Ghana Part 3: Capetown and Bonkro, and the iconic Picathartes

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Capetown:  Day 9 we left Ankasa and drove to Capetown.  I had mentioned to Ibrahim that we would like to see the old “castle”, remembered more today as a slave prison rather than as a castle. The  more privileged whites lived on the upper floors in what was luxury in the slave trading days.  The Castle was the main site of the British controlled slave trade out of Africa for almost 150 years, from 1664, when Britain gained control of Capetown to 1807 (over 50 years before our Civil War) when Britain enacted the Slave Trade Act which discouraged the slave trade.  In preparation for my birding trips, I often read a book about the country to which I am going.  In the case of Ghana, I read the book, “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi.  Her book is characterized in the reviews as “historical fiction”.  It has the feel of a book which tells the truth, but with fictionally imagined characters. A very interesting book. I unhesitatingly recommend it for anyone having an interest in Ghana.   

When we arrived at Cape Castle we were assigned a guide who spoke with us before conducting the official tour.  I told him I had read Homegoing by Yaa “Geeasi” (I pronounced it with a hard g as in “George”). Our guide stopped me to correct my pronunciation of her last name, which begins with a soft g as in “girl”.  He seemed familiar with the book so I asked him if it was an accurate portrayal of the history of the Castle.  He had read the book and he said it was an accurate portrayal. I had taken a quick look at the lower levels of the Castle where Africans were held as prisoners before being shipped to the Americas and the Caribbean to be sold as slaves. It was very depressing to see and imagine their suffering. After a short time, I left the tour and sat on the ramparts of the castle overlooking the more beautiful Atlantic Ocean.  Here are some of the pictures taken at Cape Castle:  

Because of the Irish connection…

[Clarissa and Adam’s note] The following photo is of the prison below the castle. This is where many people were imprisoned before crossing the Atlantic in the process of being sold as slaves. The center gutters were for human waste that was piled high in the prison at its time of use. The smoother floors aside the gutters throughout the rooms show the waste, now hardened into rock, where humans were crammed in these extremely over-crowded and under-cleaned areas. The sight and thought of this area was heartbreaking.

The following photos are views from the upper floor of the castle.

The Picathartes (or Rockfowl)

From Cape Coast we undertook the seemingly interminable drive to the small village of Bonkro, which is somewhere between Kumasi and Accra.  This is the site to which Ashanti takes its guests who wish to see the iconic and rare White-necked Picathartes, or, in strictly English, White-necked Rockfowl.  Bonkro is not on a major highway.  The Rockfowl was the bird I most wanted to see in Ghana.  It is one of the two species in the Picathartes family of birds.  It was the 6th new family I hoped to see in Ghana, having seen the other 5 families before on the trip.  In searching the internet for some way of explaining exactly where Bonkro is I came across a wonderful description of one birder’s experience which so closely reflects the experience Adam and I had, and is so well written, that I cannot resist quoting at length.  

This is from a blog entitled “Redgannet – a Photographic diary of a Birdwatcher Travelling the World so You don’t have to.”  This was posted on April 2, 2014, almost 10 years ago.  

“This afternoon’s visit to the West African forests was one of the most hotly anticipated trips that I have done in a long time. [To which the empty nest birder adds a fervent “ditto”}.  I was going in search of a White-necked Picathartes and had asked a local guide [name omitted from this quotation] to help me.  To my mind, Picathartes are birds of legend, seen only by the luckiest, most dedicated bird-spotters.  They are endangered and shy but there is a knack to finding them.  They return to their nests each evening and can reliably be seen by waiting quietly for dusk within sight of the nest.  It has been shown that whist they are secretive during the day as they forage deep in the forest, they are bolder around the nest and one such place exists near Bonkro Village.  .  .  .

“If you can picture the Millenium Falcon, having nose-dived into a jungle, you pretty much have the scene as I saw it.  A large slab of rock jutted from the ground at about the same angle that an out of control spaceship would have come to rest and an earthen nest similar to a swallow’s but bigger, hanging from the underside. The approved method of White-necked Picathartes watching is simply to sit quietly and wait for the birds to return to their night roost, so I picked a comfortable looking spot and sat.  [in the empty nest birder’s case, 3 in a row with about 10 feet between each, Ibrahim on the left, the empty nest birder in the middle and Adam on the right] It became clear that the spot was not as comfortable as it first appeared, but the birds did not show as promised. . . .The guide tapped my toe and pointed in the opposite direction from which I was expecting the bird to come. 

The Millenial Falcon (Nesting Rock of the Picathartes) as we saw it, had 2 nests hanging on the underside of the Millenial Rock, or Nesting Rock:  

Diverging from RedGannet’s experience, in our case first one, then two, then three Picathartes came to the site on foot.  Their feet were at the end of long, powerful, spring-loaded legs that allowed them to move like kangaroos, which they each did for several minutes.  Notwithstanding the dim light of dusk, Adam was able to get decent pictures of the White-necked Picathartes that bounced from rock to rock in front of us:   

Wings Birding Tours in its on-line ad for its Ghana trips describes the anticipated experience as follows:

“Rockfowl site: Our ground agents [that is, Ashanti African Tours, which Adam and the empty nest birder employed] have a community project here and even built a school for the local community.  Locals are employed as guides, and we shall meet these in the village where we park.  From here, it is approximately a 30-40 min walk to the Rockfowl site through farmbush and then forest along a mostly level trail.  The final five minutes or so, however, are quite steep and potentially slippery.  Some people will find a walking stick beneficial here.  We then sit on a bench overlooking the nesting/roosting sites for the Rockfowl and wait for the birds to appear.  This may take a long while, and participants should be able to sit quietly and still for that time.”   

The walk in darkness back down the steep incline leading to the rock was very difficult for me.  Ibrahim, who was barefoot at this juncture, (why, I don’t know) helped me down this portion of the descent. Without his physical help, and the “walking stick” that was found and given to me as we approached the steep ascent, I probably would have had to try to crawl back down.  He re-enforced my impression of the Ghanese as very kind people, certainly with respect to the elderly (and I am soon to be 90).

After the steep part of the descent, Ibrahim and I spotted a dark bird in the underbrush.  He was very, very excited to identify it as the first new lifer he has seen in Ghana for several years, a rare African Pitta.   

