Ethiopia........ 21st November to 5th December 2011

The Horn of Africa

Ethiopia occupies most of the ‘Horn of Africa’. It is a fascinating country, a magical land of myth and legend and seemingly the home to the earliest human beings. The Ethiopian Plateau represents the African Continent’s largest area of Afro-alpine habitat, containing the most spectacular landscapes – not matched by anywhere else on the African Continent. Nearly half of the country is highland of over 2000 metres, making Addis Ababa the third highest capital city in the world. With ‘wall to wall sunshine’ and an equable climate, this is an excellent destination for birdwatching. In many varied habitats, the country hosts over 800 bird species, of which nearly 30 are endemics (some only described in the past 25 years), and we aim to see as many as possible. Superb birds, wonderful scenery and friendly people make this an unforgettable holiday.

Day 1: Depart UK on an overnight flight to Addis Ababa.

Day 2: After an early morning arrival in Addis Ababa, we will be met by our resident co-leader, transfer and then drive out of Addis and through the grasslands of the Soluta Plain, where we should encounter our first endemic species – Black-headed Siskin, Thick-billed Raven, White-collared Pigeon and Wattled Ibis. However there will be other species to look for, such as Pallid Harrier, Augur Buzzard, Groundscraper Thrush and Red-breasted Wheatear. Our ideally situated accommodation – at the edge of a gorge, overlooks the Rift Valley. From this scenically dramatic location we should enjoy some fantastic birdwatching. Parties of Rüppell’s Griffon Vultures, Lammergeier, Verreaux’s Eagle and Lanner, patrol the cliffs and there will also be some fine endemic species amidst the rocky environment - Rüppell’s Black Chat, White-winged Cliff Chat, White-billed Starling, White-backed Black Tit and Golden-backed Woodpecker.
Overnight – Debre Libanos

Day 3: After a little morning birding at the gorge, we’ll drive to Addis Ababa stopping at Gerfersa Reservoir en-route for endemics such as Blue-winged Goose, Abyssinian Longclaw and Rouget’s Rail. Later at Addis, we should see Tacazze Sunbird, Baglafecht Weaver, Rüppell’s Robinchat and Brown-rumped Seedeater in the hotel gardens.
Overnight – Addis Ababa.

Day 4: We leave Addis Ababa early on Day 4 driving south down the Rift Valley, stopping at a number of lakes (including Zwai), where duck species include White-backed Duck, African Pochard, African Pygmy Goose and White-faced Tree Duck plus, Great White Pelican many egrets, herons and waders. On roadside trees and poles we should see Abyssinian & Lilac-breasted Rollers, Long-crested Eagle and Black-chested Snake Eagle. We may have lunch at Lake Zwai, where we could see resident Hemprich’s Hornbill and Buff-bellied Warbler in the hotel gardens and Black Heron, African Pygmy Goose, Lesser Moorhen, Black Crake and Purple Swamphen on the lake shore. The surrounding trees often hold Red-breasted Wryneck and various woodpeckers. We’ll then continue on to Lake Langano for a two-night stay.
Overnight – Lake Langano

Day 5: We visit the various Rift Valley lakes, particularly Abiata to see masses of flamingos, pelicans, ibises, egrets and ducks. On the arid grassland are many larks, pipits and plovers, while overhead Tawny & Steppe Eagles, Augur Buzzard and harriers circle. Later we’ll pay a further visit to Langano and walk around part of the lake.
Overnight – Lake Langano.

Days 6 & 7: We continue south for a short distance to the highland forest at Wondo Genet, where our hotel, former home of Emperor Haile Selassie’s daughter, overlooks the Rift Valley and Lake Awasa. Here we should add Banded Barbet, Abyssinian Oriole, and Yellow-fronted Parrot to our list of endemics, plus White-cheeked Turaco, Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, Slender-billed, Chestnut-winged & Sharpe’s Starlings. In the quarry above the hotel, Banded Snake Eagle and Harrier Hawk are frequently seen, while at the nearby College of Forestry, Narina Trogon is very likely. A large fruiting fig tree in the garden is usually very productive, with several species of sunbirds, flycatchers and doves to be seen.
Overnight - Wondo Genet .

