birding never sleeps: ETHIOPIA 27 February 2011: Gibe Gorge

Sunday, 27 February 2011

ETHIOPIA 27 February 2011: Gibe Gorge

Sunday 27 February. We left the hotel in Walisso before dawn and drove for a couple of hours to the rim of Gibe Gorge where we birded the agricultural areas and adjoining patches of scrub and woodland by the road. We then worked our way down to the valley floor and along the western bank although it soon became hot. Returning to the valley rim we tried another location before leaving late morning to return to Addis. Birds seen included Pallid Harrier, 4 Wattled Lapwing, 2 sandgrouse (probably Yellow-throated but regretably only distant flight views), 2 Pigmy Kingfishers, Wryneck, Redstart, Whinchat, Rock Thrush, Moustached Grass Warbler, Foxy and Boran Cisticolas, 3 Western Black-headed Batis, 6 omoensis White-rumped Babblers, 10 Bar-breasted Firefinches, 6 Black-faced Firefinches (brilliant), White-throated Seedeater and 3 Ortolan Buntings. The trip had raced by and I would certainly have welcomed another couple of weeks visiting more remote areas. As it was Dave S returned to Thailand that evening, Dave M, Ian, Mick and myself the following morning and George a few days later - partly due to flight delays. Thanks guys for your excellent company and having me along, and to Merid for his expert guiding.