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Ethiopia Djibouti Extension 16Th to 20Th February 2017 (5 Days) Trip Report

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Ethiopia Djibouti Extension 16Th to 20Th February 2017 (5 Days) Trip Report Ethiopia Djibouti Extension 16th to 20th February 2017 (5 Days) Trip Report Arabian Golden Sparrow by David Hoddinott Trip Report compiled by Tour Leader, David Hoddinott Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia - Djibouti Extension 2017 2 ___________________________________________________________________________________ Tour Summary After arriving on a short flight from Addis Ababa, we met up with our local agent and headed to our comfortable hotel. After settling in, we enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant. By mid-afternoon, it had started cooling down and so we headed off birding in the nearby vicinity. No sooner had we reached some scrub in the city suburbs before we were watching the beautiful Arabian Golden Sparrow, a major target for this trip. First, a cryptic female was spotted and then a couple of spectacular males. This species seems to be rather nomadic in the area and so it was with great relief that we obtained superb views of this gem on our first day! In the same area, we quickly found an obliging Graceful Prinia and several sparrows which appeared to be hybrid- type Somali/House Sparrows. It was then time to head for the mudflats and on arrival, we were greeted to more flocks of golden sparrows and then a superb Somali Sparrow. Crab-plover by David Hoddinott The vast mudflats were teeming with birds, an important wintering site for many species. We quickly added numerous species to the list, including Greater Flamingo, Abdim’s Stork, resident population of Eurasian Spoonbill, huge Goliath Heron, Western Reef Heron, Pink-backed Pelican, several Eurasian Oystercatcher, the strange and sought-after Crab-plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Grey, Common Ringed, Kentish, Greater and Lesser Sand Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Terek and Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Little Stint, and Curlew and scarce Broad-billed Sandpiper. We also found Slender-billed, smart White-eyed, Sooty and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Gull-billed, Caspian, Lesser Crested and Sandwich Tern, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters hawking insects nearby, Rose-ringed Parakeet, a plethora of House Crows (well-established introduced population), Barn Swallow, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Desert Wheatear, beautiful Nile Valley Sunbird, Ruppell’s Weaver, Red-billed Firefinch, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, and Western Yellow Wagtail. At a nearby freshwater pond, we found a splendid Little Ringed Plover and Wood Sandpiper. As the sun dimmed on the horizon, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before enjoying dinner and a good night’s rest. An early start saw us birding some wetlands en route to Foret du Day. Here we added up a number of new species for the trip, including Little Egret, Black-winged Stilt, Dunlin, Temminck’s Stint and Marsh Sandpiper. At a nice viewpoint over an eroded gorge, we picked Bonelli’s Eagle by David Hoddinott up White-crowned Wheatear, Pale Crag Martin Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia - Djibouti Extension 2017 3 ___________________________________________________________________________________ and a juvenile Verreaux’s Eagle at the nest. Continuing, we stopped off at the gulf of Tadjoura and saw Greater Crested Tern and then a lovely surprise in the form of a White-cheeked Tern. En route we also enjoyed good views of Dorcas Gazelle. Leaving the coast, we headed inland and noted a nice adult Egyptian Vulture and a fabulous pair of Bonelli’s Eagle as we started the climb. Other species that were seen en route included Little Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Yellow-breasted Barbet, Ethiopian Boubou, Desert Lark and Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark. After settling into our basic accommodation, we went in search of Djibouti’s only endemic, the Djibouti Francolin. Our search this afternoon yielded no francolins, but we did see Somali Bulbul, Brown Woodland Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Red-fronted Warbler, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Somali Starling (certainly one of the better places to see this species), Blue Rock Thrush, Isabelline and Pied Wheatear, Blackstart, Black-throated Barbet, Common Redstart and Fan-tailed Raven. The afternoon highlight though must be Sombre Rock Chat, which is a very localised species throughout its range. Egyptian Vulture by David Hoddinott The following morning, we set off pre-dawn to the escarpment in search of the tricky Djibouti Francolin and were soon hearing the calls. A sigh of relief, as we hadn’t heard any calling the previous afternoon. A search in the gloomy light of dawn unveiled the shape of our quarry standing atop a large boulder, calling. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay long and moved off, with some members of the group not seeing it. You could feel the tension in the air. It took a little while but later, in better light, we fortunately relocated a pair and they eventually gave good views for all. Delighted, we headed back for breakfast and then continued on to Dittilou for the night. The birding around camp at Dittilou was most rewarding. We quickly added Nubian Woodpecker, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Northern Crombec, Upcher’s Warbler, Arabian and Menetries’s Warbler, Abyssinian White-eye, Black Scrub Robin, Common Rock Thrush, Long-billed Pipit, Isabelline Shrike and Yellow- rumped Seedeater. In the evening, we celebrated a great day, and our triumph of seeing Djibouti Francolin, with some nice cold beers and a glass of wine. The next morning, we set off in search of Green- winged Pytilia (the local distinctive form may be Djibouti Francolin by David Hoddinott split off as Yellow-tailed Pytilia). Sadly, after a thorough search, we could not find this species Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia - Djibouti Extension 2017 4 ___________________________________________________________________________________ but we did enjoy some great birding. Additional species seen included Cardinal Woodpecker, Eurasian Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Red-billed Oxpecker, Grey-headed Batis, Black Redstart, African Paradise Flycatcher, Basra Reed Warbler, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Shikra and Siberian Stonechat. Thereafter, we made our way back to Djibouti City. En route we enjoyed superb views of first a pair of Striolated Bunting; and then several Persian Shearwater followed by a splendid pair of Greater Hoopoe Lark. After a nice shower and dinner, we enjoyed a good night’s rest. After our final breakfast, we set off to the mudflats once more in the hope of finding a few more species before our flight. It wasn’t long before we spotted a small tern and to our delight, it turned out to be the sought after Saunders’s Tern. We also found splendid migrants, Red- tailed Shrike and Whinchat. It was then time to head back to the airport in order to catch our flights back to Addis Ababa and connections for our International flights home. Speke’s Pectinator by David Hoddinott And so ended another fantastic trip! Thanks must go to a wonderful group of enthusiastic and fun participants as well as a superb ground operations team. I am very much looking forward to travelling with you all again! Annotated List of species recorded Note: Number in brackets ( ) indicate number of days on the tour the species was recorded. List powered through the report generator of our partner iGoTerra. Birds (135 in total: 132 seen, 3 heard) Nomenclature and taxonomy follows Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2016. IOC World Bird List (v 6.4). Birds: Gill, F. and M.Wright. 2016. IOC Birds of the World: Recommended English Names. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press. Version 6.4. When the taxonomy differs from that of Clement’s, the Clement’s name will be written in brackets or differences will be explained in a note below the species. Status codes: E = Endemic, NE = Near-endemic, I = Introduced IUCN codes: CR = Critically endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable, EW = Extinct in the Wild, NT = Near Threatened, DD = Data Deficient Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies Phasianidae Djibouti Francolin (CR) Pternistis ochropectus (2) 2 Forêt du Day NP 18.2 and 1 heard Dittilou 19.2. Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia - Djibouti Extension 2017 5 ___________________________________________________________________________________ Good views at Foret du Day Shearwaters and Petrels Procellariidae Persian Shearwater Puffinus persicus persicus (1) 3 Djibouti City 19.2. Splendid views in Gulf of Tadjoura Flamingos Phoenicopteridae Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus (1) 2 Djibouti City 16.2. Seen well on mudflats in Djibouti city Storks Ciconiidae Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii (1) 1 Djibouti City 16.2. One seen in Djibouti city Ibises and Spoonbills Threskiornithidae African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus (1) 6 Djibouti City 16.2. Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia archeri (3) 8 Djibouti City 16.2, 6 Djibouti City 17.2 and 1 Djibouti City 20.2. Common around mudflats in Djibouti city Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns Ardeidae Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (2) 1 Djibouti City 16.2 and 20 Djibouti City 19.2. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea (2) 6 Djibouti City 16.2 and 2 Djibouti City 17.2. Goliath Heron Ardea goliath (2) 1 Djibouti City 16.2 and 1 Djibouti City 19.2. Little Egret Egretta garzetta (1) 3 Djibouti City 17.2. Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis schistacea (3) 3 Djibouti City 16.2, 20 Djibouti City 17.2 and 3 Djibouti City 20.2. Pelicans Pelecanidae Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens (1) 6 Djibouti City 16.2. Osprey Pandionidae Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus haliaetus (2) 1 Djibouti City 16.2 and 1 Djibouti City 18.2. Hawks, Eagles, and Kites Accipitridae Egyptian Vulture (EN) Neophron percnopterus percnopterus (3) 3 Forêt du Day NP 17.2, 22 Forêt du Day NP 18.2 and 6 Dittilou 19.2. Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia - Djibouti Extension 2017 6 ___________________________________________________________________________________ Verreaux's Eagle Aquila verreauxii (3) 1 Forêt du Day NP 17.2, 1 Forêt du Day NP 18.2 and 2 Dittilou 19.2. Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciata fasciata (2) 2 Forêt du Day NP 17.2 and 1 Djibouti City 19.2.
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