Creatures of the Night

At Maromizaha, all 18 of us students had the unique privilege of going on night hikes through the preserve. During these hikes (which went from dusk until dinner at 7:30), one can experience a unique side of the rainforest that very few people get to see. Chameleons become visible, frogs of all kinds become active, and a wide array of nocturnal lemurs come out of their daytime hiding places.

Maromizaha has 6 species of nocturnal lemurs, from the owl-faced Avahi to the tiny rodent-like Mouse Lemurs. On our first nocturnal hike— which took us through a level path along a stream— we didn’t see many lemurs, but did get some good looks at Lepilemur mustelinus:  a brown, weasel-like creature that is one of several dozen species of “sportive lemurs”. We also happened to encounter a White-Throated Rail that was sleeping in the center of a palm tree (first time I’ve ever seen any rail taking a snooze).

On our second nocturnal hike, we returned to Belle Vue, where a Madagascar Nightjar called repeatedly and eventually flew past us like a giant moth. Up here, our luck was much better with lemurs: We saw at least 8 Avahis (also known as Wooly Lemurs), 3 Lepilemurs, a Goodman’s Mouse Lemur, and a Greater Dwarf Lemur (a slow-moving canopy-dweller that our guide wasn’t even expecting to find).

Unfortunately, I did not bring my telephoto lens on these hikes, so my only pictures were those of pixelated, glowing eyes.

(picture coming soon!)

…and Chameleons.

(picture coming soon!)

A Mixed-Species Flock

September 16, 2013

For our second full day at Maromizaha, my group joined up with a well-known naturalist for an introduction to how researchers conduct transect surveys. Though simple in design, transect surveys are extremely useful for determining species density within a rainforest. Because lemurs and birds were a little too quick for us beginners, we conducted our transects with orchids as our focal organisms.

So we hiked up to Belle Vue— a ridge that arguably provides the best view in the reserve. It was a tough hike, but when we did finally reach the top, we were greeted with a wonderful view.

(pic)

We heard some Indris up here and a few people were able to see some distant black and white shapes, but the coolest thing (at least in my opinion) was the mixed-species flock we ran into.

In the tropics, many species of small, forest-dwelling birds will travel in groups comprised of several different species. Why they do this instead of sticking exclusively with their own kind is hotly debated, but the most popular theory is that strength in numbers increases the chances of finding food and decreases the risk of predation.

On the previous day’s hike through Maromizaha, I had seen a few Madagascar Brush Warblers, Madagascar Bulbuls, many Souimanga Sunbirds, and a single Red-Fronted Coua that appeared while everyone else was admiring the Sifakas— but I hadn’t seen any vangas, asities, or other forest specialties until today.

It began with the Souimanga Sunbirds. I had seen or heard at least 20 of them on the hike today, so I didn't think it was a big deal when a pair popped into view along the edge of the forest. And then a Crested Drongo appeared. Two Crested Drongos... Five Madagascar White-Eyes... Three Blue Vangas (!!!)… Two White-Headed Vangas… Two Red-Tailed Vangas… Common Newtonias… more sunbirds… and then, a slightly larger sunbird with bright green goggles appeared: A Common Sunbird-Asity!!! 

Sifakas and Couas

September 15, 2013

After a wonderful night of sleep, everyone was awakened at 6 AM for a traditional Malagasy breakfast of rice, rice, some eggs, and more rice.

I had also barely stepped out of my tent when I glimpsed my first Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Madagascar Bulbuls, and Souimanga Sunbirds. As the sun rose above the forested ridges of Maromizaha, I heard the trumpeting calls of Indris echoing across the valley. Though they were quite far away, the Indris’ cries were quite resonant, and I couldn’t wait to see the cat-sized, panda-colored creatures that made them.

Not long after the Indris had quieted down, our breakfast was interrupted by two giant blue things that glided into a tree right above us, grabbed a small chameleon from a leaf, and proceeded to fight over it tug-of-war-style before finally tearing it apart and eating it.

They were Blue Couas: large cuckoo-like birds that resembled a cross between a roadrunner and a Stellar’s Jay. Much like Stellar’s Jays, they were as feisty as they were beautiful. They made a wide variety of unusual sounds, and in all my travels, I have never seen any bird quite like them.

After breakfast and a short lecture, our group of 16 students was split into 3 smaller groups that went off in search of lemurs and other interesting wildlife. For the group I was with, our quarry was the Diademed Sifaka- a great golden creature that is considered one of the most beautiful lemur species. Fortunately for us, the Sifakas and Indris in Maromizaha have become habituated to human researchers following them around for years. Thus, when we did finally encounter the sifakas, they couldn’t care less about how close we were to them. The group of four that we saw just continued to eat leaves, groom themselves, and make the occasional giant leaps from trunk to trunk. They were so close, it was almost like watching them in a zoo! 

Pictures will come later- the bandwidth at Ranomafana won't allow it.