This was a sensational Madagascar trip recording 180 bird species (115 endemics and near-endemics) in 18 days of birding. All the participants saw every species of Ground-roller including mind-blowing views of Short-legged, Pitta-like, Rufous-headed and Long-tailed Ground Rollers (three of which we got on video!!). The Scaly was elusive but after some effort everybody got satisfactory views. We also had absorbing looks at each of the world’s three Mesite species and saw all 13 species of Vanga that were possible on this itinerary.

Perhaps the two most unusual birds were the 6 Bernier’s Teal and 11 Madagascar White Ibis in the Betsiboka estuary. Tropical Birding is one of the few companies that attempts to see these two mega-rare globally endangered species on its tours and our adventurous spirit was rewarded again. Other highlights included three species of Asity, a host of Couas, the bizarre and magnificent Cuckoo-roller, 25 Crab Plovers, Red-tailed Tropicbird, Madagascar Crested Ibis on the nest and the common but localised Littoral Rock Thrush. The beauty of Tropical Birding’s Madagascar departure is that the trip is limited to a maximum of 8 participants resulting in almost every participant getting to see every species on the trip. Nobody that participated in all the activities missed a single bird, emphasising Tropical Birding’s commitment to high quality birding experiences. Our mammal experiences were equally rewarding, with Humpbacked Whale off Ifaty, Fanaloka at Ranomafana and 16 types of lemur including the rare Mongoose Lemur and recently described (1998) Golden-brown Dwarf Lemur as well as the rare Golden Bamboo Lemur at Ranomafana. Old favourites included Coquerel’s Sifaka, Ring-tailed Lemur, Indri, Diademed Sifaka and the stunning Black and White Ruffed Lemur. We also saw Oustalet’s Chameleon and Long-nosed Chameleon.

28 Sept: Jhb-Tana. Our flight arrived in Tana from Joberg at just after 2 p.m. Neither Africa nor Asia, Madagascar exudes an atmosphere that is quite distinctly its own. The terraced and double storey dilapidated dwellings have their own charm, standing in the middle of terraced rice paddies and surrounded by exquisite gardens, one feels transported to a landscape fit for Tolkien, not birding. On our way to Tana we stopped and birded at a few marshes and rice paddies around the capital. Although there was nothing sensational, the group’s first lifers included Dimorphic Egret, the dainty little Malagasy Kingfisher and Red Fody. The buildings and handful of trees alongside our hotel yielded mating Madagascar Kestrels and a small party of chuckling Madgascar Bulbul before dusk.

29 Sept: Tana-Mahajunga-Ampijoroa. After an early breakfast we flew to Mahajunga, picked up some supplies and started our journey to the forest station of Ampijoroa. Our serious birding had started in earnest. A stop at a hotel to pick up some packed lunches yielded our first of many Common Jery in the trees next to the bus. The road out of Mahajunga soon turned into a matrix of man-modified grassland. The ubiquitous Madagascar Lark flew up from every bush and grass clump. Before long a large raptor had us all piling out of the car for a better look. The Madagascar Buzzard soared effortlessly above us. A stop at Lake Amboromalandy produced the first palpable excitement of the trip. An afternoon lunch next to the lake yielded Black Egret, White-faced Whistling Duck and Red-billed Teal. A small party of Madagascar Bee-eaters hawked from the Eucalyptus stand near the lake’s edge. Other residents included a nesting group of Sakalava Weavers as well as the handsome little Madagascar Munias. Soon after lunch we made our way to a more sheltered bay where we were rewarded with stunning looks at the globally Vulnerable Humblot’s Heron. Karen’s scanning of the lillypads soon revealed Madagascar Jacana and a single rather exquisite African Pygmy Goose came in to land. Undoubtedly, the bird of the day came whistling past as a single Bernier’s Teal gave superb flyby views before disappearing over the endless lake. A highly threatened species, Bernier’s Teal has lost habitat everywhere and now hangs onto a tenuous existence mostly along the mangrove belt of Madagascar’s NW coast. We arrived at Ampijoroa at lunchtime and no sooner had we stepped out of the bus and we were accosted by full-frontal Madagascar with Vasa Parrots streaming overhead. The raucous screams of a party of gregarious Sickle-billed Vangas quickly revealed these impressive pied creatures. Its baby like "whaaaa" call being one of the most memorable of the northwest. A family party of Coquerel’s Sifakas, our first lemur of the trip, had everyone "ooohing and ahhhing" as the chestnut and white beasts catapulted from tree to tree. Our afternoon walk along the ridge trail behind the main camp was fairly quiet, but it yielded our main quarry, the elusive, reclusive and skittish White-breasted Mesite. We also had close encounters with a Madagascar Harrier Hawk at its nest! Other trail residents that were seen were Long-billed Greenbul, Madagascar Magpie Robin, Souimanga Sunbird, Madagscar White-eye, Chabert’s Vanga and Crested Drongo. We indulged in a spectacular nightwalk after dark that yielded a host of exciting nocturnal lemurs, dusk yielded the first, a group of Brown Lemur. The local and recently described (1998) Golden-brown Dwarf Lemur and Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur were spotted brilliantly by Jackie, our local guide and Milne-Edward’s Sportive Lemur and the Western Avahi were also seen. A completely unexpected bonus was a Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher perched quietly in the complete darkness above the path, allowing for long detailed looks for everyone. A foraging Madagascar Nightjar was spotted flitting from tree to tree in the forest before we had enjoyed a campsite dinner at the local restaurant.