Day 8: Morning birdwatching in the forest, and then we drive up into the Bale Mountains to look for Spot-breasted Plover and Abyssinian Catbird - two more endemics. African Wood Owl and Abyssinian Long-eared Owl are also possible.
Overnight - Goba.

Day 9: A full day in the Bale Mountains, when we shall renew our acquaintance with several endemics - Blue-winged Goose, Abyssinian Longclaw and Rouget’s Rail. However, there are many other fine species that we may encounter, including: Chestnut-naped Francolin, Montane Nightjar, Alpine Chat and Abyssinian Ground-Thrush. We will also be looking out for some of the rare mammals such as Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck and the star of the show Ethiopian (or Simien) Wolf.
Overnight - Goba.

Day 10: We journey back down to the Rift Valley, through Wondo Genet to the busy, sprawling town of Shashemene and our destination for the night, Lake Awassa. Stops en route will include the bridge before Awassa where Wire-tailed Swallows breed; the ‘Black Forest’ for Spotted Creeper and Violet-backed Starling and the lakeside for Saddle-billed Stork, Blue-headed Coucal and various kingfishers.
Overnight – Lake Awassa.

Days 11 & 12: We continue our journey through the Rift Valley Lakeland and head for the superb Awash National Park. Over the next two days we can savour a rich avifauna amidst an excellent diversity of habitat that includes riverine forests, wetlands, savanna grasslands, rocky hillsides and escarpments. The national park has an impressive bird list of over 400 species and we will make an effort to find such specialties as Secretary Bird, Hartlaub’s & Buff-crested Bustards, African Swallow-tailed Kite, Pygmy Falcon, Heuglin’s Courser, White-browed Coucal, Plain Nightjar, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Greater Honeyguide, Red-winged Lark, Green-winged Pytilia, Grey-headed Batis, Marico Sunbird, Pale Flycatcher, Red-fronted Warbler, Somali Fiscal and Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike. There are a number of mammal species present including: Aardwolf, Lion, Leopard, Beisa Oryx, Aardvark, Soemmering’s Gazelle, African Wild Cat, Black-backed Jackal, Striped Hyena and Lesser Kudu. Overnights – Awash N.P.

Day 13: We’ll leave Awash this morning and drive to Bilen, which is a great birdwatching area, even in close proximity of our lodge. Amongst the marvellous diversity of birdlife present are: Saddle-billed Stork, Senegal Thick-knee, Arabian Bustard, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Abyssinian Roller, Ethiopian Swallow, Northern Crombec, Black-throated Barbet and a variety of wintering Western Palearctic migrants.
Overnight – Bilen Lodge

Day 14: Our last evening will be at Debre Zeyit, also known as Bishoftu its Oromo name. Lying at an elevation of 1900m it is situated only 45km south of Bole Airport. Our hotel is in a wonderful position beside one of the area’s six crater lakes. Excellent birdwatching can be enjoyed not only from the hotel’s balconies overlooking the lake but also at the nearby Chelekleka Marshland area and we may see Knob-billed Duck, African Pygmy Goose, Spur-winged Goose, Ferruginous Duck, Garganey, Lesser Flamingo and many other wetland birds. If time permits we can have a pleasant walk around the Hora crater lake and its wooded hillsides. An excellent finale to a wonderful tour.
Overnight – Debre Zeyit

Day 15: Catch our morning return flight to the UK.

Tour ref: AA1119

Cost: £2,895
Single Room Supplement: £175
Deposit: £400

Leaders: Solomon Berhe & Peter Dedicoat

Max Group: 12 plus 2 Leaders

Includes:
Economy class scheduled return flight (UK-Addis Ababa-UK), accommodation based on twin occupancy, all meals, transfers, ground transportation in Ethiopia, entrance fees and services of leaders.

Excludes:
Travel insurance, drinks and items of a personal nature.