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



Day 16:
- Full Day Birding around Yabelo.

Today, we have a full day to bird in the arid savannas around Yabelo. We will certainly enjoy watching the social Stresemann’s Bushcrow and pretty White-tailed Swallow. We will also find Bateleur, Eastern Chanting-Goshawk, Somali Courser, Three-banded Courser, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Red-bellied Parrot, Red-fronted Barbet, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Red-naped Bushshrike, Pringle’s Puffback, Foxy Lark, Pale Prinia, Scaly Chatterer, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Spotted Palm Thrush, Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird, Hunter’s Sunbird, Golden-breasted Starling,Magpie Starling, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Chestnut Weaver, Purple Grenadier, Black-capped Social Weaver, Grey-capped Social Weaver, White-bellied Canary, and many more species characteristic of the dry savannas that cover the region.

Night in Yabelo, Park Hotel.

CANCELLED

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

Drive to Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Day 16: Driving to Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel

We will make several birding stops along the way, most notably at the spot where the road crosses the Genale River, where we will search the fruiting fig trees along its banks for the legendary and much sought-after Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. That spectacular bird is, naturally, named in honor of Prince Ruspoli of Italy, who collected the first known specimen of the species sometime in 1892 or 1893.

Shortly thereafter, he was killed by an elephant, and the knowledge of the date and location where he collected his specimen were lost with him (apparently, he did not keep good field notes). The specimen, however, eventually made its way back to Europe along with the rest of the prince’s collection, where it was described by T. Salvadori in 1896. Explorers did not find Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco again until the early 1940s, and the species remains little-known to this day.

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

We will dribe through the Balé Mountains National Park pass the Harenna Forest before reaching th eSanetti Plateau on our way to Goba

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.

Night at the Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel in Goba



Monday 4th of November 2019 and I we left Honey Land Hotel in Negele around 6 thirty and it is about 300 km to Wabe Shebelle Hotel in Goba. We leave the paved road at Bitata about 20 km north of Negele. We continued north on a dust road and we crossed a bridge across the Genale River. We made a stop to look at an Abyssinian Ground Hornbill couple crossing the dust road.

The Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill is a fascinating bird, not very scared, but they are not “hanging” around for a photo session. The birds disappeared on the other side of the road and we continued our journey to the Bale Mountains National Park in the north.

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

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

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Bridge across the Genale River

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Bridge across the Genale River

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill or Northern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus abyssinicus

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill or Northern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus abyssinicus
Male Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill or Northern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus abyssinicus
Female Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill

Crested Francolin, Dendroperdix sephaena

Crested Francolin, Dendroperdix sephaena
Crested Francolin

We left the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill behind, but we stopped again after 5 minutes. We had 2 Crested Francolins next to the road. We stopped and I was surprised, the birds was not scared and they were only pottering about on the road side. Overcast so the lighting conditions were not very good under the bushes.

I took a few pictures and we continued north. We stopped after about 20 minutes as there was Red-and-yellow Barbet in a tree next to the road. There was 3 Spotted Palm Thrush / Spotted Morning-Thrush in the bush next to the barbet and I managed to get some pictures.

Red-and-yellow Barbet, Trachyphonus erythrocephalus

Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata, Spotted Morning-thrush

Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata, Spotted Morning-thrush
Spotted Palm Thrush

Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata, Spotted Morning-thrush
Spotted Palm Thrush

Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata, Spotted Morning-thrush
Spotted Palm Thrush

I was going to take a video of the bird sitting on a branch doing something reminded me about a display. Singing while holding out the wings like the bird was trying to impress a bird so they can make babies. Anyway, I was making the video and a motorcycle approached.

And of course, spotting a white man on the dust road and they just had to stop to check out what was going on and the video turned in to shit.

Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata, Spotted Morning-thrush
Spotted Palm Thrush - Display?

Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata, Spotted Morning-thrush
Spotted Palm Thrush - Display?

Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata, Spotted Morning-thrush
Spotted Palm Thrush - Display?

We are also looking for the Prince Ruspoli's Turaco on our journey. We manage to spot the bird and we stop. There were two Prince Ruspoli's Turacos, a very beautiful bird. The bird was flying between the bushes and I could never get any picture.

The other birding group passed us and they stopped to see what we had spotted. They were happy to get to see the bird, but they were disappointed as well because no photos. We continue towards Bale Mountains National Park. Next stop is about 90 minutes later when we spot a few Red-and-yellow Barbets. We stop and I get out to try to get pictures.

