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Home , Malagasy turtle dove, Mascarene martin, Mascarene swiftlet, Mauritius fody, Mauritius kestrel, Nesoenas

Barau's Petrel , Photos by tour participant Colin Rogers Colin participant tour by Photos Text by tour leader Michael Mills Michael leader tour by Text 2017 Tour Report & Reunion The Africa specialists Africa The Birding Africa

ANGOLA - TOUR INFORMATION The remote oceanic islands of Seychelles, Mauritius, Rodrigues and REPORT Reunion are renowned for their palm-lined, white-sand beaches, and in With almost everyone having arrived half a day another on a night roost. Much of the rest of the day the case of Reunion, it's active volcano. From the birder's perspective, early for the trip, we commenced our birding in the was spent wader watching, although a successful these island are characterised by high degrees of , spectacular interior of Mahé Island in the Seychelles where in detour was also made in search of Yellow Bittern. seabird breeding colonies, heroic conservation efforts and, unfortunately, the first three hours of birding we cleaned up on More common waterbirds seen included Curlew irreplaceable losses such as the extinct Dodo. the endemic landbirds of the island. We started off Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Common Greenshank

Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding with Seychelles Sunbird and Seychelles Bulbul, and Whimbrel, with more memorable Report Tour Africa Birding and it was only a matter of minutes before we lured including some lovely Crab-Plovers, a vagrant Our inaugural watching tour to these islands was a resounding success, a pair of very rare (fewer than 100 individuals on Caspian Plover, a couple of Terek Sandpiper and Mahé) Seychelles White-eyes in for close-up two Saunders's Terns. with virtually all possible species recorded. views. Introduced Zebra Dove, , The next day we changed base to Island, Red and Madagascar Turtle Dove where we enjoyed excellent views of Seychelles were in evidence too, as were some noisy White- Black and a seawatch produced a Brown tailed Tropicbirds. Moving on towards the central Booby among the Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and highlands of Mahé we paused for roadside views of couple of Tropical Shearwaters. From Praslin we Seychelles and Seychelles , made visits to three of the surrounding islands. and just before sunset we found our first Seychelles The first was to the private island of Cousine where dust bathing. After dark the hoarse call of Seychelles Magpie-Robin, and Seychelles Scops Owl was heard and it wasn't long Seychelles Warbler were seen well and with ease, before we had drawn one bird in for good views and large numbers of seabirds were seen at close in the spotlight, before retracing our steps back to range. Side-by-side views of Lesser Noddy and Victoria for our first Creole buffet dinner.

White Tern

The following day, with everyone now arrived, we Brown Noddy allowed for useful comparisons, and repeated the previous day's efforts on the endemic White Tern, White-tailed Tropicbird and Wedge- , this time improving our views of Seychelles tailed Shearwater were seen on the nest. Greater Kestrel with a bird spotted in the late morning Frigatebird circled overhead and several Bridled Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher perched on some scaffolding near the coast, and Tern were seen too.

2 | Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion 2017 Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion 2017 | 3 Our task on Island was more matched Herald Petrel well, but as explained to us Now onto the final stint of the trip, we flew back straightforward, and even before arriving at by research leader Vikash Tatayah, these birds that to Mauritius and on the Saint Denis on Réunion Le Veuve Reserve had we seen a lovely pair of breed on Round Island are a hybrid swarm of the Island, the most recently formed of the Mascarenes Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher, with more to three petrels, with no birds seemingly genetically and still volcanically active. Early the next morning follow at the reserve itself. pure... lots to think about. we snaked our way up into the highlands above Saint Denis to the famous La Roche Écrite trail However, the highlight was Aride Island where the During the rest of our time on Mauritius we visited head. The weather was perfect – cloudless skies and fody, warbler and magpie-robin seen again, and the impressive rehabilitation project of the windless. Reunion Stonechat was seen on the edge

Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding memorable seabirds included Tropical Shearwater Mauritian Wildlife Foundation at Ile aux Aigrettes, Report Tour Africa Birding of the car park as we headed off, and as we climbed on the nest (number 9000 for Jürgen!), Bridled where we enjoyed more views of reintroduced we found our first of many Reunion Olive White- Tern on the nest, lots of Sooty Terns in various , Mauritius Olive White-eye and eyes. Our plan was to get into range of the very rare and two Lesser Frigatebirds among the , plus several rare reptiles including Reunion Cuckooshrike as early as possible, and it many Greater Frigatebirds. We also saw a lost Telfair's Skink and Ornate Day . Another spot wasn't long before we could hear a bird calling in Western Yellow Wagtail. produced at close range, and a the distance. We repositioned ourselves a couple return visit to Macchabée Forest gave perched views During our transit back through Mahé Island a of times before we managed to draw a bird into a of several female and one male and short stint of wader watching produced a vagrant tall tree beside the trail; it was a smart male. It was two more Mauritius Cuckooshrikes. Gull-billed Tern and singles of Eurasian Curlew moving around quite actively, but we waited on the and White-winged Tern, before we left behind the The next port of call was Rodrigues Island, trail and eventually enjoyed some very close views. laid-back and very tropical islands of Seychelles politically part of Mauritius although located some With the biggie under the belt we climbed higher, for the more developed of 600 km to the east. Fortunately there are daily flights finding Reunion Grey White-eye, Mascarene Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion. While the to the island, and shortly after being deposited at Paradise Flycatcher and Reunion Bulbul, but granitic Seychelles are of ancient Gondwanan the airport we were admiring our first Rodrigues the best area for Reunion Harrier was too far to derivation, the Mascarene islands of much more Fody and Rodrigues Warbler at Solitude, the latter reach in the time available to us, so we descended recent volcanic origin. rather prinia-like in the way it used its tail. The next back down to the trail head, hearing another two morning we visited another impressive Mauritian Reunion Cuckooshrikes and seeing many more On Mauritius, a stint of introductory birding along Wildlife Foundation rehabilitation site, Grande white-eyes and paradise flycatchers. A Reunion the start of the Macchabée Trail though the world- Montagne, where more fodies and warblers were Harrier appeared very briefly over the car park just famous Black River Gorges National Park quickly enjoyed at close range. after we arrived back at the vehicle, but most people turned up Mauritius Cuckooshrike, Pink Pigeon, missed seeing it. Mauritius Fody and Mauritius Grey White-eye, and distant flight views of Echo Parakeet. The next Mauritius Kestrel It was now time to focus on seabirds, and we made morning we tried another section of the reserve before we enjoyed good views of Mascarene our way down the west coast to board a fishing boat where we immediately found a single Mauritius Paradise Flycatcher, just in time for our departure for our final pelagic trip. The seas were very calm Olive White-eye and . More for a pelagic trip to Round Island off the north of and flat, and as we headed out to sea we quickly Pink Pigeons were admired at Pigeon Wood Mauritius. Our comfortable fishing boat made easy found our first Barau's Petrels and a single Bulwer's work of getting out to Round Island and nearby Petrel passed not too far away from the boat. As Serpent Island, and as we approached the sea was the afternoon passed the numbers of seabirds built heaving with noddies, Sooty Terns and tropicbirds up, with lots of Tropical Shearwaters seen at close including our first Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Several range alongside hundreds more Barau's Petrels Masked Boobies passed near our boat, and then and Short-tailed Shearwaters. The numbers of it was time to focus on tubenoses. Wedge-tailed tubenoses was spectacular! Shearwaters were the most common, but we also The next day we made our way to the central part of enjoyed views of about 20 Round Island Petrels the island to look for the missing harrier. Conditions in various plumages. A couple of birds, and one were much less pleasant – cloudy and quite windy. in particular with strong white primary feather A detailed study was made of Mascarene Swiftlet shafts visible on the upperwing, seemed to be and perched , and only after very good matches for Kermadec Petrel, and a few breakfast did we find our first harrier, a young male were good matches for Trindade Petrel, although hunting along the edge of a field, which dropped may birds had intermediate plumages. Studying out of sight but was spotted a bit later sitting in Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher photographs afterwards also indicated one bird that the field. Our drive back to Saint Denis produced

