Sunshine Coast Birds

Birding and other wildlife experiences from the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere in Australia - and from overseas - with scribblings about travel, environmental issues, kayaking, hiking and camping.

Monday 10 September 2018

ETHIOPIA PART 3 – Lake Langano and the Rift Valley

Black-winged Lovebird

Following our visit to Awash National Park (see here) we continued south to the very nice Harro Langano lodge on the south-east shore of Lake Langano for a two-night stay. Early the first morning we saw a pair of Yellow-fronted Parrots in the tall fig trees outside the lodge restaurant.

Yellow-fronted Parrot
We headed around to the west shore of the lake to check out the compound of the largely disbanded Simbo Lodge. Here were loads of excellent birds including Gymnogene, African Orange-bellied Parrot, Rufous Chatterer, Red-necked Wryneck, Bare-faced Go-Away-Bird and White-bellied Go-Away-Bird.

Gymnogene

Bare-faced Go-Away-Bird

White-bellied go-Away-Bird
Some locals showed us a pair of roosting Greyish Eagle-Owls. We flushed a small group of Ethiopian Epauleted Fruit-Bats.

Ethiopian Epauleted Fruit-Bat
We saw several Little Rock-thrushes – another species I had previously missed on several visits to East Africa. Other birds included Rattling Cisticola, Ethiopian Boubou, Blue-naped Mousebird, Mocking Cliff-Chat and Western Black-headed Batis.


Mocking Cliff-Chat



Little Rock-thrush

Western Black-headed Batis

Blue-naped Mousebird
Rattling Cisticola
Red-necked Wryneck was nice to see.


Red-necked Wryneck
We continued to what used to be the main accommodation centre for birders – the now largely derelict Wabe Shabelle Hotel. In the grounds here we were shown a roosting pair of Northern White-faced Owls.


Northern White-faced Owl
Back in our lodge grounds, Senegal Thick-knees were vocal at night, Gambian Sun-Squirrels scampered about and Hippopotamus wallowed in the lake a short distance offshore. African Fish-Eagles were regular.


African Fish-Eagle



Senegal Thick-knee

Gambian Sun-Squirrel

Hippopotamus
A visit to the ruins of the nearby Bishangari Lodge – yet another disbanded accommodation centre – was productive. We had seen Black-winged Lovebirds several times during the trip but they showed very well here, as did a couple more Yellow-fronted Parrots. We had both Greater and Scaly-throated Honeyguides attending bee hives constructed by locals high in the trees. Other birds included Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Double-toothed Barbet and Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike.


Blue-breasted Bee-eater



Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike
Lilac-breasted Roller is always a joy to behold and Broad-billed Roller was here as well. Greater Blue-eared Starling was one of the common birds of the trip but it impressed us still. 

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Lilac-breasted Roller
 Ruppell's Weaver had been seen fairly commonly and they were attending nests here. Silvery-cheeked Hornbills were common.


Ruppell's Weaver

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill


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