ETHIOPIA. 1 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ethiopia

Transcription

1 1 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ethiopia ETHIOPIA Tour Duration: 20 days Group Size Limit: 12 Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate Ethiopia, the Roof of Africa, is a rugged and ancient land that is home to 31 (more or less, depending on taxonomic treatment) sought-after endemic bird species (some of which are now shared with Eritrea) and arguably one of the most fascinating African countries for birding with new and exciting discoveries being made every year. Ethiopia bird tours using small coaches manage to see many of these endemics, but the remainder inhabit more remote regions and the primary aim of this special tour is to find the complete set of the country s endemics (with the exception of the controversial Nechisar Nightjar, known only from a wing!) and virtually every other speciality of the country, something which involves some extra time, the use of 4-wheel-drive transport for part of the tour and one night in basic accommodation. Our tour is the most comprehensive bird tour of Ethiopia available and as well as targeting all the undisputed endemics it all turns up more northeast African specialities Spot-breasted Plovers (Nik Borrow) than any other bird tour to the country. The missing endemics include the exceedingly localized Harwood s Francolin, a species that lives below high cliffs amongst the dense stands of Typha reeds that cover gravelly stream beds. Another is the enigmatic Prince Ruspoli s Turaco, a rare relict species that was first collected by Prince Ruspoli in 1896, although he was unfortunately killed by an elephant shortly afterwards and the exact site of the type specimen remains unknown! Although rediscovered in the 1940s, it hasn t been until recently that sightings have become more regular. In the remote south, we shall search for the endemic Sidamo (or Sidamo) Long-clawed Lark, as well as the restrictedrange African White-winged Dove, Philippa s (or Somali Short-billed) Crombec and Juba Weaver. Ethiopia is also renowned for its strange endemic serins and seedeaters, and we will be hoping to find Yellowthroated, White-throated (or Yellow-rumped), Ankober and Salvadori s. Ethiopia is certainly a land of superlatives, unsurpassed in scenic grandeur by any other part of this ancient continent; a place where Lammergeiers soar over majestic gorges and robed horsemen gallop across the high plains. Here the Ethiopian Wolf hunts Giant Root-Rats among the grey cushion plants of the Afro-alpine moorlands, Gelada Baboons scramble up towering cliffs and graceful herds of Mountain Nyala browse along the edge of fragrant juniper forests. Birds pass unmolested lives in Ethiopia, with the result that the birdlife is not only spectacularly abundant but also remarkably tame. During the northern winter large numbers of Palearctic migrants enrich an already impressive avifauna, with the result that over 840 species of birds have been recorded from the country. Close to Addis Ababa, ringed by the peaks of the western highlands, we shall drive through the rolling grasslands of the high plateau where shimmering silver tarns are thronged with birds. Even on the doorstep of the capital we will find endemic birds, including Wattled Ibis, Bluewinged Goose, Rouget s Rail and Abyssinian Longclaw. At Debre Libanos and in the Jemma Valley the landscape will be completely different as we gaze across a vast panorama of arid gorges and rugged mountain ranges that stretch endlessly away towards the horizon. Here we will search for such endemics as Harwood s and Erckel s Francolins, Black-winged Lovebird, Banded Barbet, Rüppell s Black Chat, Whitewinged Cliff Chat and Whitebilled Starling. Moving on, we will visit the eyrie-like village of Ankober, perched on the edge of a great escarpment, overlooking the forbidding Danakil Depression, where we shall hunt amongst the cloud-wreathed cliffs for the extremely localized Ankober Serin. Next we will descend into the Great Rift Valley to savour the rich birdlife of Awash National Park, which includes such specialities as Arabian Bustard, Yellow-breasted Barbet, Gillett s Lark and Sombre Rock Chat, and the game that wanders through the dry thornbush. Continuing through the Rift Valley we shall visit its chain of lakes, each one different in character but several teeming with waterbirds. Continuing on we will climb up into the southeastern highlands to the Bale Mountains National Park. Here on Africa s highest road we will marvel at the stark beauty of these wild uplands with their spectacular Afro-

