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Ethiopia Summer Endemics 25Th May to 10Th June 2019 (17 Days) Trip Report

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Ethiopia Summer Endemics 25Th May to 10Th June 2019 (17 Days) Trip Report Ethiopia Summer Endemics 25th May to 10th June 2019 (17 days) Trip Report Stresemann’s Bushcrow by Lev Frid Trip Report compiled by tour leader, Lev Frid Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Ethiopia Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia – Summer Endemics 2019 2 Tour summary It was a rainy afternoon in Addis Ababa at the start of the trip, but we were eager to start birding and gathered in the lobby of our hotel for a short ride to a large garden right in the city. As we arrived, we discovered that there were not one, but two separate weddings occurring in the garden, preventing us from visiting a large part of it! Nonetheless, the birding was good and we acquired several of our first endemics, including Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher, White-backed Black Tit, Wattled Ibis and Brown-rumped Seedeater, as well as African Paradise Flycatcher, Rüppell’s Robin-Chat, Streaky Seedeater and Brown Parisoma. The next day was a long one with many stops – our first being the shores of Lake Hora, one of the Rift lakes. Here, we had great views of several Black-winged Lovebirds, Blue- breasted Bee-eaters, a family of Rufous Chatterers, Variable Sunbird, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Rüppell’s Weaver, Blue-naped Mousebird and a cooperative Ethiopian Levaillant’s Cuckoo by Lev Frid Boubou. Down on the lake itself, there was a massive aggregation of 1,000 or more Little Grebes, along with several common waterbirds such as Reed and White-breasted Cormorants, Red-knobbed Coot, Purple and Squacco Herons and Little Egret. From here, we continued to Lake Bishoftu, where we had breakfast at the Dreamland Hotel. The terrace, overlooking the lake and adjacent cliffs, provided a good vantage point, and we saw several Marabou Storks, a couple of migrant Eurasian Griffons, Fan-tailed Ravens, Red-breasted Wheatear and Little Rock Thrush on the cliffs below. As we were sat for breakfast, Alan noted a falcon flying at eye-level across the valley – an African Hobby. A good start! After breakfast we headed further south, stopping at some flooded fields near the Awash River and adding Hottentot Teal, White-faced Whistling Duck, Ethiopian Swallow and stunning Black Crowned Cranes. We arrived at the Haile Resort in Ziway, ordered our lunch and walked down to the lake. The lake was busy with a variety of birds – Grey-headed, Woodland, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, African Fish Eagle, African Jacana, a variety of herons and egrets, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Reichenow’s Seedeater, Grey-backed Fiscal and others. Before we made it to the end of Yellow-fronted Parrot by Lev Frid the causeway, our lunch was ready and we headed back, watching Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus and Vitelline Masked Weavers searching for scraps under our table, and an African Paradise Flycatcher defending his nest from a Rüppell’s Starling. After lunch, we once again walked the causeway and, once we got to the end, Ray saw a Black Crake run into Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Ethiopia Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia – Summer Endemics 2019 3 the reeds. Some patience yielded great looks, as well as a pair of the rare intra-African migrant Lesser Moorhen, skulking in the reeds and giving quick views of their yellow bills. After Ziway, we headed for Sabana Lodge on the western shore of Lake Langano, where we settled into our comfy rooms and took a short break in the heat of the day. Once the evening got cooler, we set out for some birding and got great views of Chestnut Sparrow and a family of Red-fronted Barbets, as well as Little Rock Thrush, Mocking Cliff Chat, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Grey-headed Batis, Ethiopian Boubou, Black-winged Lovebird and others, and a nighttime excursion produced Slender- tailed Nightjar, a couple of distant calling Plain Nightjars and an excellent view of a Banded Barbet at nest by Lev Frid White-tailed Mongoose. The next morning, we ate breakfast early at the lodge and headed out to the fig forest on the western shore of the lake. As soon as we got out of the car, we had Bare-faced Go-away-bird in the scope, taking in the early morning sun, as well as some Hemprich’s Hornbills doing the same while numerous Silvery- cheeked Hornbills flew past. It was hard to know where to look! A Levaillant’s Cuckoo appeared and gave good views in the scope as well. Before we even started walking into the woods, a flock of Yellow- fronted Parrots wheeled in front of us in perfect light before settling down with a flock of Black-winged Lovebirds