MADAGASKAR -PART -1

  MADAGASCAR FROM FLIGHT

After much discussion on dangers of Plague and all family members sensitive to our choice of MADAGASKAR -WE -Dr Kiran and me decided to trust Field guides and landed at the capital city -{short cut }called as TANA .
We had 2 Field guide leaders-Mr PHIL
and Dough.One local navigator- Mr Gerad.


We were a group of 9 of us and last were we to land. Our Bus was waiting for us and Kiran after quick exchange of money joined us all. We checked into hotel Tamboho -cosy little place close to a marsh ,where ducks were sleeply swimming. The first bird in Madagascar was RED FODY


   The roads were filled with people of all ages and
markets were along the road. The traffic was chaotic. No footpaths and old taxis were seen every where. I thought this must least modern too. I saw man driven rickshaws like in Kolkatta.

     

              


-ROAD SIDE MARKETS
TAXIS AT TANA-



 railway station -TANA                                                                        STATUE-ROAD CENTRE                                                                                                                                                                

MARSHES BEHIND THE HOTEL
GOOD BIRDING SAW THE FOLLOWING :
 MALACHITE KINGFISHER

red billed ducks

   

black capped night heron

hottentot teals sleeping along with red billed teals

common moorhen

6th NOVEMBER:MUMBAI-TANA
7TH NOVEMBER:BIRDING AROUND MARSHES,LEFT  FOR ANTISIABE. lovely views of swamp warbler.
REACHED A WETLAND AREA CALLED DANHAZOMIVADY IN SEARCH FOR MADAGASKAR SNIPE.







2ND DAY-7 November: LOADING OFF TO ANOTHER PLACE -

STRAWBERRIES AT ROAD SIDE SALE

MARSHES FOR MADAGASKAR SNIPE

 SNIPE SEARCH BY LOCAL REWARDED AFTER
SUCCESSFUL SEARCH AND A HUGE HURRAY FROM 9 OF US.

-RED BILLED DUCKS ALSO TOOK OFF WITH THE SNIPE
ROAD SIDE VIEWS

PEOPLE SELLING LIME AND T SHIRTS.
WE ATE LUNCH AT A SMALL RESTAURANT.
I TASTED FOR THE FIRST TIME SOUR SOP JUICE.
DID NOT RELISH IT MUCH.
PIZZAS WERE YUMMY .





RICE FIELDS WERE IN EVERY ONE'S BACK YARD
LIVING IN FRONT WITH THEIR PRIVATE
RICE FIELDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BIG CITY.

                                                                        IMAGINE WIFI IN THIS SMALL PLACE!

Reached the hotel Mania- not a very nice place and we had to shift out of our 3rd floor room onto a family room since whole of 3rd floor had no water.It was just a stop gap hotel.

DAY 3- 8TH NOVEMBER:

After some shopping , around Ambositre, left for Ranomafana. Stayed in Centre EST HOTEL.

Nice bunglow type cosy rooms..Did birding around the hotel in the evening.

The Green Chamleon,with orchids and giant wood spiders were observed.

  

DAY4 -november-9-AT THE PARK
It was along circuit trail of 15 kms, rough and up and down.Only place to see the great bamboo lemurs



 we also saw red fronted brown lemurs.

In the morning circuit trail-2 major highlights
a-golden bamboo lemur
b-great bamboo lemurs(only 2 remaining in the world
After resting a little went for an evening trail. we were close to a
lovely water falls ,and saw the giraffe beetle and
Madagaskar magnitude frog.Blue pigeon was very like my sister 's African Grey -ZEN.

Frogs, and millipede on the trail

Chameleons along the trail at the Vohitarara-village road.
10th november -DAY5
Circuit route again in search of pitta- like ground roller.
Here we saw amazing Black lemurs also called
Milne Edwards Lemurs.
Velvet Ascity was also cited.

MILNE EDWARDS LEMUR
(BLACK LEMUR)


CUDDLY ARN'T THEY?

Mascarene martins taking the Sun in the morning and had nests near the cliffs. We were luccky to a nest very low down with lovely blue eggs in them.
Madagsakar cuckoo shrike,blue pigeons, and hooked Vanga were a few good sightings near Bougipara. Tiring hot walks ,would successful ones would keep me going.
We had to pack since next day was a very long travel day
Nov-11-day 6
Loaded up early just after 5.00 a.m breakfast to stop at Ambalavao-for quick look at paper Industry and silk weaving industry. I enjoyed both of them.After lunch headed again southwards to Isalo national park .We rested in Jardin du roy % star hotel which was very comfortable and so Kiran decided to sleep over and not take the morning walk
luckily he missed nothing.
rock formation around the hotel was great .We did not rock climbing walks.

NOVEMBER 12 -DAY 7
this area is famous for siting of Madagaskar partridge and southern
rock thrush.



insects and rock formation at Isalo
loading after a morning walk around the hotel left to go south wards with halt at Zambitse forest. It was a spiny forest with sitings of verreaux sifakas and crested and greater coua

ROCKS AT ISALO

VERREAUX SIFAKA'S PLAYING IN THE Zambitse NATIONAL PARK

 Crested Coua on the left gave excellent siting along with giant Coua.
The warty chameleon was sunbathing .

GIANT CUOA



who is peeping out of trees
Hubbard's sportive lemur
and to the left is peacock day lizard.
Drove down south from this spiny forest to Tulear and from there to Ivaty.sunsets was lovely here.
lots of mosquitoes buzzed around in our log hut like stay.in the night we saw mouse lemur and night jar with help of torches.
The hotel staff would put out small pieces of bananas on the thorns of some tree,and as soon as night comes down these tiny mouse lemurs come for a treat awaiting them.

i will end part I here and start another part -2 with date 13 november.

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