Despite yesterday's successes, we still had a few targets we needed to try and get to grips with for our last day in the Andasibe area. This would also be the last day of the first phase of our trip, before we had back to the capital tomorrow before taking a flight out to the west coast. We spent most of the day birding in and around the Analamazoatra Reserve, an area of forest not far from our lodging.
Before we entered the park, Luc took us to see a day roost of Madagascar Owl, perched high atop a large conifer tree just outside the park. I had hoped the bird would be lower, but it made its large size all the more impressive, as we had expected something more like a Long-eared Owl, instead it gave the impression of being almost as large as an Eagle Owl. We continued birding the woodland after this, and eventually came up trumps with a brilliant Nuthatch Vanga showing well in the trees above us. This was one of the last Vanga species we needed to find, so we were thrilled.
At around 07:30 we headed to the main ticket office, and bought our entry for the day into Analamazoatra Reserve. The area was rammed with tourists so it took a little time, but after Luc took us straight down a small side trail with nobody on it. It didn’t look like it was going anywhere, and we eventually came out on the main road, but this absolutely delivered when we had phenomenal views of the very attractive but elusive Madagascar Ibis perched in the roadside vegetation, before flying over us and into the forest. We then headed back into the reserve from another access point, and were soon looking at another of our targets for the site; a day-roosting Collared Nightjar.
No sooner had we reentered the reserve than we came face to face with the park's flagship species, the spectacular Indri, the largest of all the Lemurs in Madagascar. We had truly fantastic views of a female with an infant resting in the trees above us, with a male nearby. After hearing them call all day yesterday, it was good to finally see one. We spotted another shortly after, and just after lunch, we found another after it nearly deafened us with its calls. The other lemurs we found were Diademed Sifaka and Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemur.
We spent the rest of the day marching up and down the depths of the reserve looking for Wedge-tailed Jery. Sadly we did not find it and the hiking up and down the hills with no paths absolutely broke me. There was very little in the way of birdlife generally, as it was already late morning. We had great views of a Tylas Vanga and found an active nest of Spectacled Tetraka, but otherwise generally quiet. Thankfully the day ended on a high when we had fantastic views of a White-throated Rail just before leaving the reserve.
Analamazoatra Reserve: Malagasy Turtle Dove, Malagasy Coucal, Madagascar Cuckoo, Collared Nightjar, White-throated Rail, Madagascar Ibis, Madagascar Owl, Madagascar Cuckooshrike, Common Newtonia, Tylas Vanga, Red-tailed Vanga, Nuthatch Vanga, Madagascar Blue Vanga, White-headed Vanga, Crested Drongo, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher, Common Jery, Malagasy Brush Warbler, Long-billed Bernieria, Spectacled Tetraka, Malagasy Bulbul, Malagasy White-eye, Madagascar Magpie-Robin, Souimanga Sunbird, Nelicourvi Weaver, Forest Fody, Madagascar Wagtail,
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