Day 2: - Moorning, drive to Awash National Park. - Afternoon, birding Awash National Park
Day 2: Debre Zeit to Awash Falls Lodge
Leave for our next destination, Awash National Park after breakfast. The 170-kilometer trip there would take less than three hours if we drove straight through, but we will stop along the way to add roadside birds to our list.
Near the park, a lava field—the remains of a volcanic eruption that occurred sometime in the early 19th century( 1820)—will offer us our best chances for Striolated Bunting, Blackstart, and the rare and little-known Sombre Rock Chat (a near-endemic).
Night in Awash Falls Lodge.
Monday 21stof October 2019and we left Babogaya Lake Viewpoint Lodge later than we had planned. I made a video of a two Rüppell's Robin-Chats in the bird bath. And took some pictures of the Hamerkop as the pictures from yesterday was very bad.
Rüppell's Robin-Chats, beautiful birds were enjoying them self’s in the bird bath and I made a video. The bird bath was in the shadow so the pictures didn´t turned out so good. We had Hamerkops on top of the restaurant and there was a Egyptian Goose looking for a place for their nest. And there is a huge Hamerkop nest just next to the restaurant.
And they love to build their nest on top of the huge Hamerkop nests. So there might be some fight in the garden in the future.
We left Babogaya Lake Viewpoint Lodge and we have a long drive to Awash National Park. We have planned to make a stop at the lava field at the north shore of the Lake Basaka.
We stopped to try to get a picture of the long tailed and beautiful Eastern Paradise Whydah but I was too far away for any good pictures. I gave two birds of prey a go but they took off before I came close enough for any pictures.
We reached Lake Basaka and we turned off the highway to stop at the lava field to try to get a sight of the Blackstart and the Sombre Rock Chat.
On the highway driving towards Awash National Park
On the highway driving towards Awash National Park
On the highway driving towards Awash National Park
On the highway driving towards Awash National Park
On the highway driving towards Awash National Park
Eastern Paradise Whydah
We stop to have a look at the Eastern Paradise Whydah
We stop to have a look at the Eastern Paradise Whydah
We stop to have a look at the Eastern Paradise Whydah
We stop to have a look at the Eastern Paradise Whydah
We stop at Lake Basaka to look for birds at the lava field
We stop at Lake Basaka to look for birds at the lava field
We get out of the car and we search the lava field but no birds. We walk around and we see the Nile Valley Sunbird. We also see a group of Red-billed Queleas. This bird we see in big groups everywhere.
We managed to spot the Sombre Rock Chat and I also got a few pictures. And I got a picture of a Common Bulbul when it showed up as a BONUS bird.
We looked for the Blackstart, the second target species for this area. The lava field is one of very few places to see the Blackstart and the Sombre Rock Chat. Well, I was very happy to have seen one of the two target species. Back in the car and next stop is the Awash National Park.
Lake Basaka - North shore, Oromia, ET Oct 21, 2019 09:44 - 10:12 Protocol: Traveling 0,91 kilometer(s) Comments: 20 Days birding tour in Ethiopia. Birding with my Guide 6 species
African Palm-Swift 2 Saddle-billed Stork 1 Common Bulbul 1 Sombre Rock Chat 6 A big group Nile Valley Sunbird 1 Red-billed Quelea 40
Reaching Awash National Park and we picked up one armed guard at the gate to keep us company during the bird watching. There are Lions, Leopards and Hippos in the area so it is not free of dangers in the area.
We spot several birds at the main gate and I get out to get some pictures before we continue to the Awash Falls Lodge where we will spend the night.
Reaching the Awash National Park
Main Gate to Awash National Park
11 km to Awash Falls lodge
Awash National Park
We see several White-browed Sparrow-Weaver in the tree next to the car that we have parked just inside the main gate. I really want a picture of the bird but it was very hard to get any pictures. My Guide told me that we would see many many White-browed Sparrow-Weaver during our bird watching tour.
But this argument was not biting on me, I wanted a picture NOW!! But just to tell you, when we finished the 20 day tour we were more than “feed up” with theWhite-browed Sparrow-Weaver. We even had them to eat from our hands during the trip. But this I knew nothing about at the main gate to the Awash National Park.
We went back to the car and I had seen many new birds that I had never seen before even before leaving the main gate. I was in the back seat with our armed guard when we left the main gate. 11 km to drive before we reach Awash Falls Lodge.
We make one stop to take pictures of a White-throated Bee-eater sitting on a wire along the dust road. Otherwise not many birds along the road, not until we´re almost reaching Awash Falls Lodge where we see a Black-billed Barbet sitting on top of a tree.
We stop to get some pictures of the Black-billed Barbet, but it was a little bit too far away for any good pictures. But they were better than nothing.