2 2 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ethiopia alpine vegetation and unique collection of endemic birds including Spot-breasted Plover and Abyssinian Catbird. From here we shall make an excursion to Sof Omar to look for Salvadori s Seedeater (or Salvadori s Serin) before heading southwards through the wild and extensive Harenna Forest deep into the acacia bushland in the Boran region of remote Sidamo province. Here in this remote part of Ethiopia we will look for some of Africa s leastknown species such as Prince Ruspoli s Turaco, Sidamo Lark, the enigmatic Stresemann s Bush-crow and the attractive White-tailed Swallow. Turning back north, we will visit a forested area at Lake Langano where Yellowfronted Parrots screech at each other in the fruiting figs, before ending up in Gibe Gorge to search for our final specialities, including Redbilled (or Lineated) Pytilia and the superb Egyptian Plover. Birdquest has operated tours to Ethiopia since Itinerary Day 1 The tour begins this morning at Addis Ababa. This famous African city, commonly referred to simply as Addis, is situated on the flanks of the Entoto Mountains Rouget s Rail (Nik Borrow) at an altitude of 2400m, and Yellow-billed Kites and Hooded Vultures are likely to be amongst the first birds we see. We shall first drive over the Entoto Mountains, admiring the spectacular views of Addis that the road affords, and then out onto the Sululta Plains en route to Debre Libanos for a two nights stay. This high altitude country is a traditional mixture of pasture, hay meadows and grain fields and also contains many small tarns and marshes which attract a variety of waterbirds. Small tukul villages of the thatchedroofed, earthen-walled houses that are so typical of Ethiopia dot the landscape and robed horsemen ride across the plains to tend their livestock. Along the route, in the marshy areas or amongst the drier grasslands, we should have our first chances to see such endemics as Wattled Ibis and Blue-winged Goose (whose nearest relative and ecological counterpart is the Andean Goose of South America) feeding along the water s edge. These may be joined by Rouget s Rails and Abyssinian Longclaws skulking in the wet grass, whilst flocks of White-collared Pigeons and Black-headed Siskins decorate the telegraph wires. Other interesting species are likely to include Erlanger s Lark (split from Red-capped), Short-crested Lark (surely, like Thekla Lark with which it is still often lumped, the praetermissa group also represents a species distinct from Malabar Lark), Redbreasted Wheatear, Moorland (or Alpine) Chat, the endemic Ethiopian Cisticola and Brown-rumped Seedeater. Other species we are likely to see today include Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Sacred Ibis, Egyptian Goose, African Black and Yellow-billed Ducks, White-backed Vulture, Augur and Common Buzzards, Redknobbed Coot, Three-banded and Black-winged Plovers, Speckled Pigeon, Dusky Turtle and Red-eyed Doves, Nyanza Swift, Speckled Mousebird, European Bee-eater, Blueheaded Wagtail, Grassland Pipit, Brown-throated (or African Sand) Martin, Barn and Red-rumped Swallows, Red-throated Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Common Bulbul, Northern, Pied, Isabelline and Abyssinian Black Wheatears, Mountain Thrush (split from Olive), Groundscraper Thrush, Pectoral-patch Cisticola, Common Fiscal, Pied Crow, Cape Rook, Red-billed Oxpecker, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Tacazze Sunbird, Swainson s Sparrow, Baglafecht Weaver, Yellow Bishop, Red-collared Widowbird, Common Waxbill, Streaky Seedeater, African Citril and Ortolan Bunting. Our lodge is situated not far from the monastery of Debre Libanos, perched on the lip of a massive and spectacular gorge (a branch of the Blue Nile drainage system). The precipitous cliffs are home to the impressive Gelada Baboon and we should encounter a large troop of these handsome primates as they forage along the cliff tops. Amongst the birds we can expect to see here are endemics such as Erckel s Francolin (often to be found in the lodge garden!), Blackwinged Lovebird, Banded Barbet, Rüppell s Black Chat, White-winged Cliff Chat, White-billed Starling and Abyssinian (or Abyssinian Black-headed) Oriole, as well as Lammergeier (often sailing past at close range), Rüppell s Griffon Vulture, Steppe, Tawny and Verreaux s Eagles, Common Kestrel, Lanner, Peregrine, the near-endemic White-cheeked Turaco, Mottled Swift, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Hemprich s Hornbill, Common House and Rock Martins, Long-billed and Tree Pipits, Little Rock Thrush, Rüppell s Robin-Chat, Mocking Cliff Chat, Singing and Stout Cisticolas, African Paradise Flycatcher, Montane White-eye, Northern Puffback, Fan-tailed Raven, Red-winged Starling, Village Indigobird, Pin-tailed Whydah, Red-billed Firefinch and Cinnamonbreasted Bunting. Day 2 The Jemma Valley is part of the Blue Nile system and is ornithologically unique, for here many species from the western lowlands of Ethiopia penetrate far into the mountains and occur alongside many typically highland species. Today we must be up early in