Away day in Somaliland

July 21st was the biggest single day's birding in my East African tour. It was in Somaliland and I was guided by Abdi Jama of Nature Somaliland. It was the undisputed highlight of my whole tour.

Abdi and Nature Somaliland, abdi.jama@ymail.com

• speaks fluent English and spent much of his life in the USA. He responses fast to correspondence
• very friendly and knowledgable about wildlife in general
• arranged a letter of invitation for me so I could pick up a visa on arrival. It was impossible for me to visit Somaliland's representive offices in London, Addis Ababa or Djibouti. This is not a well publicised method of entry but without it I couldn't have gone.
• provided a 4x4 for travel and drove. The 4x4 is open to the elements at the side and has been used for safaris in southern Africa. The openness makes birding much easier than in enclosed vehicles. The temperatures in highland Somaliland are mild and so aircon isn't needed or wanted.
• arranged an armed police escort for the day. This is necessary for all travel in Somaliland outside Hargeisa though I never felt threatened.
• His rate is $400 a day but it includes visa arrangement, pick up from hotel for the day trip, vehicle, police escort, fuel, water, lunch and tea. I reckoned this was value despite me being the only passenger. Obviously for a party of 2 or 3 birders the cost per person is much less. I understand he does discounts for multiple days.

The trip logistics

• left the hotel at 5.30am
• headed east until 4pm when we finished birding and headed back (using the main road) to Hargeisa to be back at hotel just before dusk
• after the airport, we followed the route of the old British colonial road towards Berbera. It effectively runs parallel with the modern road but typically 10 kilometres further south.
• most of the road is only fit to be travelled by 4x4

Trip results and comment

• July is between the long rains and the short rains. It is an uncommon time for foreign birders to visit. The two rainy seasons probably offer more as do the passage times and mid-winter for wintering birds. Nevertheless, that is when my long vacation from work must be so I didn't really have a choice.
• all the birds seen are recorded with location at the bottom of the blog
• nearly 60 species were observed
• 21 species were lifers
• Somali Starling
  Somali Fiscal
  White-crowned Starling
  Abyssinian Scimitarbill
  Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
  White-bellied Bustard
  Somali Courser
  Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
  Somali Bee-eater
  Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tit
  Pale Prinia
  Somali Bunting
  Yellow-spotted Petronia
  Blue-capped Cordonbleu
  Straw-tailed Whydah
  Somali Tit
  Nubian Woodpecker
  Greyish Flycatcher
  Red-billed Oxpecker
  White-bellied Canary
  White-headed Buffalo-Weaver

• Apparently we birded more intensively and nearer to the city than with most clients. We birded within 60 kilometres.
• Our first stop was a small rubbish dump which unfortunately the authorirties are now burning at dawn most days. It used to be guarenteed place for Marabou stork. Locals said that one or two still come around midday. Local baboons are not put off by the smoke.
• The rest of the trip went much more smoothly. We stopped at Ina Qarboosh and several other villages as well as a farm on the way to the plains.
• Ina Qarboosh was a great start. Each other stop had different habitat including one farm and two watering holes.
• The plains at the end used to be home to many tens of Kori bustard. Unfortunately hunters from UAE have exterminated the whole population in the space of 5 years.

baboons eating at a smoking dump just outside the city

largest baboon at the dump

male chestnut-bellied sandgrouse

female chestnut-bellied sandgrouse

Ina Qarboosh

fork-tailed drongo

Namaqua dove

white-headed buffalo-weaver

red-billed quelea

red-billed oxpecker

superb starling

greyish flycatcher

Nubian woodpecker

After Ina Qarboosh

Somali courser

Egyptian goose

goosling

Eastern chanting goshawk

Farm, 30 kilometres along the route

yellow-spotted petronia

straw-tailed whydah

blue-capped cordonbleu

pale prinia

Somali bunting

After the farm

white-bellied bustard 1

white-bellied bustard 2

Eastern yellow-billed hornbill

red-billed buffalo-weaver

Eastern paradise-whydah

leopard tortoise

white-bellied go-away bird

white-crowned starling

wattled starling

Somali bee-eater

Somali fiscal

Speke's gazelle

Somali starling

Edge of Airport, Hargeisa, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 06:00

