Day 6 - Tuesday 08/09/2015: Ranomafana
Having arrived in the clouds and the rain and in the dark we were pleased to find clear skies and fabulous forested mountain views from our chalet in the morning.
After an early breakfast we drove the short distance to the Ranamafana NP. Here we added the following species to my bird list: Brown Mesite, Madagascar Wood-rail, Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Madagascar Cuckoo, Blue Coua, Madagascar Pygmy-kingfisher, Velvet Asity, Red-tailed Vanga, Pollen’s Vanga, Tylas Vanga (which probably isn’t a Vanga, as it lacks a hooked tip to the upper mandible and has an unsupported nest), Ward’s Vanga (which fills the flycatcher niche and was previously considered to be a flycatcher), Green Jery, Wedge-tailed Tetraka, Spectacled Tetraka, Rand’s Warbler. We also saw the extremely scarce Golden Bamboo Lemur and Greater Bamboo Lemur as well as Red-fronted Brown Lemur, Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur and Milne-Edwards’s Sifaka.
For the most part the birding was standard, ie seeing and hearing things as we pass through the forest with occasional use of recorded calls in an attempt to make concealed or skulking birds come closer. One technique used in Madagascar that I have not encountered elsewhere was the ‘bird drive’. This technique works for terrestrial birds that prefer to walk or run rather than fly. We first encountered this at Ankarafantsika in seeing the terrestrial couas, but it was demonstrated in its most highly developed form in seeing the Brown Mesite. Our guide heard a Brown Mesite call at some distance, led us down a steep forested slope to small stream at its base and asked us to wait there. The guide and his two helpers then set off to locate the bird and gradually ‘pushed’ it in our direction. This took about half an hour and we saw the bird well at the end of the process. This was quite remarkable as the bird is extremely well camouflaged against the brown forest floor and would be extremely hard to track through the fairly dense undergrowth. While we were waiting we became aware that our boots and trousers had a significant number of leeches on and we occupied ourselves by removing them – only Brian actually got bloody.
For the most part the birding was standard, ie seeing and hearing things as we pass through the forest with occasional use of recorded calls in an attempt to make concealed or skulking birds come closer. One technique used in Madagascar that I have not encountered elsewhere was the ‘bird drive’. This technique works for terrestrial birds that prefer to walk or run rather than fly. We first encountered this at Ankarafantsika in seeing the terrestrial couas, but it was demonstrated in its most highly developed form in seeing the Brown Mesite. Our guide heard a Brown Mesite call at some distance, led us down a steep forested slope to small stream at its base and asked us to wait there. The guide and his two helpers then set off to locate the bird and gradually ‘pushed’ it in our direction. This took about half an hour and we saw the bird well at the end of the process. This was quite remarkable as the bird is extremely well camouflaged against the brown forest floor and would be extremely hard to track through the fairly dense undergrowth. While we were waiting we became aware that our boots and trousers had a significant number of leeches on and we occupied ourselves by removing them – only Brian actually got bloody.
Back at the lodge for a late lunch we added: Cuckoo-roller, Madagascar Green Sunbird and Nelicourvi Weaver
Later we went for a dusk/night walk where we added Forest Rock-thrush and encountered several species of chameleon and frog as well as Brown Mouse Lemur.