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Ethiopia Feb 2020 independent budget (1 Viewer)

Thanks Daniel, the endemic mammals are my main interest too!

It would be nice to prioritise both birds and mammals with an itinerary that aims to do just that, after all, most will only ever visit the country once.

I am a little concerned that mixing people with different priorities could cause some problems on the trip?

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Gelada but wouldn't be keen on a diversion (at cost to the bird list) for e.g a Rat!
 
Quite right, Andy, however the Geladas are at a birding spot anyway.

I'm sure we can sort out an itinerary which gets us most of both without anyone feeling they've lost out.

Personally, I'd like to see birds & mammals, but I'm not that bothered, e.g., to travel a hundred miles for a single endem.

I'll put some thoughts on here soon, and KK, if you could let me know what would be your priorities, then a route to suit will emerge.

All the best,

H
 
:t:

Obviously there can be conflict and in fact, I was planning to go in 2015 but that never happened. The big issues I had were that two people dropped out at short notice and another guy, Janco whose interests are more mammals, then invited his birding uncle who insisted on covering Yabello and Negelle in a one night stay at the expense of time in Bale mountains, where I really wanted at least 3 nights for the wolf. I didn't feel the extra journey time (very long out of the way drive) was worth the benefit of a couple of extra birds, even nice ones, like the turaco. They ended up booking a different driver/guide and went their own way, you can find his trip report on mammalwatching.com. As a result of this I never went to Ethiopia and went and spent two weeks with wild dogs in South Africa instead.


Given we're looking at two weeks, spending time in the highlands and around the rift valley lakes would seem to be a good starting point, I am really into both birds and mammals and Richard and I have discussed this over email at some length already. but for the benefit of others, for this trip my mammal priorities would of course be the geladas and the ethiopian wolf first and foremost. Luckily for me the other mammal targets that I am keen to see are also the ones in the Bale mountains i.e. Starck's hare, giant mole rat etc. I'd like to do a bit of spotlighting if possible. There are other good mammal possibilities such as golden wolf, striped/spotted hyena , aardwolf, aardvark, caracal, serval, oryx depending on what other sites we visit.

Birding wise I don't have any specific targets in mind other than showy stuff and I have less interest in targeting LBJs (bird or mammals, don't need to ID every small rodent we see or go chasing after small endemic mammals).:t: Does anyone have any birding targets in mind?


All the best

Jo
 
:t:

Birding wise I don't have any specific targets in mind other than showy stuff and I have less interest in targeting LBJs (bird or mammals, don't need to ID every small rodent we see or go chasing after small endemic mammals).:t: Does anyone have any birding targets in mind?


All the best

Jo

There are 18-20 endemics I believe ( depending on taxonomy applied) and that's a fairly modest number, on a targeted bird trip, you'd hope to see most, if not all of them. Got to admit though that the only standouts for me are the Turaco and the Bush Crow.

Sounds like the Wolf needs some time?

I have no problem spotlighting and would obviously like to see most of the mammals on your list but birds are my priority, anything else would be a bonus.

Here are the endemic birds according to one list.

Pternistis harwoodi (Galliformes Phasianidae) Harwood's Francolin

Scleroptila psilolaema (Galliformes Phasianidae) Moorland Francolin

Cyanochen cyanoptera (Anseriformes Anatidae) Blue-winged Goose

Caprimulgus solala (Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgidae) Nechisar Nightjar

Corythaixoides personatus (Musophagiformes Musophagidae) Brown-faced Go-away-bird