I retired that night a tired man, but happy “as a lark”, because I had accomplished my main goal of the trip: seeing 6 new bird families in the company of kind and interesting people. I hope and wish they can say the same of me.  Our living quarters at Bonkro had no air conditioning and no internet, but we were comfortable in our “Guest House” at Bonkro.

The balance of the trip was anti-climactic: just getting home. The road trip from Bonkro to the Accra Airport was incredibly long due to the traffic around and in Accra. The experience we had in Ghana was memorable because the people of Ghana were kind and cordial without exception.  Adam saw about 190 birds, almost all of which were new to him.  Don saw 120 new species to bring his total lifetime worldwide species list to 3,930.  He saw all 6 species within families that were new to him, to bring his family list to 229 of the Clements list of families, which totals 250 extant families, plus 1 extinct family. 

Ghana Part 2: Kakum and Ankasa

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After our arrival in Accra we again hit the road, this time toward Kakum with Frank, a great driver, as our “new” driver for the remainder of our trip.  In Jukwa near Kakum we stayed in the Rain Forest Lodge for nights 4, 5 and 6. Day 4 was mostly a travel day.  We had driven from Mole to Tamale; flown from Tamale to Accra, and taken the time-consuming drive from Accra to the Rain Forest Lodge.   

 After we arrived at the Rain Forest Lodge in late afternoon we went looking for night birds. Twilight began about 6:00 p.m.  We were done in time for dinner at the Rain Forest Lodge at 8:00.   Our night birding produced an Akun Eagle Owl, our bird of the for Day 4.  It was one of the few seen that day.   

Day 5 around Kakum was spent walking in the morning.  Don, suffering a bit from back problems and thinking of the climb up to, on and down from the Canopy Walk the next day, quit around 10 through most of the afternoon in order to rest up for the trek to the Canopy the next morning.  My highlight of the morning of Day 5 was a fleeting glimpse of one of my target birds, a Green Hylia, (new family # 2, just recognized as a family by Clements in September of 2023).   I got a much better view of the Green Hylia on Day 7 at Ankasa while sitting on Adam’s stool by a stream-side, as Adam and Ibrahim walked on ahead. My first view of the Green Hylia was not satisfactory, so I was very happy to see it so well on my second sighting (close and for a long time).       

The hike up to the Canopy Walk on Day 6 produced a smashing view of the 3rd new family on my “Targeted Six”: the small but colorful male Rufous-sided Broadbill.  It repeatedly performed its little aerial acrobatic act of sitting on a bare branch, taking a short, circular flight and landing back in the same spot.  A number of years ago the Broadbills family was split into two families: One, the Asian and Grauer’s Broadbills (10 species , 9 in Asia, one of which I have seen, and 1, the Grauer’s Broadbill, in Uganda and Congo, Africa); and two, the African and Green Broadbills (6 species, 3 in Africa and 3 in Borneo and neighboring areas).  What an amazing geographic dispersal of species within families.    

The “highest” highlight of the trip was on this Day 6, when we spent the whole morning walking to and birding from the Canopy Walk at Kakum.   Sarah Benke described the Canopy Walk well on FLICKR:  

  “This series of rope-style bridges brings visitors into a jungle layer that is usually reserved for birds and monkeys.  Unique on the African continent, the Kakum Canopy Walk allows hikers to experience a portion of the jungle usually reserved for climbers and fliers thanks to a trail of precariously hung suspension bridges.  Located in the thick tropical jungle of Kakum Naional Park, the canopy walk was actually designed by a pair of Canadian engineers and five Ghanians.  Looking to increase tourism (specifically ecotourism) in the largely ignored national park the designers wanted to create a unique feature that would make the park a destination, thus an elevated trail through the canopy was devised.  Opened on Earth Day in 1995, the canopy walkway consists of seven separate bridges that hang from the trees over 130 feet above the ground.  Across over 1,000 feet of walkway, the bridges look as though they are constructed like a traditional rope bridge made from the materials of the forest, however, the sturdy spans are made of wire rope, aluminum, and wooden planks, and even have safety netting to keep people from plummeting off the trail.”

And from the Wings Birding Tours information on-line, this:

“At over 120 feet high the canopy walkway really is something different.  It was built by a Canadian company and the locals have been trained in its maintenance.  Along its course are stable viewing platforms.  It is wide enough for just one person at a time, and it is best to allow the person in front of you to get over halfway to the next viewing platform before starting your walk.  

All our birding was done from the platforms, which are far more stable and spacious and allowed Ibrahim to set up his telescope for better viewing. Here are some pictures featuring the Canopy Walk:

Video of the view from the canopy walk

 From the Canopy I saw, at a distance, a  Violet-backed Hyliota ( my # 4 new family found in Ghana). Having now seen representatives of 4 of the 6 targeted families, Ibrahim’s optimism was, if possible,  growing, and my pessimism disappeared.   I had left only a Nicator and a Picathartes. 

Not far from the Canopy a group of about 50 Lesser Spot-nosed Monkeys moved through the trees.  

From the Canopy we saw this White-crested Hornbill 

  

On Day 7 we drove from the Rain Forest Lodge in Jukwa to Ankasa National Park and the  Ankasa Reserve Lodge, where we spent nights 7 and 8. Ankasa is about 400 kilometers from Accra.  It is in the far southwest corner of Ghana (formerly named the Gold Coast) near the border with Cote d’Voire (formerly Ivory Coast).  During the drive to Ankasa we saw several naturally wet areas and looked for the Hartlaub’s Duck, without success,  We saw more White-faced Whistling Ducks, Long-tailed Cormorants, Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and, new for me, an Allen’s Gallinule, and a few others before we arrived at Ankasa.  

 On Day 7 I was pleased to see and watch for a while another Green Hylia at close range while sitting quietly by a mostly obscured little stream, as Adam and Ibrahim forged onward on the trail.   Although this viewing did not count as a new family,  because I saw a Hylia briefly 2 days earlier, it was a very satisfying experience not having seen it well the first time.      

I was struck by the number of species of Greenbuls that Ibrahim identified at both Kakum and Ankasa.  He could identify them either by song or by sight.  These mostly somber greenish-grayish nondescript birds usually seen in poor light and among lots of leaves, all looked pretty much the same to me.  According to Ibrahim, the species seen were at least 9, as follows: Slender-billed, Golden, Simple (Leaflove), Red-tailed, Western Bearded, Gray, Yellow-bearded, Little, and Icterine.  I have been hesitant to add any of them to my life list and probably will not, because if I were to see them again I think I would have no idea what species I was looking at.  