30 Sept: Ampijoroa. This morning started with us exploring the trails around the magical Lake Ravelobe. The crocodiles in the lake are protected by fady and have been known to attack unsuspecting villagers. The first main bird of the day was the majestic Madagascar Fish Eagle, perched alongside the lakeshore. With an estimated 50-100 breeding pairs remaining in the wild, this bird is on the edge of extinction as is classified as Endangered by BirdLife International. While it is exhilarating to see such a rare bird, it is equally sad to know it is disappearing so suddenly. Other waterbirds included another globally threatened bird, the Humblot’s Heron as well as Purple Heron, Common and Madagascar Squacco Heron and Black-crowned Night Heron. Some Mascarene Martin’s perched on the concrete wall above the dam. Our main target for the morning was the Schlegel’s Asity. Asities are unique to Madagascar and are bizarre relatives of Broadbills, but this bird remained determined that it would not be found. A single call was the only evidence that they were in the forest at all. However, the trails revealed more White-breasted Mesites, Grey-headed Lovebird, Madagascar Hoopoe, Rufous Vanga on a nest and a very responsive Hook-billed Vanga. The loud and distinctive Cuckoo Rollers displayed overhead, and we watched two males vie for the attention of the female. Our return to camp for breakfast delivered Madagascar Green Pigeon and Madagascar Sunbird. After breakfast we explored the trails on the plateau and quickly found Coquerel’s, Red-capped and Crested Couas. Other new species included Ashy Cuckooshrike, Long-billed Greenbul, Common Newtonia, Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher, Chabert’s and Blue Vangas. However, what we were really looking for was the localised speciality Van Dam’s Vanga. This inexplicably rare vanga, classified as Vulnerable by BirdLife International, is globally threatened and there were some tense moments when the bird came in but showed itself to only half the group. Eventually, however, we were able to walk in and get superb views from only 3-4 m away as both the dimorphic male and female foraged in the tree above us giving saturating views. A late evening visit to the swampy lake margin in search of Madagascar Crested Ibis yielded a stunning White-throated Rail foraging unashamedly in the open. Unfortunately the ibis remained elusive, but the consolation prize was a Madagascar Swamp Warbler at the lake’s edge.

1 Oct: Ampijoroa-Mahajunga. It was our final chance to try for the Schlegel’s Asity, and that is precisely what we did. Early on we struck gold! A pair of Madagascar Crested Ibis on the nest, which were watched for several minutes. The asities were definitely more responsive this morning and we had two separate males call. Unfortunately they were high up in the trees and we never saw them either arrive or leave. Frustration was creeping in. Eventually we locked onto a foraging flock and Jacky spotted the female Schlegel’s Asity in the party. Only Nancy saw the bird, but our patience paid off and eventually she called again and everybody got to see her. Now that the relief had kicked in we started watching for the real show. Eventually the male in full breeding regalia appeared. He is a stunning creature, the multi-lobed sky-blue and lime green caruncule apparently glowing in the early morning light. Eventually he joined his mate only 6-7 metres away and they interacted apparently completely unconcerned by our presence. A short blast on the tape nearly resulted in the removal of Keith’s head, the male hurtled straight towards him with the blue and green headlights trapping the poor guide in "soon to be deer roadkill" posture. Buoyed by our success, the mood was positively bubbly, and we carried on looking for the last few birds "Ampi" could deliver. Our walk out delivered magical views of both male and female Madagascar Buttonquail. Buttonquail show reverse sexual dimorphism with the females looking a lot more attractive than males. We also nabbed a Black Parrot that had remained elusive on the trip thus far. A fortuitous appearance of a White-headed Vanga back at camp ensured a vanga clean up at Ampi! Our return drive to Mahajunga was uneventful and we enjoyed the late afternoon swanning around the hotel grounds. Our discovery that our flight to Tana the following day was delayed proved to be a blessing in disguise, allowing us to fully enjoy the Betsiboka Estuary the following day.

2 Oct: Betsiboka-Tana. This morning we enjoyed an early breakfast and hauled ourselves down to the beach for our boat trip up the Betsiboka River. This is seldom tried on commercial bird tours and there was an air of anticipation of what to expect as this trip had not been undertaken for over 6 months. Fortunately the weather was in our favour and although we all found ourselves being drenched in the wake splash we were soon motoring our way to the mangroves. Humblot’s Heron’s and Dimorphic Egrets were seen easily, and as we arrived at the small island that regularly holds the rare birds, our diligent captain spotted the Bernier’s Teal. This is another bird teetering on the edge, with maximum numbers in the very low thousands, perhaps in the hundreds.

Although we had seen these already, nothing could have prepared us for the saturating and prolonged views we had of a pair of birds perched on a mangrove tree at little more than 6-7 m away. All of us were left kicking ourselves that we did not bring our cameras! Trolling around the island eventually yielded our other target species, the Madagascar White Ibis. Occasionally treated as a subspecies of the Sacred Ibis, this distinctly different bird with its pale eye, all white wings and highly specialised habits of mangroves and coastal estuaries, seems like a good split! It is another rarity, with a global population estimated at c. 1000. We had 11 of them flying to and fro and eventually settling on a mangrove tree to allow good looks. Waders were also present in the estuary and we notched up Terek and Curlew Sandpipers, Whimbrel and Sanderling. The afternoon was leisurely and we enjoyed the picturesque Circe Rouge, where we located a Madagascar Cisticola and a pair of breeding Peregrine Falcons with chick! We flew back to Tana that evening.

