Day 3 - Saturday 05/09/2015: Ankarafantsika
In the morning we wandered around the forest at Ankarafantsika. New birds seen were: Madagascar Grebe (the Madagascar version of Little Grebe), Madagascar Crested Ibis (a large forest-dwelling ibis), Frances’s Sparrowhawk, Madagascar Buzzard, White-breasted Mesite, Grey-headed Lovebird, Lesser Vasa Parrot, Coquerel’s Coua, Red-capped Coua, Crested Coua, Torotoroke Scops Owl, Madagascar Hoopoe, Schlegel’s Asity, Hook-billed Vanga, Sickle-billed Vanga, White-headed Vanga, Chabert’s Vanga, Blue Vanga, Rufous Vanga, Common Newtonia, Madagascar Cuckoo-shrike, Crested Drongo, Madagascar Paradise-flycatcher, Madagascar Bulbul, Long-billed Tetraka, Madagascar Magpie-robin, Souimanga Sunbird (souimanga is French for sunbird – so this is the sunbird sunbird!) In all about 25% of all the new birds seen on the 19 day trip were added this morning. We also saw our first lemurs: the lovely Milne-Edwards Sportive Lemur and the woolly Western Avahi.
In the early afternoon we had some free time in which I sat in an observation tower, just outside our bungalow, overlooking Lake Ravelobe. Here I got very good views of a troupe of Coquerel’s Sifaka and saw my only wild Nile Crocodile of the trip.
Later we took a boat trip on this lake where we found our only Madagascar Fish-eagle of the trip. The boat ride itself was very pleasant and gave excellent close views of Madagascar Kingfisher and the Madagascar race? of Purple Heron.
In the evening we did a night walk in which we saw Grey Mouse Lemur, Mongoose Lemur and Common Brown Lemur.