Pretty much the same could be said about the numerous Sunbirds, although each species of Sunbird has a special beauty and distinction.   The Sunbirds we recorded in Ghana, the majority of which (10), were at Kakum or Ankasa, were: Fraser’s, Little Green, Collared, Reichenbach’s, Blue-throated Brown, Olive, Buff-throated, Carmelite, Olive-bellied, and Superb.  In addition we had in Ghana previously seen 3 species at Mole: Pygmy, Scarlet-chested and Beautiful.  Ten of the 13 were new to me.  After Ghana I have seen 30 species of Sunbirds, of which the majority were in Africa, including 2 on the island of Madagascar. Other far away places where I have seen Sunbirds are: Black, in New Britain (off the coast of Papua New Guinea); Palestine (Israel); Purple (India); Olive-backed (Papua New Guinea); Mrs. Gould’s (Bhutan); Green-tailed (India and Bhutan); Black-throated (India); and Vigor’s (India). 

On our second day at Ankasa (Day 8) we started by loading into an ancient and battered four wheel drive vehicle.  We entered a very wet, muddy, narrow and rutted lumber road into the forest.  We were headed for some small ponds far back in the forest.  But about 10 minutes into the drive we had to stop because a large tree had fallen across the trail totally obstructing our progress.  At first, I was concerned that it might be an ambush of some sort.  But on close inspection by our driver and Ibrahim, it became apparent that the tree fell of natural causes.  But what to do?   The tree was very large and we could not get around it.  So we turned around and went back.  We then spent a couple of hours of the morning productively seeing several excellent species, including Yellow-billed Turacos.  

Day 8 also produced a nice Black Bee-eater:

And a Yellow-throated Tinkerbird

And a Chocolate-Backed Kingfisher

By mid-afternoon a crew had managed to clear the tree from the logging road and we began  again.  It is difficult to believe that any vehicle could traverse this track.  But, after a long ride, and a long walk, we came to our first pond.  This was followed by a further walk, as it began to grow dark, to see ponds 2 and 3.  This proved, however, to be a great Kingfisher day, as we saw several species at the ponds.  They included a Shining Blue Kingfisher:   

And this African Pygmy Kingfisher

Also at the ponds we saw a White-bellied Kingfisher and an African Dwarf Kingfisher.  

I was elated when I made it back to the vehicle on my own 2 legs.

Ghana Part 1:  Accra, the White Volta and Mole (pronounced “Molee”) National Park

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My long-delayed birding trip to Ghana finally came to pass during the last 10 days of January 2024.  This trip was first planned with Ashanti African Tours for March 2020.  A few days before my wife and I were scheduled to arrive in Ghana in 2020 the Covid pandemic closed air travel to Ghana.  Ashanti had been paid in full, airline tickets purchased, and visas obtained. Delta refunded its portion of our airline tickets (from Des Moines to Amsterdam). The cost of the portion of the flight handled by KLM (Amsterdam to Accra) was mishandled by KLM and never received.  Ashanti offered substantial credit of 85% if the trip were rescheduled for 2021.  This was later extended (on a reduced credit basis, generally reflective of the amount of irretrievable expenses incurred by Ashanti and subsequent inflation in Ghana. Discounts were extended first to 2022, and extended again to 2023 and 2024.  I had not purchased cancellation insurance for the 2020 trip, so Ashanti’s offer and generosity were very welcome.  I could not have dealt with better people.  Over the course of the subsequent years my wife decided she would prefer a different destination, so my frequent birding companion, son-in-law Adam, joined me for our 2024 adventure in Ghana. 

Late on January 20, 2024 we departed from JFK in New York on a non-stop Delta flight to Ghana.   We arrived in Accra, Ghana’s capital and its largest city, mid-afternoon on Sunday January 21 (officially Day 1 of our 10 day trip).  We were met at the airport by our Ashanti assigned guide, Ibrahim Entsie.  He escorted us to the Labadi Beach Hotel for our one-night stay in Accra.  Accra is on the south coast of Ghana on the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and it is the capital of Ghana.  Adam took a stroll before dinner on the nearby Labadi Beach.

The only birds we saw in Accra that we could identify were Pied Crows.  We saw more Pied Crows every day we spent in Ghana.  

Early next morning (Day 2, Monday January 22) we flew with Ibrahim to Tamale, about 370 miles north of Accra in north central Ghana.  We hoped to see Egyptian Plovers on the White Volta River.  Egyptian Plovers are the sole species in the monotypic family Pluvianidae which would be a new family for me.  We met our driver at the Tamale airport.  He remained with us until Day 4, for the Mole/White Volta part of the trip. The drive northwest from Tamale Airport to the village of Daboya on the White Volta River took about 2.5 hours. The road was rough and with some time out for birding along the way, the time on the road grew long.  

Although Ghana as a whole is about 70% Christian, the Christians are mostly concentrated in the south.  The Tamale area in the north is mostly Muslim.  Ghana’s people, Christian and Muslim, pride themselves on their amicable relations with one another, regardless of religion.  Cattle are the primary source of income in the Tamale region.  We were there in the midst of the dry season.  Water is scarce and it is pumped from bore holes, which often go deep into the earth. The cattle we saw were quite thin. Tamale is the capital of the North Region of Ghana and has a population of about 1,000,000 making it Ghana’s 3rd largest city (after Accra, # 1, and Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti Region, # 2).   

Many of the small villages in the northern part of Ghana have mostly small houses with grass roofs:

On the drives both to and  from the village of Daboya on the White Volta River we made a few stops. We then saw Speckled Pigeons, Vinaceous Doves, a Western Plantain-eater,  many Red-throated Bee-eaters, a Rufous-crowned Roller, African Gray Hornbills, Eurasian Kestrel, Pied Crows, Cattle Egrets, a Bateleur, a Grasshopper Buzzard, Yellow-billed Kites, Northern Gray-headed Sparrows, Black-rumped Waxbills, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus, Red-billed Firefinches and Bronze Mannikins. Pictured below is a Black-billed Wood-Dove:

 After a long and bumpy ride, we arrived at the White Volta River around noon.  We did not have to wait long before a pair of Egyptian Plovers appeared nearby, seemingly oblivious of the numerous people working or playing near the River.  Dramatically marked and unmistakeale, pictured below are the Egyptian Plovers:    

So, I found the first of 6 the new Families that I thought possible in Ghana.  Most plovers are included in the Charadriidae Family.  Egyptian Plover is the sole species in the Pluvianidae Family, as the Magellanic Plover is the sole species in its Pluvianellidae Family.   For me, the Egyptian Plover  became Family number 224. 250 families are recognized in Clements Birds of the World.  With this, which I thought of as the second most important bird for me to see in Ghana, there remained  5 more new families to possibly see in Ghana.  Ibrahim was confident we would see all 5.  I had some doubts.  