in a fig tree, affording looks at both endemic parrots in one scope view, long enough that all the local kids gathered around us got to admire them through the scope as well. In the shade of the forest, we encountered a family of Brown-throated Wattle-eye, White-cheeked Turaco, Northern Puffback, skulking Green Twinspots, Tambourine, Lemon and Blue-spotted Wood Doves, African Goshawk and a female Red- shouldered Cuckooshrike, as well as a troop of elegant Guerezas dining on figs. Staking out a fruiting fig tree produced Banded and Double-toothed Barbets, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Broad-billed Roller, more White- cheeked Turacos and Red-chested Cuckoo. A Narina Trogon called in the distance but didn’t grace us with a view. As it heated up, we headed back towards the cars, not before watching a raucous party of White-cheeked Turaco by Lev Frid White-rumped Babblers, a large family of Grey-backed Fiscals and several Blue-breasted Bee-eaters. Near the cars, another small flock added Orange-breasted Bushshrike and Slate-colored Boubou. On our short drive towards Hara Lodge, we picked up Red-breasted Wryneck, Violet-backed Starling, Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Buff-bellied Warbler, Scarlet-chested, Variable and Beautiful Sunbirds, African Citril and White-winged Black Tit before arriving at the lodge. It was lovely to relax in the shade of the restaurant and eat delicious injera Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Ethiopia Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia – Summer Endemics 2019 4 and tibs while a pod of Hippopotamus lazily rested in the lake and Grey-headed Gulls and White-winged Terns flew by. We even found a Banded Barbet nest in a dead snag near the restaurant that gave great views of both birds attending the nest. After lunch, we watched the very active stone bird baths in front of the restaurant, which when filled had a steady stream of customers: White-rumped Babblers, Superb and Rüppell’s Starlings, Bare-faced Go-away- birds and even a White-cheeked Turaco. As it started to cloud over and cool down ever so slightly, we headed over to Abijatta-Shalla National Park. As our drivers were sorting out the necessary permits, right around the office we encountered a very cooperative female Bearded Woodpecker and a group of Black Scimitarbills – that was easy! We went on to have some great looks at Common Abyssinian Ground Hornbill by Lev Frid Warthog (including some with very small babies) and Grant’s Gazelles, and Michelle spotted a Golden Jackal that quickly escaped from view. Alan found a Greyish Eagle-Owl that was being mobbed by a variety of birds, including several Northern White-crowned Shrikes. As we made our way to Lake Abijata, a covey of Clapperton’s Francolins crossed the road and, thankfully, waited for us all to get views of this attractive francolin. At the lake itself, there were both Lesser and Greater Flamingos offering side-by-side studies, as well as several hundred Black-necked Grebes and a pair of Kittlitz’s Plovers. In the early morning, at breakfast, a White- tailed Mongoose and a very brief African Wildcat, as well as a suite of birds entering the restaurant to get our scraps, joined us. An impressive Abyssinian Ground Hornbill flew up onto the roof of the restaurant to wish us goodbye, as we were headed to the Bale Mountains. Our first stop was a cliff site where the local kids helped us find a roosting Cape Eagle-Owl, which we saw very well through the scope. We didn’t stop much on our way to Dinsho except to admire some Thick-billed Ravens perched on the scaffolding of several buildings under Rouget’s Rail by Lev Frid construction, and a flock of Cape Crows. As we began to ascend, we noticed our first Rouget’s Rail along the roadside and pulled over to have a better look. Very atypical for most rails, it crossed the road directly in front of the group and walked right up to us. Here, we also added several Ethiopian Siskins, Moorland Chat, Yellow Bishop, Common Waxbill and Augur Buzzard. As we entered the Gaysay Valley, we stopped at a small wetland where the endemic Ethiopian Cisticola put on a great show, as well as another pair of Rouget’s Rails and the beautiful pied morph of the African Stonechat. It was hard not to notice the mammals – spectacular Mountain Nyala were abundant at the roadside along with Menelik’s Bushbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, Common Warthog, Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Ethiopia Trip Report – RBL Ethiopia – Summer Endemics 2019 5 and comical troops of Olive Baboons. A large flock of White-collared Pigeons was roosting on some roadside wires. We arrived at the Park Headquarters at Dinsho, and as we couldn’t get in touch with the “owl man” prior, we set off to try and find Abyssinian Owl on our own in a grove of junipers.
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