birding never sleeps

Monday, 14 February 2011

ETHIOPIA 14 February 2011: Awash to Wondo Genet

Monday 14 February. Up at dawn and after a quick look around the vicinity of the lodge, seeing Black Wood-Hoopoe, we slowly birded our way out of the park seeing 3 Pigmy Falcons, Secretarybird, Arabian, 2 Kori and Buff-crested Bustards and 11 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. It was a short way back down the main highway to Lake Bezeka where we spent an hour in the lava flows by the north shore. Here the unmemorable but very localised Sombre Rock Chat was fairly readily found along with Blackstart and Striolated Bunting. We then drove steadily to Wondo Genet, six hours including alunch stop, arriving at the Hot Springs Resort late in the afternoon. I dumped my bag and with an hour or so of light left quickly headed up the main trail into some habitat for a first chance at Spotted Creeper. I was soon followed by a few kids although they seemed good natured and were immediately forgotten when I saw two Spotted Creepers in the first tree of any size that I came too - a steady half hour walk from the hotel. Brilliant, although never satisfied I then regretted not having carried a telescope up with me as one remained motionless on a branch for what seemed like several minutes and would have allowed much better digiscoped photos than the rather distant effort below obtained with a DSLR.

Buff-crested Bustard

Kori Bustard

Beautiful Sunbird

Sombre Rock-Chat

Ruppell'sVultures at roadkill

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

Eastern Grey Woodpecker

Spotted Creeper

Sunday, 13 February 2011

ETHIOPIA 13 February 2011: Awash

Sunday 13 February. A full day in Southern Awash NP. After an early breakfast/walk around near the lodge we slowly drove around the Ilala Sala Plains frequently stopping and scanning for bustards and raptors. This was our best chance of Scissor-tailed Kite and Dave S, with the added incentive of it being the only African raptor he’d not previously seen, picked out a distant bird which after careful scrutiny turned out to be one with another one, then two nearby. They drifted a bit closer but seemed set to cross the road a km further back from where we were so we piled into the vehicles and gave chase. Unfortunately there was only ever going to be one winner as although we did see them somewhat closer when we stopped again they were soon heading away. Not really the views I was hoping for on renewing my acquaintance with the species after 33 years! We then had an hour at a superb viewpoint at the somewhat rundown Kereyou Lodge overlooking the Awash Gorge. We returned to the Waterfall Lodge where most of us birded in the riverine forest along to the campsite during the siesta period. We finished with a late afternoon excursion back onto the Ilala Sala Plains. Apparently it was considered too dangerous to try a night drive as the locals might take pot shots at vehicles as there had been recent instances of cattle rustling. Birds seen included 11 Crested Francolin, 7 Lesser Kestrels, 2 Secretarybirds, 4 Scissor-tailed Kites, Bataleur, 2 Arabian, 8 Kori, 4 Northern White-bellied and 3 Buff-crested Bustards, Senegal Thick-knee, 19 Chestnut-bellied and 21 Leichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, 2 Slender-tailed Nightjars, 7 Abyssinian Rollers, 6 Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Grey-headed Batis, 5 Woodchat Shrikes, 3 Gillett’s Larks, 4 Ashy Cisticolas, 25 Isabelline Wheatears, male Nile Valley Sunbird and White-bellied Canary.