Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia



Day 17:
- Full day birding around Mega.

Today, we drive down to Mega, 100 km south of Yabelo, on a new asphalt road. We will try to find the Mega Francolin, new endemic to Ethiopia, in the hills surrounding this village. Many other dry savanna birds will be found.

Also Grevy Zebra and Gerenuk are in the area.
Night in Yabelo, Park Hotel or similar.

CANCELLED

Political trouble in the Bale Mountains area and they have closed the area. So we have to change our schedule.

Full Day to Explore the Sanetti Plateau and Balé Mountains National Park

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Day 17: Bird watching on Sanetti Plateau and Balé Mountains National Park

An early start this morning will help us to make the most of our limited time in Bale Mountains National Park. We will spend most of the day today birding the Sanetti Plateau, which in addition of offering excellent birding is the best place to find the beautiful, rare, and endemic Ethiopian Wolf.

On our way there, we will pass through forests dominated by juniper and Hagenia, which offer us an excellent opportunity to find Abyssinian Woodpecker, White-backed Black Tit, Abyssinian Catbird, Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, and a variety of other bird species.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Bale Mountains National Park

The Sanetti Plateau is covered by Afro-alpine moorland, a moist habitat characterized by low shrubs and grasses and by Ethiopia’s strange-looking endemic species of Giant Lobelia. This habitat supports large rodent populations (including that of the Big-headed African Mole-Rat, or Giant Mole-Rat, found only here), which support the aforementioned Ethiopian Wolf and also attract a myriad of raptors and the endemic Balé Monkey.

It also is the best place to see the endemic Blue-winged Goose, Rouget’s Rail (which is especially confiding here), and Spot-breasted Lapwing; although we likely will have seen those species already, we can expect to get our best look at them here. Other specialties we will search for here include Chestnut-naped Francolin, Moorland Francolin, Wattled Crane, and Moorland Chat. Interestingly, the Plateau supports breeding populations of three species not usually associated with tropical Africa: Ruddy Shelduck, Red-billed Chough, and Golden Eagle.

Second night in Goba, Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel



Tuesday 5th of November 2019 and we left the hotel in the morning. I was ready with my breakfast just after 7. Toast and Addis Tea and as it was breakfast I was offered a glass of juice. It will be my Guide and Driver as usually and we will have an extra Guide from the park with us. They were waiting outside the restaurant and we took off when I came out to the parking. We drove up the mountain and we reported at the gate at the entrance to the park.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Entrance to the Bale Mountains National Park - Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Entrance to the Bale Mountains National Park - Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Wood Sandpiper

Spot-breasted Lapwing, Vanellus melanocephalus

Spot-breasted Lapwing, Vanellus melanocephalus
Spot-breasted Lapwing

Augur Buzzard, Buteo augur

Augur Buzzard, Buteo augur
Augur Buzzard

Augur Buzzard, Buteo augur
Augur Buzzard

We drive up to the Sanettie Plateau and we drive south keeping our eyes out for wolfs and birds. We pass a Sanpiper and we have a discussion which it was. My Guide thought it was a Common but I said that it wa snot a common as it did not have the white “wedge” in front of the shoulder. I had to check the picture, a very bad picture, but when I zoomed in we discovered white spots and then we knew that it was a Wood Sandpiper.

We spotted a new bird for me, the beautiful Spot-breasted Lapwing. We also saw an Augur Buzzard sitting on a rock and I managed to get a few pictures. We see a lot of birds, a beautiful Ruddy Shelduck. But it was very cold so to get out of the car was really not an option with my safari uniform. And I was very disappointed with the Rouget's Rail.

The picture from yesterday was, well, garbage. And we saw plenty of them today and same as with the lark, impossible to focus on the bird.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Ruddy Shelduck

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
The clouds coming up over Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
The clouds coming up over Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
The clouds coming up over Sanettie Plateau

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia

We are at the south end of the Sanettie Plateau and we go out of the car to enjoy the view. We can see the cloud coming up over the Sanettie Plateau. We turn around and we start to drive north again keeping our eyes out for wolfs.

