Birdwatching trip to Ethiopia 3-24/11
Earlier this autumn I was asked to participate in a bird watching trip to Ethiopia, arranged by Avifauna, the travel agency of the Swedish Ornithological Society (SOF). As this was a trip I wanted to do for many years I accepted immediately.
The trip was a great success. We found all of the 30 endemic bird species (that is, species that only occur in a certain area) to Ethiopia that we had a chance to see. The only two endemics we didn't have a chance to see was a lark in an unsafe area close to the Somalian border and a nightjar that never has been seen alive (the species is described from one found wing!). In all, we saw 509 species of birds and several nice mammals, for example Leopard, Serval and the very handsome and rare Ethiopian Wolf. We experienced extremely beautiful sceneries in both savannas and mountainous areas and we met lovely people in small villages. Usually very poor when it comes to material standard, but they seemed proud and happy in their poverty. I didn't witness misery in the same way I have experienced in, for example, some parts of Asia. And wherever we came driving in our Landcruisers people waved to us like we were pop stars. Why don't we do the same when we have guests from Africa visiting Sweden? I really liked the country and hope to go back again someday.
In three weeks, we only spent four nights at hotels. Instead we camped out in the nature, in order to be able to start birdwatching directly after breakfast in the mornings. We had the privilege of having an excellent guide, Håkan Pohlstrand, who has established a tour company with a very comfortable tent camp including great cooking facilities, hot shower and everything else one can ask for. He also speaks the language, Amharinja, fluently as he lived in Ethiopia for more than 20 years.
Earlier this autumn I was asked to participate in a bird watching trip to Ethiopia, arranged by Avifauna, the travel agency of the Swedish Ornithological Society (SOF). As this was a trip I wanted to do for many years I accepted immediately.
The trip was a great success. We found all of the 30 endemic bird species (that is, species that only occur in a certain area) to Ethiopia that we had a chance to see. The only two endemics we didn't have a chance to see was a lark in an unsafe area close to the Somalian border and a nightjar that never has been seen alive (the species is described from one found wing!). In all, we saw 509 species of birds and several nice mammals, for example Leopard, Serval and the very handsome and rare Ethiopian Wolf. We experienced extremely beautiful sceneries in both savannas and mountainous areas and we met lovely people in small villages. Usually very poor when it comes to material standard, but they seemed proud and happy in their poverty. I didn't witness misery in the same way I have experienced in, for example, some parts of Asia. And wherever we came driving in our Landcruisers people waved to us like we were pop stars. Why don't we do the same when we have guests from Africa visiting Sweden? I really liked the country and hope to go back again someday.
In three weeks, we only spent four nights at hotels. Instead we camped out in the nature, in order to be able to start birdwatching directly after breakfast in the mornings. We had the privilege of having an excellent guide, Håkan Pohlstrand, who has established a tour company with a very comfortable tent camp including great cooking facilities, hot shower and everything else one can ask for. He also speaks the language, Amharinja, fluently as he lived in Ethiopia for more than 20 years.
The pictures above show 1) Ethiopian Wolf at Senete Plateau, Bale Mountains, 2) The rare and endemic Sidamo Lark at Negelli Plains, 3) Harwood's Francolin in Jemmu Valley, the last of the 30 endemics we saw on the trip, 4) Abyssinian Owl in Dinsho, 5) a Northern Carmine Bee-eater resting on the back of an Arabian Bustard at Alledeghi Plains and 6) yours truly looking for birds in a dramatic environment outside Ankober.
1 comment:
Very nice photo of the bee-eater riding on the back of the bustard! Unfortunately I didn't get that one myself...
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