Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia



Day 7:
Morning, looking vultures at Debre Libanos.
Drive south to Bethelem Hotel in Ziway.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Classical Endemic Birding Tour Ethiopia
Day 7: Drive from Fiche to Ziway

We start by visiting Ethio-German Park Hotel, one of the best places to look for the impressive Lammergeier and Rüppell’s Griffon, as well as the endemic White-collared Pigeon and Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher, and we again are likely to find Rüppell’s Black Chat, White-winged Cliff Chat, Ethiopian Boubou, and White-billed Starling.

Cancel birding at Sululta Plain Wetlands on the way south. (just north of Addis Ababa) The wetlands here should yield an enjoyable mix of species, including the endemic Blue-winged Goose, Wattled Ibis, Spot-breasted Lapwing, White-collared Pigeon, Erlanger’s Lark, Abyssinian Longclaw, Ethiopian Cisticola, and Ethiopian Siskin; a variety of raptors; and many others.

We finish our day at the borders of Ziway Lake, where we stay at a hotel, only 100 m from the lakeshore. The number of water birds and others are too overwhelming in this area to make a list.

Night in Bethelem Hotel in Ziway.



Saturday 26th of October 2019 and I was very happy when we left the shite hole C- Lale Resort Hotel behind. We stopped in town to look for fresh bread. And we went to the butcher to buy bone for the Lammergeier before leaving for Ethio-German Park Hotel in Debre Libanos. We also look for a battery lantern as I really don't need any more experience of staying in a pitch dark hotel room for 12 hours.

We left Fiche behind and it took about 30 minutes to reach Ethio-German Park Hotel in Debre Libanos. What a place this was, located just at the edge of the cliff with an almost vertical mountain side. It was built by a couple, the man from Ethiopia and the wife from Germany. They built the place and it looks like, well, reminds about German houses.

The man died and the German girl moved in to town and the place is more or less only a small restaurant today. This was a birders paradise and a place I would like to have owned as it is now looking to fall in to decay.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
My Guide had bought a bone

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
At Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
We put the bones at the cliff edge

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
We put the bones at the cliff edge

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
We watch the bones from the restaurant

We walk down to the cliff edge to put the bones and we walk back to the table outside the restaurant. They have tea and nothing else and we are drinking tea waiting for the vultures. Early morning and the air is not warm enough for the vultures to be able to fly at this altitude. As soon as the air is warm the vultures will start soar over the mountains.

But we are not bored while waiting for the air to get hot. There are many birds outside the restaurant and what a gorgeous morning it was. Great view, great weather and great birding while enjoying great tea.

Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht

Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht
Male Baglafecht Weaver

Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht
Male Baglafecht Weaver

Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht
Female Baglafecht Weaver

Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht
Female Baglafecht Weaver

Singing Cisticola, Cisticola cantans

Tacazze Sunbird, Nectarinia tacazze

Tacazze Sunbird, Nectarinia tacazze
Female Tacazze Sunbird

Tacazze Sunbird, Nectarinia tacazze
Female Tacazze Sunbird

Tacazze Sunbird, Nectarinia tacazze
Female Tacazze Sunbird

Heuglin's White-eye or Ethiopian White-eye, Zosterops poliogastrus, Montane White-eye

Heuglin's White-eye or Ethiopian White-eye, Zosterops poliogastrus, Montane White-eye
Heuglin's White-eye

Heuglin's White-eye or Ethiopian White-eye, Zosterops poliogastrus, Montane White-eye
Heuglin's White-eye

Heuglin's White-eye or Ethiopian White-eye, Zosterops poliogastrus, Montane White-eye
Heuglin's White-eye

Abyssinian Slaty-Flycatcher
Abyssinian Slaty-Flycatcher

Swainson's Sparrow, Passer swainsonii

Swainson's Sparrow, Passer swainsonii
Swainson's Sparrow

Little Rock Thrush, Monticola rufocinereus

Little Rock Thrush, Monticola rufocinereus
Little Rock Thrush

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
View over the gorge from the restaurant

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
Fan-tailed Ravens have found the bone

Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Turtur afer

Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Turtur afer
Blue-spotted Wood Dove

Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Turtur afer
Blue-spotted Wood Dove

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
One eagle and one vulture have found the bones

It was getting warmer and we were soon looking at vultures soar over the mountains. One eagle and a Hooded Vulture was soon landing at the bones. The eagle and the vulture enjoyed the bones until one Rüppell's Griffon land.

