Chefe Lake.
Cinnamon breasted Rock Bunting
Bilen Lodge.
Remote it may well be, but it had a bar!
After a pleasant lunch at the Rift Valley Hotel we drove further north east down the Rift Valley arriving at Bilen Lodge just as darkness engulfed us. It had been a long day driving.
My rustic cabin!
The view from the cabin.
A shallow depression held a large marsh.
Lichenstein's Sandgrouse.
Ethiopian Swallow
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson.
Somali Bulbul
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson.
White headed Buffalo Weaver
Quite common around the camp.
Yellow breasted Barbet.
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson.
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson.
The next morning we birded in the dry scrub next to & around the lodge. Birding was surprisingly good in this very arid habitat.
This area looks lifeless but it wasn't!
People are desperately poor in this area.
They are really struggling & need help.
& curious about foreigners.
A poor photo at distance, but one of my
most wanted birds!
Mid morning we left for a local community wildlife reserve at Ali Dege Plain.
The rest of the day was spent driving to Awash National Park.
Spur winged Lapwing.
Grivet Monkey.
The lodge was set on the edge of the Awash River Gorge, and made for a very scenic backdrop.
Salt's Dikdik
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson
The rare & unpredictable Ayers's Hawk Eagle.
Von der Decken's Hornbill.
Black billed Barbet.
Buff crested Bustard.
Beisa Oryx.
A superb animal.
Lesser Kudu.
Abyssinian Hare.
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson
This Leopard Tortoise was the largest
specimen I have ever seen!
Greater Blue eared Glossy Starling.
White browed Sparrow Weaver.
White bellied Canary.
Green winged Pytilia
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson.
A Pygmy Falcon which had stunned itself
against a window at the lodge.
But the rest of the park was very dry & birding was tough going.
A poor photo of our target species:
Sombre Rock Chat.
Hemprich's Hornbill.
Eating scrambled egg from
the breakfast table!
Von der Decken's Hornbill.
White bellied Go-awaybird.
Red throated Wryneck.
This race has much more extensive red
than the South African race.
Little Rock Thrush.
African Paradise Flycatcher.
Superb Starling.
Yes, it really is superb!
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson.
On 14th we birded around the Simbo Beach Resort, which was quite productive.
We came across Spot breasted Lapwing
but at long range.
Red chested Swallow.
This is a very localized species.
Spotted Hyena
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson
Mountain Nyala.
A small herd of females.
This is a really superb animal.
A young one.
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson
Bohor Reedbuck.
African Wood Owl.
Mountain Thrush.
We then spent the rest of the day traveling to the Bale Mountains with a stop en route around Dinsho Lodge.
The Awash Gorge.
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson
Some areas were a little greener,
but these were few & far between.
Termite mounds Come in all shapes & sizes.
specimen I have ever seen!
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson.
against a window at the lodge.
The fairly recent barren, lava flows.
Sombre Rock Chat.
On 13th February we left the national park & traveled to Beseka Lake, where we saw a few waterbirds. However, the main reason for coming here was to see the endemic Sombre Rock Chat on the totally barren lava flows.
The resort was a very pleasant place to stay the night.
The resort was surrounded by habitat which was
protected because the resort was there!
Outside of the grounds there was
precious little habitat remaining.
the breakfast table!
than the South African race.
but at long range.
Photo courtesy of Paul Edmondson
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