From Daboya on the White Volta, we drove northward to Mole (pronounced “Molee”) National Park where we stayed in the Zaina Lodge for 2 nights (Days 2 and 3).  There was daylight enough when we arrived at Mole to see some of the birds and animals.  Many were added on Day 3 and on the drive out of Mole on Day 4. The room at the Zaina Lodge required us to make a choice of a comfortable large bed or an uncomfortable small bed.  Adam graciously chose the small one (with no objection from me) as his, but could not refrain from photographing evidence of his sacrifice with this one of our Zaina Lodge Room:

We quickly learned that the armed guard, a very convivial fellow, who accompanied us on all our outings in Mole, whether by vehicle or on foot, was important for our safety.  The Antelope, Warthogs and Elephants were numerous in Mole. The elephants can be dangerous and are impressive animals. We were the victim of attempted intimidation (or worse) by this old bull African Bush Elephant:   

Among the species of antelope in Mole, we saw Waterbucks, Bushbucks, Roan Antelope, a Red-flanked Duiker, and  many Kob:

Warthogs were fun to see, especially when we saw a pair as they scurried quickly along with their little ones in the dim light of evening. Closer and in better light is this warthog:

Monkeys and Olive Baboons were also well represented in Mole.  I am unsure whether the picture below is a Patas or Green monkey.  I think it is a Green Monkey:  

Among the birds that we saw at Mole were White-faced Whistling Ducks, (many),  Helmeted Guineafowl, Double-spurred Francolins,  a Stone Partridge family with a couple of small chicks hurrying to their night roost across an abandoned air strip, Hamerkop, Gray Herons, Black-headed Herons, Squacco Herons, Striated Herons, Hadaba Ibis, Hooded Vultures, Lizard Buzzards, Dark Chanting Goshawk, a single Black Kite, many Yellow-billed Kites, Black Crakes, Water Thick-knees, Spur-winged Lapwings, a Forbes Plover, White-fronted Plover, African Jacanas, a Common Sandpiper, & a lek with Chestnut-backed Sparrow Larks.   

One of the highlights for me at Mole was the sighting of a couple of flocks of Violet Turacos.  Between short flights they kept well hidden at the tops of tall trees, but Adam managed to capture this image of a Violet Turaco:  

Near one of the elephant-frequented water holes, which held very little water at this time of year, we saw this Gray-headed Kingfisher:

And this Malachite Kingfisher:

We were impressed with Mole.  It is a wonderful park.  The drive to Mole from Accra would have been very time-consuming, so we had opted to fly on Africa World Airlines from Accra to Tamale and back.  Day 4 we drove from Mole to Tamale to catch our plane back to Accra. More to come soon in Part 2.

Arizona Birding 2022

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               Adam and I flew from Kansas City to Phoenix, arriving there about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 19.  We rented a car, drove to Tucson to find the hotel recommended by our guide, Jake Thompson, arriving after 10:00 p.m.  He met us about 5:00 a.m. the next morning (Day 1, Monday, June 20) on the road to Mount Lemmon, not far from Tucson.  We birded along the way, with the main goal of finding (what for me would be North American life bird number 772), a Pine Flycatcher which has been hanging around in Rose Canyon.  I think this is just the 2nd time a Pine Flycatcher, usually found only in Mexico, has been seen north of Mexico.

               The drive to Rose Canyon included a stop in a parking area where we were treated to an excellent selection of western warblers: Painted Redstart, Grace’s, Olive, and this Red-faced Warbler:

               We had a long and difficult walk up the canyon, culminating in a steep upward climb to a pine stand from which Jake had heard the target bird, the Pine Flycatcher, calling, and where I, after much effort, was able to ID this most unusual and very difficult bird.  No decent picture was possible.  I survived the climb, (which was more of a crawl), up the mountain. About half way up I was ready to quit, until Jake said I would not have to descend on foot, because there was a road at the top where he would pick me up.  The time waiting at the top included a Spotted Towhee and a visit with a local resident looking for the Pine Flycatcher.  I hope my directions led her to the bird. 

               From the Tucson area Adam and I drove to Patagonia, planning to meet Jake for owling that night.  We arrived early afternoon and found our lodging, the rustic Spirit Tree Inn, a couple of miles out of town. The Spirit Tree Inn was developed on Harshaw Creek Road a few miles from Patagonia almost 100 years ago.  The current owners, Mary Jane and Tom, operate it without outside help.  No one was around when we arrived, so we waited and as we waited we saw many birds.  It was not long until someone came with a key to let us in.   Species for the whole day numbered about 45, including the owling, for which Jake arrived about 7:00 p.m.  In addition to those mentioned above, these included: Gambel’s Quail, Zone-tailed Hawk (Adam and Jake only), Cooper’s Hawk, Anna’s Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Cordilleran, Vermilion, and Ash-throated Flycatchers, Warbling Vireo, Steller’s Jay, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, White-breasted, Red-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches, House Wren, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Phainopepla, Western Tanager (Adam and Jake only) , Canyon Towhee, Black-throated Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Pyrrhuloxia, Pine Siskin, Blue Grosbeak, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Gila Woodpecker, White-winged Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Cardinal, Brown-headed and Bronzed Cowbirds, and Lesser Goldfinch.