The Rüppell's Griffon is taking one of the bones and put it on the cliff edge. Then the bird turn around and rip the other bone from the Hooded Vulture. The Hooded Vulture is smaller than the Rüppell's Griffon. Now we have more Rüppell's Griffons arriving and one Bearded Vulture, also called Lammergeier. The Lammergeier and the Rüppell's Griffon are eating bones.

And they are so big so they can take the bone and drop them from great height so crack them so they can eat what’s inside the bone. They take quite big bones, but we realised that we had forgot to split the legs. We have two whole legs and when they bones are together with the knees it is a wee bit too heavy for them to lift.

So now they bring the bones to the edge in order to push them out from the cliff.

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
Joined by a Black Kite

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
Rüppell's Vulture

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
Rüppell's Vulture took the bone from the Hooded Vulture
We can see the size difference between the vultures. And a Fan-tailed Raven enjoy the bone on the edge

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
Rüppell's Vulture pulling the second bone to the cliff edge

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
Soon the air over the mountain is full of vultures

We were too far away for any good pictures of the “bone action” down at the cliff edge. There were more Rüppell's Vultures landing on the cliff. After a while we spotted a Lammergeier coming in for landing on the cliff.

The bones where soon on the cliff edge and the vultures pushed them over the edge and one Rüppell's Vultures and the Lammergeier was looking over the edge to look for the bones. Well, me and my Guide went to the car and we left the Ethio-German Park Hotel in Debre Libanos behind bound for Addis Ababa.

Rüppell's Vulture or Rüppell's Griffon Vulture, Gyps rueppelli, Rüppell's Griffon, Rueppell's Griffon, Rüppell's Griffin Vulture, Rueppell's Vulture

Rüppell's Vulture or Rüppell's Griffon Vulture, Gyps rueppelli, Rüppell's Griffon, Rueppell's Griffon, Rüppell's Griffin Vulture, Rueppell's Vulture
Rüppell's Vulture

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
One Lammergeier have arrived to have a look at the bones

Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos
Looking down the cliffs for the bones

Bird watching/ birding in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia
Today´s track at Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos

eBird

eBird Report

Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre Libanos, Oromia, ET Oct 26, 2019 07:19 - 09:32
Protocol: Traveling
1,28 kilometer(s)
Comments: 20 day Ethiopian birding tour with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia. Me and my guide looking for birds at the Ethio-German Park Hotel
20 species

Blue-spotted Wood-Dove 1
Bearded Vulture 1
Egyptian Vulture 3
Hooded Vulture 1
White-backed Vulture 2
Rüppell's Griffon 8
Hemprich's Hornbill 2
Pied Crow 1
Fan-tailed Raven 3
Singing Cisticola 1
Barn Swallow X
Common Bulbul 1
Heuglin's White-eye 2
Abyssinian Slaty-Flycatcher 1
Little Rock-Thrush 1
Tacazze Sunbird 1 Female
Variable Sunbird 1
Baglafecht Weaver 6
Rüppell's Weaver 1
Swainson's Sparrow 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S60930367



It was a paved road leaving Debre Libanos and I was told that it should be a good road all the way down south to Bethelem Hotel in Ziway. Well, good road, the road is paved OK but there were still potholes and we were not making much of an average speed. And I was delirious in the back seat thinking about lunch at Sheraton.

