Monday 4 th
of November 2019
and I we left Honey Land Hotel in Negele around 6 thirty and it is about 300 km to Wabe Shebelle Hotel in Goba. We leave the paved road at Bitata about 20 km north of Negele. We continued north on a dust road and we crossed a bridge across the Genale River. We made a stop to look at an Abyssinian Ground Hornbill couple crossing the dust road.
The Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill is a fascinating bird, not very scared, but they are not “hanging” around for a photo session. The birds disappeared on the other side of the road and we continued our journey to the Bale Mountains National Park in the north.
Driving north towards Bale Mountains National Park
Driving north towards Bale Mountains National Park
Bridge across the Genale River
Bridge across the Genale River
Male Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill
Female Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill
Crested Francolin
We left the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill behind, but we stopped again after 5 minutes. We had 2 Crested Francolins next to the road. We stopped and I was surprised, the birds was not scared and they were only pottering about on the road side. Overcast so the lighting conditions were not very good under the bushes.
I took a few pictures and we continued north. We stopped after about 20 minutes as there was Red-and-yellow Barbet in a tree next to the road. There was 3 Spotted Palm Thrush / Spotted Morning-Thrush in the bush next to the barbet and I managed to get some pictures.
Spotted Palm Thrush
Spotted Palm Thrush
Spotted Palm Thrush
I was going to take a video of the bird sitting on a branch doing something reminded me about a display. Singing while holding out the wings like the bird was trying to impress a bird so they can make babies. Anyway, I was making the video and a motorcycle approached.
And of course, spotting a white man on the dust road and they just had to stop to check out what was going on and the video turned in to shit.
Spotted Palm Thrush - Display?
Spotted Palm Thrush - Display?
Spotted Palm Thrush - Display?
We are also looking for the Prince Ruspoli's Turaco on our journey. We manage to spot the bird and we stop. There were two Prince Ruspoli's Turacos, a very beautiful bird. The bird was flying between the bushes and I could never get any picture.
The other birding group passed us and they stopped to see what we had spotted. They were happy to get to see the bird, but they were disappointed as well because no photos. We continue towards Bale Mountains National Park. Next stop is about 90 minutes later when we spot a few Red-and-yellow Barbets. We stop and I get out to try to get pictures.
Back in the car and we continue towards Bale Mountains National Park through the beautiful landscape.
Red-and-yellow Barbet
Red-and-yellow Barbet
Red-and-yellow Barbet
Driving north towards Bale Mountains National Park
Driving north towards Bale Mountains National Park
Passing a village
We spot an Eastern Chanting-Goshawk along the road otherwise we didn't see any birds until we reached Bale Mountains National Park. Of course, we spotted birds along the road. But no birds we had any chances to get any pictures on. We drove through small villages but there was not many of them and we had not seen much cattle on our way.
We passed some bushes that looked like they were growing out from a big white stone.
Growing out of a rock
Growing out of a rock
Passing through another village
My Guide told me that the white “rock” is some kind of water storage for the plant so they have water during the dry season. So if you're out of water you can cut the white stone and you will have water dripping.
We reach Isak Gilo, a town and I think we're close to the Bale Mountains National Park but we still have a long way to go to the Bale Mountains National Park and the Sanetti Plateau. But there was still a long way to go and we were driving through the Harenna Forest and then we started to drive up to the Sanetti Plateau.
Sanetti Plateau
The Sanetti Plateau is a major plateau landform of the Ethiopian Highlands, located in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia
It is part of the Bale Mountains, and primarily within Bale Mountains National Park.
The Bale Mountains contain four distinct ecoregions: the northern plains, bush and woods; the central Sanetti Plateau with an average elevation of over 4000 meters; and the southern Harenna Forest. The Harenna Forest is one of the few remaining natural forests in the entire country of Ethiopia.
This region is known for its mammals, amphibians and birds including many endemic species. The Sanetti Plateau once was habitat to packs of the endangered painted hunting dog, Lycaon pictus, but the presence of this canid is now in question here due to the population pressures of expanding human presence. The central Sanetti Plateau is home to the largest population of the rare and endangered Ethiopian wolves.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coming out from the Harenna Forest and we are in a beautiful but barren landscape. Looked to be only rocks but at a closer look and it is some grey vegetation covering the ground. It was gloom and grey and cold. Fog / cloud covering big parts of the Sanetti Plateau and it was a very dramatic landscape with a huge mountain sticking up in the middle of the Sanetti Plateau.
My Guide told e that the road was the road in Africa that was on the highest altitude. We kept our eyes out for wolfs as I really wanted to see a wolf. The area was full of rodents and you saw them everywhere. The wolf is endangered, also because of the Shepard’s dogs. My Guide told me that they were sometimes hunting with the wolfs, and eating together and well, then they can as well make babies.
Same with the Mallard
that is making baies with the domesticated and all other kinds of ducks. So to find a pure breed Mallard can be hard.
Blue-winged Goose
Blue-winged Goose
Sanetti Plateau, Bale Mountains National Park
Sanetti Plateau, Bale Mountains National Park
Sanetti Plateau, Bale Mountains National Park
Sanetti Plateau, Bale Mountains National Park
Sanetti Plateau, Bale Mountains National Park
Rouget's Rail
Picture not good enough for the bird to make it to my list of observed birds
Today's track at Bale Mountains National Park
eBird Report
BMNP--Sanettie Plateau, Oromia, ET Nov 4, 2019 14:56 - 15:38
Protocol: Traveling
16,48 kilometer(s)
Comments: 20 Days Ethiopian birding tour with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia
8 species
Blue-winged Goose 9
Chestnut-naped Francolin 4
Rouget's Rail 1
Spot-breasted Lapwing 3
Wattled Ibis 1
Steppe Eagle 1
Red-billed Chough 2
Moorland Chat 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S61174443
Leaving the Bale Mountains National Park at the north entrance and we had about 20 minutes to drive to our hotel and we checked in to Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel in at 16:00. No more birding for the day. I went to the restaurant and I ordered a steak.
Well, they had Addis Tea and toast and that tasted very nice. The steak, well, I can already now tell you that I didn't order any more steak in the restaurant. Toast and tea from now on only and I added a glass of juice for breakfast.
My room at Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel
My room at Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel
I finished my lunch and I went to my room and I spent the rest of the evening in my room. We will explore Bale Mountains National Park and the Sanettie Plateau tomorrow. My Guide and Driver will come to pick me up tomorrow morning. Click HERE
to find out if we spot any bird.