Madagascar Sept 14 - Oct 3 2004

This is a brief summary of our itinary or page down to lists of Birds or Animals that we saw

Tana - Driving into Tana from the airport takes you through paddyfields where various Herons and Egrets can be seen. Cattle Egrets also roost in Tsimbazaza Zoo with a few Night Herons, and there are a couple of captive Fish Eagles and Ground-Rollers. There is also an Elephant Bird skeleton in the Zoo's museum with some fossil eggs, as well as numerous stuffed birds and animals which will give you some idea of the island's fauna. It's all a bit sad and run-down but it is a welcome bit of green space.
Perinet - The Special Reserve is the old reserve set up to protect the Indri. There are many birds here and the guides should be able to find you roosting Scops Owl. The area round the visitor centre is also worth a look - we had good views of Nuthatch Vanga here. Just down the road is the Orchid garden which is a pleasant place to sit. You'll probably be taken round here on a night walk to see Chameleons and Mouse Lemurs.
Mantadia - This is the National Park some 15km or so north of Perinet, accessible by following the road past Vakona Lodge and on and up into the hills. You need a car to get up here as it's too far to cycle from Vakona and the lorries going to the graphite mine are sporadic. The birding here is harder than Perinet as the slopes are steeper and the forest is thicker. Tapes are really necessary to lure out Ground-Rollers which seem active just after sunrise. Mad. Grebe can be found on a pool by the mine road, and little groups of Munias can be seen along the roadside - watch the skies for Mad Sparrowhawk and Buzzard.
Maromiza forest is an area of secondary forest to the east of Perinet on RN2. To be honest we didn't see much here but there are good views from the ridge by the radio mast. We saw more birds across the road on the southern edge of the Perinet reserve including a nice Blue Vanga.
Ille St Marie isn't really a birding destination. The Megaptera organisation run Whale watching boat trips setting out from the Princess Bora Lodge and you can see Terns and Noddies out on the water, as well as Humpback Whales. We also saw a few birds up near Chez Vavate which is on the hilltop above the airport and its a pleasant walk up here to the Panoramie viewpoint.
Parc Ivolina, just outside Toamasina isn't really worth a trip unless you have a few hours to kill. Most of the Lemurs are in small cages, but there are a pair of Aye-aye which the guide wanted to poke with a stick to wake them up for the tourists ! There are also a few free-roaming Lemurs which come down from the trees for carrots.
Berenty is famous for it's Ring-tailed Lemurs - however most of these looked to be in very poor condition, probably due to them begging scraps from the cafe and eating unsuitable non-native vegetation. There are lots of birds here though and a night walk in the small spiny forest is worth doing to see Nightjars and Owls. You can also wander round on your own and it's ideal for photography. The river was very low when we went, so not many water birds apart from a few Comb Ducks.
Reserve de Nahampoana, Fort Dauphin. This is run by Air Fort Services - a rival organisation to the De Heaulme empire so the Hotel Dauphin were very unhelpful. However we flagged a taxi down in town and it's a 20 minute trip north - about 200,000 MSF for the round trip. This is the old botanic gardens and there are a few troups of free-roaming Lemurs and Sifakas - again ideal for photography. They are now offering accomodation which would be worth investigating.
Ifaty - a bit of a bone-shaking ride from Tulear. At the north end of the village where the "road" turns into sand, on the right hand side, is a sign to Moosa's hut - Ornithology Tours. Unfortunately the man was away, but his able assistants La-Tza and Gila managed to round up a Long-tailed Ground-Roller, a Subdesert Mesite and Sickle-billed Vangas for us. They also showed us the nest sites of Archbolds Newtonia and Running Coua so quite a productive morning here. They would also escort you to an area nearer Tulear for Red-shouldered Vanga and Sandgrouse, but we didn't have time..

