Day 9: - Full day to explore the area around Lake Chitu and Lake Shalla
Lake Shalla is the deepest lake in the Rift, and has a steep shoreline (it is a crater lake), so it is largely devoid of water birds and waders, though some species breed on the lake’s several islands.
All lakes are surrounded primarily by Acacia woodland, where we might find Western Banded Snake Eagle, Greyish Eagle-Owl, Black-billed Woodhoopoe, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Von der Decken’s Hornbills, Clapperton’s Francolin, Rufous-necked Wryneck, Bearded Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Black-winged Lovebird, Buff-bellied Warbler, Red-faced Crombec, Western Black-headed Batis, White-rumped Babbler, White-winged Black Tit, Mocking Cliff-Chat, Beautiful Sunbird, White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, and many other species
Night at the 10000 Flamingos Lodge
CANCELLED
Day 9: Drive to Sabana Beach Resort
One more night at 10000 Flamingos Lodge and I would have threw myself out from a cliff. A terrible place and I called Sabana Beach Resort at Langane. We had have lunch there yesterday and it was a nice place. So, no birding today, just relax. Well, I have of course planned to spend time at the water stream at the resort to look for bird.
Night at Sabana Beach Resort
Monday 28thof October 2019and I woke up to a gorgeous view over the crater lake. And I could see all the flamingos in the lake. And I was in a good mood as it was time to leave, one day early. I had tried to book a room on Sabana Beach Resort yesterday, but very slow internet. So my Guide called when he came to my room in the morning. We managed to get two rooms and I was very happy to be able to leave 10000 Flamingo Lodge. I had enjoyed the views during the morning.
Day light and I can get up
I can see the Flamingos in Chitu Crater Lake
I can see the Flamingos in Chitu Crater Lake
I can see the Flamingos in Chitu Crater Lake
I can see the Flamingos in Lake Shalla from my room
10000 Flamingos Lodge, Oromia, ET Oct 28, 2019 07:41 - 08:56 Protocol: Traveling 0.5 kilometer(s) Checklist Comments: Birding/ Bird watching in Ethiopia with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia. Walking around the 10000 Flamingo Lodge
12 species
Cape Teal 12 Lesser Flamingo X Thousands Speckled Pigeon 4 Speckled Mousebird 1 Fan-tailed Raven 4 10000 Flamingo Lodge - I want to record a call but I get wingflaps
Red-faced Crombec 1 Mocking Cliff-Chat 3 Beautiful Sunbird 3 Variable Sunbird 1 White-browed Sparrow-Weaver 2 Red-cheeked Cordonbleu 1 Long-billed Pipit 1
My bags was at the car and I was very happy to leave this place behind. Imagine this place with furniture in the room. Working electricity and water in the shower, would have been 5 star with the view right out the window. The owner looked to be sullen as a lemon, she never experienced someone leaving before. KEEP YOU PLACE IN ORDER AND MAINTAIN THE EQUIPMENT FER FÅCKS SAKE!!! Shower with no water, I am out of here!
In to the car and we fåcked off out of there driving along the dust road. I took a few pictures of the Chitu Crater Lake before we left 10000 Flamingo Lodge behind us in the dust.
Chitu Crater Lake
Chitu Crater Lake
Chitu Crater Lake
Passing a village on the way to the paved road
Passing a village on the way to the paved road
We drive through a quite big village on the way to the paved road. We turn left and drive towards East until we reached Shashamane, the “Rastaifarai” Town. We crossed th ebridge coming here and we could not stop to have a look at the vultures. I reminded my guide and we stopped before we reached the bridge. I got out of the car and I walked out on the bridge before I crossed the road.
The bridge is crossing the South Rift Valley, named South Rift Valley but it is a very small and narrow part of the valley going through Shashamane. So it is a small bridge, perfect, I am in eye level with the vultures. There were many Hooded Vultures sitting in the trees next to the bridge.