Tauraco ruspolii (Musophagiformes Musophagidae) Ruspoli's Turaco

Vanellus melanocephalus (Charadriiformes Charadriidae) Spot-breasted Lapwing

Poicephalus flavifrons (Psittaciformes Psittacidae) Yellow-fronted Parrot

Zavattariornis stresemanni (Passeriformes Corvidae) Ethiopian Bushcrow

Heteromirafra archeri (Passeriformes Alaudidae) Liben Lark

Hirundo megaensis (Passeriformes Hirundinidae) White-tailed Swallow

Parophasma galinieri (Passeriformes Sylviidae) Abyssinian Catbird

Zosterops kaffensis (Passeriformes Zosteropidae) Kaffa White-eye

Oenanthe dubia (Passeriformes Muscicapidae) Sombre Rockchat

Pytilia lineata (Passeriformes Estrildidae) Red-billed Pytilia

Macronyx flavicollis (Passeriformes Motacillidae) Abyssinian Longclaw

Crithagra flavigula (Passeriformes Fringillidae) Yellow-throated Seedeater

Crithagra xantholaema (Passeriformes Fringillidae) Salvadori's Seedeater

Crithagra ankoberensis (Passeriformes Fringillidae) Ankober Serin

Serinus nigriceps (Passeriformes Fringillidae) Ethiopian Siskin
 
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We were there 2017.....wolf not a problem at all. We had 6 in an hour...they don't get up early either so perfect for me :-O:-O
 
Thanks, BBB,

Good to know - I had the impression that the wolves weren't too difficult - I guess, though, like all things trip-wise, nothing is guaranteed.

I too, like the idea of spotlighting - always up for maximising the day/night!

I'd like very much like to do the Bushcrow/Swallow/Turaco sites around Yabella - easily doable on a 2 week trip, and not very distant from the Wolves site anyway.

There are, probably, 1 or 2 endems which aren't worth the extra travel/effort, but most are reachable, if not necessarily nailed on.

We'll have to keep a eye on the unrest in the north, and perhaps compromise around that area, though again, I wasn't planning on extensive travelling there anyway, rather concentrating on 2 or 3 sites, if memory serves.

I think the different interests of various parties can be accommodated, I've done a few shared trips now to know that. We all should say what would be a deal-breaker and what would be a must.

I just want to see as much of everything as possible, within reason.

H
 
The advice I received at the time from a respected bird guide was that if you are going to cover yabello/negelle you ideally need 4 days accounting for travel coming from Bale It is possible to cover these sites in less time but it's a hell of a drive. I don't know if the infrastructure has improved, but that's what I was told at the time.

All the best

Jo
 
If you look at eBird for the sites of the 3 species around Yabella, you can see that there isn't a need to do excessive distances, they have been seen relatively close to the Bale plateau region.
And, yes, Ethiopia has benefited hugely recently from improved infrastructure (courtesy of the Chinese, apparently)
So, when I was looking to do 10 days or so last year I had to sacrifice this extension, but it's easily doable in a fortnight.

H
 
Thanks, BBB,

Good to know - I had the impression that the wolves weren't too difficult - I guess, though, like all things trip-wise, nothing is guaranteed.

I too, like the idea of spotlighting - always up for maximising the day/night!

I'd like very much like to do the Bushcrow/Swallow/Turaco sites around Yabella - easily doable on a 2 week trip, and not very distant from the Wolves site anyway.

There are, probably, 1 or 2 endems which aren't worth the extra travel/effort, but most are reachable, if not necessarily nailed on.

We'll have to keep a eye on the unrest in the north, and perhaps compromise around that area, though again, I wasn't planning on extensive travelling there anyway, rather concentrating on 2 or 3 sites, if memory serves.

I think the different interests of various parties can be accommodated, I've done a few shared trips now to know that. We all should say what would be a deal-breaker and what would be a must.

I just want to see as much of everything as possible, within reason.

H

Which ones?
 
Just to be clear, I was wanting 3 days minimum in the Bale area not because the wolf is difficult as such but because I wanted to be able to savour the time there. I'd rather do a few sites in depth than race round places toget a bigger list. :)
 
Just to be clear, I was wanting 3 days minimum in the Bale area not because the wolf is difficult as such but because I wanted to be able to savour the time there. I'd rather do a few sites in depth than race round places toget a bigger list. :)

And this is where I fear, there may be a clash of idealogies, it is then, not really a 'birding trip' but as long as people are fully aware when they commit, there should be no issue though that would rule me out I'm afraid.

