21 Nov 2019: Abijatta-Shalla Lakes National Park

Our next destination was situated 56 km south-west of Ziway and comprised of two lakes, Lake Abijatta and Lake Shalla. This nature reserve is situated at one of the narrowest choke-points of the Great Rift Valley and is an important flyway for Palearctic and African migrants. The lakes themselves do not support many fish-eating birds since much of the fish reserves have died out. However, huge numbers of wetland species remain and the shores form an important feeding and resting ground for ducks and waders. Sadly, the nearby Acacia woodland had mostly been felled and turned into charcoal. Overgrazing is also a problem, with herds of roaming camels within the boundaries of the National Park.

Camels, Abiata-Shalla NP

Mekemen, my birding guide, was struggling to identify the local birds as this was not the forest environment in which he grew up as a youngster. It would have been hilarious – if I were not actually paying a costly guiding fee for the services of a professional bird guide – to see both of us paging through our guidebooks in search of a positive ID. The numerous types of wheatears tended to stump us, but I was on a steep learning curve. It did, however, take a good fifteen minutes of paging and elimination before I was able to tick my first Abyssinian Black Wheatear with absolute certainty.

A clump of acacia trees near the entrance to the Park produced good sightings of Northern Red-billed Hornbill, White-winged Black Tit, Superb Starling and a pair of beautiful Greyish Eagle Owls. Later, while navigating a steep decline to the lake shore, we ticked a group of Rufous Chatterer, Little Rock Thrush, Western Yellow Wagtail, Rufous-crowned Roller and a Eurasian Hoopoe. Lunch (tinned sardines on bread with peanut butter and honey) was served out of the boot of our vehicle. It could have been worse – it could have been injera. The lake itself delivered Greater- and Lesser Flamingos as well as numerous Cape Teals.

Yellow Wagtail, (melanogrisea), Abiata-Shalla

Late that afternoon, after a bumpy and muddy 14 km track, we arrived at the 10000 Flamingo Lodge. Situated within the National Park, this rustic and very basic accommodation overlooked both Lake Chitu and the crater lake of Lake Shalla. It had started to rain, and through the misty drizzle we had great views of thousands of Lesser- and Greater Flamingos in the water below the lodge. A Mocking Cliff Chat visited me in my room and made up for the cold shower, leaking roof, torn mosquito net and non-functioning solar power. There was only a single item on the dinner menu – injera.. and the restaurant had also run out of warm beer (not enough power for a fridge apparently) but hey, Africa is not for sissies. I did, however, inform Mekemen that we would not be staying for a second night as planned.

10000 Flamingo Lodge, Ethiopia