3 Oct: Tana-Perinet. With a morning to kill before the rest of the group arrived, we birded Lac Alarobia near central Tana. This is a busy little wetland holds many individual birds, and we enjoyed cracking views of breeding and displaying Madagascar Squacco Herons. The waterbirds included Comb Duck and Black-crowned Night Heron. While walking down a path Keith and a Madagascar Partridge surprised each other. Fortunately the bird continued unperturbed and everyone got good looks at it. A Madagascar Coucal called incessantly and was eventually seen by all. A surprise find was a single African Openbill. It later transpired that this lost individual has been present at the Lac for some time. The remainder of our group was picked up at the airport where we located their first endemic, a Madagascar Wagtail. On our way out of town we stopped for Madagascar Kingfisher and a few Hamerkop. Our final destination was Vakona Lodge near Perinet. We arrived after dark and enjoyed a scrumptious meal at this great lodge.

4 Oct: Mantadie N.P. full day. Today was our first real bite at the "rainforest" cherry and there was palpable excitement amongst the group. Breakfast at Vakona’s platform dining room was difficult to eat as several croissants had to be spat out in an attempt to describe where an "interesting" bird had landed. Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher, Mascarene Martin, Red Fody and Magpie Robin got the attention, but the finest was probably a Nelicourvi Weaver nest-building next to our bus. Once Patrice arrived we headed off for Mantadie NP. A relatively new, but now unmissable destination on the birding circuit. En route, Patrice stopped at a Madagacar Rail stakeout that delivered impeccable views of this rare rallid doing the dawn patrol march backwards and forwards in front of us through a well-designed gap in the foliage! Madagascar Blue Pigeons passed us delivering flyby views. Eventually we got to the primary forest at Mantadie and a walk down the road yielded a sudden glut of lifers, particularly for those that had not joined the Ampijoroa pre-trip. Both species of Vasa Parrot flew over; a calling Madagascar Lesser Cuckoo was located in the canopy along with an obliging Madagascar Starling before a stunning turaco-like Blue Coua flew across the track! A strident Rand’s Warbler called in the open atop the tallest tree in the neighbourhood. We were able to compare him to both Stripe-throated and Common Jerys nearby. Malagasy Spinetails hunted overhead as a pair of Cuckoo Rollers displayed evocatively.

The forest yields it secrets slowly, and after a fair bit of effort everyone enjoyed views of a female and male Madagascar Flufftail. The ground-rollers proved to be as frustrating and elusive as ever! Both Short-legged and Scaly were heard, but they evaded detection by going quiet suddenly and we never even got close to these enigmas. Just then, a distant "booooo" sound heralded one of our prime target birds, a Pitta-like Ground Roller. This sapphire, emerald, red and white concoction defies description. Stalking it with great anticipation, the bird was eventually seen very well, and for nearly two minutes as it called teed up on a branch in the open a few metres away bobbing its head with nods of approval at our admiration. A furtive Madagascar Scrub Warbler was enticed out using playback as a Common Newtonia gleaned insects in the mid-canopy. A group of White-throated Oxylabes were found, but not everyone got onto them as they behaved uncharacteristically secretively. Canopy flocks were hard to find, but one did reveal Tylas and Nut-hatch Vanga along with the common Chabert’s and Blue Vangas. Playback resulted in a beautiful Crossley’s Babbler rocketing in and perching a few metres from the group where we all got absorbing looks!

Soon enough the morning has passed us by and it was time to eat again. Lunch was enjoyed alongside a little forested lake where a pair of Madagascar Little Grebe lives; they put in appearances from time to time. On our way back to Vakona we lucked on to a Madagascar Cuckoo Hawk soaring above the vehicle as well as a Ward’s Flycatcher and Barn Owl that we spotted by sitting on the roof of the bus. The afternoon session was very quiet, but just before dusk Patrice found a Madagascar Scops Owl at its regular roost spot near a pine plantation and then we waited for the family of Madagascar Long-eared Owls to awake. On cue, the birds awoke and moved from their hidden nest, perching in the open for everyone to admire. We then returned to Vakona for dinner.

5 Oct: Mantadie/Perinet. Once again we met Patrice and returned to Mantadie for the morning, with a very specific target in mind, to find ground-rollers! Shortly after arriving we got lucky and a Scaly Ground Roller started to call. It was well up a hill in a place where it would be difficult to see. We scrambled up the hill and after about 15 minutes found it through the tiniest gap in the leaves. One by one, each person got a look…talk about tension. With just three participants remaining, the bird dropped to the ground and disappeared. The disappointment for those who had not been in the front was etched across their faces. But then, the bird started calling again! The unlucky three tracked it until slowly, one by one they each got to see the bird fairly well. As they say in the movies, all is well that ends well, and everyone got to see Scaly Ground Roller. Our attempts to get a Short-legged Ground-roller calling were proving futile, so we headed into the forest. Our first major find was a beautiful Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher that was seen by all for a long time. A little further on we found a group of excited Madagascar Wood Rail that came in to playback repeatedly. Other firsts included Wedge-tailed Jery, Ashy Cuckooshrike and Spectacled Greenbul and improved views of Madagascar Brush Warbler. Then it happened, the Short-legged Ground Roller started calling. We sprinted in the forest towards the sound, upon arrival the bird had stopped calling, but at least we knew it must be somewhere in the vicinity. We looked, and looked and looked…nothing! Then, just as we were about to give up, Patrice found it at a little above head height about 15m away. The giant Puff-bird like beast sat motionless as it is want to do, and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief at having nabbed this toughie!