I want to see as much as possible of a country, it's birds and other wildlife, when I know that I almost certainly, won't return.
 
I feel 3 days at Bale is a lot of time: this is a high altitude area and because of the altitude, there are few birds and few other wildlife to savour. It can be a bit misty though.
So if you have a good morning, you can see about everything (birdwise and mammalwise) and move on.
 
Which ones?

Well, with more research:

Juba Weaver
Heuglin's Bustard
Collared Lark
White-headed Babbled
Somali Wheatear

are all remote species, which would add massively to the distances for their sake.

However:

Stressman's Bushcrow
Ruspoli's Turaco and possibly
White-tailed Swallow (getting more remote)

I'd like to have a crack at,
though
Liben/Archer's/Sidamo Lark might be a stretch too far for a lbj.

What's the most you're prepared to not see, Andy?!

KittyKat: rather than spend 3 days at Bale itself, there are sites nearby that are well worth doing (Harenna, Gaysay, Sanetti, eg) with good mammals.

What's your default must-haves?

Like Andy, I'm not likely to return to Ethiopia, so would like to see as much as possible.
There are 340+ ticks for me, and I've been to Africa a few times!

H
 
Well, with more research:

Juba Weaver
Heuglin's Bustard
Collared Lark
White-headed Babbled
Somali Wheatear

are all remote species, which would add massively to the distances for their sake.

However:

Stressman's Bushcrow
Ruspoli's Turaco and possibly
White-tailed Swallow (getting more remote)

I'd like to have a crack at,
though
Liben/Archer's/Sidamo Lark might be a stretch too far for a lbj.

What's the most you're prepared to not see, Andy?!

KittyKat: rather than spend 3 days at Bale itself, there are sites nearby that are well worth doing (Harenna, Gaysay, Sanetti, eg) with good mammals.

What's your default must-haves?

Like Andy, I'm not likely to return to Ethiopia, so would like to see as much as possible.
There are 340+ ticks for me, and I've been to Africa a few times!

H


Bushcrow and Turaco would be must see.

As a birder, the priorities are the species that you have no chance of anywhere else either for logistical or endemic reasons. The Swalllow would clearly fall in to that category as would Juba Weaver, White-headed Babbler, Somali Wheatear and Liben/Archer's/Sidamo Lark which otherwise require a trip in to war zones.

Heuglin's Bustard, though I'd like to see it, is also found in Kenya as is Collared Lark.

In order to see all the birds and all the mammals, maybe a trip could be extended to three weeks which I'd have no problem with but hanging around just to 'savour' the place, is a luxury that most don't have with such limited time, I've never known a group trip do that, not a commercial one anyway.

I just have the feeling that the interested parties so far, are not totally compatible, I'd hate for one person or more, to feel that they weren't allowed to satisfy their own aims so I think it needs to be either a bird trip with a few good mammals or a mammal trip with some good birds, at the moment, it's neither?
 
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I get where you're coming from, Andy, but there are a lot of endems/near endems to see, as well as a long list of birds to see otherwise.
I've yet to do a trip where more than, say, two- thirds of the entire list is seen.
So, for me, travelling extra hundreds of miles for the chance of a few extras, while missing out on dozens of other goodies makes little sense - on a return mop-up maybe, an expensive luxury I'd rather spend doing another country entirely on anyway.
So, the Babbler, Wheatear and Weaver are a big push just for their sites, which could mean not seeing other stuff.
There could be a problem with one or two others, if tensions in the north continue - Somali Bulbul, Ab. Black Wheatear?
Perhaps, if enough people are interested, a third week extension for some could be a possibility, though more difficult logistically.
I suppose, putting my cards on the table, I'm not as hard core as you, and we might never reach a compromise. Though I'm no longer time-constrained I do have budget restrictions, and my world list has a long way to go yet, so I tend to go for big lists rather than getting every last species from any one country (I've been to Thailand many times, and am still far from wiping up there!)

All the best.

R
 
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