               Others seen, I think all on Day 1, including a few that Adam and I saw at the Inn but later seen and photographed by Jake, are pictured below:

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

Blue Grosbeak

Varied Bunting

               Day 2, Tuesday, June 21, we were on the road at 4:30 a.m. to drive to Madera Canyon to meet Jake.  Tom fixed a hot take-along breakfast for us.  Later  we birded the foothills near Madera Canyon.  Birds seen today included: Gray , Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks, Mourning Dove, Common Ground Dove, White-throated Swift, Rivoli’s, (formerly Magnificent), Black-chinned and Broad-billed Hummingbirds, Black Phoebe, Say’s Phoebe, Ducky-capped, Cassin’s and Tropical Flycatchers, Bell’s Vireo, Mexican Jay, Barn Swallow, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Northern Mockingbird, Lucy’s and Yellow Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chat, Rufous-winged, Five Striped, and Song Sparrows, Great-tailed Grackle, Hooded Oriole, Berryline Hummingbird (Adam and I only), and House Sparrow.  In addition we saw and Jake photographed the following:

Elegant Trogon (in Madera Canyon)

Botteri’s Sparrow (in the foothills leaving Madera Canyon)

Canyon Wren (in Montasa Canyon southwest of Santa Rita Mountains)

Rose-throated Becard (near Patagonia) (my 2nd North American life bird of the trip, # 773)

Thick-billed Kingbird

Western Screech Owl

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

               Day 3, Wednesday June 22, we were again up at 4 and on the road by 4:30 with a hot take-along breakfast for our drive to Beatty’s Guest Ranch at Miller Canyon.  There we were treated to an excellent set up for hummingbirds, and a hike before heading for Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary where we saw many birds including this:

Lucifer’s Hummingbird. 

               [As of Day 3 fatigue set in and my listing of the daily species seen faltered.  The rest of this Blog pretty much lumps Days 3, 4 and 5, June 22, 23 and 24, together.]  Some of the birds (and a couple of other creatures) seen during these Days 3, 4, and 5 follow:

Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake

Inca Dove

Curve-billed Thrasher

“Mexican” Duck (split from Mallards in 2020. The drake looks like a female Mallard)

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Northern Beardless Tyrannulet

Scaled Quail

               A little history:  I went “of counsel” (semi-retired) at my law firm at the end of 1999, having attained the great old age of 65 at that time.  From then on I have indulged my life-long passion for birding.  My first organized trip was in 2000 to this same southeast Arizona.  I was then with guide Stuart Healy and 6 other participants.  This first trip was slightly earlier in the year, starting May 25 and ending June 4, and of a longer duration, a total of 10 days.  In addition to south-central and southeast Arizona, which was the focus of this trip in 2022, in 2000 I also birded the White Mountains.  On that first trip I saw a total of 185 species of which 93 were “new” for me. 

               Jake’s trip report shows 145 species seen during our trip, not bad at all, especially considering the shorter time frame and more restricted area covered.  I am pretty sure that I did not see at least 15 of the birds he lists well enough to consider them seen, so my personal total for this trip would be about 130.   Now, 22 years after trip # 1, only the Pine Flycatcher and Rose-throated Becard were new species for me.  I was not aware until later that the Mexican Mallard had been split in 2020, an easy addition to my life list.  This was Adam’s first professionally guided North American Birding Tour.  He added about 93 species to his life total.  Jake is an excellent guide and good companion and I highly recommend him for any Arizona custom birding tour. 

               Our trip concluded with a dinner with dear old friends, Bill and Francia Koehn on Friday night, June 24.  Bill is a friend from law school (1957-1958), the Navy (1958-1961), and we then practiced law together at Davis, Brown, Koehn, Shors and Roberts for over 50 years.  He retired soon after I did, and he and Francia moved west, ultimately settling in Arizona.  He and Francia joined us for dinner in Surprise, Arizona. It was a wonderful evening.  Francia was a professional music teacher, and my daughter, Adam’s wife Clarissa, was one of her vocal students in the church choir she trained. Small World After All. 

               I am looking forward to our next birding venture, but as of now, no plans.    

Kodiak

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After Nome, we returned to Anchorage and caught the early plane the next morning (March 26) to Kodiak. 

Kodiak is the 2nd largest island of the United States, 2nd only to Hawaii’s Big Island.  Kodiak (the Island, not the town) is big, but its population is small, probably under 20,000, most of whom live in the town of Kodiak.  There are only 5 or 6 other towns (none of which has over 300 residents) on the island.  Over 90% of Kodiak Island is set aside as a preserve for the 3,500 or so Kodiak Brown Bears living there.  Kodiak Bears are contenders for the claim to be the biggest bear on earth, challenged only by Polar Bears for that distinction.  The only roads, totaling less than 100 miles on the whole island, basically connect the part of the very irregular coastline of the island with Kodiak Town.  At the south end about 40 miles from Kodiak town, is Pasagshak Bay, where my nephew Mike has a house

We had expected to meet up with Mike in Kodiak town the day after our arrival there, to spend the rest of our time on Kodiak with him. The weather was extremely uncooperative, with snow, wind and fog.  So much so that Mike was unable to make it  to Kodiak because of weather related cancellations.   With the help of messaging with Mike, and intrepid driving in adverse conditions by Adam we made it out to Pasagshak.  There we spent a most enjoyable 3 days.  Thank you Mike, but we would have preferred your company and are very sorry that you could not join us. 

Pasagshak

The “settlement” (not a town)

Mike’s place

We enjoyed Mike’s largesse not only in our accommodations, but also his on-site frozen fish as the main dish for an exceptional dinner prepared by Chef Adam.  We chose salmon over halibut. 

The fireplace got good use and established a cheerful and cozy atmosphere. 

The view from the great room.

And Adam’s early morning beach walks (I abstained, not wanting to wear myself out) were — beautiful:

But back to our chronology. 

Our first stop for birding was near the water in or near the Town of Kodiak, where we just happened to coincide with another birder, Stacy Studebaker.  She was very helpful to our search for birds.  We later found out she is or has been the President of the Kodiak Audubon Society, as well as a published author, naturalist, radio talk show host, botanist, musician, artist, etc. A couple of her childrens’ books are available on Amazaon. 

The Unique Winter Birds of Kodiak

We saw many Bald Eagles hanging around the water in order to better indulge their taste in fish. 

Also present in big numbers were beautiful Emperor Geese, which were the main target of our birding on Kodiak.

These somewhat rare Steller’s Eiders were difficult to identify in the distant fog, but the photo shows them well:

And wrapping up our bird photo exhibit is this pair of Harlequin Ducks, which were present in good numbers but somewhat obscured by the heavy snow flakes:

Other birds seen but not pictured above (or in the case of Glaucous Winged Gulls, below) were Tundra Swans in flight, a busy Northern Shrike near Pasagshak, and Black Oyster Catchers. 

