Day 1: Addis Ababa, Bahar Dar, Lake Tana
Sunday 8th February 2015
After a comfortable flight from London Heathrow we were met at Addis Ababa airport by our local tour leader, Abiy Dagne. We were taken straight to the Ghion Hotel for breakfast in a cool and comfortable dining room. We spent about an hour in the extensive gardens and had our first taste of Ethiopian birds. While dozens of Yellow-billed Kites and Hooded Vultures soared overhead, we found Ruppell’s Robin Chat, Abyssinian (or Mountain) Thrush and Brown Parisoma among other passerines feeding around the grounds. We returned to the airport for our short flight to Bahar Dar, drove directly to the Tana Hotel and arrived in time for a late lunch. We then spent a leisurely afternoon looking at birds in the picturesque hotel gardens, right on the edge of Lake Tana. A number of exciting finds included several endemic Black-winged Lovebirds; Doubletoothed Barbets could be seen visiting their nest-hole whilst Eastern Plantain Eaters were conspicuous in the top of a tall tree. When we strolled down the entrance road past wet fields we found Wattled Lapwings, the first of many African Jacanas and had close views of Malachite, Striped and Woodland Kingfishers. After a good dinner, those that still had some energy left joined Marcus in a short night walk and were rewarded with prolonged views of a large White-tailed Mongoose – our first mammal species!
After a comfortable flight from London Heathrow we were met at Addis Ababa airport by our local tour leader, Abiy Dagne. We were taken straight to the Ghion Hotel for breakfast in a cool and comfortable dining room. We spent about an hour in the extensive gardens and had our first taste of Ethiopian birds. While dozens of Yellow-billed Kites and Hooded Vultures soared overhead, we found Ruppell’s Robin Chat, Abyssinian (or Mountain) Thrush and Brown Parisoma among other passerines feeding around the grounds. We returned to the airport for our short flight to Bahar Dar, drove directly to the Tana Hotel and arrived in time for a late lunch. We then spent a leisurely afternoon looking at birds in the picturesque hotel gardens, right on the edge of Lake Tana. A number of exciting finds included several endemic Black-winged Lovebirds; Doubletoothed Barbets could be seen visiting their nest-hole whilst Eastern Plantain Eaters were conspicuous in the top of a tall tree. When we strolled down the entrance road past wet fields we found Wattled Lapwings, the first of many African Jacanas and had close views of Malachite, Striped and Woodland Kingfishers. After a good dinner, those that still had some energy left joined Marcus in a short night walk and were rewarded with prolonged views of a large White-tailed Mongoose – our first mammal species!