Little Swift  

Eurasian Hoopoe  

Superb Starling

Small dump, east of Hargeisa, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 06:30 - 06:45

Namaqua Dove  

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark  

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (3 kilometres down the road)

Ina Qarboosh, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 07:00 - 08:30

Speckled Pigeon  

Mourning Collared Dove  

Laughing Dove  

Namaqua Dove  

Hamerkop  

Eurasian Hoopoe  

Nubian Woodpecker  

Fork-tailed Drongo  

Singing Bushlark  

Thekla's Lark  

Greyish Flycatcher  

Superb Starling  

Red-billed Oxpecker  

White-bellied Canary  

Swainson's Sparrow  

White-headed Buffalo-Weaver  

Chestnut Weaver  

Red-billed Quelea 

Watering hole, east of Ina Qarboosh, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 09:15 - 09:45

Egyptian Goose      two goslings and two adults

Laughing Dove  

Namaqua Dove  

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse  

Somali Tit  

Common Bulbul (Somali)  

Old Colonial Road, east of Ina Qarboosh, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 10:00

Eastern Chanting-Goshawk  

Desert Lark 

Somali Courser 

Farm, 30km, east of Hargeisa, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 10:30 - 11:45

Mourning Collared Dove  

Namaqua Dove  

Somali Bee-eater  

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark  

Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tit  

Common Bulbul  (Somali)

Pale Prinia  

Greyish Flycatcher  

African Scrub-Robin  

Somali Bunting  

Yellow-spotted Petronia  

Chestnut Weaver  

Red-billed Quelea  

Blue-capped Cordonbleu  

Straw-tailed Whydah  

Abdi Jama also saw a Purple Grenadier

Old Colonial Road to Berbera, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 12:01

White-bellied Bustard  

Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill  

Great Grey Shrike (Sahara)  

Viilage, 40km east of Hargeisa, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 12:30 - 13:15

Speckled Pigeon  

Mourning Collared Dove  

Namaqua Dove  

African Palm-Swift  

Little Bee-eater  

Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver  

Cut-throat  

Eastern Paradise-Whydah  

Straw-tailed Whydah  

45k east, old colonial road, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 13:30

Abyssinian Scimitarbill  

Somali Bee-eater  

Pale Prinia  

Village 50 k, east of Hargeisa, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 13:45 - 14:15

Laughing Dove  

Somali Bee-eater  

Pied Crow  

Somali Crow 

Hybrid Pied/Somali Crow 

Blackstart  

Superb Starling  

Plains, 50km east of Hargeisa, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 14:45 - 15:30 (including tea break)

Somali Bee-eater  

Somali Fiscal  

Wattled Starling  

White-crowned Starling  

55k, east of Hargiesa, S main road, Woqooyi Galbeed, SO

21-Jul-2018 16:00

Somali Starling  2

To Awash National Park, Ethiopia

On Monday, our last full day in Ethiopia, Roger Butler and I hired a car and driver to travel to Awash National Park.  We started out earlier than the day before too so much more birding was possible especially on the way.

This is another National Park on the commercial bird tour circuit.

northern red bishop

Our first stop was at a pleasant churchyard which had plenty of fruit and other low trees as well as long grass. A northern red bishop was easily spotted towards the top of one of the taller trees. 

green dot marks where we visited at Awash National Park

Just outside the churchyard was a white-browed sparrow weaver.

white-browed sparrow weaver

Inside were several western palearctic wintering warblers. We didn't really have time to identify them as this was only a short stop. However I know that some at least were common whitethroat. 

common whitethroat in the churchyard

These weren't the only western palearctic winterers seen on the way. At a second stop in a drier area, I came across both a male northern wheatear and an isabelline wheatear.