The Animals

We were there too early to see any Kodiak Bears.  But this Sitka Black Tailed Deer was one of several seen:

This Sea Otter cruising Pasagshak Bay is being trailed by a hungry Glaucous-winged Gull. We saw a couple of groups of 8 or 10 Sea Otters near Kodiak Town

Nome in March, 2022

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I have a love affair with (not in) Alaska.  This trip marked the 8th time I have traveled there.   A couple of those trips were not for the birds, but were great fun nevertheless:  first, in 1998 a spring break on a 5-day dogsledding and northern lights adventure with Clarissa and Barbara in the Gates of the Arctic, near Bettles; and second, in 2002, on a grandparent/grandchild outing with Jill and Barbara in Sitka.     

This was my 5th trip to Nome, my favorite place in all Alaska.

1.  In 2003 (pre-blog) Alaska was among my first guided birding destinations after my retirement.  Nome was just a short stop on my flights from the Pribiloff Islands, through Anchorage, through Nome and on to St. Lawrence Island on June 1.  Or maybe it was the stop on June 6 on the way back from St. Lawrence Island, through Nome, to Anchorage, and on to Minneapolis and Des Moines.   Either way it was a short and unsatisfactory partial day between connecting flights, with a van ride with the other participants in this tour with High Lonesome.  Our target bird for this short stop was a Bluethroat, but we saw none.  I resolved to come back for a better experience and maybe a Bluethroat.  In 2004 I went to Alaska again with High Lonesome Tours, but this time only to Adak in the Aleutian Islands, with no stop in Nome.   

2.  Trip 2 to Nome was recorded in one of the first  posts on my blog, Emptynestbirder.com, on July 10, 2010.  On this ill-planned trip, I first connected with local guide Richard Benville of Nome who was most helpful.  See my Blog report. 

3.  Trip 3 was posted on my blog on June 10, 2014, again with Richard as my arranger.  Finally, I was there at the right time and saw several Bluethroats. 

4.  Trip 4 was posted on my blog on December 2, 2014.  The highlight:  McKay’s Buntings.  This was a guided trip with Aaron Long, of Wilderness Birding Adventures, following a more extended tour with Wilderness Birding, in winter, to Adak Island. 

5.  In 2022 with Covid Pandemic induced cabin fever, I talked son-in-law Adam into making a trip to Nome and Kodiak with me.   I contacted Aaron Lang of Wilderness Adventures to see if we could sign onto one of his guided tours to Nome and Kodiak in 2022, but they were full.  He recommended that I contact Carol Gales of RoamNome.  I did.  She did a great job developing and implementing a custom tour  around Nome for Adam and me, my trip 5 to Nome, reported more fully in the following paragraphs.  We arrived in Nome shortly before noon on Tuesday, March 22. 

Nome:  Nome was a boomtown in the late 1890s and early 1900s because gold was discovered there.  At its peak, about 30,000 would-be riches seekers showed up, with terrible conditions.  The population today is about 3,000.  Gold mining still continues, but on a much less productive basis. 

The Birds

Nome in March is still ice-bound and snow covered.  There are not a lot of bird species to be found at that time of year.  Here are some:

McKay’s Buntings and Snow Buntings.  McKay’s Buntings breed on isolated Saint Matthew Island which is generally not reachable by humans.  But in the winter the Buntings come to the continent and can be found very reliably in Nome.  They are closely related to the more widely spread Snow Buntings.  In the following pictures the McKay’s Buntings are the nearly all-white species; the Snow Buntings show more dark feathers on the back and wings. 

Willow Ptarmagin.  Toward the end of our stay in Nome, we ventured out on one of the 3 roads that spoke out from Nome.  We found a Canada Jay (unusual for that area).  But the most impressive sighting was the multitude of Willow Ptarmagin that were flocking to the road to stuff themselves with the gravel, which had until now been covered with hard ice.  We estimated the flock contained over 200 birds.   

Other Nome Birds.  Ravens were numerous and obvious.  A Canada Jay was seen along the road before we came upon the flock of Willow Ptarmagin.  A Boreal Chickadee was among the Black-capped Chickadees.  Not many species.      

Gyrfalcon (trained to hunt).  I had never seen an adult Gyrfalcon up close and personal, and I was lucky enough to hold this trained hunter on my arm, with plenty of glove between its claws and my skin.  

The Helicopter Ride and the animals and other sights therefrom.

Bering Air has been in business in Alaska with Nome as its headquarters for many years, with a great safety record. [I was a passenger on Bering Air from Nome to Saint Mathews Island and back in 2003].   Adam and I were lucky enough to draw Pablo as our pilot, and here is our Helicopter. 

Below, a gold mining dredge on (or in) ice for the winter. 

We saw 3 herds of Muskoxen for a total of about 70, from the Helicopter. 

We saw about 15 sets of Moose for a total of about 40 from the Helicopter.

The earth below: 

Nome Attractions.  The famous Iditerod dogsledding competition from Anchorage to Nome had ended shortly before we arrived.  Evidence of the party was still around.  Here is the Iditerod Finish Line in Nome just before it was taken down for the year. The race originated in the 1970s to commemorate the  delivery of diptheria vaccines to the stricken population of Nome around 1900.  The dogsleds were the only available means of delivery to the icebound town.  There are lots of interesting Documentaries relating to the rescue mission, and the winning lead dogs.

The Welcoming Committee: 

We enjoyed the old Polar Café for all of our tasty and ample breakfasts, and it was an easy walk on Front Street from our room at the Aurora Inn and Suites. 

The moon over adjacent Norton Sound: 

Some vehicles get stuck for a very long time. 

Historical buildings:  Carol’s House, the oldest building still standing, was a saloon.

The Carrie M. Mclain Memorial Museum was a nice surprise.

Dogsledding.  Unlike our trip to Gates of the Arctic in 2003, I was not up physically to driving my own team, so I was (finally) treated to a seated dogsled ride.  It was icy and bumpy, but I enjoyed it very much.  Here we are, ready to go:

Adam drove his own team. 

Snowshoeing.  Snowshoeing was a highlight for Adam, who ventured out twice with Carol, notwithstanding the icy conditions. 

Crabbing through the ice via Snowmobile.  Another experience that Adam enjoyed but I declined was a snowmobile trip on frozen Norton Sound to observe the harvesting of Alaskan King Crab by local natives. 

Here is Norton Sound in winter.

And here is the line to the crab pot, 60 feet below the ice. 

And the Pot.

And the Catch. 

And the return of the Pot to the bottom of the Sound. 

