17 Nov 2019: Birding Bishoftu / Debre Zeit

Ethiopia is certainly one of the primary birding locations in Africa, and a must-visit-bucket-list country on any serious birder’s African itinerary. This landlocked and mountainous country in the Horn of Africa hosts some 816 bird species of which sixteen are endemic and a further thirteen are shared only with neighbouring Eritrea. Ethiopia is a relatively safe destination despite an ongoing territorial dispute with Eritrea. Good infrastructure, combined with the difficulty to access most of the neighbouring countries, makes Ethiopia a choice destination for birders.

The sun had just risen over the beautiful Bishoftu Guda Lake when I joined Mekemen on the veranda of the lodge. We birded the property down to the water’s edge and within an hour ticked seventeen birds, of which Broad-ringed (Montane) White-eye, African Citrel, Swainson’s Sparrow, Little Rock Thrush, Baglafecht Weaver, Rüppell's Robin Chat and Red-faced Crombec were significant finds.

Later the morning, after a hearty breakfast and some magnificent local coffee, we headed to nearby Lake Chelekleka. This is a seasonally inundated pan on the periphery of Debre Zeit town. Because of its shallow and muddy nature, the wide shoreline of the lake is an ideal habitat for waders. Our first stop on the lakeshore also served as the dumpsite and toilet of the local informal community. Birding commenced while sidestepping squashy human landmines and other less-identifiable objects. A couple of domestic pigs, as well as numerous species of ducks and waders, seemed to relish the odorous environment. Mekemen, my friendly and rather elderly guide, then identified a Grey Heron as a Squacco Heron. This came as quite an eyeopener. I wondered if the problem was perhaps his eyesight or his limited and broken English. Subsequent sightings indicated that he had better vision than myself and his use of the Queen’s language was quite passable, but still he was unable to identify most of the ducks and waders. An impromptu training session in the identification of waders followed.

Black-winged Lovebird, Lake Chelekleka

Waders and water birds may not have been Mekemen’s strong point, but he immediately identified the call of an Ethiopian Boubou in nearby undergrowth. It took a few minutes of intense searching before the skulker grew tired of hiding in deep shadows and allowed us a clear view. A long walk along the shoreline followed and we found Brown Parisoma, Brown Woodland Warbler, Fan-tailed Raven, Grey-backed Fiscal and Willow Warbler. New species for the year-list were a pair of nesting Black-winged Lovebirds and some Ethiopian Blue-breasted Bee-eaters.

Ethiopian Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Lake Chelekleka

Mekemen also pointed out a gathering of grumpy Marabou Storks in some eucalyptus trees. My theory is that Marabous live on a diet of injera – a traditional Ethiopian dish consisting of enormous, sour pancakes made of an indigenous grain called tef. It is served with wat, a meaty substance stuffed with extremely spicy objects of undetermined origin. Last night I had the dubious privilege of eating injera. Injera looks like a round plate of rubber, and tastes quite similar. Mekemen and I were surrounded by mournful looking Marabous emptying their digestive systems from the branches above us. Their undertaker countenance and hunched-over posture was due to the painful process of getting rid of their injera intake. I was struck with profound sympathy for these struggling storks, for I was battling with a similar problem. Marabous also have a bizarre habit of urinating down their own legs, thereby leaving their legs coated in a white residue. After strong consideration I have come to the conclusion that this is actually a cleansing ritual – they need to get rid of the smell of injera. What is more, these poor birds are subjected to a really bad skin condition. They are bald headed and their faces seem to have been burnt by a blowtorch. The hot condiments added to the wat can bring about this incinerated look. To make matters even worse - a lesser known by-product of injera is gas. It creates opulent quantities of gas. One only has to look at the pendulous red gasbags under a marabou’s beak to know that injera ought to be certified as a hazardous substance. And another thing about injera - it has an extremely sour taste. Believe me, it feels as if your taste buds are retreating into your tonsils and your cheeks shrivel into discarded prunes. It is really sour – that is why you will never see a smiling marabou.

Marabou Stork, Lake Chelekleka

Guess what I am eating tonight? I promise you – it won’t be injera.