Awash NP (Please use more specific hotspot), Afar, ET Oct 21, 2019 10:39 - 12:11 Protocol: Traveling 0,91 kilometer(s) Comments: 20 Days birding tour in Ethiopia. Birding with my Guide while driving from the Main gate to the lodge 13 species
Speckled Pigeon 2 Namaqua Dove 3 Yellow-billed Stork 1 African Fish-Eagle 1 Blue-naped Mousebird 1 Olive Bee-eater 5 Abyssinian Roller 1 Rufous-crowned Roller 2 2 birds sitting at the gate to Awash National Park Black-billed Barbet 2 Northern Wheatear 1 Autumn male - Thanks to www.birdforum.net for identity Scarlet-chested Sunbird 1 Male White-browed Sparrow-Weaver 3 Red-billed Quelea 30
We reach the lodge and we check-in at the reception, a hut inside the main gate. I get a hut and I went to leave the luggage before going for lunch at the restaurant. I had a hut close by so it will not be long to walk to the restaurant. The room, well, I won´t mind when it is time to check-out. But it will be good for one night.
A bed and a table. And there is also a chair so I can use the table as a desk when working with my pictures on the computer. There is a bathroom, behind a concrete divider. I opened the drapery, a piece of cloth hanging in the opening and I wasn´t pleasantly surprised to see the “bathroom” The bathroom was in need of a good “scrubb”
No water in the bathroom, well, I would not have had any long showers here anyway. Should be easy for them to at least clean the bathroom and to keep it fresh.
Reception at Awash Falls Lodge
My hut
My hut
My hut
Bathroom
Bathroom
My hut
We will leave for our afternoon birding at 3 o´clock in the afternoon. So we will have time for lunch and I can have a look at the pictures I have taken during the day. The restaurant is just next to the Awash Falls. So I can enjoy the views while having my lunch. And I can see crocodiles enjoying the sunshine on the rocks next to the water fall.
I could see a huge African Fish Eagle nest from the restaurant. The food was OK and I killed an hour or so looking out over the Awash Falls. I counted to 5 or 6 crocodiles. So there was things to look at while eating.
The restaurant at Awash Falls Lodge
The restaurant at Awash Falls Lodge
Awash Falls from the restaurant
Awash Falls from the restaurant
Awash Falls from the restaurant
Awash Falls from the restaurant
African Fish Eagle
Crocodiles
Crocodile
Lunch next to the water fall and I was back to my room trying to rest before the afternoon birding as I was sick. Most likely some food poison from Radisson Blu. I walked to the main gate where my Guide and Driver was waiting with the armed guard.
We left at 3 o´clock for bird watching. We have hippos and leopards in the area. Lions and Cheetah have been sighted as well, so we will have one armed guard with us. We leave Awash Falls Lodge and we are soon stopping to take a few pictures of some Namaqua Doves along the road.
We had seen a lot of birds and other animals during our “SAFARI” in the Awash National Park. I had even got to see a Dung Beetle. We drove along the dust road when we passed a tree full of weaver nests. We stopped to get out to try to get a few pictures. We spotted a wild cat from the car, but the cat was hardy visible in the grass land, so no picture.
Chestnut Weaver and Chestnut Sparrow was flying in and out from the tree. They returned with food in the bill so I understood that they had babies in the nests. I didn´t spend much time trying to get any pictures, it was getting dark so it was too late for any pictures.
Birds carry food in the bill
Birds carry food in the bill
Birds carry food in the bill
On the way back to Awash Falls Lodge
Today´s track at Awash National Park (Afternoon)
eBird Report
Awash NP - Southern Section, Afar, ET Oct 21, 2019 15:00 - 18:34 Protocol: Traveling 19 kilometer(s) Comments: 20 Days birding tour in Ethiopia. Birding with my Guide 27 species
We drive back to Awash Falls Lodge and we leave the armed guard at the main gate before we return to the lodge. It is dark by the time we´re back at the lodge. We went to the restaurant and as it is dark there is no use sitting next to the falls and the river. But my guide pointed his torch down towards the river and he could see the eyes of the crocodiles resting along the river.
We eat around a small square with a fire in the middle. The food was OK and we enjoyed the food. I only had plain pasta as every other meal since I left Radisson Blu yesterday.
We finished the food and I went back to my hut and I was soon in bed sleeping with the bed covered in a blue mosquito net.
Dinner at Awash Falls Lodge
Dinner at Awash Falls Lodge
We will leave early tomorrow morning and we will spend the day in the Awash National Park. Of course, I am eager to leave the room so the quicker the time pass the quicker I can get out of the hut. I am excited for the drive around Awash National Park. I am off course hoping for many birds and you just need to clickHEREto find out if I see any birds.
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can itbe? 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.
ORIGINlate 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!
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