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Ethiopian Endemics
13th-25th November 2010 (13 days)
Cost: £1,785
thiopia is a wonderland; a vast and varied mix of habitats, from the Danakil Depression, one of the lowest points on the Earth’s surface, to high mountain ranges that run the length of the country, torn down the middle by the Great Rift Valley with its lakes and quintessentially African plains of acacia, grassland and thorn scrub.
It is also ‘the cradle of humanity’ – probably the earliest place where Man made a home as well as being home to about thirty endemic species of bird; and this trip, which takes us through some spectacular scenery, aims to see the majority of them as we travel through the southern part of this magical country.
Tour Details
Dates: 13th-25th November 2010
Accommodation: Simple but comfortable hotels all with en-suite facilities
Participants: Max 7 plus Tour Leader
Focus: The endemic birds of Ethiopia
Grading: Generally easy going with quite a bit of birding by foot
Leader: Jonathan Barnard
Cost: £1,785 Single Room Supplement: £tbc Deposit: £250
The above cost includes flights, all food, accommodation, guiding and transportation
as well as soft drinks, tea and coffee with meals.
The cost does not include entry visa (currently US$20), alcoholic drinks, tips, travel
insurance and items of a personal nature.
The main focus of this trip will be on birding, with particular attention paid to the endemic species of the country. However, as well as these birds, this area is also home to the critically endangered Ethiopian Wolf, of which only about 500 survive in two protected areas and we shall spend some time looking for this beautiful animal and we hope also to see the scarce endemic Mountain Nyala.
On our last trip, following a 6am start, our guide, Meseret, announced ‘Today no one eats until we have seen the Wolf!’ But this was no glib remark; it certainly concentrated all our eyes on scanning the vast open area of staggeringly beautiful moorland until, after about 5 hours of rumbling stomachs, Meseret calmly said, ’OK, open the lunch box.’ He had found a group of Wolves. Suddenly we weren’t hungry any more as we stared in silent awe at these rare and beautiful animals.
Ethiopian Endemics – Tour Itinerary
Day 1 – Addis Ababa to Awash NP
Arrive Addis Ababa in the morning and leave for Awash National Park, driving through the awe-inspiring volcanic crater lakes of Debre Zeit and on to the Chalaklaka wetlands. Here we should see Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Red-billed Duck, Knob-billed Duck, Crowned Crane, Black Crake and White-backed Duck among others. We then head to Awash for afternoon birding. Overnight Awash
Day 2 – Full day in Awash NP
A full day’s birding in the beautiful Awash NP, located in the quintessentially African scenery of the Great Rift Valley. This region is immensely rich in bird species and we hope to see Secretary Bird, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Bare-faced and White-bellied Go Away Birds, Arabian and Buff-crested Bustard, Abyssinian Roller, Red-winged Bush Lark, Sunbirds, African Scissor-tailed and Black-shouldered Kites, African Orange-bellied Parrot, weavers, Sombre Rock Chat, Yellow-throated Serin, Red-fronted Barbet, Pygmy Batis, and Lesser-striped Swallow. This is also a great place for mammals and we could see Lesser Kudu, Beisa Oryx, Menelik’s Buskbuck, Salt’s Dikdik, Olive and Anubis Baboon, Gerenuk, Sommering’s Gazelle, Colobus Monkey, Warthog, Black-backed Jackal, Bat-eared Fox and Spotted (Laughing) Hyena. Overnight Awash
Day 3 – Awash NP to Wondo Genet
We have an early start, leaving Awash and heading to Wondo Genet via Mojo stopping en route at major birding sites, such as Koka Dam and Lake Ziway where we look for Marabou Stork, Kittlitz’s and Three-banded Plover, African Jacana, Yellow-billed Duck, Hottentot Teal, Spur-winged Goose, White-faced and Fulvous Whistling Duck, African Fish Eagle, Rueppell’s and Superb Starling, Great White and Pink-backed Pelican, Hammerkop, White-backed and Hooded Vulture, Malachite Kingfisher among others.
We arrive in Wondo Genet in the late afternoon. Wondo Genet is a green, lush area with a famous hot spring. We shall have a walk around the extensive hotel grounds in search of endemics such as Abyssinian Woodpecker, Black-headed Forest Oriole and Yellow-fronted Parrot. The area holds numerous bird species including Mouse-coloured Flycatcher, Mountain Thrush, Tacazze, Beautiful and Variable Sunbirds, Black Saw-wing and White-cheeked Turaco. The area also holds large populations of Grivet and Abyssinian Colobus Monkeys.