Birds

Madagascar Grebe	Tachybaptus pelzelnii	Pool by graphite mine track, Mantadia, only ones we saw
Great Egret	Ardea alba	Paddyfields, Tana, widespread
Diamorphic Egret	Egretta dimorpha	Paddyfields, Tana, widespread (we only saw white ones though)
Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides	Paddyfields, Tana, small numbers
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis	Paddyfields, Tana, very common
Black-crowned Night-Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Tsimbazaza Zoo, Tana, one or two birds
Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta	Outside Fort Dauphin, 3 in a paddyfield
Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	Outside Brickaville, one flew over road
Comb Duck	Sarkidiornis melanotos	Berenty, pair on the river
Red-billed Duck	Anas erythrorhyncha	Outside Fort Dauphin, small flock in lake
Yellow-billed Kite	Milvus aegyptius	Common at Berenty
Madagascar Harrier-Hawk	Polyboroides radiatus	Perinet fishponds, one circling round, also a few at Berenty
Frances' Goshawk	Accipiter francesii	Car park, Mantadia, sat quietly in tree
Madagascar Sparrowhawk	Accipiter madagascariensis	Berenty, few birds perached in dead trees
Madagascar Buzzard	Buteo brachypterus	Mantadia, circling overhead
Madagascar Kestrel	Falco newtoni	Vakona Lodge, Perinet also Berenty
Banded Kestrel	Falco zoniventris	Spiny forest, Ifaty, one bird perched in tree
Helmeted Guineafowl	Numida meleagris	Berenty, few birds near 'zoo'
Subdesert Mesite	Monias benschi	Spiny forest, Ifaty, one bird in tree
Madagascar Buttonquail	Turnix nigricollis	Berenty, few birds alongside trails
White-throated Rail	Dryolimnas cuvieri	Perinet (heard only in deep bush by road)
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Perinet, Lac Vert, one pair
Madagascar Pratincole	Glareola ocularis	Bridge outside Brickaville, 3 birds flying
Common Ringed Plover	Charadrius hiaticula	Beach, Ifaty, few birds feeding
Madagascar Plover	Charadrius thoracicus	Beach, Ifaty, pair feeding
Kittlitz's Plover	Charadrius pecuarius	Beach, Ifaty, pair feeding
White-fronted Plover	Charadrius marginatus	Runway, Ille St Marie., pair in grass
Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus	Pirate cemetry, Ille St Marie, also Ifaty beach
Common Greenshank	Tringa nebularia	Berenty, few birds on river
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	Berenty, few birds on river
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	Beach, Ifaty, few birds feeding
Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea	Beach, Ifaty, one feeding
Kelp Gull	Larus dominicanus	Fort Dauphin, several patrolling along beach
Caspian Tern	Sterna caspia	Offshore, Ille St Marie, odd birds flying past
Lesser Crested Tern	Sterna bengalensis	Offshore, Ille St Marie, odd birds flying by
Great Crested Tern	Sterna bergii	Offshore, Ille St Marie, several birds flying
Lesser Noddy	Anous tenuirostri	Offshore, Ille St Marie, small group on sea
Rock Dove	Columba livia	Tana and most large villages
Madagascar Turtle-Dove	Streptopelia picturata	Panoramie, Ille St Marie, pair in Palm tree
Namaqua Dove	Oena capensis	Sisal plantation, Berenty, odd birds on ground
Madagascar Green-Pigeon	Treron australis	Berenty, small flock one morning in dead trees
Madagascar Blue-Pigeon	Alectroenas madagascariensis	Mantadia, one or two in forest
Gray-headed Lovebird	Agapornis canus	Berenty also Spiny Forest
Vasa Parrot	Coracopsis vasa	Pool by graphite mine track, Mantadia
Black Parrot (Lesser Vasa)	Coracopsis nigra	Perinet, Berenty and Spiny Forest
Giant Coua	Coua gigas	Berenty, several in leaf litter
Running Coua	Coua cursor	Spiny forest, Ifaty, one on nest
Crested Coua	Coua cristata	Berenty, fairly common, also in Spiny Forest
Blue Coua	Coua caerulea	Maromiza, Perinet, one bird down a track
Madagascar Coucal	Centropus toulou	Perinet and Berenty, fairly common
Malagasy Scops-Owl	Otus rutilus	Perinet, a brownish coloured owl, pair roosting in Birds nest Fern
Torotoroka Scops-Owl	Otus madagascariensis	Berenty, this is a much greyer bird now split from Malagasy Scops Owl, pair roosting in cactus
White-browed Owl	Ninox superciliaris	Berenty, pair roosting in thick scrub