We had have no luck with the wolfs by the time we reached the north gate.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Today's track at Bale Mountains National Park - Sanettie Plateau

eBird

eBird Report

Bale Mountains National Park - Sanetti Plateau, Oromia, ET Nov 5, 2019 07:44 - 11:21
Protocol: Traveling
16,2 kilometer(s)
Comments: 20 Days Ethiopian birding tour with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia
13 species

Blue-winged Goose X
Ruddy Shelduck 2
Yellow-billed Duck 1
Chestnut-naped Francolin X
White-collared Pigeon X
Rouget's Rail X
Spot-breasted Lapwing X
Wood Sandpiper 3
Steppe Eagle 1
Augur Buzzard 1
Thekla's Lark X
Moorland Chat 1
Ethiopian Siskin X Many

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S61195111

We had put the gate to the Bale Mountains National Park behind looking for birds along the road. Suddenly my Guide spot a Cinnamon Bracken-Warbler. The same bird we tried to see back at the Gemessa Gedel where I had suffered from altitude sickness.

We stopped and I went out from the car, it was not so cold here, a wee bit chilli, but it was nice to walk around chasing the birds trying to get pictures. I see two Cinnamon Bracken-Warblers in the bushes and I gave it a try with my camera.

Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Bradypterus cinnamomeus

Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Bradypterus cinnamomeus
Cinnamon Bracken Warbler

Streaky Seedeater, Crithagra striolatus

Streaky Seedeater, Crithagra striolatus
Streaky Seedeater

Streaky Seedeater, Crithagra striolatus
Streaky Seedeater

Streaky Seedeater, Crithagra striolatus
Streaky Seedeater

Streaky Seedeater, Crithagra striolatus
Streaky Seedeater

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
We stop to look at the Cinnamon Bracken Warbler

Moorland Chat, Pinarochroa sordida, Alpine Chat, Hill Chat

Moorland Chat, Pinarochroa sordida, Alpine Chat, Hill Chat
Moorland Chat

Moorland Chat, Pinarochroa sordida, Alpine Chat, Hill Chat
Moorland Chat

Rouget's Rail, Rougetius rougetii

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Today's track at north entrance to Bale Mountains National Park

eBird

eBird Report

Outside North entrance to Bole Mountain National Park, Oromia, ET Nov 5, 2019 11:23 - 12:24
Protocol: Traveling
4,3 kilometer(s)
Comments: 20 Days Ethiopian birding tour with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia
6 species

Rouget's Rail 1
Cinnamon Bracken-Warbler 2
Abyssinian Catbird 2
Abyssinian Thrush 2
Moorland Chat X
Streaky Seedeater 3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S61195110

I was happy when we left, I had seen quite a few birds. We stopped to have a look at the Abyssinian Catbird. But they were too far away for any pictures. It was lunch time and we drove back to the hotel. We stopped to buy some chocolate bars on the way.

Back at Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel and I had tea and toast for lunch before I went to my room to check today's pictures.

I left my room at 3 thirty to go look for birds around the hotel. The first bird I spotted was a Rüppell's Robin-Chat on the parking. Walking around the compound and I spotted a few birds before I was giving up. The pictures was not any good due to a crazy ISO speed. It was really dark as it was overcast.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Abyssinian Thrush
Picture not good enough for the bird to make it to my list of observed birds

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Abyssinian Thrush
Picture not good enough for the bird to make it to my list of observed birds

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Abyssinian Slaty-Flycatcher
Picture not good enough for the bird to make it to my list of observed birds

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Today's track at Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel

eBird

eBird Report

Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel, Oromia, ET Nov 5, 2019 15:29 - 15:57
Protocol: Traveling
0,83 kilometer(s)
Comments: 20 Days Ethiopian birding tour with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia
5 species

Thick-billed Raven 2
Abyssinian Thrush 3
Abyssinian Slaty-Flycatcher 1
Rüppell's Robin-Chat 1
Brown-rumped Seedeater 5

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S61197317

I spent the rest of the day in my room, feeling better, much better but I was still a little sick so I rest is needed. We will go to Dinsho tomorrow and you can find out if we find any birds by clicking HERE And we are of course hope Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st for good weather.



       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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