Isabelline wheatear 

I found it odd that the landscape became generally drier and warmer as we rose in altitude towards Awash. I understand that this may be due to geothermal heating of the ground as well as the shape of the landscape (a crater) creating a sun trap.

male northern wheatear

At the same place as the very familiar northern wheatear, there was a much more exotic species. Here was long-tailed-paradise whydah. The male in breeding plumage has a very long tail and is a very slow flyer.

long-tailed-paradise whydah

It uses this presumably to attract females. It doesn't need to catch food for its young which might be difficult with it's ungainliness because it is brood parasite. It brood parasites green-winged pytilia which incidentally I didn't mange to see.

eastern chanting goshawk

Another very short stop a little further down the road produced just a single red-backed shrike and this eastern chanting goshawk flying overhead. Thanks are due to Tom Conzemi on BirdForum for identifying it from a single photo. This was yet another lifer.

saddle-billed stork

I had promised myself, we would visit at least one lake on the vacation to see some water birds. In the end it turned out to be on the last full day. Lake Basaka is on the side of the road on our  journey to Awash National Park. We stopped there for only about 20 minutes but it was long enough to see some good species.

Here were both marabou stork and saddle-billed stork. The former was more numerous. Both were lifers.

marabou stork

Marabou stork in the air reminded me of black stork though the build of the bird is quite different.

marabou stork flying

More familiar birds along the shore line were significant numbers of common sandpiper, wood sandpiper and cattle egret. 

great egret and purple heron

There was a single great egret too which helpfully landed next to the only purple heron on show.

another not so "beautiful sunbird"

The small birds were represented by many wintering yellow wagtail and by a couple of beautiful sunbird. Once again the male which was seen was in heavy moult.

hooded vulture

Between Lake Basaka and the entrance to the National Park is the small town of  Fentale. We stopped here for water and snacks but could easily see several fan-tailed raven as well as hooded vulture in the air while others were perching.

the waterfalls in Awash national park

The visit to the national Park started with lunch at the safara lodge next to the waterfall. 

It was all very pleasant but we had come at the heat of the day in an area that we had't realised was much warmer than Adama despite its altitude. I knew this would adversely affect my birding chances.  

To get the most out of the National Park you really need to stay there over-night which is what most commercial tours do.

From the lodge I looked out on a sole African grey hornbill perched in a tree above the falls. 

Hadada ibis

After lunch Roger, me and the armed ranger who must accompany you (never did find out what the danger was supposed to be) walked along the river in and out of the shaded areas.

In the shade were African mourning dove and more interestingly two Hadada ibis.

northern crombec from the rear

In the open were a mobile flock of northern crombec which is apparently a typical species of dry savanna.

The only other flocking bird seen was red-billed firefinch which kept nearer the shaded areas along the river bank.

village indigobird

Needless to say, the brood parasite of red-billed firefinch, the village indigobird was present.

black-billed barbet

As we headed back to the lodge to start the homeward journey, it began to cool. However we really couldn't stay any longer without having to drive for long periods in the dark, a hazardous occupation in Ethiopia.

Nevertheless I lingered long enough to see three black-billed barbet.

shining sunbird

One more sunbird put in an appearance before we arrived back at the lodge. It was the last bird that I identified on the whole trip. Ironically it's a shining sunbird which I have seen many times in Saudi Arabia. I have eliminated all other possibilities and it fits very well!

Namaqua dove

In the lodge were my first namaqua dove of the holiday.

The road to and from the lodge within the National Park is a dirt track and travel progress is necessarily slow. However it mean I could observe two of the best species of the day from the car. 

Olive bee-eater

All along the transmission cables which run in parallel to the road were perched olive bee-eater (a.k.a Madagascar bee-eater).

dark chanting goshawk

And four dark chanting goshawk we seen at intervals along the way on posts.  Both species were yet again lifers.

A large group of helmeted guineafowl were seen resting under a tree by the side of the road.

Vervet monkey

Even on our short visit with only two hours in the field at the National Park, we  came upon other wildlife including baboons and vervet monkeys.

type of monitor lizard

A large monitor lizard was also observed.

Awash National Park was the last visit of my Ethiopia tour. The tour was only an introduction to east African birding where species count was never the main goal. Having a greater understanding of the bird families and representatives was more important. Indeed I hope that will give me more underpinning knowledge for future visits to East Africa than a dash for a long list.

After returning from Ethiopia I had one days rest before  flying up to Tabuk and north west Saudi Arabia. 

In Saudi Arabia the list is more important to me as well as better  knowledge on geographic distribution of species . The Tabuk tour was a success in both regards as I hope the next series of blogs will show.