Back in the car and we continue towards Bale Mountains National Park through the beautiful landscape.

Red-and-yellow Barbet, Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
Red-and-yellow Barbet

Red-and-yellow Barbet, Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
Red-and-yellow Barbet

Red-and-yellow Barbet, Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
Red-and-yellow Barbet

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

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

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

We spot an Eastern Chanting-Goshawk along the road otherwise we didn't see any birds until we reached Bale Mountains National Park. Of course, we spotted birds along the road. But no birds we had any chances to get any pictures on. We drove through small villages but there was not many of them and we had not seen much cattle on our way.

We passed some bushes that looked like they were growing out from a big white stone.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Growing out of a rock

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Growing out of a rock

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Passing through another village

My Guide told me that the white “rock” is some kind of water storage for the plant so they have water during the dry season. So if you're out of water you can cut the white stone and you will have water dripping.

We reach Isak Gilo, a town and I think we're close to the Bale Mountains National Park but we still have a long way to go to the Bale Mountains National Park and the Sanetti Plateau. But there was still a long way to go and we were driving through the Harenna Forest and then we started to drive up to the Sanetti Plateau.

Sanetti Plateau

The Sanetti Plateau is a major plateau landform of the Ethiopian Highlands, located in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia

It is part of the Bale Mountains, and primarily within Bale Mountains National Park.
The Bale Mountains contain four distinct ecoregions: the northern plains, bush and woods; the central Sanetti Plateau with an average elevation of over 4000 meters; and the southern Harenna Forest. The Harenna Forest is one of the few remaining natural forests in the entire country of Ethiopia.

This region is known for its mammals, amphibians and birds including many endemic species. The Sanetti Plateau once was habitat to packs of the endangered painted hunting dog, Lycaon pictus, but the presence of this canid is now in question here due to the population pressures of expanding human presence. The central Sanetti Plateau is home to the largest population of the rare and endangered Ethiopian wolves.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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

Coming out from the Harenna Forest and we are in a beautiful but barren landscape. Looked to be only rocks but at a closer look and it is some grey vegetation covering the ground. It was gloom and grey and cold. Fog / cloud covering big parts of the Sanetti Plateau and it was a very dramatic landscape with a huge mountain sticking up in the middle of the Sanetti Plateau.

My Guide told e that the road was the road in Africa that was on the highest altitude. We kept our eyes out for wolfs as I really wanted to see a wolf. The area was full of rodents and you saw them everywhere. The wolf is endangered, also because of the Shepard’s dogs. My Guide told me that they were sometimes hunting with the wolfs, and eating together and well, then they can as well make babies.

Same with the Mallard that is making baies with the domesticated and all other kinds of ducks. So to find a pure breed Mallard can be hard.

Blue-winged Goose, Cyanochen cyanoptera

Blue-winged Goose, Cyanochen cyanoptera
Blue-winged Goose

Blue-winged Goose, Cyanochen cyanoptera
Blue-winged Goose

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

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

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

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

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

Chestnut-naped Francolin, Pternistis castaneicollis

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia - Sanetti Plateau, Bale Mountains National Park
Rouget's Rail
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 Bale Mountains National Park

eBird

eBird Report

BMNP--Sanettie Plateau, Oromia, ET Nov 4, 2019 14:56 - 15:38
Protocol: Traveling
16,48 kilometer(s)
Comments: 20 Days Ethiopian birding tour with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia
8 species

Blue-winged Goose 9
Chestnut-naped Francolin 4
Rouget's Rail 1
Spot-breasted Lapwing 3
Wattled Ibis 1
Steppe Eagle 1
Red-billed Chough 2
Moorland Chat 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S61174443

Leaving the Bale Mountains National Park at the north entrance and we had about 20 minutes to drive to our hotel and we checked in to Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel in at 16:00. No more birding for the day. I went to the restaurant and I ordered a steak.

Well, they had Addis Tea and toast and that tasted very nice. The steak, well, I can already now tell you that I didn't order any more steak in the restaurant. Toast and tea from now on only and I added a glass of juice for breakfast.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel
My room at Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel
My room at Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel

I finished my lunch and I went to my room and I spent the rest of the evening in my room. We will explore Bale Mountains National Park and the Sanettie Plateau tomorrow. My Guide and Driver will come to pick me up tomorrow morning. Click HERE to find out if we spot any bird.



       
                  
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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