Village - Ethiopia

VE 004B, 17 days, Rift Valley, Southern Ethiopia, Negele and Bale Mountains

Day 1: Depart London p.m. on Ethiopian Airlines.

Day 2: Arrive Addis Ababa, transfer to Ghion Hotel. Visit to Entoto National Park. See Day 2 of VE 001B for a description of this day's activities.

Day 3: Today we head south down the Ethiopian Rift Valley, passing Lakes Koka and Zwai and stopping for an overnight at Bekele Molla Hotel, Langano. For this day's activities see Day 3 of VE 001B.

Day 4: Continue south to Lake Awassa - see Day 4 of VE 001B for this day's activities. o/n Wabe Shebelle #1.

Day 5: Full day birding around the shores of the lake, and a trip to the nearby Black Forest. o/n Wabe Shebelle # 1.

Day 6: We drive south towards the border with Kenya, birding along the way. We should reach Yabello by lunch time. We can either set up a fly-tent in the reserve, or stay at a local hotel in town.

The general vegetation type is acacia savannah. After lunch we head into the reserve, where in 1996 210 species were recorded, including the White-tailed Swallow and Abyssinian Bush Crow. Other species we can expect to see: Short-tailed Lark, Pringle's Puff-back, Northern Grey Tit, Abyssinian Grosbeak Canary, Somali Sparrow, Black-capped Social Weaver, Grey-headed Silverbill, Magpie Starling, Archers' Greywing, Little Spotted Woodpecker, Little Tawny Pipit, and Donaldson-Smith's and Star-spotted Nightjars.

Day 7: Full day with picnic lunch in the Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary.

Day 8: We drive south to Mega. In the dry, open woodland characteristic of this area, we expect to find Golden Breasted Starling, Superb Starling, Lilac Breasted Roller, Helmeted and Vulturine Guinea Fowl. Picnic lunch, o/n local hotel or fly tent, Mega.

Day 9: Morning birding around Mega, then we return to Yabello and turn east to Negele. Around the small town of Arero is a forest, the most southerly of the high forests of Ethiopia and the southern most part of the range of the beautiful Prince Raspoli's Turaco, and where the rare Salvadori's Seedeater has also recently been found breeding. 168 species were recorded at this site, including: Bare-eyed Thrush, Boran Cistocola, Banded Parisoma, Tiny Cisticola, Pygmy Batis, Scaly Chatterer, Northern Grey Tit, Pringle's Puffback, Bristle-crowned Starling, Shelley's Starling, Grey-headed Social Weaver, Black-capped Social Weaver and Abyssinian Grosbeak Canary. Among the wildlife recorded in this forest: Bushbuck, Dikdik, Warthog, Wild Pig, Vervet and Colobus Monkeys, Black-backed Jackal, Squirrel, Leopard, Lion, Hyaena, Porcupine, Abyssinian Hare, Civet.

We will make another stop where the Dawa river crosses the road, around Melka Guba. By the river and in the adjacent Wachile Plains, the following species have been recorded: White-winged Dove, Jubaland Weaver, Smaller Black-bellied Sunbird, Golden Pippit, Pringle's Puffback, Red-naped Bush Shrike, Bare-eyed Thrush, Tiny Cisticola, Pygmy Batis, Hunter's Sunbird. We will now push on to Negele, passing through some interesting areas we will have to come back to on the following day. o/n Tourist Hotel, Negele

Days 10 and 11: We will spend two days day exploring the various habitats around Negele, taking with us picnic lunches. We will first retrace our steps south. Southeast of Negele is the area known as the Liben plains, the only known locality for the Sidamo Long-clawed Lark. Other species recorded here include: Somali Short-toed Lark, Tiny Cisticola, Heuglin's Bustard, Hunter's Sunbird, Golden Pipit, Pygmy Batis, Red-naped Bush-Shrike, White-crowned Starling, Rufus Sparrow and Coqui Francolin. West of the plains and on the Negele-Arero road is the Mankubsa-Welenso forest, another known site for Prince Ruspoli's Turaco and Salvadori's Seedeater. Other species recorded in this Juniper forest include: Somali Short-toed Lark, Boran Cisticola, Banded Parisoma and Somali Long-billed Crombec, Ovambo Sparrowhawk and Red-chested Sunbird. Of animal species, the Greater Kudu, Dikdik and Anubis baboon can be seen. On the second day (we can do these sites in any order) we will visit the Anfrera Forest, north of Negele, where the majority population of Prince Ruspoli's Turaco is believed to be found. Salvadori's Seedeater and Brown-rumped Bunting may also be seen in this area. The forest and surroundings are home to a varied wildlife population, including: Warthog, Bushpig, Eastern Forest Hog, Duiker, Leopard, Zorilla, Civet, White-tailed Mongoose, Aardvark, Hyena, Abyssinian Hare, Colobus and Green Monkeys, Anubis Baboon, Bushbuck, Crested Porcupine, Common and Black-backed Jackals, Rock Hyrax, Ground Squirrel. o/n Tourist Hotel, Negele.

Day 12: We head off towards Goba, via Dollo Mena. Some kilometers north of Dollo Mena, the landscape changes as we start ascending and enter the Harenna forest. We will see different animals along the road and in the forest we expect to see the Golden Backed Woodpecker and White Backed Tit. On our way to Goba, we pass the highest moorland in Africa, the Sanetti Plateau. Here we may see the Wattled Crane and the endemic Simien Fox. o/n Goba Wabe Shabelle Hotel. (For more details for today and Day 13, see Days 6 and 7 of VE 0001B)

Day 13: Full day birding in the Bale National Park. o/n Goba Wabe Shabelle Hotel.

Day 14: Head back to the Rift Valley, via the Park Headquarters at Dinsho, with birding stops en route. o/n Wondo Genet Lodge.

Day 15: Full day birding in the forest, with picnic lunch. Wondo Genet Lodge has a naturally heated swimming pool - the waters are supposed to have curative properties. For more information, see Day 8 of VE 001B. o/n Wondo Genet Lodge.

Day 16: Depart for Addis Ababa, with a lunch stop at Debre Zeit, arriving back in time for some souvenir shopping. o/n Ghion Hotel.

Day 17: Transfer to the airport for mid day departure.

For those visitors arriving on Lufthansa or Alitalia:

Departure (from Europe) and arrival will be on Day 1. On Day 2 a full rather than half-day will be spent with picnic lunch in the Entoto National Park. (If clients wish, we can visit the Entoto National Park on horseback.) On Day 15 we can spend a little longer around Debre Zeit, visiting the Chelekleke Wetland, before returning to Addis Ababa. On Day 16 there will be a morning excursion to Gefersa reservoir, some 20 km west of the city, where we can expect to see Rouget's Rail, Abyssinian Longclaw, Blue-winged Goose and Black-headed Siskin. Rest of afternoon at leisure (day rooms will be hired). Souvenir shopping can be arranged. Depart late evening.