Day 12: Hawassa to Bale Mountains
Thursday 19th February 2015
Hawassa - Bale Mountains - Goba A pre-breakfast walk through the hotel grounds and along the lake shore revealed a good variety of birds. New species included the impressive Blue-headed Coucal and an active pair of Spotted Creepers which are surprisingly large compared to more familiar treecreeper species. After breakfast, we enjoyed intimate views of the Mantled Guereza monkeys that are semi-habituated within the hotel grounds. Cameras clicked as adults and young sat up in the trees and then descended to play together on the grass. We left the hotel and spent a memorable morning at the Hawassa Fish Market, which was a busy throng of people and birds. Marabou Storks fed on scraps whilst White-winged Terns milled overhead and waders flew around our feet. Out on the lake, wildfowl included White-backed Duck, White-faced Whistling Duck and Pygmy Goose. We walked along the shore to an area of open woodland, where Abiy found two delightful Gambian Sun Squirrels and we saw several more Grivet monkeys. After an excellent lunch in Shashemene, we embarked on the long drive up into the Bale Mountains. As the road climbed higher, we passed through increasingly green fields before finally entering the national park itself. Soon after passing the sign, we came across a flock of Spot-breasted Lapwings and saw several Rouget's Rails. Later, as we crossed a plateau, we saw over 50 Reedbuck and several of the impressive Mountain Nyala. When we stopped at the park headquarters, Abiy went to get our permits. He returned to the coach to tell us that he had found a Serval. After hurriedly clambering out, we had brief but close views of this elusive cat before it slipped quietly into cover; what a superb start to our Bale experience!
Hawassa - Bale Mountains - Goba A pre-breakfast walk through the hotel grounds and along the lake shore revealed a good variety of birds. New species included the impressive Blue-headed Coucal and an active pair of Spotted Creepers which are surprisingly large compared to more familiar treecreeper species. After breakfast, we enjoyed intimate views of the Mantled Guereza monkeys that are semi-habituated within the hotel grounds. Cameras clicked as adults and young sat up in the trees and then descended to play together on the grass. We left the hotel and spent a memorable morning at the Hawassa Fish Market, which was a busy throng of people and birds. Marabou Storks fed on scraps whilst White-winged Terns milled overhead and waders flew around our feet. Out on the lake, wildfowl included White-backed Duck, White-faced Whistling Duck and Pygmy Goose. We walked along the shore to an area of open woodland, where Abiy found two delightful Gambian Sun Squirrels and we saw several more Grivet monkeys. After an excellent lunch in Shashemene, we embarked on the long drive up into the Bale Mountains. As the road climbed higher, we passed through increasingly green fields before finally entering the national park itself. Soon after passing the sign, we came across a flock of Spot-breasted Lapwings and saw several Rouget's Rails. Later, as we crossed a plateau, we saw over 50 Reedbuck and several of the impressive Mountain Nyala. When we stopped at the park headquarters, Abiy went to get our permits. He returned to the coach to tell us that he had found a Serval. After hurriedly clambering out, we had brief but close views of this elusive cat before it slipped quietly into cover; what a superb start to our Bale experience!