Madagascar Nightjar	Caprimulgus madagascariensis	Heard in Toamasina, one spotlighted in Berenty Spiny Forest
African Palm-Swift	Cypsiurus parvus	Toamasina, fairly common here
Madagascar Swift	Apus balstoni	Mantadia, a few alongside the mine road
Malagasy Kingfisher	Alcedo vintsioides	Orchid gardens, Perinet, one bird hunting along lake edge
Madagascar Bee-eater	Merops superciliosus	Road to Berenty and road to Ifaty
Scaly Ground-Roller	Brachypteracias squamigera	Mantadia, eventaually came to tape recording
Long-tailed Ground-Roller	Uratelornis chimaera	Spiny forest, Ifaty, rounded up by guides
Cuckoo Roller	Leptosomus discolor	Pool by graphite mine track, Mantadia, noisy display flight
Madagascar Hoopoe	Upupa marginata	Berenty, few birds along tracks
Velvet Asity	Philepitta castanea	Perinet, male and females in thick forest
Sunbird Asity	Neodrepanis coruscans	Maromiza, Perinet, odd birds along path
Madagascar Lark	Mirafra hova	Sisal plantation, Berenty, sparse but common
Mascarene Martin	Phedina borbonica	Vakona Lodge, Perinet, common here early morning
Madagascar Wagtail	Motacilla flaviventris	Vakona Lodge, Perinet, few pairs, pretty tame here
Ashy Cuckoo-shrike	Coracina cinerea	Perinet, odd birds in forest
Long-billed Greenbul	Phyllastrephus madagascariensis	Perinet, one or two in thick forest
Spectacled Greenbul	Phyllastrephus zosterops	Perinet, one or two in thick forest
Gray-crowned Greenbul	Phyllastrephus cinereiceps	Mantadia, one seen well
Madagascar Bulbul	Hypsipetes madagascariensis	Vakona Lodge, Perinet, fairly common along the mine track
Madagascar Brush-Warbler	Nesillas typica	Perinet, seen well near fish ponds
Sub-desert (Lantz's) Brush-Warbler	Nesillas lantzi	Spiny forest, Ifaty, odd birds in thick scrub
Madagascar Swamp-Warbler	Acrocephalus newtoni	Maromiza, Perinet, one bird singing on bush
Common Newtoni	Newtonia brunneicauda	Perinet, pretty common
Archbold's Newtonia	Newtonia archboldi	Spiny forest, Ifaty, one bird on nest
Cryptic Warbler	Cryptosylvicola randriansoloi	Car park, Mantadia, singing on high trees early morning
Madagascar Magpie-Robin	Copsychus albospecularis	Perinet, odd birds in forest, also at Berenty
African Stonechat	Saxicola torquata	Vakona Lodge, Perinet, common near 'Lemur Island'
Ward's Flycatcher	Pseudobias wardi	Perinet, odd birds in clearings
Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher	Terpsiphone mutata	Perinet, pretty common here and Berenty
Common Jery	Neomixis tenella	Mantadia, odd birds not that common !
Stripe-throated Jery	Neomixis striatigula	Maromiza, Perinet, one in thick willow bush
White-throated Oxylabes	Oxylabes madagascariensis	Perinet, skulker usually low down around tree roots
Souimanga Sunbird	Cinnyris sovimanga	Vakona Lodge, Perinet, common here and at Ifaty
Madagascar Sunbird	Cinnyris notatus	Ille St Marie, odd birds in Palm trees
Madagascar White-eye	Zosterops maderaspatanus	Vakona Lodge, Perinet, common here and at Berenty
Red-tailed Vanga	Calicalicus madagascariensis	Perinet, fleeting glimpse in forest
Hook-billed Vanga	Vanga curvirostris	Berenty, odd birds high in trees
Sickle-billed Vanga	Falculea palliata	Spiny forest, Ifaty, big flock responded to guides calls
White-headed Vanga	Artamella viridis	Orchid gardens, Perinet, one flew over
Chabert Vanga	Leptopterus chabert	Vakona Lodge, Perinet, odd birds high in trees
Blue Vanga	Cyanolanius madagascarinus	Maromiza, Perinet, one bird down entrance track
Tylas Vanga	Tylas eduardi	Perinet, odd birds in thick forest, also at Mantadia
Coral-billed Nuthatch	Hypositta corallirostris	Orchid gardens, Perinet, climbing dead tree
Crested Drongo	Dicrurus forficatus	Orchid gardens, Perinet but common everywhere
Pied Crow	Corvus albus	Brickaville, few birds in Oil Palm plantations
Common Myna	Acridotheres tristis	Paddyfields, Tana and most roadsides
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Toamasina, few birds at back of hotel
Nelicourvi Weaver	Ploceus nelicourvi	Perinet, in deep forest
Sakalava Weaver	Ploceus sakalava	Baobab stop, road to Berenty - also a few nests along roadsides in the west.
Red Fody	Foudia madagascariensis	Vakona Lodge, Perinet and Tana
Forest Fody	Foudia omissa	Mantadia, odd birds in forest
Madagascar Munia	Lonchura nana	Track to Mantadia, small flock