We headed back towards the lodge for lunch, taking in a small wetland that revealed Madagascar Cisticola and Madagascar Swamp Warbler. After lunch we were off to Perinet! The visitor’s centre yielded Green Jery and Short-horned Chameleon. The walk through the forest at Perinet was superb, not least for the family of exquisite Indri that we found. The largest lemur in Madagascar is definitely spectacular, and the wailing hoots they make are deafening from only 5 metres away! We also found Brown Lemur in the afternoon. Other new species included Red-fronted Coua and Dark Newtonia. The Orchid gardens yielded a breeding pair of Madagascar Sparrow-hawk that provided unrivalled views of this magical raptor. A luck few got to see a pair of Madagascar Crested Ibis moving off the path and just as we were about to pack it in we found a magical roosting adult Madagascar Long-eared Owl. That night poor old Bob (the only person who had not seen the ibis) kept on lamenting about his disappointment over beers!

6 Oct: Perinet-Tulear. We were flying to Tulear so we had to be on the road really early. As we passed the Orchid gardens one last time we stopped and Bob and I went for a look and lo and behold, the Madagascar Crested Ibis were foraging in a swampy pool near the road. Bob was applauded back at the bus and we went on our merry way. We stopped at the Mangoro River bridge and after some effort found Madagascar Pratincole on some distant rocks. We arrived at Tana and flew to Tulear where we ate some lunch before heading off up the coast for the afternoon. Soon enough we spotted some common roadside birds such as Madagascar Lark. We found some exciting wetlands and spent good time there we managed to find Squacco Heron, Hottentot Teal, Baillon’s Crake, Greater Painted Snipe, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet and Madagascar Coucal. The coastline produced a host of waders. Nearer Mangily a short walk quickly revealed Madagascar Buttonquail, Green-capped Coua, Running Coua, Crested Coua, Madagascar Brush Warber (sometimes split as Sub-desert Brush Warbler) and Madagascar Hoopoe. Later on we settled into our hotel and that evening were serenaded by Madagascar Nightjar that was seen well by all.

7 Oct: Mangily (Ifaty). We woke up and headed into the bizarre other-worldly "spiny forest". The Octopus trees and baobabs, combined with the elephant’s foot succulents, make birding this habitat one of the highlights of a Madagascar trip; there is always something strange to look at. With the indomitable Moosa leading his troops (particularly son Freddy) we soon caught up with Madagascar Munia, Madagascar Turtle Dove and Madagascar Green Pigeon. Our first major target was a Thamnornis Warbler that we all saw very well foraging low in the spiny forest.

Then one of the key specials, a Sub-desert Mesite started calling in the distance. Quickly we chased the sound. Suddenly the bird’s strident alarm call was issued on our left and the male and female had shot up off the ground into an octopus tree where, completely in the open, their beaks pointed skywards in frozen defence posture. We had over five minutes looking at and photographing both male and female Sub-desert Mesite before, as suddenly as they had arrived, they disappeared through the tangles of the spiny desert. Extremely pleased, we continued, tracking down a Crested Coua and got great looks at Archibold’s Newtonia and both sexes of Lafresnaye’s Vanga. The heat was starting to get pretty intense, so we decided to head to the spot where Moosa had found a nest of the cosmic and globally threatened Long-tailed Ground Roller just a few weeks ago. Slowly walking the area we easily found the birds, which seemed completely oblivious to our presence. We remained with them and took photos for well over 10 minutes. They foraged completely unperturbed by our presence. By now it was nearly midday and stinking hot. We headed via the salt pools near the village, picking up the threatened Madagascar Plover on our way back for lunch.

The afternoon was spent down the coast looking for waders and waterbirds. We added Little Grebe, Little Bittern, Red-billed Duck (Teal), Madagascar Harrier Hawk, Caspian Tern, Common Moorhen and Red-knobbed Coot. Waders abounded on the coast and we encountered a glut of palearctic migrants and residents including Black-bellied Plover, Kittlitz’s, Three-banded and White-fronted Plovers, Whimbrel, Greenshank and Ruddy Turnstone amongst others. The afternoon highlight however was a couple of Humback Whales off the coast breeching and indulging in a spectacular show!

8 Oct: Mangily (Ifaty). We were once again up early to take advantage of the coolness of the morning’s first light, seeking out the handful of remaining specialities including a host of vangas. One of the first birds was a party of Sickle-billed Vangas. Cracking views of these overgrown cackling beasts brought the adrenaline up to speed. Shortly afterwards we were rewarded with a great party that held White-headed, Hook-billed and Lafresnaye’s vangas. A flowering tree was attracting both Souimanga and Long-billed Green sunbirds. The non-stop singing of the Thamnornis Warbler, Sub-desert Brush Warbler and Common Jery was enough to give them away. A little later Moosa took as to a nest of a Francis’ Sparrowhawk which we enjoyed greatly, seeing both female and male interacting. The afternoon was spent in a futile search for Banded Kestrel (our last real special for the area). It appears that someone might have killed the pair that used to nest close to Moosa’s place. After four hours of looking we called it a day and enjoyed a spectacular sunset on the beach near Mangily!