4 | Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion 2017 Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion 2017 | 5 a female harrier flying along the edge of the road, and we managed to stop on the verge of the road ANNOTATED SPECIES LIST for some excellent fly-by views. In Saint Denis itself Phasianidae - Pheasants and allies Herons, Bitterns Family Ardeidae a full adult male harrier was also spotted, bringing our harrier total to six birds! Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus. Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis. Fantastic views Introduced. A single bird was seen on Ile aux of a single bird on Mahé Island in Seychelles, and The final stint of birding before the end of the Aigrettes on Mauritius. also seen by Jürgen on La Digue Island. tour was a seawatch from the south-west coast of

Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding the island. Again the numbers of tubenoses was Family Procellariidae - Petrels, Shearwaters Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax Report Tour Africa Birding spectacular, and we enjoyed an afternoon filled with nycticorax. One see on Mahé Island in Seychelles Round Island Petrel Pterodroma arminjoniana Barau's Petrels, Tropical Shearwaters and Short- (nycticorax). x neglecta x heraldica. We saw about 20 of these tailed Shearwaters, a fitting end to a very successful petrels around Round Island off Mauritius. Some Striated Heron Butorides striata. Quite a few were trip. birds seemed to be classic Kermadec Petrels, some seen in the Seychelles, especially on Mahé Island were a good for fit Trindade Petrel, and some (*degens); one seen on Réunion (*rutenbergi). also showed features of Herald Petrel. These birds Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis. Seen on Mahé are now known to be a three-way hybrid swarm, Island in Seychelles. possibly also including Phoenix Petrel, with no genetically pure birds. What to tick?! Grey Heron Ardea cinerea. Seen well in the Reunion Cuckooshrike Seychelles (firasa). *Barau's Petrel Pterodroma baraui. Hundreds, possibly thousands of these birds were seen at Family Fregatidae - Frigatebirds sea around Réunion. On our pelagic trip we had close fly-by views and birds perched on the ocean, Great Frigatebird Fregata minor. Seen in good and during our seawatch enjoyed many hundreds numbers in the Seychelles (aldabrensis). milling around just beyond the breakers. Voted Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel. Two seen on bird of the trip! Aride Island in the Seychelles, a third-year female Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica. First and a fourth-year female (iredalei). seen in the Seychelles, on the nest on Cousine Family Sulidae - Gannets, Boobies Island, on a seawatch off Praslin Island and on the nest on Aride Island. Also seen in good numbers Masked Booby Sula dactylatra. Good views on the Round Island pelagic and off Réunion. of about 20 during the Round Island pelagic (melanops) Tropical Shearwater Puffinus [lherminieri] bailloni. First seen in the Seychelles, distantly Brown Booby Sula leucogaster. One seen during during the seawatch off Praslin Island and then at the seawatch off Praslin Island in Seychelles close range on the nest on Aride Island (*nicolae), (plotus). where it was Jürgen's 9000th bird! We also enjoyed Family Accipitridae - Kites, Hawks and Eagles great views of hundreds during the pelagic and seawatch on Réunion (bailloni). *Reunion Harrier Circus maillardi. Six seen on Réunion: first very brief views of one at the car Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii. One was seen park of La Roche Écrite, then good looks in the reasonably well during the pelagic trip off Réunion. centre of the island, followed by close up views of Tropicbirds Family Phaethontidae a female flying along the highway in the north-east of the island (we managed to stop in time to watch Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda. it pass us), and a second seen by Denzil, and finally Seen well during the pelagic trip to Round Island a male flying over St Denis! (rubricauda). Family Rallidae - Rails, Crakes and Coots White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus. Seen in good numbers on Seychelles, and also on Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus. Seen in Pink Pigeon Mauritius and Réunion (lepturus). good numbers in the Seychelles (orientalis).

6 | Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion 2017 Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion 2017 | 7 Family Dromadidae - Crab-plover Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris. Impressive Spotted Dove chinensis. Introduced. Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri. numbers seen throughout the region (tenuirostris) Seen on Mauritius. Introduced. Seen on Mauritius. Crab-plover Dromas ardeola. Some great views and generally more numerous than Brown Noddy. on during both wader-watching outings on Mahé *Pink Pigeon mayeri. Seen in good *Echo Parakeet Psittacula eques. Prolonged and Our best views were on Aride and Cousine Islands Island in the Seychelles, with at least 16 birds seen numbers on Mauritius, including at Pigeon Wood excellent views of several females in Macchabée in the Seychelles where they could be compared during our second outing. where the last remaining wild birds were found Forest in the highlands of Mauritius, and one side-by-side with Brown Noddy. and no captive-bred birds have been released. Also lovely male. Family Charadriidae - Plovers White Tern Gygis alba. Brilliant views of these seen on Ile aux Aigrettes. Voted number four on Family Campephagidae - Cuckooshrikes

Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding Grey Plover | Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis birds in the Seychelles, especially on Cousine and bird-of-the-trip contest. Report Tour Africa Birding squatarola. Seen in the Seychelles (squatarola). Aride Islands where they were nesting (candida). *Mauritius Cuckooshrike Coracina typica. Three Zebra Dove Geopelia striata. Introduced. Seen good sightings in Macchabée Forest on Mauritius; Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii. Seen Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica. One was throughout the islands. were the females all on ? on Mahé Island in the Seychelles. seen during our second wader watch on Mahé *Seychelles Blue Pigeon Alectroenas pulcherrimus. Island in the Seychelles, where it is a vagrant. *Reunion Cuckooshrike Coracina newtoni. Superb Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus. One Several great sightings in the Seychelles, especially views of a single male in the highlands of Réunion, non-breeding bird seen on Mahé Island in the Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii. A couple on Mahé and Praslin. and at least two other birds were heard. Seychelles, where it is a rare vagrant. were seen in the Seychelles (thalassinus). Family Strigidae - Owls Family Monarchidae - Monarchs Family Scolopacidae - Sandpipers, Snipes Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi. Seen well on *Seychelles Scops Owl Otus insularis. Seen well on Mahé Island in the Seychelles. *Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica. Seen in the two consecutive nights in the highlands of Mahé corvina. Richard spotted the first pair before we Seychelles. Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus. Seen a few Island in the Seychelles. even arrived at Le Veuve Reserve on La Digue times, but our best views were on Aride Island in Family Apodidae - Swifts Island in the Seychelles, where we enjoyed several Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus. Seen in the the Seychelles (antarcticus). Seychelles. more males and females. Voted number 2 in the * elaphrus. Seen Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus. Large numbers bird of the trip contest. well in the Seychelles on both Mahé and Praslin Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata. Seen in the were seen at Arid Island in the Seychelles and Islands. *Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone Seychelles. during the Round Island pelagic (nubilosus). bourbonnensis. A pair was seen very well near the *Mascarene Swiftlet Aerodramus francicus. First Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia. Seen in Common Tern Sterna . One was seen Black River Gorges on Mauritius (desolata), and seen around Black River Gorges on Mauritius, but the Seychelles. along the shore of Praslin Island in the Seychelles. several were seen at close range in the highlands of there were more and the views were better in the Réunion (bourbonnensis). Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus. Seen in the White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus. One highlands of Réunion. Seychelles. was seen on Mahé Island in the Seychelles. Family Corvidae - Crows, Jays Family - Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos. Seen in Family Stercorariidae - Skuas House Crow Corvus splendens. Introduced. Seen *Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus. Superb views the Seychelles. on Mauritius. Brown Skua Stercorarius antarcticus. One was seen of a pair birds at Vallée de Ferney on Mauritius. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres. Seen in the on the pelagic trip off Réunion. All birds are thought to be derived from a single Family Pycnonotidae - Bulbuls Seychelles. female that was taken into captivity, even though Family - Pigeons, Doves *Seychelles Bulbul Hypsipetes crassirostris. Seen there was still one wild but infertile female when Sanderling Calidris alba. Seen in the Seychelles. well in the Seychelles, especially on Mahé and Feral Pigeon livia. Seen. the population was at its lowest of four birds. Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea. Seen in the Praslin Islands. Madagascar Turtle Dove () *Seychelles Kestrel Falco araeus. First seen dust Seychelles. *Reunion Bulbul Hypsipetes borbonicus. Seen well Nesoenas picturatus. Seen throughout the islands. bathing in the evening in the highlands of Mahé in the highlands of Réunion. Family Laridae - Gulls, Terns and Skimmers On Mahé Island in the Seychelles they looked like Island in Seychelles, then seen on a night roost Brown Noddy Anous stolidus. Impressive numbers the introduced form from Madagascar (picturatus), and again during the day on some scaffolding near *Mauritius Bulbul Hypsipetes [borbonicus] seen throughout the region (pileatus), but our best whereas on Aride Island they appeared to be the coast. Michael also saw one on Praslin Island, olivaceus. Several were seen in the Black River views were on Aride and Cousine Islands in the intermediate between picturatus and *rostrata, and where it was reintroduced. Voted number three in Gorges of Mauritius. on Cousine Island they seemed to be very close the bird-of-the-trip contest. Seychelles where they were breeding and could be Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus. to pure *rostrata, but are probably not genetically compared side-by-side with Lesser Noddy. Family - Old World Introduced. Seen on Mauritius and Réunion. pure. Madagascan birds were also seen on Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion. *Seychelles Black Parrot Coracopsis [nigra] barklyi. Seen very well at Vallée de Mai on Praslin Island in the Seychelles, both in flight and perched.