I was very happy when we left the bridge as I was happy with the pictures. After a minute or two we stopped again. The very beautiful Thick-billed Raven was sitting outside the gate to a church and we stopped to try to get pictures. The Thick-billed Raven almost looks like a hornbill.
We leave the Raven behind and we continue driving north towards the Sabana Beach Resort. We reach the resort and we check-in and I was very happy with my bungalow. I could see birds outside my window and I was looking forward to look at the birds in the small stream after lunch. I had a nice and hot shower before lunch.
I knocked on my Guides and Drivers room on the way to the restaurant and we were soon sitting at the same table that we had used yesterday. I ordered a “double” lasagne and a pot of tea.
My room at Sabana Beach Resort
My room at Sabana Beach Resort
My room at Sabana Beach Resort
My room at Sabana Beach Resort
My room at Sabana Beach Resort
My room at Sabana Beach Resort
View from my room
Company at lunch
Company at lunch
Company at lunch
Company at lunch
I went to the “stream” as soon as I was finished with my lunch and I found the “stream” to be dry. Not what I had expected and I went to look for the hotel staff. I found a guy and I asked if he could turn on the water. The water flushed the “stream” and while we filled the water the bird started to come. They were sitting in the trees above the “stream” and the starlings were singing, maybe happy because they knew that they could soon have a bath.
I had borrowed a chair from the restaurant and when I had told the staff to turn off the water I was sitting down enjoying the sights of the birds enjoying the water. Great fun!
OH! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON IT WAS! Sitting on my chair under the tree next to the “stream” Watching birds bathing, I heard someone in Norway made a film with a camera in front of a train engine. The train going through Norway, sounds boring, but many airlines bought the movie and it was popular on the flights. People just watching for hours.
Now, imagine a 12 hours film from a bird bath, you never get tired of watching. I was soon having a Von der Deckens Hornbill in the trees and I spotted one Woodland Kingfisher. The Von der Deckens Hornbill came down on the ground and I watched him foraging on the ground. Looked nice when the bird was eating.
Lake Langano - Sabana Beach Resort, Oromia, ET Oct 28, 2019 12:54 - 15:44 Protocol: Traveling 1,68 kilometer(s) Comments: 20 day Ethiopian birding tour with Flamingos Tours Ethiopia. Birding with my Guide
21 species
Speckled Pigeon 1 Laughing Dove X White-bellied Go-away-bird 1 Eurasian Hoopoe 1 Von der Decken's Hornbill 1 Woodland Kingfisher 1 Black-winged Lovebird 1 Common Bulbul 3 Superb Starling X Many Greater Blue-eared Starling X Many Mocking Cliff-Chat 2 Mariqua Sunbird 1 Male White-browed Sparrow-Weaver X Little Weaver 1 Red-cheeked Cordonbleu 3 Red-billed Firefinch 1 Cut-throat X Village Indigobird 2 Swainson's Sparrow X Many White-bellied Canary 1
I returned the chair to the restaurant and I walked back to my room. I started to feel a little sick during the afternoon. I went to the restaurant at 7 o'clock to have dinner with my Driver and Guide. We had the dinner and there were quite a few guest at the restaurant.
Empty at lunch time but in the evening it was almost full. Many people stop overnight here on the way back to Addis Ababa and then they continue to Addis Ababa early morning.
We will leave tomorrow morning, around 9 o'clock or so. We will take the golf cart service down to the beach to look for birds tomorrow morning. I was back in my room and I checked my bird photos before going to bed.
We go to the restaurant
We go to the restaurant
Sabana Beach Resort
We have dinner in the restaurant
We have dinner in the restaurant
We have dinner in the restaurant
The reception
We have news about some political unrest in the Bole area so we will have to change hour schedule a bit. We were going to Bale Mountains National Park per the original itinerary. Now we have to change and we will go to Wondo Genet instead.
And all we need to do is to clickHEREto find out if we see any birds at Wondo Genet.
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!
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!