order to stand a good chance of finding the exceedingly localized endemic Harwood s Francolin. The birds call at first light, which will give us our best chance of finding them, but they can still be difficult to see. Also in the valley we will be looking for the attractively coloured, localized Foxy Cisticola and the rather dowdy near-endemic Whitethroated (or Yellow-rumped) Seedeater. Other birds we can expect to see here are Dark Chanting Goshawk, Senegal Thick-knee, Spur-winged Plover, Vinaceous, Namaqua and Laughing Doves, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Abyssinian Roller, Black-billed Wood- Hoopoe, Black-billed Barbet, Blue Saw-wing (split from Black), Wire-tailed Swallow, African Pied Wagtail, Familiar (or Red-tailed) Chat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Grey-backed Camaroptera,

3 3 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ethiopia Abyssinian White-eye, Greybacked Fiscal, Black-crowned Tchagra, Ethiopian Boubou, Lesser Blue-eared Starling, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Bush Petronia, Speckle-fronted, Vitelline Masked and Yellowbacked (or Black-headed) Weavers, Black-winged Red Bishop, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, Cut-throat Finch and Yellow-fronted Canary. Day 3 After some final birding at Debre Libanos we will travel to Debre Birhan for a two nights stay. Day 4 The small town of Ankober is perched on the edge of the eastern escarpment, with spectacular views over the Awash valley and the Danakil Desert far below. Here at 3000m the cliffs are broken by vegetated slopes and terraces covered in tree heaths and other Afroalpine plants. At times clouds swirl up from the valley below to envelop the cliff tops where we will look for the endemic Ankober Serin, first described in This small seedeater has a very restricted distribution but we have a good chance of encountering a flock feeding on the cliff edges against some stunning Thick-billed Raven (Nik Borrow) scenery. Other birds of interest in the area include some of the more widespread highland grassland specialities. We shall also descend the escarpment to Melka Ghebdu, a reliable site for the endemic Yellowthroated Seedeater. Day 5 Today we will travel to the town of Nazret for an overnight stay, stopping for anything of interest en route. Day 6 Early this morning we will cross into Awash National Park for a two nights stay (spending the first night at Awash Falls Lodge and the second at remote Bilen Lodge). We will spend the rest of today exploring this extensive park. Day 7 Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in Awash National Park, ranging from the huge Somali Ostrich to the diminutive Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit. The terrain is mostly a mosaic of grassland and acacia scrub but the Awash River flows through the area and supports some riverine forest in places. The nearby Fantalle volcano is bordered by a hot springs oasis where luxuriant vegetation flourishes in the midst of a lava desert that is home to the rare Sombre Rock Chat, which favours old lava flows. Other specialities of Awash include the stately Arabian Bustard, Yellow-breasted Barbet, the little-known Gillett s Lark and Nile Valley Sunbird. A distinct advantage of Awash compared to many other African parks is that one is allowed to go birding on foot due to the absence of dangerous mammals. Other species we may well encounter during our visit include Western Cattle Egret, Black-shouldered and African Swallow-tailed Kites, Egyptian and Lappet-faced Vultures, Short-toed, Black-chested and Brown Snake Eagles, Bateleur, Pallid and Montagu s Harriers, Gabar Goshawk, Grasshopper Buzzard, Pygmy Falcon, Harlequin Quail, Crested Francolin, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Helmeted Guineafowl, Kori, Crested, White-bellied and Hartlaub s Bustards, Heuglin s Courser, Chestnut-bellied and Lichtenstein s Sandgrouse, African Mourning and Ringnecked Doves, Emeraldspotted Wood Dove, Whitebellied Go-away-Bird, Whitebrowed Coucal, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Plain and Slendertailed Nightjars, African Palm Swift, Blue-naped Mousebird, Striped Kingfisher, European and Rufous-crowned Rollers, Eurasian Hoopoe, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, African Grey, Red-billed, Von der Decken s and Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbills, Redfronted Tinkerbird, Greater Honeyguide, Nubian, Bearded and Cardinal Woodpeckers, Red-winged and Singing Bush Larks, Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark, Ethiopian and Lesser Striped Swallows, Rufous Chatterer, Common Nightingale, White-browed and Rufous-tailed Scrub Robins, Blackstart, Eastern Olivaceous, Red-fronted and Buff-bellied Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Rattling, Ashy and Zitting Cisticolas, Tawnyflanked Prinia, Northern