8 | Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion 2017 Seychelles, Mauritius & Reunion 2017 | 9 Family Hirundinidae - , Martins *Reunion Stonechat Saxicola [torquatus] tectes. Seen in good numbers in the highlands of Mascarene Martin borbonica. We Réunion. enjoyed very good views of perched birds both on Mauritius and Réunion (*borbonica). Family Nectariniidae - Sunbirds Family Acrocephalidae - Reed Warblers and *Seychelles Sunbird Cinnyris dussumieri. Seen allies well in the Seychelles, especially on Mahé Island.

Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding *Seychelles Warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis. Family Passeridae - Old World Sparrows, Report Tour Africa Birding First seen on Cousine Island in Seychelles, where Snowfinches there were always some visitors from neighbouring House Sparrow Passer domesticus. Introduced. Cousin but the population was boosted with Seen throughout the islands reintroductions. Also seen on Aride Island, where reintroduced. Family - Weavers, Widowbirds Seychelles Swiftlet Mauritius Fody *Rodrigues Warbler Acrocephalus rodericanus. Spotted-backed Weaver () White-tailed Tropicbird Seen in impressive numbers at Solitude and [cucullatus] collaris. Introduced. Seen on Grande Montagne on Rodrigues. Mauritius. Family Zosteropidae - White-eyes Madagascar Fody () Foudia madagascariensis. Introduced. Seen throughout the *Reunion Grey White-eye Zosterops borbonicus. islands Seen in good numbers on Réunion. Mauritius Fody Foudia rubra. We enjoyed good *Mauritius Grey White-eye Zosterops [borbonicus] views of several males in the Black River Gorges mauritianus. Seen in good numbers in the and on Ile au Aigrettes (where reintroduced). highlands of Mauritius. Seychelles Fody Foudia sechellarum. Good *Seychelles White-eye Zosterops modestus. A pair numbers were seen on Cousine and Aride Islands of birds was seen at very close range on central in the Seychelles. Mahé Island in the Seychelles, on two occasions. Tropical Shearwater Rodrigues Fody Foudia flavicans. We had excellent *Reunion Olive White-eye Zosterops olivaceus. views of several bright males at Solitude and Seen in good numbers on Réunion. Grande Montagne on Rodrigues. Voted tie fourth *Mauritius Olive White-eye Zosterops on bird-of-the-trip contest. chloronothos. First one was seen in the highlands of Family Estrildidae - Waxbills, Munias and allies Mauritius, followed by several on Ile aux Aigrettes, where reintroduced. Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild. Introduced. Seen on Seychelles, Mauritius and Réunion. Family Sturnidae - Starlings, Rhabdornis Family Fringillidae - Finches Common Myna Acridotheres tristis. Introduced. Seen throughout the islands. Yellow-fronted Canary Crithagra mozambica. Introduced. Seen on Mauritius. Family Muscicapidae - Chats, Old World Flycatchers Family Motacillidae - Wagtails, Pipits *Seychelles Magpie-Robin Copsychus sechellarum. Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. One was We enjoyed close-up views of at least ten birds on seen on Aride Island in the Seychelles, where it is Cousine and Aride Islands in the Seychelles, where a vagrant. they were reintroduced. The last wild birds, which are the source for all reintroductions, are found on Frégate Island, which is privately owned and costs more than 3000 Euros a night to visit! Round Island Petrel Seychelles Blue Pigeon

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