Madagascar Post 2 – Days 6 – 9
Our birding trip was organised by Madagascar Tour Guide (madagascar.tour.guide@gmail.com), who was really well organised. Our guide for most of the trip was Julian, who was brilliant at digging the birds as well as sorting things out for us along the way. The company is owned by Andre who came to meet us as we passed through Tana. I would highly recommend them and the prices were modest.
Day 6 – 10/08/2018
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| Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig having an early breakfast in Anakao, Madagascar Photographs copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
On Friday 10th of August, we were up at 3.45 am, so that our bags could be picked up from our cabin at 4.15 am. Then breakfast at 4.20 am so that we could leave Anakao at 4.50 am and travel by speedboat for Toliara. It was pitch black on the boat and jammed packed with tourists. It was good that I had a hoodie on, as it was freezing cold and we were all huddled together for warmth.
We arrived in Toliara at 6.30 am where we were met with carts pulled by Zebu (a species of horned cattle) up to their chests in water which took us back to the road without us getting soaked.
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| Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig being picked up by zebu in Toliara, Madagascar Photographs copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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We then headed straight back to Andatabo Forest to look for Red-shouldered Vanga again without any luck. Apparently, the birds normally call, so they might have been breeding at the moment. I did feel pretty disappointed as this was Phoebe Snetsinger’s last new bird but maybe it was only right that I, being a 16-year-old birder, should not see the last bird of the world’s most amazing female birder.
On the way, we stopped at some pools and saw Madagascar Harrier-hawk, Kittlitz’s Plover, Olive Bee-eater and White-fronted Plover.
Arriving in Ifaty, our hotel was high over the sea and had amazing views looking over the coast. First, we had lunch and a swim, then when it was a bit cooler, we went to the forest about 10 minute drive away. The forest is owned by the local community now and so they share the income from tourism. This is where Jean-Marie lives and we saw his booth that he and his colleagues guide out of. We had two young guys with us who were spotters, who track down the birds.
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| Crested Coua, Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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| Running Coua, Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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| Grey-headed Lovebird Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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| Long-tailed Ground Roller, Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig
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| Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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| Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig, Mangily Spiny Forest, Madagascar Photograph copyright Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig |
Afterwards, we stayed out birding into the evening but didn’t see any night birds.
Day 7 – 11/08/2018
On Saturday 11 August 2018, we were up early so that we could get to the Mangily Spiny Forest by 6.30 am. We had a good morning of birding, seeing Subdesert Mesite, Crested Coua, Red-tailed, Hook-billed Vanga, Red Fody, Striped-throated Jery, Chabert Vanga and Thamnornis, This is when we said goodbye to Jean-Marie as he was guiding in the afternoon.
The highlight of the evening was Torotoroka Scops Owl as well as Mouse Lemur and White-footed Sportive Lemur.
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Day 8 – 12/08/2018
On Sunday 12 August 2018 we left the hotel very early at 5.30 am and drove to another dry forest, Zombsite Forest. We stopped in a town en-route to pop into a supermarket to buy some food for a picnic lunch. When we arrived at the forest, our local guide was waiting for us and immediately took us behind a building to see a Giant Coua. They put food out of the Coua, so they were relatively showy.
At about 1 pm, we carried on with our journey, along straight roads through miles of dry forest.
Day 9 – 13/08/2018
The best birds of the day were White-throated Rail, Forest Rock Thrush which might split into Benson’s Rock Thrush, Madagascan Stonechat and a roosting Rainforest Scops Owl. We also had even better views of a Verreaux’s Lemur.
About The Author
Hi, I’m Dr. Mya-Rose Craig. I am a 19-year-old prominent British-Bangladeshi ornithologist, environmentalist, diversity activist as well as an author, speaker and broadcaster. At age 11 I started the popular blog Birdgirl, and at age 17 I became the youngest person to see half of the birds in the world.
Lyrical, poignant and insightful.’ - Margaret Atwood
This is my story; a journey defined by my love for these extraordinary creatures. Because large or small, brown, patterned or jewelled, there is something about birds that makes us, even for just moments at a time, lift our eyes away from our lives and up to the skies.
Lyrical, poignant and insightful.’ - Margaret Atwood
This is my story; a journey defined by my love for these extraordinary creatures. Because large or small, brown, patterned or jewelled, there is something about birds that makes us, even for just moments at a time, lift our eyes away from our lives and up to the skies.