More from the Northeast...

I have a few minutes to spare so thought I'd post a few more bird photos from Ethiopia. BTW - sorry about the lack of moth pix but it just isn't the season right now. Give me a month and...

The handsome creature above is that vision of loveliness, the Marabou Stork. It is common wherever there is water and as such is particularly numerous in the Rift Valley. I rather like 'em, so what does that say about me?


Another oddly attractive Rift valley bird is the Hammerkop above. The sole member of its own family this strange waterside bird can be quite common in appropriate habitat. Is like a cross between a stork and a heron...


My favorite pigeon of the trip was this one - the lovely Lemon Dove. It took a while to find the first one, but then there was a small avalanche of sightings. I crept up on this one and took a nice series of photos, like this one. Is a beautiful woodland dove that is rather cryptic and shy. The colors just glow when the dappled light catches it right. It is fairly common in well-wooded valleys.


One of the most unusual of finches is this one, the Cut-throat Finch. It is pretty widespread and is easy to see in acacia woodland and scrub. The male has the most unusual plumage feature of the blood-red chin strap, obvious in this photo. Sweeney Todd couldn't have done a better job!


Another striking bird that recently paid a visit to the barber is this amazing male Rosy-patched Bush-Shrike! Is not a difficult bird to find due its very loud vocalizations and its habit of sitting up whilst doing so. At other times though they can be rather skulking and cryptic. The female lacks the extensive rosy patch and has a white throat bordered with black and just a smudge of rose on the breast. It is endemic to NE Africa.


One of the most enigmatic birds of the whole trip, and indeed in the whole of Africa, is the Stresemann's Bush Crow. It is a small, largely terrestrial crow that is closely related to the Ground Jays of central Asia. Unique plumage and habits makes one wonder why it is not in its own monotypic family? It is endemic to a very small part of southern Ethiopia but is, thankfully, common in savannah around the town of Yabello. Often found in gangs, they are confiding and amusing to watch. They often probe into holes in the ground or in tree roots with their slightly decurved bills. The bare blue skin around the eye is a curious feature. There has been some concern that overall numbers have been declining of late. As far as I could see none of its habitat was being formally protected...


I loved these sprite-like birds! Batises are small shrike-like flycatchers that are common in a variety of dry woodlands. There are three species in Ethiopia, this is a female Grey-headed Batis, the male sporting a black breast band. They remind me of tiny versions of the new world Shrike-Vireos, though they tend to sit more upright.


An ancient tree somewhere in the savannah near Bogol Manyo...