Overnight Wondo Genet
Day 4 – Wondo Genet to Bale Mountains
Following an early breakfast we head
off towards the extraordinary region of the Bale Mountains NP. Here we should find several endemic species such as Blue-winged Goose, Spot-breasted Lapwing, Abyssinian Longclaw, Wattled Ibis, Black-headed Siskin, Rouget’s Rail, and Barred Barbet. Overnight Goba.
Day 5 – Bale Mountains National Park
We leave Goba early in the morning towards the remarkable Senate Plateau, the largest area of Afro-Alpine moorland on the continent. One of the faunal highlights of this area is the endangered Ethiopian Wolf. On our trip in 2008 we were very fortunate to come across five of these animals and had the wonderful sight of one of them hunting its favourite prey, the endemic Giant Mole Rat. With some patience and careful scanning of the landscape we should again see these high altitude wolves.
We pass across the highest peak in the park, at some 4377 metres (14,200ft.) above sea level in our search for some more of the remarkable mammals and birds that inhabit this chilly plateau; these include Alpine (Moorland) Chat, Augur and Long-legged Buzzards, Ruddy Shelduck and the rare Wattled Crane as well as several species of migrant wader. We should also see both species of Ethiopian Grass Rat as well as a wonderful landscape of lichen-covered rocks and vast expanses of yellow and white Helichrysum and the extraordinary endemic Giant Lobelia. Overnight Goba.
Day 6 – Bale Mountains NP to Negele Borena
After another early start we drive through the Bale Mountains NP towards the remote town of Negele, via the Genale River. The woodlands adjacent to the river hold the spectacular endemic Ruspoli’s Turaco, found only in this small region of Ethiopia. We should also find White-winged Collared Dove, Juba Weaver and Brown-rumped Bunting. Overnight Negele
Day 7 – Around Negele Borena
We shall visit the plains around Negele in search of the endemic Sidamo Lark as well as Heuglin’s Bustard, Rufous-short-toed Lark, Tiny Cisticola and Golden Pipit. Overnight to be decided.
Day 8 – Negele Borena to Yabello
Today we have a long drive of about 125 miles (200km.) to Yabello. Our main target species for this day will be the rare and elusive Degodi Lark. This is a very difficult species to find and is we are to be successful it will require a bit of luck and a lot of dedicated searching from all observers.
Overnight Total Motel
Day 9 – Full day around Yabello
We shall have a full day birding in the Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary (with a picnic lunch) where we expect to see the endemic White-tailed Swallow and Stresseman’s Bush Crow as well as species such as Crested Francolin, Yellow-necked Spurfowl and numerous birds of prey including Pygmy Falcon, Shikra, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Gabar Goshawk, Walberg’s Eagle, migrant Lesser Spotted Eagle, and Lappet-faced and White-backed Vultures. Overnight Yabello
Day 10 – Yabello to Langano
We shall make an early start and will spend today birding the road on the long drive to Langano. En route we expect to find Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Abyssinian and Lilac-breasted Roller and during the numerous stops we hope also to see species such as Eastern and Dark Chanting Goshawks, Somali Crombec, Boran Cisticola, Brown Snake Eagle, Rosy-patched Bush Shrike, Wooly-necked Stork, Thick-billed Raven, Heuglin’s Wheatear, Hadeda, Wattled and Sacred Ibis, Silvery-cheeked and Red-billed Hornbill, Grey-backed Fiscal, and White-headed and Red-billed Buffalo Weavers
Overnight Langano
Day 11 – Full day in the Abiyata Shalla NP
Today will be spent birding the Rift Valley lakes of Abiyatta and Shalla. We expect to see a very large number of species including Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Spotted Eagle Owl, African Fish Eagle, Imperial Eagle, Black Wood Hoopoe, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Abyssinian Black Wheatear, White-winged Black Tit, Black-billed and Red-fronted Barbet, Black-winged Lovebird, African Mourning Dove, Blue-naped and Speckled Mousebird and Bruce’s Green Pigeon.
Overnight Langano
Day 12 – Langano to Addis Ababa
In the morning we shall bird the grounds of the hotel, which is situated on the shores of Lake Langano and including some nearby cliffs. These grounds hold numerous species such as Plain Martin, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Speke’s and Spectacled Weaver, Black-headed Batis, Mocking Cliff Chat, Tropical Boubou, Brubru, Northern Crombec, Bearded and Nubian Woodpecker, Grey-backed Cameroptera, Red-fronted Tinkerbird and many others. We shall then make our way back to Addis Ababa, birding en route and probably visit different parts of Lakes Ziway and Koka trying to find any species that we may have missed during our earlier visit.
In the evening we shall have a farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant where we shall enjoy Ethiopian dishes accompanied by live music and traditional dances.
Overnight Addis Ababa.
Day 13 – A.M. Departure to London
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