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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.
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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.
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Gymnogene |
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Bare-faced Go-Away-Bird |
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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.
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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.
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Mocking Cliff-Chat |
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Little Rock-thrush |
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Western Black-headed Batis |
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Blue-naped Mousebird |
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Rattling Cisticola |
Red-necked Wryneck was nice to see.
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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.
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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.
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African Fish-Eagle |
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Senegal Thick-knee |
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Gambian Sun-Squirrel |
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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.
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Blue-breasted Bee-eater |
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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.
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Greater Blue-eared Starling |
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Lilac-breasted Roller |
Ruppell's
Weaver had been seen fairly commonly and they were attending nests
here. Silvery-cheeked Hornbills were common.
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Ruppell's Weaver |
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Silvery-cheeked Hornbill |
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