We flew back to Anchorage on Friday, March 25, spent the night there and the next morning we went to Kodiak.  That trip will be the subject of my next posting. 

Polar Bears – November 2021

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This is the the Empty Nest Birder’s wife writing on his blog.  It’s been two years since the last post, so he asked me to write about a recent trip to Canada. 

When Don and Adam returned from their trip to Cuba in January, 2020, none of us had any idea that would be the end of our travels for such a long time.  They encouraged Clarissa and me to plan a trip together.  We jumped at the opportunity to go see polar bears and made arrangements to go to Canada in early November, 2020.  Well, that trip was cancelled due to Covid. 

Undaunted by circumstances, we signed up to go in November, 2021, after Canada opened its border.  To enter Canada, we had to provide proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test within 72 hours of entering the country.  Masks were required in all indoor public places, and vaccination cards were required in all places where food and/or drink were served.  We felt very safe and comfortable there. We left on November 3, a day before our tour was to begin.  The flights were on time, so we had the next day to explore Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba.  We walked around the Legislative Building, but entry was not permissible for visitors.     

From there we walked to the Art Museum.  It’s impressive inside and outside. 

The Forks Historical area is the heart of the city at the intersection of the Red and Assiniboine  Rivers, with warehouses converted to shops and restaurants, plus ample green space dedicated to festivals, concerts, and exhibits.  It was a fun place to shop, eat, and people-watch. 

We ran out of time to see the Human Rights Museum, but the outside was unique.

In the evening we had a pleasant dinner and orientation.  We met the people with whom we would spend the next week.  Our initial sense was that these 14 people who would be joining us would be a good fit.  We were not disappointed and enjoyed the company of our fellow trip-mates.  I suppose there’s some natural selection since not everyone is interested in such a trip.  The U.S., Canada, France, and Switzerland were represented.

The next morning, November 5, we all flew to Churchill, on Hudson Bay, in northern Manitoba.  Churchill is known as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World”.  The traditional polar bear season encompasses the months of October and November as the temperatures drop and cold air blows.  During this time, the polar bears congregate on the coast in large numbers while waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze.  This allows them earlier passage onto the Bay where they will have a key advantage to feast on seals, their primary food source, until the spring.

We were then to fly on to Dymond Lake Lodge farther north along the Bay.  But the weather made it impossible to fly in the small plane. 

It was a real nightmare for our tour operators, Churchill Wild.  They had to scramble to find something for us to do for the rest of the day, as well as find restaurant space and overnight housing for all of us when everything was already booked. Churchill is a small town of about 900 residents and limited hotel space. We were hosted at the home of someone’s aunt, a 2-room B&B, etc. We had nice accommodations, plenty of food, and a great afternoon in the beautiful hoarfrost. They rounded up a tour bus and asked a retired employee to drive us around looking for wildlife.  Not only did we see our first polar bears, but we saw a very beautiful red fox.  It was the only one we ever saw.  

The next morning, November 6, we were off to the lodge. It was exciting to finally be on our way, and the flight in the small plane was perfect for viewing the area.

The lodge was all enclosed in fencing so we were safe walking around.  There were two buildings, each with 4 double bedrooms, a common area with seating and a fireplace, large windows for viewing, and an observation deck up above.  Between the buildings was the main lodge for dining.   

We met our three guides who went over the safety guidelines for our hikes across the tundra to view wildlife up close and personal in their natural habitat.  I had been taking my daily walk for the past several months in preparation for the trip.  I assumed I would be the oldest one of the group, but I was determined to not be the slowest. As we walked around the outside of the lodge fence, we saw our first polar bears.  A large older bear was lying down while a younger one was trying to get up the courage to come closer.  He would come a little closer, but then decided it might not be a good idea, and returned to the frozen lake.  We all watched in awe of the beautiful creatures. 

These animals are huge.  Male polar bears can grow to more than 1,300 lbs and stand 10 feet tall.  But despite their massive size, these bears can move with surprising speed. It was time for lunch, so we went back inside the fencing.  Who do you suppose was there outside the fence waiting for us?  Scarbrow.  The people at the lodge gave him that name due to the big scar on his eyebrow.  Evidently he had been in a fight with another polar bear at some time in the past.

After lunch we went back out for our first big hike.  We were officially in Nunavut, standing within the high tide mark.  This is only possible during low tide since Nunavut is the bay.   Nunavut is a massive, sparsely populated territory of northern Canada, forming most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.  Its islands have expanses of tundra, craggy mountains and remote villages, accessible only by plane or boat.  It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories in 1999.

We saw a snowy owl a long distance away from us.  It was the only one we saw on the trip. 

We saw bears 

and their big tracks in the snow. 

Back to the lodge for social hour and an interesting presentation by one of the guides.  Dinner and off to bed. Everything at the lodge was done to make our trip comfortable and memorable, even the pancakes for the breakfast on November 7. 

This morning we were surrounded by a coating of fresh snow, more than was usual for the area.

We saw a couple polar bears.  We spied this one who was spying on us. 

When we returned for lunch, this one walked all the way across the lake to pay us a visit. 

And then there was the polar bear who is missing a foot.

Evergreens have no branches on one side due to the high winds.   

A polar bear overlooking Dymond Lake.

Another full day of watching the polar bears.  Tonight there’s a quiz over the information the guides gave us last night.  Clarissa was the only one who got a perfect score.

There are always 3 guides.  Two look ahead for bears while one looks back so as to not be surprised from behind. 

It’s a good thing because the one missing a foot showed up on our morning outing on November 8.  He was not backing down.  Two of the guides hollered at him, threw rocks near him, and finally had to shoot off a screamer to scare him.  I wouldn’t say he was exactly scared, but he slowly turned around and walked away.  It was pretty tense for a while, but our guides handled the situation well.

And now it’s time to leave the lodge and our guides and fly back to Churchill.  What a great experience.  

We had some free time before dinner.  We visited the Polar Bear International house and found a little souvenir shop near our hotel.

Today, November 9, we’re in for a different experience.  We’re treated to a safari in a Tundra Buggy. 

The polar bears are quite curious and are not afraid to come close to the vehicle. 

We saw several polar bears throughout the day, but the highlight was watching them spar.  

This poor little guy was born in the spring and lost his mother.  He will likely not survive unless he is adopted by another mother to show him how to go out on the ice for the winter to hunt and eat.   