9 Oct: Mangily-Tulear. This morning we awoke predawn in an attempt to get to Tulear at first light. While the bumpy roads slowed progress, we managed to get to La Table shortly after dawn. Our first bird out of the car, shortly after everyone had gone for a comfort stop, was the Verreaux’s Coua, the most localised of the world’s couas. This site, remarkably close to the city of Tulear revealed a species of vanga new to science in the 1990s. Amazingly, within no time at all we had wrapped it up, scoring the second special, the Red-shouldered Vanga, which surprisingly and uncharacteristically gave itself up remarkably easily. Feeling extremely confident we retuned to Tulear with a quick stop to watch a 10-ton truck get pushed out of the sand. The stop delivered a large flock of Madagascar Swift. The stop in Tulear was intended to be for a quick fill-up for fuel. Madagascar always has a spanner in the works and our arrival in Tulear was greeted with a fuel strike. The next four hours were entertaining. Trying to locate fuel we visited everyone in Tulear, including the local district commissioner. Eventually Tsiry, our trusty Malagasy trip coordinator sent us on our way and said she would arrange "something". After lunch at a beach resort south of Tulear, we added Greater Sand Plover and Common Ringed Plover to our wader list and headed south to the Onhily River. Here we negotiated a pirogue to sail across the river (which probably would have been easier to walk!!). Nevertheless it was grand fun and we soon found Humblot’s Heron and an unusual Kelp Gull (that may be split as Madagascar Gull!), as well as flocks of Red-billed Teal and Comb Duck. Unfortunately the Madagascar Sandgrouse that often drink in the mornings did not put in an appearance. We returned to Tulear where Tsiry had skilfully negotiated the end to the fuel strike, much to our relief. We enjoyed dinner on an open terrace with the Indian Ocean breeze blowing in across us.

10 Oct: Nosy Ve & Anakao. We woke up this morning for a leisurely breakfast and then birded some nearby saltmarsh where we added Mongolian Plover to our wader list. We headed back to the resort where we boarded our motorised boat for our trip to the island reserve of Nosy Ve. The boat trip to the island was pretty uneventful, although the scenery and being on the boat were a lot of fun. We arrived on the island a little over an hour later and were rewarded almost immediately with a group of 25 Crab Plover nestled on a sand bank. After setting anchor we enjoyed scope views of a monospecific family and soaked up this neat and rather exciting wader! Another sandbank held a mixed group of terns and we soon found Lesser Crested, Great Crested, Roseate, Common and Saunder’s Tern. The highlight of Nosy Ve however was still to come. We crossed a channel to the main island and approached the eastern edge of the island, eventually seeing at a distance and then at point blank range several nesting pairs of the immaculate Red-tailed Tropicbird! After soaking up the island we made our way to the nearby coastal village of Anakao where we tucked into our packed lunch baguettes. I could not keep still so I went for a walk in the vegetation nearby and located the local but common Littoral Rock Thrush. Eventually the group gathered and we had great views of both male and female birds.

Our trip back to Tulear delivered a complete surprise for the trip, a wonderful Audubon’s Shearwater that allowed close approach and several photos! Initially we had to fight the adrenaline thinking we had found Mascarene Shearwater, but the Seychelles race of Audubon’s have white under tail coverts as shown by this bird. Although the birding was mostly over for the day there was one last surprise. Local tribes people consider a troop of Ring-tailed Lemurs near Tulear sacred and they go completely un-persecuted and are protected by fady (taboo). We approached their roosting cave and waited. They came in completely oblivious to us and we enjoyed prolonged looks at a female with a tiny youngster. It was a great end to a super day!

11 Oct: Tulear-Isalo. We were up early for the long drive to Isalo. Several stops to scan for Madagascar Sandgrouse proved unsuccessful. We headed for Zombitse, arriving at just before lunchtime. As we headed into the forest we lucked onto a Henst’s Goshawk that flew over. Once inside the forest Rufous Vanga and Coquerel’s Coua were lifers for those who had not come on the pre-trip, amongst a host of other birds. Eventually we lucked onto an Appert’s Greenbul. This highly threatened species is restricted to two tiny forest patches in the world, Zombitse being one of them. After several encounters we had all seen the greenbuls well and it was time to move on. We made one final stop for lunch near a river where we added Harlequin Quail to our list.

In the late afternoon we arrived at the exquisite Relais de la Reine hotel surrounded by the spectacular mountains of the Isalo massif, one of the most beautiful places of Madagascar. A late afternoon walk delivered the localised special, the Benson’s Rock Thrush. This species is now often considered to be conspecific with the Forest Rock Thrush from further east. That evening after dinner Bob and I lucked onto a calling Torotoroka Scops Owl which flushed before we could call anyone else in the group.

12 Oct: Isalo-Fianaratsoa. Some saw a Peregrine Falcon soaring over the hotel early on. The morning started with a walk across the spectacular grasslands near Relais de la Raine. We saw several pairs of Benson’s Rock Thrush and flushed several Madagascar Partridge. A lake near the hotel yielded Madagascar Little Grebe, Darter and White-faced Whistling Duck. We enjoyed breakfast and spent the remainder of the day on the long drive to Fianarantsoa, crossing over the central escarpment enjoying some spectacular scenery.

