Wednesday 30 th
of October 2019
and I was really sick waking up with fever. So it seems not to be much bird watching today. We left Wendo Genet Wabe Shebelle Resort Hotel and I only had some bananas for breakfast. We drove south towards Yabelo and we have about 300 km to cover so it will take half the day to reach Yabelo.
We were originally booked at Yabelo Motel but as we had changed our dates due to the political troubles in the Balé Mountains. So Yabelo Motel was full and I had to spend the first night at Park Hotel. And I will move to Yabelo Motel tomorrow and I will spend the last night there.
Park Hotel, the room was nice and the hotel would easily have got 3 stars if they would have had cleaned the room and bed sheets. The shower, some electric heater sitting at the end of the water pipe, something I would never use as the wires was hanging lose and it looked very dangerous. But no worries, there was no water coming out so no shower.
My room at Park Hotel in Yabelo
My room at Park Hotel in Yabelo
My room at Park Hotel in Yabelo
Nice pillow
I was sick, but I wanted at least go to try to see some birds. We had a Guide that we had picked up when we arrived to Yabelo. We will stay close to the hotel and we drove to a cattle farm just a few minutes’ drive north of Yabelo.
We leave the paved road and we drive through the savanna looking for birds. The savanna is really beautiful and we spotted a lot of birds but I never went out to try to get pictures. I was really not feeling any good in the back seat. And I only wish I was home, for sure, I wa snot looking forward to come back to the hotel room. But we made a few stops and I could take some pictures from the car window.
White-rumped Shrike
Picture not good enough to make the bird to my lidt of observed birds in Africa
African Wattled Lapwing
African Wattled Lapwing
African Wattled Lapwing
I felt very bad and when we reached the cattle farm I had to force myself out of the car. I walked around, but very close to the car if I started to feel “realy bad” We spotted a Lilac-breasted Roller sitting on a pole when we got out of the car. Me and my Guide had a discussion, Lilac-breasted Roller or Abyssinian Roller. I thought Abyssinian due to the long tail. But looking in the book and I see that the Lilac-breasted Roller have a long tile as well.
And my Guide is an excellent birders and I have been very impressed by him, so Lilac-breasted Roller it is.
My Guide is soon spotting yet another new bird for me, the beautiful D'Arnaud's Barbet. I took plenty pictures of the birds, but it is darn hard to get sharp pictures. We walked around the area and there were plenty birds, abd flies! I did not have much of energy to walk around chasing the birds, but I was happy with the afternoon.
D'Arnaud's Barbet
Walking around the beautiful area
Walking around the beautiful area
Walking around the beautiful area
Driving back to the paved road
Today´s track around the cattle farm
eBird Report
Cattle Farm north of Yabelo, Oromia, ET Oct 30, 2019 15:41 - 17:04
Protocol: Traveling
6,51 kilometer(s)
Comments: 20 Days Ethiopian birding tour. Birding with my Guide. I had been sick for 2 days so it was a very short birding session
16 species
Helmeted Guineafowl 3
White-bellied Go-away-bird 1
Crowned Lapwing 2
Wattled Lapwing X Many bird in the area
Hadada Ibis 4
Northern Red-billed Hornbill 2
Lilac-breasted Roller 2
D'Arnaud's Barbet X
Peregrine Falcon 1
Rosy-patched Bushshrike 1
White-rumped Shrike 1
Stresemann's Bush-Crow 1
Superb Starling X
White-crowned Starling 4
Greater Blue-eared Starling X
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver X
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S61041377
Not feeling too good in my bed at Park Hotel in Yabelo
We drove in to the town to find a drug store before we returned to the hotel. We also stopped so I could buy a few chocolate bars that I can have in my room. The restaurant, well, there is no restaurant at the hotel. Back at the hotel and I went straight to bed. I will move to Yabelo Motel tomorrow and I hope I can get a shower.
Park Hotel, well, again, I don’t understand why they don't make sure the rooms are clean and in good condition. Anyway, click HERE
to find out how things work out tomorrow.