Awash Falls National Park

Awash Falls National Park, Ethiopia

23 January 2014

    There were huge numbers of Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii in appropriate habitat at Awash Falls National Park, often in close association with African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus and Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca.

   They were prone to flush at the slightest provocation, usually undetected by us.

Abdim's Storks in flight

Abdim's Storks in flight

African Sacred Ibis with Egyptian Goose

   

Abdim's Stork with Africa Sacred Ibis

    We saw Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops quite frequently although rarely in a position for a decent photograph.

Lake Abijata, Ethiopia

Lake Abijata, Ethiopia

22 January 2014

   The extensive shoreline of Lake Abijata, a shallow lake situated in the Rift Valley, had a great variety of avifauna and we spent a very productive half day there. 

    Grey Heron Ardea cinerea was quite common and seemed to find an abundance of prey at the water's edge.

    A Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus was tugging away at this hawser and appeared to be gleaning strands of the rope for nest building I assumed.

    Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca was a very common species, seen throughout the country. Here it is seen with with Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus.

    At times it seemed that wherever one looked there were Western Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava, but it was frustratingly difficult to photograph one for it seemed they never stayed still for a moment.

    The local African Fish Eagles Haliaeetus vocifer have developed a taste for flamingos and seemed to have a good deal of success in capturing them. This is all that was left of a recent kill. No doubt whatever the eagle might have left was rapidly cleaned up by Marabou Storks Leptoptilos crumenifer.

    As we were leaving we were delighted to see these two Somali Ostriches Struthio molybdophanes moving across the grassland.