13 Oct: Fianaratsoa-Ranomafana. This morning we were off extra early to cover the ground between Fianarantsoa and the park before dawn. We managed most of it and arrived at Ranomafana with plenty morning hours still available. We started birding almost immediately as although we had already seen most of the rainforest birds at Perinet we were still looking for a host of key specials. Within the first hour we were at the site for the Brown Mesite and the tape quickly got some birds calling. They obligingly came towards us and then crossed the path 4-5 metres in front of us for the last of our mesites – great to do a family clean sweep on a tour! Ranomafana is world famous for its lemurs, and our first morning here was spectacular in that department. It started with a family of Common Brown Lemur, but we soon added the spectacular pied Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur, surely one of the most spectacular lemurs. A group of scientists studying a group of Milne Edward’s Diademed Sifaka helped us locate these gems and not long after we were enjoying some Red-bellied Lemurs. Brown Forest Rat was omnipresent.

Later we found our first Velvet Asity. Unfortunately it was a non-breeding bird and was mottled browny-black. Views of White-throated Oxylabes for everyone finally satisfied those that missed the birds at Perinet. Later on at Vohiparara we saw our only Alpine Swifts of the trip and heard a distant and brief burst of song from a Brown Emutail.A Rufous-headed Ground Roller frustrated us all. It was exceptionally close but could not have got itself in a thicker thicket. Hugh and Chuck got to see it, but the rest of the group need to wait another day! The clouds had come in and it was getting very dark, we headed down the hill for beers.

14 Oct: Ranomafana. Soon after arriving at Vohiparara we nabbed a calling Cryptic Warbler, a species that went undiscovered until 1995. It is amazingly common, which makes one think what else must be out there? A short while later we scored a Pollen’s Vanga, the last of the 13 species possible on the trip. However the rest of the birds we need were in the forest interior. Soon after starting down the trail the telltale higher pitched "boo" of a Rufous-headed Ground Rollergot the entire group excited. Playback brought the bird remarkably close and after a few partially obscured views the redheaded, green-backed beast charged out into the open for a handful of cortex-searing seconds! Everyone got good looks and the backslapping began, another trip with a ground-roller and second family clean sweep is always something worth celebrating! The rest of the day was spent at Vohiparara looking for Sunbird Asities and Yellow-browed Oxylabes, both of which remained elusive. Sitting staring at a single flowering tree where Common Sunbird Asity was "calling" occupied a large proportion of our time. Frustratingly, the bird never came in!! However, a well-behaved Grey-crowned Greenbul was new for the group. A stop near the main park added a Golden Bamboo Lemur, not known to exist until 1985 when it was first described to the outside world. It is any naturalist’s most exciting moment to be watching a species shrouded with such enigmatic qualities.

The afternoon was spent on the marsh at Vohiparara. This dwindling swamp will soon be gone. It is incredibly sad as it holds some birds that will be difficult to find once it disappears and it has in the past supported the Critically Endangered Slender-billed Flufftail. One can’t help but believe that this species will soon be extinct, with a host of other Madagascar specials set to follow. This beautiful place is in deep trouble. We managed to get excellent views of the marsh restricted Grey Emutail and flushed a pair of Madagascar Snipe before calling it a day. The evening’s activities however were just beginning with our turn to go on the "nocturne" forest watch. Although this feeding station within the park is somewhat zoo-like, there is no doubt it gives most visitors their only real chance at getting close to nocturnal mammals to photograph them. Here we had groups of Brown Lemur, Red-bellied Lemur and the true special, the nocturnal, diminutive and incredibly tame Brown Mouse Lemur. The Fanaluca (Striped Civet) who comes in for chicken bits was also spectacular, and we trundled off into the night enriched by our spectacular mammal-viewing experience.

15 Oct: Ranomafana. Our last day birding, we returned to Vohiparara, where we spent more time watching the Sunbird-asity tree. Once again, the tree was all we saw. Fortunately, we located a wonderful party of Yellow-browed Oxylabes that showed exceptionally well. Later in the morning we tried another locality for the sunbird-asities and finally a Common Sunbird Asity female showed, much to everyone’s relief. Target birds were now few and after lunch we tried walking down the road just for kicks, classic views of Forest Rock Thrush and an exquisite male Velvet Asity resplendent with his glowing emerald wattle excited the group. A final Pitta-like Ground Roller bade us farewell with great good-bye views. Our final fling was back up at Vohiparara where as soon as we arrived at the sunbird-asity tree a female Common Sunbird Asity sat mocking us. Loret summed up everyone’s feelings, when he let rip with "^$#&ing Sunbird Asity". We wrapped up the day with that, with very little left to see after a thoroughly excellent trip

16 Oct: Ranomafana-Tana. Full day drive to Tana. No birding en route. We enjoyed a sumptuous farewell feast at the Hotel de France, in Tana.

17 Oct: Tana-Johannesburg. International flight out at 06h30 a.m.
 
 

LISTS
 

BIRDS
The nomenclature and taxonomy followed here is according to the Bird’s of the Indian Ocean Islands by Sinclair, J.C. and Langrand, O. 1998. Struik. Malagasy endemics in bold.