I have not had have any real good food since we left Addis Ababa and Sheraton should have good food, at least this is what I expect.

Approaching Addis Ababa and they had Police controls, well, they are all over Ethiopia. Check-point, but for what I don't know, most of the time they just wave us by. But the access road to Addis was blocked by busses and trucks at the check-point.

Lunch buffet at Sheraton Addis Ababa and the food was excellent

Sheraton Addis Ababa
Lunch at Sheraton Addis Ababa

Sheraton Addis Ababa
Lunch at Sheraton Addis Ababa

Sheraton Addis Ababa
Lunch at Sheraton Addis Ababa

Sheraton Addis Ababa
Lunch at Sheraton Addis Ababa

I could hardly move when we left Sheraton. Now we have a few hours to get to Bethelem Hotel in Ziway. Highway from Addis Ababa and the last stretch will be on a good paved road as I was told by my Guide. We drove through Addis and the traffic was terrible and it took an hour to reach the highway. The new toll way going south.

We stopped at Hyio Café along road A7 after having been driving through the town of Mojo at the tool way exit. Hyio Café is located in the strawberry fields along A7. We drive towards Ziway on a road that is in terrible condition in some area, but the road is paved.

We pass many fields and suddenly in one field, we discovered Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill walking on the field, one male and three females. We stopped and I got out in the field to try to get pictures of the Hornbill.

Bird watching/ birding in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia

Bird watching/ birding in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia
Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill in the field

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill or Northern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus abyssinicus
Male Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill or Northern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus abyssinicus
Female Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill or Northern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus abyssinicus
Male / Female Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill or Northern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus abyssinicus
Male / Female Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill

Grey-backed Fiscal, Lanius excubitoroides

Grey-backed Fiscal, Lanius excubitoroides
Grey-backed Fiscal

Grey-backed Fiscal, Lanius excubitoroides
Grey-backed Fiscal

Grey-backed Fiscal, Lanius excubitoroides
Grey-backed Fiscal

Grey-backed Fiscal, Lanius excubitoroides
Grey-backed Fiscal

Back in the car and we continued towards Ziway. We stopped at a shop to see if they had any lanterns, but no luck and we continued to the hotel. We spotted a Grey-backed Fiscal sitting on a wire outside the hotel, we stopped and I got out to take a few pictures of the bird.

We entered the hotel compound and I checked in. My Driver and Guide will come to pick me up tomorrow morning at 7 o'clock and we will cross the road to go bird watching at Ziway Lake. We bought raspberries and strawberries at Hyio Café, and this is what I will eat for dinner tonight.

Bird watching/ birding in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Bethelem Hotel, Ziway
Raspberry and strawberries from Hyio Café

Bird watching/ birding in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Bethelem Hotel, Ziway
Raspberry and strawberries from Hyio Café

Coming in to my room and I liked the room. Clean and everything was working as it should. The bathroom had warm water and I could use the table for my computer. Good, maybe I can go through some of the bird pictures during the evening. I was happy with the room, a great room compared to some of the places I had lived at so far.

I spent the night in my room eating raspberry and strawberry. I just left the room to go see if any of the staff had a USB charging cable for my phone. But no one had a USB C connection. I forgot my USB cable in the car, well, I hope the battery will last until 4 o'clock when the alarm is set to go off so I can have raspberry and strawberry for breakfast.

Bird watching/ birding in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Bethelem Hotel, Ziway

Bird watching/ birding in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Bethelem Hotel, Ziway
My room at Bethelem Hotel, Ziway

Bird watching/ birding in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia - Bethelem Hotel, Ziway
My room at Bethelem Hotel, Ziway

We will do bird watching at Lake Ziway tomorrow morning before we drive south to the 10000 Flamingos Lodge where we will spend the night. My Guide and Driver will come to pick me up at 7 o'clock tomorrow morning. Click HERE to find out if I see any birds tomorrow.



       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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