Crombec, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Grey Wren- Warbler, African Grey and Spotted Flycatchers, Greyheaded Batis, White-crested Helmet-Shrike, Northern White-crowned, Woodchat, Red-backed, Isabelline and Southern Grey Shrikes, Somali Fiscal, Brubru, Rosypatched and Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrikes, Fork-tailed (or Common) Drongo, Eastern Violet-backed, Marico, Beautiful and Shining Sunbirds, Green-winged Pytilia, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, African Silverbill, Red-headed, Rüppell s and Spectacled Weavers, Redbilled Quelea, Red-billed and White-headed Buffalo Weavers, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Yellowspotted Petronia, Northern Red Bishop, Eastern Paradise and Straw-tailed Whydahs, Rüppell s (or Rüppell s Long-tailed), Superb and Wattled Starlings, and House Bunting. Small herds of Beisa Oryx roam the grasslands and Black-backed Jackal, Lesser Kudu, Salt s Dikdik, Soemmering s Gazelle, Gerenuk, Common Warthog, Sacred (or Hamadryas) and Olive Baboons, and Grivet Monkey also occur here. If we are lucky we will even encounter Lion. Day 8 Today we will drive through the Rift Valley to Lake Langano for a two nights stay, stopping along the way for some birding at Lake Zwai. Here Black Herons shade the water with their wings held in characteristic umbrella fashion, African Fish Eagles soar overhead or utter their distinctive yodelling calls from prominent perches, Pied Kingfishers hover over the surface and tiny Malachite Kingfishers cling to the papyrus stems, while the emergent vegetation provides suitable habitat for Black Crakes and African Jacanas balance on the floating lily pads. Where the local Sidamo fishermen bring their catch ashore we can watch remarkably tame Marabou

4 4 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ethiopia Storks and Hamerkops. Other birds we may find at Lake Zwai include Longtailed Cormorant, African Darter, Squacco and Purple Herons, Little Egret, Fulvous and White-faced Whistling Ducks, Spur-winged Goose, the delightful African Pygmygoose, Hottentot Teal, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Collared Pratincole, Heuglin s and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Whiskered and White-winged Terns, and Sand Martin. Day 9 This morning we shall visit Lake Abiata, a shallow soda lake surrounded by sparse acacia scrub. Abiata is always thronged with birds, including thousands of Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, and a variety of cormorants (including Whitebreasted Cormorant), herons, egrets, storks, ibises, waterfowl and waders. Kittlitz s Plovers race along the soda flats where Common Jackals scavenge for rich pickings, African Spoonbills feed in the shallows and Gull-billed Terns patrol methodically overhead. Other species we may find in this area include Black-necked Grebe, Great and Yellowbilled Egrets, Saddle-billed Stork, Glossy Ibis, Cape Teal, Southern Pochard, the superb Black Crowned Crane, Blackwinged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Crowned Plover, Grey-headed Gull, Lilac-breasted Roller, the huge and grotesque Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Little and Lesser Masked Weavers, and Reichenow s Seedeater. At Lake Langano we shall explore the picturesque lakeside cliffs, which echo with the screams of Yellow-spotted Hyraxes, for Common Redstart, Boran Cisticola, White-winged Black Tit, White-rumped Babbler, Northern Black Flycatcher, Black-headed (or Western Black-headed) Batis and maybe a wintering Blue Rock Thrush or Masked Shrike. As darkness falls we will hope to locate a Freckled Nightjar or perhaps a Verreaux s or a Greyish Eagle-Owl. Day 10 Today we shall leave the Rift Valley and climb steadily upwards through the southeastern highlands to Goba for a three nights stay. Our journey will take us across the montane grassland, where we will keep a lookout for Red-chested and Greyrumped Swallows, and then, as we climb higher, we enter juniper woodland before reaching the moorlands of the Bale Mountains. We shall break our journey at the park headquarters where we will see our first Bale birds and mammals. Days The magnificent Bale Mountains National Park was set up to protect two endemic mammals, the Mountain Nyala, which is found nowhere else, and the Ethiopian Wolf. The park is also home to fourteen of Ethiopia s endemic birds and offers superb birding opportunities in the Afroalpine moorlands and highland forests. We shall drive to Tullu Deemtu (4377m) on the highest road in Africa where the spikes of giant lobelias punctuate the moorland like huge exclamation marks. Elsewhere the rolling grasslands are interspersed with patches of juniper and Hagenia woodland, whilst at the foot of a dramatic escarpment lies the once-extensive Harenna Forest. We have an excellent chance of seeing the beautiful Mountain