the drive up towards the Bale Mountains, but didn’t get far before pulling over at the side of the road to take a look at some Northern Carmine Bee-eaters and a Lilac-breasted Roller perched on telegraph wires. It’s always difficult in Ethiopia to get from A to B as there are just so many birds but with much effort on our parts we sifted out the common birds and only stopped for such goodies as Lappet-faced and White-headed Vultures, and a flock of 31 Black-winged Lapwings.

White-headed Vulture

Of course we stopped to pay our respects at the usual stake-out for Cape Eagle Owl, which this year required a scramble down into the little valley to look back up at the bird at its day roost below a small conifer on the cliff.

Cape Eagle Owl

As the road wound ever upwards (we travelled from around 1900m at Hawassa up to 3000m) into the Bale Mountains the scenery changed from rolling arable fields to moorland and it was here that our first endemic Rouget’s Rail was seen. We eventually arrived at the park HQ at Dinsho and immediately set out with one of the rangers to see a pair of absolutely fantastic Abyssinian Owls. 

Abyssinian Owls in the Bale Mountains

Perched high up in a conifer, one of them was clearly visible close to the trunk, whilst the other had its back turned. But what a bird and having missed them last year, I was particularly pleased to nail them this time. We also came across a flock of the endemic highland speciality - White-backed Black Tits as well, which showed quite well and a fine Abyssinian Ground Thrush.

Settled into the hotel a short while later for a 3 night stay. More Spaghetti Bolognese.....

Rift Valley Lakes...

After a leisurely 6am breakfast we headed out of Addis Ababa and down into the Great African Rift Valley and the first of a series of bird-filled lakes. At the Cheleklaka Wetlands there were simply birds everywhere, and in big numbers. 

Scanning through all these birds was really fun....

New birds here were Red-billed Teal, Common Crane, Marabou Stork, Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, 100’s of White Storks amongst the Marabou Storks, 100’s of Greater and Lesser Flamingo’s, Knob-billed Duck, Garganey, Hottentot Teal, Western Marsh & Pallid Harriers, flocks of Red-knobbed Coots, African Jacana, African Snipe, and numerous Red-throated Pipits. 

There was a pair of Black Crowned Cranes present.

A pair of Black Crowned Cranes strode majestically through the tall grass here right in front of us as well.  the star bird here was an African Quailfinch that flew in and landed nearby, before flying off into the distance. A little further down the road we came across a flock of Village Weavers, and scanning from this viewpoint resulted in a nice view of this corner of the lake where White-faced and Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were close by, an African Spoonbill was stood beside 3 Yellow-billed Storks, a dainty Marsh Sandpiper picked its way along the water’s edge and Ruppell’s Vulture & Steppe Eagle flew overhead.

African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed & Marabou Storks, Fulvous & White-faced Whistling-Ducks, 

Moving on, we headed to Koka Dam where a pair of awesome Saddle-billed Storks were stood out in the marsh, and we also picked up Intermediate Egret, Spur-winged Goose, Woodland and Malachite Kingfishers, flyby Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Ruppell’s Glossy Starling and Kit had a Kittlitz’s Plover.

Saddle-billed Storks

A rather forgettable lunch was taken at Ziway, but the birds in the garden kept us in good spirits with a pair of close perched Black-winged Lovebirds, White-browed Sparrow-Weavers, Abyssinian White-eye, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Beautiful Sunbird and a group of Speckled Mousebirds. 

Black-winged Lovebird

Just around the corner was Lake Ziway where hundreds of African White Pelicans and Marabou Storks congregate to gorge on the fishy leftovers from the latest catch. A Three-banded Plover was a nice addition to our burgeoning list, as was a Black Heron doing his "night time, daytime thing", whilst Little Stints, Long-tailed Cormorant, African Darter and Ruppell’s Weaver appeared, Whiskered and White-winged Terns were also seen, and a few European Bee-eaters flew over. I don’t know where you can get so close to these birds and literally the Hamerkops and Marabou's were too close to photograph.

Marabous Stork at Lake Ziway

Driving between sites today resulted in Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Rufous-crowned and Lilac-breasted Rollers, Crowned Lapwing, Red-billed Quelea and Superb Starlings became commoner the further south we travelled.

Record shot of Half-collared Kingfisher - got my camera settings totally wrong for this bird!

Leaving here we then headed up into the hills following a tip-off and twitched a stake-out for Half-collared Kingfisher. Granted this was a bit of a gamble, but it was a lifer for everyone in the group and fortunately things panned out nicely as we had a bird fly downstream and land maybe 30m away from us on a large boulder. Wow! We also saw White-cheeked Turaco, Black Saw-wing, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, many Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, and a brief Abyssinian (Ethiopian) Oriole.

Jemma Valley

We left at 4am for a full day in the Jemma Valley, which produced a superb number of great species that began with an awesome Harwood’s Francolin calling about 30m metres away on the slope below the road. As we watched this a Long-billed Pipit appeared behind us, plenty of Cinnamon-breasted Buntings appeared and then a short while later we picked up an Erckel’s Francolin calling from on top of a boulder below us. 

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

We also enjoyed views of a pair of Abyssinian Wheatears here but got much better views further down the road. As the cool of the morning gave way to soaring temperatures we drove down into the valley we saw Dark Chanting Goshawk, Booted Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle, Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Red-throated Wryneck, Red-collared Widowbird, African Citril, and best of all a couple of Yellow-rumped Seedeaters. 

Abyssinian Wheatear

Further down we really enjoyed some fine breeding-plumaged Black-winged Red Bishops, Little Bee-eater, African Silverbill, Bush Petronia, and also saw Namaqua Dove, our only Vinaceous Dove of the trip, Speckle-fronted Weaver, and both Isabelline and Woodchat Shrikes.

Black-winged Red Bishop

We eventually reached the river where Great Cormorant, Hamerkop, Wire-tailed Swallow, several Pied Kingfishers, African Pied Wagtail and some Woolly-necked Storks were seen.  Walking upriver we found a huge Nile Crocodile, Malachite and Giant Kingfishers, Green Sandpiper and a pair of Senegal Thick-knees. In the trees along the riverbank there was a fine Black-billed Barbet, along with a mixed flock of Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus, Red-billed Firefinches and Crimson-rumped Waxbills. A pair of Mocking Cliff-chats and a Grey-backed Cameroptera was also seen. Returning to the shade of a large tree for lunch, a Western Osprey flew over, a male Common Redstart and an African Pygmy Kingfisher were seen in the canopy above us.

Erlanger's Lark - another endemic

Driving towards Addis Ababa across the Sululta Plain and we still had a few species to find, which duly complied and the endemic Erlanger’s Lark, the widespread Thekla Lark and several Red-breasted Wheatears were all found easily. A male Pallid Harrier was nice, as was a flyover Lammergeier, a group of Black-winged Lapwings and an Ortolan Bunting to end the day off nicely. We eventually reached our hotel around 6.30pm and enjoyed a fine evening meal, cold beers and long night’s sleep.