Our first full day in Andasibe, and we had a lot of things to look for in a short amount of time. We hired Luc, a local bird guide, who also happened to be the proprietor of our accommodation, keeping our fingers crossed that he would be able to produce the goods. A good omen was when we suggested we leave the lodging at 04:30, but because of the long drive into the reserve, we still would not arrive until 06:00. Once we did arrive though, he showed his metal and we began to pick up birds.
At our first stop, we almost immediately found Scaly Ground Roller, our penultimate Ground Roller, but the light was still dull from being in the forest so early. Still, the bird showed fantastically well, and we were able to watch it trundle through the undergrowth flicking leaves out of its way as it went. Also at this stop, we managed to wrap up Madagascar Dwarf Kingfisher and had phenomenal views of Hensts Goshawk, perched high in the canopy and calling.
We then drove a little further into the forest, on the way picking up Madagascar Starling, before getting out and commencing our main session of the morning, where we would walk around for a good few hours before returning to the car for lunch. Through this time we managed a few bird targets, including Red-breasted Coua and better views of Pygmy Kingfisher, it was really the mammals that stuck out during this time. We had excellent views of Diademed Sifaka near the road, before later watching them bounce between trees, and we also got my most wanted Lemur of the whole trip, with a brilliant pair of Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur feeding on fruits high in the canopy. But perhaps the highlight on the mammal front was a fantastic Lowland Streaked Tenrec which our guide found in the leaflitter. I was a way back at this point, and I was afraid it might have scarpered before I arrived, but once I caught up, he had the thing in his hands. Absolutely fantastic to see, a real bonus mammal for our trip.
By lunchtime we were knackered and the birding had slowed significantly. Still, our guide kept trying to find birds for us, specifically the Short-legged Ground Roller, our final species in this unique family. We had not got a response all day from any bird, but he kept trying even during lunch, and just after lunch it finally paid off, when we heard a bird distantly in the forest. We had to climb up an insanely steep forest slope to reach it, but once we arrived we had simply sublime views of a pair perched together displaying to each other. It was absolutely brilliant to witness, with the male bobbing his head and fanning his tail before uttering a short ‘boop’ sound. Absolutely brilliant!
By this point it was already mid-afternoon, so we started making tracts to head back to the lodging. On the way we called off at a small pond that had Madagascar Grebe, as well as my first Madagascar Mannikins in the surrounding vegetation. The drive back took 90 minutes, and we were exhausted by the end of it. We had brilliant views of Lesser Vasa Parrot on the way, as well as an Eastern Madagascar Water Snake crossing the road, but it did little to offset discomfort from the constant bouncing from the numerous potholes. Helpfully the hot temperatures had been dulled somewhat by our first tropical rainstorm of our time here in Madagascar. Fortunately it stopped just before dark, meaning we would be able to go out for a night walk in a nearby forest reserve.
The night walk was fantastic. Although there were quite a few people around, Luc took off, charging deep into the forest in the quest for nocturnal life, and he delivered. In total, we saw a total of four different nocturnal lemur species. First was Goodman's Mouse Lemur, followed by a Furry-eared Dwarf Lemur, then Small-toothed Sportive Lemur that we had seen before. But the best was a superbly showy Gmelin's Woolly Lemur, a rare nocturnal species that we had not expected to see at all. In addition, we had a stunning Parson's Chameleon and a Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko, rounding off a brilliant day in the forest.
Mantadia Forest National Park: Madagascar Grebe, Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Red-breasted Coua, Madagascar Cuckoo, Madagascar Spinetail, Madagascar Flufftail, Common Moorhen, Henst's Goshawk, Madagascar Buzzard, Rainforest Scops Owl, Cuckoo-roller, Malagasy Kingfisher, Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher, Olive Bee-eater, Scaly Ground Roller, Short-legged Ground Roller, Pitta-like Ground Roller, Greater Vasa Parrot, Lesser Vasa Parrot, Common Sunbird-Asity, Madagascar Cuckooshrike, Tylas Vanga, Red-tailed Vanga, White-headed Vanga, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher, Green Jery, Malagasy Brush Warbler, White-throated Oxylabes, Long-billed Bernieria, Spectacled Tetraka, Rand's Warbler, Malagasy Bulbul, Malagasy White-eye, Madagascar Starling, Madagascar Magpie-Robin, Souimanga Sunbird, Forest Fody, Madagascar Mannikin, Madagascar Wagtail,
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