ETHIOPIA 24 February 2011: South of Yabello

Thursday 24 February. We drove south to the plains just past Dubuluk arriving just after dawn where highlights included 4 Coqui Francolins, 2 Caspian Plovers, 6 Orange-bellied Parrots, Stresemann’s Bush Crows, White-tailed Swallow, 7 Foxy and 5 Short-tailed Larks. Disappointingly this was as far south as we went, not visiting the magically named Mega - not in fairness that there was really any reason too, although it would have been nice to write in one’s notebook! Instead we returned to Dubuluk for breakfast – a big disappointment from the usual breakfast in the field I was expecting. We then slowly made our way back to Yabello with frequent, sometimes prolonged stops, the final one at dusk for Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjars with one heard and seen in silhouette. Another night in the Yabello Motel. Birds seen included 3 Somali Courses, Pearl-spotted Owlet, 3 D’Arnaud’s Barbets, Grey-headed Batis, Three-streaked Tchagra, 8 Slate-coloured Boubous, 2 Taita Fiscals, 10 Stresemann’s Bush Crows, 3 Tiny Cisticolas, 2 Banded Parisomas, 3 Bare-eyed Thrushes, 12 White-browed Scrub-Robins, 60 Grey-capped Social-Weavers, 2 Green-winged Pytilia, 10 Purple Grenadiers and 3 Somali Golden-breasted Buntings.

Short-tailed Lark in early morning light, Dubuluk Plains

Termite mounds on the Dubuluk Plains

Foxy Lark

Bataleur

Black-headed Social-Weaver

Hunter's Sunbird

Dubuluk Plains

Stresemann's Bush Crows

Orange-bellied Parrot

Rosy-patched Shrike

Stone Elephant, south of Yabello

View from Stone Elephant

Long-billed Pipit

Tawny Eagle

White Helmet-Shrike

Purple Grenadiers

Black-cheeked Waxbill

Yellow-throated Sparrow

Somali Courser

ETHIOPIA 23 February 2011: Ngele to Yabello

Wednesday 23 February. We left the hotel before dawn but fortuitously before reaching Liben Robel realised that he had left his phone in the hotel giving us the opportunity while he returned for it to bird a drainage area known for Ruspoli’s Turacos as it was getting light. This proved to be excellent with a pair performing very well as the light slowly improved although they were hard to leave when Robel and our vehicle returned. We quickly continued on to the Melka Ghuba River crossing were we had a prolonged breakfast/birding stop. The hoped for male Juba Weaver didn’t materialise and again we had to be satisfied with female plumaged birds. We made several stops on the Wachile-Soda road seeing our first Stresemann’s Bush Crows at the last one. We finished on the Sariti Plains, where 2 White-tailed Swallows were seen and more Bush Crows took my total to 13, before continuing on to the Yabello Motel. Other birds seen included Kori Bustard, Mottled Swift, 20 Blue-naped Mousebirds, 3 Pigmy Batis, Somali Fiscal, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and Spotted Palm Thrush.

 

Ruspoli's Turacos

Speke's Weaver

Pigmy Batis

Von Der Decken's Hornbill

Ian, Dave S, Mick & Merid off road south of Bulbul

driving south-west

Black-capped Social-Weaver

Rattling Cisticola

RJF north of Soda

Stresemann's Bush Crows