Eurasian Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Madagascar Little Grebe Tachybaptus pelzelnii (Vu)
Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricaudus
Audubon’s Shearwater Puffinus lhermeineri
African Darter Anhinga rufa
Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Madagascar Pond Heron Ardeola idae (Vu)
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Striated Heron Butorides striatus
Dimorphic Egret Egretta dimorpha
Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca
Great Egret Egretta alba
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Humblot’s Heron Ardea humbloti (Vu)
Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus
Madagascar Sacred Ibis Threskiornis bernieri (Vu)
Madagascar Crested Ibis Lophotibis cristata
White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata
Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotis
African Pygmy Goose Nettapus auritus
Bernier’s Teal Anas bernieri (En)
Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha
Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota
Madagascar Cuckoo Hawk Aviceda madagascariensis
Black (Yellow-billed) Kite Milvus (migrans) parasiticus
Madagascar Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vociferoides (En)
Madagascar Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides radiatus
Madagascar Sparrowhawk Accipiter madagascariensis (nt)
Frances’s Sparrowhawk Accipiter francesii
Henst’s Goshawk Accipiter henstii
Madagascar Buzzard Buteo brachypterus
Madagascar Kestrel Falco newtoni
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Madagascar Partridge Margaroperdix madagascarensis
Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei
White-brested Mesite Mesitornis variegata (Vu)
Brown Mesite Mesitornis unicolor (Vu)
Sub-desert Mesite Monias benschi (Vu)
Madagascar Buttonquail Turnix nigricollis
Madagascar Flufftail Sarothrura insularis
Madagascar Wood-Rail Canirallus kioloides
Madagascar Rail Rallus madagascariensis
White-throated Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri
Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata
Madagascar Jacana Actophilornis albinucha
Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis
Crab Plover Dromas ardeola
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Pied Avocet Recurvirosra avocetta
Madagascar Pratincole Glareola ocularis
Black-bellied Plover Puvialis squatarola
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Madagascar Plover Charadrius thoracicus (nt)
Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius
Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris
White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus
Mongolian Plover Charadrius mongolus
Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii
Madagascar Snipe Gallinago macrodactyla
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinerius
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Sanderling Calidris alba
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Kelp Gull / Madagascar Gull Larus dominicanus
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis
Greater Crested Tern Sterna bergii
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Saunders’ Tern Sterna saundersi
Feral Pigeon Columba livia
Madagascar Turtle-Dove Streptopelia picturata
Namaqua Dove Oena capensis
Madagascar Green Pigeon Treron australis
Madagascar Blue Pigeon Alectroenas madagascariensis
Greater Vasa Parrot Coracopsis vasa
Lesser Vasa Parrot Coracopsis nigra
Grey-headed Lovebird Agapornis canus
Madagascar Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus rochii
Coquerel’s Coua Coua coquereli
Red-fronted Coua Coua serriana
Red-capped Coua Coua ruficeps
Green-capped Coua Coua olivaceiceps
Running Coua Coua reynaudii
Crested Coua Coua cristata
Verreaux’s Coua Coua verreauxi (nt)
Blue Coua Coua caerulea
Madagascar Coucal Centropus toulou
Barn Owl Tyto alba
Madagascar Scops Owl Otus rutilus
Torotoroka Scops Owl Otus (rutilus) madagascariensis
Madagascar Long-eared Owl Asio madagascariensis
Madagascar Nightjar Caprimulgus madagascariensis
Madagascar Spinetail Zoonavena grandidieri
African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus
Madagascar Black Swift Apus balstoni
Madagascar Kingfisher Alcedo vintsioides
Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina madagascariensis
Madagascar Bee-eater Merops superciliosus
Short-legged Ground-Roller Brachypteracias leptosomus (Vu)
Scaly Ground-Roller Brachypteracias squamigera (Vu)
Pitta-like Ground-Roller Atelornis pittoides
Rufous-headed Ground-Roller Atelornis crossleyi (nt)
Long-tailed Ground-Roller Uratelornis chimaera (Vu)
Madagascar Cuckoo-Roller Leptosomus discolor
Madagascar Hoopoe Upupa marginata
Velvet Asity Philepitta castanea
Schlegel’s Asity Philepitta schlegeli
Common Sunbird-Asity Neodrepanis coruscans
Madagascar Bush Lark Mirafra hova
Plain (Brown-throated) Martin Riparia paludicola
Mascarene Martin Phedina borbornica
Madagascar Wagtail Motacilla flaviventris
Ashy (Madagascar) Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina cinerea
Madagascar Bulbul Hypsipetes madagascariensis
Long-billed Greenbul Phyllastrephus madagascariensis
Spectacled Greenbul Phyllastrephus zosterops
Appert’s Greenbul Phyllastrephus apperti
Grey-crowned Greenbul Phyllastrephus cinereiceps (nt)
Forest Rock Thrush Monticola sharpei
Benson’s Rock Thrush Monticola bensoni
Littoral Rock Thrush Monticola imerinus
Madagascar Cisticola Cisticola cherina
Brown Emutail Dromaeocercus brunneus – heard only
Gray Emutail Dromaeocercus seebohmi
Madagascar Brush Warbler Nesillas typica
Sub-desert Brush Warbler Nesillas lantzii
Madagascar Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus newtoni
Thamnornis Warbler Thamnornis chloropetoides
Rand’s Warbler Randia pseudozosterops
Common Newtonia Newtonia brunneicauda
Dark Newtonia Newtonia amphichroa
Archbold’s Newtonia Newtonia archboldi
Cryptic Warbler Cryptosylvicola randriansoloi
Madagascar Magpie-Robin Copsychus albospecularis
Common (Madagascar) Stonechat Saxicola torquata
Ward’s Flycatcher Pseudobias wardi
Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher Tersiphone mutata
Common Jery Neomixis tenella
Green Jery Neomixis viridis
Stripe-throated Jery Neomixis striatigula
Wedge-tailed Jery Hartertula flavoviridis
White-throated Oxylabes Oxylabes madagasacariensis
Yellow-browed Oxylabes Crossleyia xanthophrys
Crossley’s Babbler Mystacornis crossleyi
Souimanga Sunbird Nectarinia souimanga
Long-billed Green Sunbird Nectarinia notata
Madagascar White-eye Zosterops maderaspatana
Red-tailed Vanga Calicalicus madagascariensis
Red-shouldered Vanga Calicalicus rufocarpalis (Vu)
Rufous Vanga Schetba rufa
Hook-billed Vanga Vanga curvirostris
Lafresnaye’s Vanga Xenopirostris xenopirostris
Van Dam’s Vanga Xenopirostris damii (Vu)
Pollen’s Vanga Xenopirostris polleni
Sickle-billed Vanga Falculea palliata
White-headed Vanga Artamella viridis
Chabert’s Vanga Leptopterus chabert
Blue Vanga Cyanolanius madagascarinus
Nuthatch Vanga Hypositta corallirostris
Tylas Vanga Tylas eduardi
Crested Drongo Dicrurus forficatus
Pied Crow Corvus albus
Indian Myna Acridotheres tristis
Madagascar Starling Hartlaubius auratus
Nelicourvi Weaver Ploceus nelicourvi
Sakalava Weaver Ploceus sakalava
Madagascar Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis
Forest Fody Foudia omissa
Madagascar Mannikin Lonchura nana