Bit tricky here to say what is genuinely 'wild' as some parks have introduced free-ranging Lemurs (often well outside their normal range), and in other areas the Lemurs have become habituated to humans and come begging for food.

Brown Mouse Lemur	Microcebus rufus	2 near Perinet orchid gardens, 1 asleep in an Ants nest Maromiza
Grey Bamboo Lemur	Hapalemur griseus	Several at Mantadia
Ring-tailed Lemur	Lemur catta	Common at Berenty, small troop at Nahampoana
Red-bellied Lemur	Eulemur rubriventer	One by mine track Mantadia,
Common Brown Lemur	Eulemur fulvus	Perinet Special Reserve
Black & White Ruffed Lemur	Varecia variagata	Wild ones (heard only) at Matadia
White-footed Lepilemur	Lepilemur leucopus	One asleep in tree, Berenty
Eastern Woolly Lemur	Avahi laniger	Perinet Special Reserve
Verreaux's Sifaka	Propithecus verreauxi	Common at Berenty, small troop at Nahampoana
Diademed Sifaka	Propithecus diadema	Real struggle but eventually we saw a small group at Mantadia
Indri	Indri indri	Small numbers at Perinet Special Reserve and Mantadia

Madagascar Flying Fox	Pteropus rufus	Large colony at Berenty

Humpback Whale	Megaptera novaeangliae	Mother and calf, off Ille St Marie

Reptiles/Insects etc.

Three-eyed Lizard	Chataradon madagascariensis	Berenty
Leaf-tailed Gecko	Uroplatus sp.	Perinet special reserve
Day Gecko	Phelsuma sp.	Perinet fish ponds
Parson's Chameleon	Calumma parsonii	3 small specimens at Perinet Orchid garden, large tame one in Parc Ivoloina
Short-nosed Chameleon	Calumma gastrotaenia	1 small specimen at Perinet Orchid garden
Tree frog		Perinet Orchid garden
Stick Insect		Perinet Orchid garden
Giraffe-necked Weevil		Perinet special reserve
Ant Lion		Berenty
Firefly		Perinet Orchid garden

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