Madagascar A Unique Natural Heritage A Greentours Tour Report 31st October to 14th November 2014 Led by Callan Cohen & Paul Cardy Daily report and systematic lists by Paul Cardy Day 1 Friday 31st October and Saturday 1st November Arrival, Antananarivo Our hotel was situated amid a rare oasis of greenery in Antananarivo. Arrivals this year were many and varied, some of us arriving on the Friday, others on Saturday. The hotel gardens produced a reasonable selection of wildlife for those of us spending time here. A hawk moth was a pleasing find and among the butterflies were Papilio demodocus, Catopsilia florella, Mylothris phileris, Leptomyrina phidias, Uranothauma artemenes, Leptotes rabefaner, Junonia goudotii, Junonia rhadama, Acraea igati, and Acraea zitja; not a bad haul. All the group were united by lunch time on the Saturday, and that afternoon we made a trip to a small wetland reserve in the Tana environs. This was a pleasant and productive excursion. On arrival at the reserve a colony of Nephila spiders was the first thing of note. Here were many egrets including Dimorphic and Great, Black-crowned Night Herons, Black Heron, several Squacco Herons, and Malagasy Pond Heron. On the water were numerous Red-billed Teal, several Hottentot Teal, numerous White-faced Whistling Duck, and Comb Duck. Some eight of the endemic Meller’s Duck was a highlight. A Lygodactylus was not identified to species. Among Odonata were Ischnura senegalensis, and Brachythemis leucosticta, Banded Groundling. Zizeeria knysna flew over the low vegetation and the beautiful Precis rhadama was admired. Birds continued with Madagascar Kingfisher, Madagascar Coucal, and Common Jery, and White- throated Rail crossed the path. Madagascar Black Swifts were in the air. A rodent (rat!) moved through the bamboo. A mantid on a Castor Oil Plant was a pleasing find. Ferns included a Thelypteris species, and Dicranopteris linearis. Other plants were Solanum mauritanicum, Lantana camara, Trema orientalis, and deep blue flowered Pycnostachys caerulea. Melia azederach was invasive and Schizolobium parahyba, a leguminous tree with yellow flowers, was native to the neotropics. Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 1 Day 3 Sunday 2nd November To Toliara and Ifaty Early morning saw us taking the only internal flight of the tour, to the south west, and the spiny forest around Toliara. We arrived to fine hot weather. Having loaded up the bags we were soon on our way to the nearby arboretum which was an ideal spot to introduce us to the flora and fauna of the dry south west. Things started well with nesting Chabert’s Vanga in a Commiphora, and Souimanga Sunbird sang. We were soon admiring many of the typical plants of the spiny forest, especially the remarkable endemic Didieria madagascariensis. Here were both Euphorbia tirucali and Euphorbia stenoclada, Jatropha mahfalensis, and Cynanchum perrieri. Madagascar Bee-eaters were admired. Butterflies on the wing were Colotis amata, Colotis guenei, Colotis evanthe, Catopsilia florella, Acraea turna, and Eurema brigitta. Callan pointed out Camponotus Honey Pot Ants. Madagascar Turtle Dove, Common Jery, Madagascar Buttonquail, and Saklava Weaver continued the birds. Two dry country skink species were much in evidence, Tracheloptychus madagascariensis and Trachylepis aureopunctata. A very good site for reptiles, here too were Oplurus cyclurus, Phelsuma mutabilis, and the snake Mimophis mahfalensis. Plants continued with Zygophyllum depauperatum, Delonix floribunda, Euphorbia oncoclada, Operculicarya pachypus, Pachypodium lamerai ramosum in flower, Commiphora simplicifolia with peeling bark, Cyphostema elephantopus, and the amaranth Henonia scoparia. We found another nesting Chabert’s Vanga, and nesting Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher. Our first lemur, a Grey-brown Mouse-lemur, was a highlight. Lunch was eaten in the shade of the restaurant here, where Commerson’s Leaf-nosed Bat roosted. After a good lunch we headed back to Toliara and took the sandy dirt road that leads north along the coast. Familiar wintering shorebirds here included Whimbrel, Common Greenshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, and Grey Plover. Kittlitz’s Plover and Three-banded Plover were here too, and Terek Sandpiper. The first of several Pharmacophagus antenor, a very impressive endemic swallowtail, was on the wing. Humboldt’s Heron in mangroves was a highlight, with the more prosaic Grey Heron. A snake, Leioheterodon geayi, on the road prompted a stop. A little later a stop to search for Madagascar Plover was successful. Cryptostegia madagascariensis represented the Apocynaceae, and Grey- headed Lovebirds flew over. Our hotel was ideally situated beside the Mozambique Channel, with several things of interest in and around the leafy grounds. Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 2 Day 4 Monday 3rd November Ifaty The spiny forest was but a short journey from our hotel on the shore, and we travelled there in zebu drawn carts, a fine experience in the early morning light under clear blue skies. Three to each, the carts got us into the forest quicker than would the bus, and much further along the narrow densely vegetated entrance track. This weird and wonderful habitat was characterised by numerous Didieria madagascariensis, the baobab Adansonia rubristipa, Pachypodium geayi in fruit, the very spiny indeed Euphorbia stenoclada, Aloe divaricata, and many other spiny or succulent plants, or species with swollen trunks. Delonix floribunda was in fine bloom. A team of local trackers met us on arrival, and they spent our time here locating some of the very special endemics that the area boasts. Before long we were enjoying prolonged views of Long-tailed Ground Roller, with all getting a superb look at this fine species, extremely closely allowing some great photos. Representing a new bird family for most of the group, later followed a Subdesert Mesite on the nest, seen superbly in the ‘scope. Last of the main track downs was a pair of the scarce Banded Kestrel, the male devouring a Warty Chamaeleon atop an octopus tree. Archbold’s Newtonia was another highlight. Stripe-throated Jery and Souimanga Sunbirds called from atop trees, and during the morning we had various encounters with Sickle-billed, Red-tailed, and Chabert’s Vangas. Running Coua was heard, and a few Crested Couas and Green-capped Coua were both seen. Madagascar Lesser Cuckoo was a real feature early on with the call commonly heard and several birds seen. Madagascar Coucal called often too. Roosting Madagascar Nightjar was seen superbly well. Highlights continued with nesting Lafesnaye’s Vanga and Hook-Billed Vanga. In the air was a pair of displaying Madagascar Harrier Hawks, looking fine in the sunlight. Both Lesser and Greater Vasa Parrots were seen in flight. Also seen this morning were Madagascar Kestrel, Crested Drongo, Thamnornis Warbler, Subdesert Brush Warbler, and Sakalava Weaver. Butterflies were not numerous, but the commonest species was the beautiful endemic ‘crimson tip’ Colotis zoe. Also on the wing were Colotis lucasi, Pinacopterix eriphia, and African Monarch, and Pharmacophagus antenor occasionally drifted over. Early in the morning one small area produced quite a menagerie with a hibernating Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec, a superb find, as well as an impressive Hissing Cockroach, a ‘kung fu’ bush cricket, and a scorpion. One bizarre life form after another. Later I found another Hissing Cockroach inside a hollow log. A white geometer was not uncommon. The legume Chadsia flammea was numerous in flower but could I really have seen two ‘three-eyed lizards’ using a flower each as a ‘dewlap’ in head bob displays? Reptiles were few other than the Chalarodon but we did see more Trachylepis aureopunctata. A Sportive Lemur peering out of its roost hole was another highlight, seen superbly. Perhaps surprisingly, which species of Lepilemur this is here is not obvious. By 9am the day was warming up markedly and we headed for the comforts and shade of the hotel. We lunched at length at midday, interrupted by our first day-gecko (Phelsuma modesta). The afternoon session bagan with Deudorix antalus on the wing in the hotel garden. Then it was back Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 3 in the zebu carts to the spiny forest. Among the many plants seen were an Aristolochia in flower and fruit, white flowered Delonix adansonioides, Combretum coccineum, Givotia madagascariensis, Sideroxylon sp., Cynanchum perrieri, and Adenia olaboensis. Running Coua was seen superbly. Day 5 Tuesday 4th November Ifaty to Toliara We got a lie-in this morning breakfasting at 0630 and heading off at about 0750. All was calm on the beach and as we left ‘giant swallowtail’ was already on the wing in the gardens. They would be rather common this morning. The newly much improved dirt road allowed reasonably fast progress. Short stops yielded a few waders such as Terek Sandpiper, and a Striated Heron. A Lycium was probably the endemic Lycium tenuum. Also seen were Hoopoe, Madagascar Swamp Warbler, Cordia mairei, and Maerua filiformis. We had planned a few short stops en route to our next hotel south of Toliara. However an unplanned long stop came when we reached a stretch of roadworks, trucks laden with sand getting stuck themselves, and road rollers, cars, trucks, and busses waiting at each end to get through, each one that tried inevitably also getting stuck and being pulled out by one of the digging machines. We spent about two and a half hours waiting here, but wandering into the desert scrub, and down to the mangroves, kept us amused. A creeping small Euphorbia growing near the tree-like Euphorbia stenoclada showed just what a varied genus this is. In flower were Plumbago aphylla and Tephrosia purpurea dunensis. The attractive plated lizard Tracheloptychus petersi was new for us and Alan then found a Dromicodryas bernieri snake devouring one, and we watched this for some time. Madagascar Cisticola was much in evidence and there were many three-eyed lizards.