MAMMALS
The nomenclature and taxonomy for mammals is according to Garbutt, 2001. Fieldguide to Mammals of Madagascar.

Commerson’s Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros commersoni – roosting in tree crack at Ampijoroa.
Eastern Red Forest Rat Nesomys rufus - Ranomofana
Fanaloka Fossa fossana – one extremely tame individual at the "nocturne" in Ranomofana
Brown Mouse Lemur Microcebus rufus – Perinet & Ranomofana
Golden Brown Mouse Lemur Microcebus ravelobensis - Ampijoroa.
Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur Cheirogaleus medius - Ampijoroa.
Milne-Edward’s Sportive Lemur Lepilemur edwardsi - Ampijoroa.
Eastern Grey Bamboo Lemur Hapalemur griseus griseus - Ranomofana
Golden Bamboo Lemur Hapalemur aureus – Ranomofana – only discovered in 1985
Ring-tailed Lemur Lemur catta – very tame female with baby near Tulear.
Mongoose Lemur Eulemur mongoz – this are and seldom seen beast was found at Ampijoroa.
Red-bellied Lemur Eulemur rubriventer – Ranomofana.
Common Brown Lemur Eulemur fulvus fulvus – Perninet & Ampijoroa.
Sub-sp. Red-fronted Brown Lemur Eulemur f. rufus - Ranomofana
Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur Varecia variegata variegata – seen spectacularly at Ranomofana
Western Avahi Avahi occidentalis – Ampijoroa. @ night
Milne-Edward’s (Diademed) Sifaka Propithecus diadema edwardsi – Ranomofana N.P.
Coquerel’s Sifaka Propithecus verreaui coquereli – abundant at Ampijoroa.
Sub-sp. Verreaux’s Sifaka Propithecus v. verreaui – heard only at Zombitse.
Indri Indri indri - Perinet
Humpbacked Whale Megaptera novaeangliae – 2 breaching of coast of Ifaty
 

REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS

Calumma oustleti – Oustalet’s Chameleon Ampijoroa
Calumma nasutus Short-horned Chameleon - Perinet
Calumma brevicornis Nose-horned Chameleon - Perinet
Brookesia minima Pygmy Stump-tailed Chameleon - Perinet
Mabuya gravenhorsti Common skink
Boophis spp.

MISCELLANEOUS

Giraffe-necked Weevil Trachelophorus giraffa - Perinet
Hissing Cockroach Gromphadorhina hopardi
Leafhopper sp. Gascardia sp.
Orb-Web Spider Nephilia madagacariensis
Green Pill Millipedes Sphaerotherium spp.
Uraniid Moths Chrysiridia madagascariensis

PLANTS (SELECTED LIST)

Adansonia fony
Adansonia za
Adansonia madagascariensis
Didierea madagascariensis
Didierea trollii
Alluaudia procera
Alluaudia ascendens
Alluaudia comosa
Euphorbia stenoclada
Euphorbia oconclada
Euphorbia millii Crown-of-thorns
Delonix adansonoides Flambuoyant with swollen trunk
Pachypodium sp. Elephant’s Foot/Stone Plant
Typhonodorum lindleyaneum Giant aquatic Arum
Ravanala madagascariensis Traveller’s Palm
Neodipsis decaryae Three-cornered Palm
Cycas thouarsii Endemic Cycad
Rhipsalis cassytha Old world member of Cactaceae