Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia



Sunday 10th of November 2019 and I had booked a car for early morning. My Guide was waiting for me when I came out from the breakfast. The car was, well, they had forgot or made a mistake with the booking. When the car finally came we took off. We stopped to buy water and when I was back in the car the driver drove back to Radisson Blu.

He was not allowed to drive outside of Addis Ababa so we had to go back to the hotel and I was not happy. Now they had to arrange a new car and I was not happy. Me and my Guide went to the coffee shop to have tea.

Radisson Blu Addis Ababa
Drinking tea waiting for my car

Radisson Blu Addis Ababa
Leaving Radisson Blu

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia
We stop to buy chairs

We were delayed by more than 2 hours when we finally left Addis Ababa driving north towards the Ethio-German Park in Debre Libanos. We have planned for this trip since we were at Ethio-German Park at the beginning of the bird tour. My Guide have brought a canvas and we will stop to buy chairs on the way. We need chairs to sit still behind the canvas.

We drive north on road A3 and we are outside of Muke Turi when we pass a road kill. There are vultures eating on the road kill and we stop to try to get pictures. Of course, when I get out the vultures are taking off and two or three of them landed on the other side of the road.

Rüppell's Vulture or Rüppell's Griffon Vulture, Gyps rueppelli, Rüppell's Griffon, Rueppell's Griffon, Rüppell's Griffin Vulture, Rueppell's Vulture

We stopped at a butcher to buy a cow leg, well, the bones. We have high hopes to be able to see some vulture action with the bones. Last time we had been far away sitting and drinking tea in front of the restaurant.

I had been impressed by the vulture action and I came up with the idea to come back here with a chair and a hide when the 20 day birding tour had come to an end. And now we are here again and I was full of expectations. We parked at the Ethio-German Park.

Ethio-German Park is very close to the eBird hotspot Debre Libanos - Lodge and Portuguese Bridge. Well, I am pretty sure it is the same area. We parked the car and we brought our stuff climbing down to the cliff edge. We put the bone where we had put it last time and as we had a good view from a little distance so we didn´t bother putting up the hide.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia
We have put the bones on the cliff

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia
We are sitting on the cliff edge

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia
A beautiful view

I am sitting and watching the bone and a group came down. Of course, I told them to join me, but sit down and quiet please! We had made a terrible mistake to come here on a Sunday. The place was full of Chinese people and they came in groups of 4-8 people and we could hear them from far away. Yeah, what a day in the wilderness, screaming Chinese people.

I lost my temper and I told them to SHUT THE DUCK UP! I was sitting with my new friends in the group that had joined me and I was impressed. They were sitting still watching the vultures and the eagles flying very close to us. But no one came to have a look at the bone. So yes, they have observed us. The first bird that came to check out the bones was a Fan-tailed Raven.

Fan-tailed Raven, Corvus rhipidurus
Fan-tailed Raven - The first bird to come to have a look at the bone

Fan-tailed Raven, Corvus rhipidurus
Fan-tailed Raven - The first bird to come to have a look at the bone

Fan-tailed Raven, Corvus rhipidurus
Fan-tailed Raven - The first bird to come to have a look at the bone

Listen to the Fan-tailed Raven

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy recorder.

Some wind noise as I am sitting on a cliff edge 100m ++ watching for vultures at Ethio-German Park at Debre Libanos.


www.xeno-canto.org


We were soon joined by a Tawny Eagle coming to check out the bones. The vultures was flying above us and the Rüppell's Griffon is really a very beautiful bird. The Yellow-billed Kites came very close and they were very close to land at the bones, but I guess we scared them away by our presence on the rocks. There were soon a second Tawny Eagle join the first Tawny Eagle.

I felt sorry for the group that had joined me, I think they were from USA but they lived in Addis Ababa, maybe Missionaries. I meet many Missionaries in Bangkok from USA, so maybe. I don´t know and I don´t care. They looked to enjoy the afternoon and when the birds came close they looked happy. But no vultures landed at our bone.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia
A beautiful view

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax
Tawny Eagle

Rüppell's Vulture or Rüppell's Griffon Vulture, Gyps rueppelli, Rüppell's Griffon, Rueppell's Griffon, Rüppell's Griffin Vulture, Rueppell's Vulture
Rüppell's Vulture

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park at Debre Libanos
We have put the bones on the cliff

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park at Debre Libanos
We have put the bones on the cliff

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia - Debre Libanos
Today's track at Debre Libanos

eBird

eBird Report

Debre Libanos - Lodge and Portuguese Bridge, Oromia, ET Nov 10, 2019 11:11 - 14:03
Protocol: Traveling
0,9 kilometer(s)
Comments: Ran out of battery in my camera
6 species

Bearded Vulture 1
Hooded Vulture X
Rüppell's Griffon X
Tawny Eagle 2
Black Kite X
Fan-tailed Raven X

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S61322268

We left Ethio-German Park in Debre Libanos and I was both happy and disappointed. Disappointed with the vultures, today it is Sunday and it was full of people, totally unexpected.

Last time it was like a desolate and uninhabited. Just me and my Guide and many many vultures eating from our bones. Today, well, the area was full of people and I was surprised to see all the cars and busses on the parking. Well, if I come back I will make sure that it is no holiday and I can hopefully be alone with the birds. And the area is fantastic for bird watching or just for walking around enjoying the views.

We were back at Radisson Blu in the late afternoon and I spent the rest of the day at the hotel. I enjoyed the same as yesterday for dinner, salmon in my room.

Radisson Blu Addis Ababa
Salmon arriving to my room

Radisson Blu Addis Ababa
Salmon arriving to my room

Radisson Blu Addis Ababa
Salmon

Radisson Blu Addis Ababa
Salmon

I will leave for the Debre Zeit early morning and you just need to click HERE to find out if I see any birds or any other excitements at the Debre Zeit tomorrow.



       
                  
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.


                                       

BirdforumTV

You are visitor no.
To www.aladdin.st since December 2005

Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011



Send me an e-mail My web page directory