Nyala, the last of the African big game species to be discovered, and of sighting the red coat of an Ethiopian Wolf against the grey moorlands. (Interestingly the latter has been thought to be a fox or jackal but is actually closely related to the wolves and coyotes.) Among the avian endemics we shall be concentrating on here are the attractive Spotbreasted Plover, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Abyssinian Catbird, Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher and White-backed Black Tit, whilst other birds we shall be looking for include Rufous-breasted and Great Sparrowhawks, Mountain Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Moorland and Chestnut-naped Francolins, the stately Wattled Crane, African Snipe, African Olive Pigeon, African Stonechat, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, African Dusky Flycatcher, Cinnamon Bracken and Brown Woodland Warblers, Bale Parisoma (split from Brown), Dwarf Raven (or Somali Crow, split from Brown-necked Raven), Slender-billed Starling, Yellow-crowned Canary and Yellow-bellied Waxbill. Two mainly Palearctic species, Ruddy Shelduck and Redbilled Chough, breed here in their only Afrotropical outpost. In addition to the two large endemic mammals we may also find the strange endemic Giant Root-Rats cleaning out their burrows, as well as Bush Duiker, Klipspringer, the endemic local race of Bushbuck (Menelik s Bushbuck), Bohor Reedbuck and the endemic Starck s Hare. On our second full day in the Goba region we will visit the valley of Sof Omar, famous for its extensive underground limestone cave system, now an important Islamic shrine, that has been carved out by the Web river. Although sometimes rather overrun by people, it is here that we shall search the bushy slopes of an attractive valley for the endemic Salvadori s Seedeater (or Salvadori s Serin). The temperatures rise quickly here and during the heat of the day when it can become blisteringly hot we will have the opportunity to explore the caves. Other birds we may find here are African Hawk Eagle, Northern Brownbul, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Yellow-breasted Apalis (the local form sometimes split off as Brown-tailed Apalis), Slate-coloured Boubou, Grey-headed Bush Shrike and Bristle-crowned Starling. Day 13 Today we shall return to the Bale Mountains and continue up over the highest all-weather road in Africa descending into what is left of the great Harenna forest and then on through the juniper and broad-leaved forest of the remote mountains of Sidamo Province to Negelle for a two nights stay. As we near the town we enter prime habitat for the endangered endemic Prince Ruspoli s Turaco. By walking along a dry river bed and carefully checking the large fruiting figs we should come across this stunning and charismatic creature. Day 14 Today we shall visit a vast open area of grassland surrounded by acacia and Commiphora bush and low stands of whistling thorn favoured by the localized Shelley s and White-crowned Starlings, Shelley s Rufous Sparrow and Speke s Weaver. We shall make good use of the early morning as the larks will almost certainly only be active while it is still cool. The more common grassland species are Plain-backed Pipit and Somali Short-toed Lark but our main target, the rare and more skulking endemic Sidamo (or Sidamo Longclawed) Lark, will take more searching for. We will also have another chance to look for the sometimes elusive Prince Ruspoli s Turaco should we need to. Day 15 Today we will travel from Negelle to Yabello for a two nights stay. We should find African White-winged Doves and Juba Weavers along the banks of the Dawa river, and with a bit of luck Philippa s (or Somali Shortbilled) Crombec in the thornscrub. Whilst in this dry southern region of the country, as well as many bush-country species already encountered, new species to look for include skulking shrikes like Three-streaked Tchagra, Red-naped Bush Shrike and Pringle s Puffback, and also Northern Grosbeak-Canary, while if we are in luck we will come across Short-tailed Lark. Other species that we may well encounter include Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Shikra, Vulturine Guineafowl,

