Friday 21st
After a good and early start from Winchester at about 1500 we checked
in in very good time, and met up with our band of six other Naturetrekkers.
Away just a bit late at 2145, and a pretty ropey overnight flight
to Addis Ababa, arriving shortly after 0800.
Saturday 22nd
We quickly met up with our guide, Yilma, and drove the very short
distance to the Lalibela Hotel, just near the airport. Once checked
in, we had an hour's rest or so, but at around 1000, we headed out
for our first excursion, out to the west of Addis, expertly driven
by our chauffeur, Andreas. A few stops en route turned up
a good variety of upland species, including several Abyssinian endemics
and near-endemics. The latter were such very special birds as Thick-billed
Raven, Wattled Ibis, Brown-rumped Seedeater,
Black-headed Siskin, White-collared Pigeon, Groundscraper
Thrush, Botta's Wheatear and Hill Chat, ably supported
by African and Red-throated Pipits, Black-winged
Plover, Augur Buzzard, Lanner Falcon, Tawny
Eagle and various others.
At Gafersa Reservoir itself, we added the endemic Blue-winged
Goose, plus Ethiopian Cisticola, more Wattled Ibis,
Sacred Ibis, masses of Egyptian Geese, Teal
and Little Grebes, and a good sprinkling of ducks, waders
and waterbirds, the highlights being Marsh Sandpiper and
African Spoonbill. Sadly, perhaps the best bird of the site
was seen by just one of the group - an Abysinnian Longclaw,
identified retrospectively from digital photographs! Non-avian highlights
on our excursion included some Unstriped Grass-rats, several
spectacular butterflies and dragonflies, and the stunning (and poisonous)
Solanum, Sodom Apple.
By mid-afternoon, we were all flagging somewhat after our overnight
flight, and Yilma took pity on us and returned us to the hotel via
a couple of stops for Mountain Thrush, more Thick-billed
Ravens and some Hooded Vultures. An hour or two snoozing
for most of us (or a bit of extra birding, rewarded by Abyssinian
Woodpecker and Tacazze Sunbird for Ian and Sally!), and
we were ready for an early meal (doubly serenaded by some intrusive
"easy-listening" music on one side, and Liverpool v Portsmouth
on SkySports on the other!). But, well fed and very tired, we all
crawled off to bed by about 2100, our first day in Ethiopia complete.
Sunday 23rd
Up at 0600, and a quick look around the hotel filled that Tacazze
Sunbird shaped gap in our trip list. But it was soon time to
stuff our faces at breakfast, and hit the road for our first 'proper'
destination, Awash National Park. However, the Addis Ababa conurbation
had one more special bird for us - a pair of the endemic White-winged
Cliff-chats on wires just outside the city. This was highly
likely to be our only chance for these stunners!
Swiftly onwards, we stopped near Debre Zeit at Lake Hora, an old
crater lake, and enjoyed a bird-packed hour or two in the shade
of the mature trees lining the banks. Among the many highlights
were Rufous-necked Wryneck, Black-crowned Tchagra,
Black-winged Lovebird, Grey-headed Batis, Blue-breasted
Bee-eater, and Black-billed Barbets calling noisily almost
all the time. There were lots of commoner birds too, from the stunning
African Fish-eagle and Pink-backed Pelican, right
down the size-scale to Red-knobbed Coot, Speckled Mousebird,
Abyssinian White-eye, Hunter's Sunbird, Tawny-flanked
Prinia, African Thrush and Spectacled Weaver.
Continue to Awash NP
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