5 5 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ethiopia Black-faced Sandgrouse, Temminck s Courser, Barefaced Go-away-Bird, Redfronted, Black-throated and Red-and-yellow Barbets, Spotted Palm Thrush (or Spotted Morning Thrush), Pale Prinia, Somali (or Somali Long-billed) Crombec, Yellow-vented Eremomela, Pygmy Batis, Taita Fiscal, Northern Grey Tit, Magpie Starling, Hunter s Sunbird, Purple Grenadier and Somali (or Somali Golden-breasted) Bunting. Mammals are rather sparse but we should see Guenther s Dikdik during our visit. Day 16 This interesting part of Ethiopia has an avifauna broadly similar to that of northern Kenya but in addition is home to two unique species that are found only here in Sidamo province. The discovery of the extraordinary Stresemann s Bushcrow, described in 1938, represents one of the most remarkable ornithological events in Africa this century and we shall be eagerly looking out for our first party of these strange birds that recall starlings as much as corvids. The other star attraction of the area is the enchanting White-tailed Swallow. As well as these two prize endemics there are many other birds of interest in Stresemann s Bush-crows (Nik Borrow) the area and we shall be looking out for White-headed Vulture, Coqui Francolin, Somali Courser, African Orange-bellied Parrot, D Arnaud s Barbet, Foxy (or Fawn-coloured) Lark, Tiny Cisticola, Banded Parisoma, Bare-eyed Thrush, Blackheaded Oriole, the gorgeous Golden-breasted Starling, Grey-capped and Blackcapped Social Weavers, Black-cheeked Waxbill and White-bellied Canary. Day 17 After some final birding in the Yabello area we will travel north to Lake Awassa for an overnight stay, looking out for Woollynecked Stork and anything else of interest en route. Day 18 Lake Awassa is a freshwater lake, quite different from the alkaline lakes to the north, surrounded by small patches of remnant forest. Birds we shall be looking for in this area include Goliath Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, Hadada Ibis, Knob-billed Duck, Longcrested Eagle, Grey Kestrel, Common Moorhen, African Swamphen, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Bruce s Green Pigeon, Blue-headed Coucal, Woodland, Grey-headed and Giant Kingfishers, Northern Carmine and Little Bee-eaters, Silverycheeked Hornbill, Doubletoothed Barbet, Red-throated Wryneck, African Greyheaded Woodpecker (split from Grey), Red-shouldered Cuckoo-Shrike, Whitebrowed Robin-Chat, Rufoustailed Rock and African Thrushes, Sedge and Lesser Swamp Warblers, Red-faced Crombec, Brown-throated (or Common) Wattle-eye, the very localized Spotted Creeper, Grosbeak Weaver, Bronze Mannikin, Abyssinian Waxbill (split from Fawnbreasted) and Violet-backed Starling. The endemic and extraordinary-looking Thickbilled Raven is common here. If we are fortunate we will see a Banded Snake Eagle or an Allen s Gallinule. Later we will transfer to Bishangari on the western side of Lake Langano for an overnight stay. Day 19 The lush vegetation on the western side of Lake Langano supports some striking birds and impressive Guereza Colobus monkeys which leap through the branches with their long, shaggy coats flying in the wind. The ripe figs attract the endemic Yellow-fronted Parrot, while rising thermals above the escarpment help raptors soar aloft and we could well see Ayres s Hawk-Eagle and, if we are lucky, African Crowned Eagle. Other species here may well include African Harrier-Hawk, Scaly Francolin, Tambourine and Lemon Doves, Halfcollared Kingfisher, the lovely Narina Trogon, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Lesser Honeyguide, Eastern Honeybird, Brown Saw-wing (split from Black), Mountain Wagtail, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, African Hill Babbler, Grey Cuckoo-Shrike, Sharpe s Starling, Variable Sunbird and Black-and-white Mannikin. From here we will drive via Addis Ababa to Wolliso for an overnight stay, stopping en route at a lake that may hold Striated (or Green-backed) and Black-headed Herons, Redbilled Teal, White-backed and Maccoa Ducks, and Common Crane. Day 20 Today we will visit Gibe Gorge, an area where the endemic Red-billed (or Lineated) Pytilia (split from Red-winged) can be found, as well as other species already familiar from our journey through Ethiopia. We also have a chance for the superb Egyptian Plover, and both Bar-breasted and Black-throated Firefinches. The tours ends this evening at Addis Ababa. Lalibela Option: It is easy for us to arrange a pretour or post-tour excursion to Lalibela in northern Ethiopia with its incredible underground churches, for one or more participants, using local guides. Please contact us if you are interested. Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/ lodges are mostly of normal Birdquest standard. At Debre Birhan and Negelle the hotels are fairly simple but most of the rooms have private bathrooms. At Alem Ketema the hotel is decidedly basic, with shared bathroom facilities. Road transport is partly by minibus or small coach and partly by 4x4s. Roads vary from good to poor. Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy, but there are a few longer walks, sometimes at fairly high altitude. Climate: Predominantly warm or hot, dry and sunny. It can be quite cool in the early morning, especially at higher altitudes, and in the Bale Mountains it may be distinctly cold. It may be overcast at times but rain is infrequent at this season (except in the Bale Mountains where it can rain at any time of year). Bird/Mammal Photography: Opportunities are good.