And we finally got a closer look at some ptarmigan.  We had seen them before, but a long way off in the distance.  They certainly blend in with the background.

We flew back to Winnipeg for a late dinner at our hotel conveniently located right across the street from the airport.  The group chose to eat together one last time to share stories and email addresses. 

What an amazing experience!  And it was extra special sharing it with Clarissa.  

Cuba Birding January 2020

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I signed on with Caribbean Conservation Trust for a 10-day bird survey in Cuba, followed by a day in historic Havana.  My son-in-law Adam and I joined 7 other survey participants on the Southwest flight from Fort Lauderdale to Havana on January 9th.  Our itinerary covered central and western Cuba where we found most of the possible endemic species.  Our objective was to enhance the scientific information relating to the numbers and distribution of birds in Cuba in order to facilitate their survival in an increasingly problematic environment.

My personal and specific objective was to see one of the two species of the Endemic Cuban Warbler Family: either a Yellow-headed Warbler or an Oriente Warbler.  We succeeded in finding both. 

As a secondary objective, I also hoped to see the smallest bird in the world.  That was achieved when we were able to observe this Bee Hummingbird at the feeders at a private home.

Well, now that I started with the punch lines, I will write in a little more detail about Cuba and the tour. 

Cuba is our closest neighbor in the Caribbean.  It lies within 100 miles of Florida.  The flight from Fort Lauderdale to Havana is less than an hour.  American and Southwest airlines, and probably others, fly between Fort Lauderdale and Havana on a regular basis.  Notwithstanding the Trump administration “restrictions” it is still legal (and not especially difficult) for United States citizens to visit Cuba.  But because of the (intended) fear and uncertainty created by the “new” restrictions and sanctions, visitors from the U.S. are currently many fewer than they have been in recent years, causing considerable privation among the Cuban entrepreneurs and workers who have developed and depended on tourism for their livelihoods.  U.S. fear and sanctions are hurting Cubans.  And now, the Corona Virus.

Cuba is a little over 700 miles long and about 120 miles wide at its widest point.  It is the largest island in the Caribbean.   It has about 11,000,000 inhabitants.  The second largest Caribbean island is Hispaniola, which is divided between Haiti and Dominican Republic, each with about 11,000,000 inhabitants.  These 3 countries account for 75% of the population of the Caribbean.  There are many other islands in the Cariibbean, some independent and some owned by other countries.  The ones with over 1,000,000 inhabitants are Jamaica with 3,000,000, Puerto Rico (a U.S. possession) 3,000,000, and Trinidad and Tobago, 1,500,000.  Some of the independent countries are surprisingly small and sparsely populated. All in all, there are over 700 islands, and 11 independent countries.   

While there, a Cuban summarized the accomplishments of the Cuban Socialist Revolution since 1959 as follows:  excellent education system, excellent medical system, excellent sports events and participation; but not much to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Food is rationed.  Here is a “store” where people go to get their basic foods on a weekly basis.

For car afficionados, it is a mecca for observing vintage autos, often brightly painted, which are on display everywhere, and used as every-day operating vehicles. 

We spent a lot of time driving through the countryside.  The land is beautiful, with low lying mountains, valleys and green pastures dotted with trees.  There is much pastureland.  There are cattle, horses, pigs, chickens and goats.  There are fields of sugar cane, tobacco, bananas, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.

The history of Cuba is fascinating.  One of the most interesting books I read before my trip is Havana Nocturne, which well and entertainingly describes the situation in Cuba as it existed and changed in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, up to the ouster of the Batista government by the Castro led Socialist Revolution on January 1, 1959.  I recommend it as necessary background for understanding present-day Cuba and the relationship between Cuba and the United States. 

We were surprised that we did not need malaria pills for this trip.  Malaria has long been extinguished on this island.  We felt very safe wherever we went, in the country-side or in the cities. 

We arrived in Havana on the 9th and drove directly to Vinales, to the west.  We arrived too late to do any birding, and stayed there for nights 1 and 2 with night 2 following our Day 1 of actual birding.  This area produced for me Yellow-headed Warblers, fulfilling my primary objective of the trip, as one of the 2 species in the endemic Cuban Warbler family. We also had a brief in-flight view of Gundlach’s Hawk.

Also seen in the area (or on the drive to the Zapata area) were the endemic Cuban Blackbird and the following West Indian Endemics residing in Cuba, or Cuban subspecies:  Great Lizard Cuckoo, Antillean Palm Swift, Cuban Emerald, West Indian Woodpecker, Stygian Owl, American Kestrels, Cuban Peewee, Loggerhead Kingbirds, Red-legged Thrush, Cuban Bullfinches, Western Spindalis, Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds, Eastern Meadowlark (hypocreppis), and Greater Antillean Grackles. 

Here is the Stygian Owl, one of a pair seen.

From Vinales we went east to the south coast town of Playa Larga for nights 3 and 4.  I was unable to participate in Day 3 of Birding because I became ill during the preceding night, suspicious of food poisoning, and missed the day.  Adam was able to get a picture of Blue-Headed Quail Doves.

The rest of the group also saw several Endemic Species most of which I was able to see before or after that day, except for the Blue-headed Quail Dove and the Gray-fronted Quail Dove (which our guide Nils does not believe is deserving of species status separate from the Hispaniolan Gray-headed Quail Dove, which I have seen there). 

A boat tour of the Zapata Swamp on Birding Day 4 was a highlight the trip, with Zapata Wrens and Zapata Sparrows showing well; but, like everyone else, we did not see the Zapata Rail.

 I also saw the following Endemics on Day 4:  Bare-legged Owl, Greater Antillean (Cuban) Nightjar, Bee Hummingbird, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Cuban Parakeet, and Cuban Oriole.

Day 5 was spent on the road north across to the northern coast, to Cayo Coco (“Key” Coco).  The ride was long.  It terminated with a drive across a 35-mile causeway built on the shallow seabed between the coast of Cuba and the northern keys.  There we lived in luxury for 2 nights at a plush tourist hotel with lots of international guests.  A big pool, all-inclusive meals and drinks, a room above the water, evening live music, and other amenities enhanced the birding experience. 

The most notable new Endemics added to my personal count during our stay at Cayo Coco or on the drive back to Havana via Sancta Spiritus (where we spent the night), Trinidad and Cienfuegos were:  Cuban Black Hawk, Cuban Tody, Cuban Gnatcatcher, and Oriente Warbler, the second species of the new Cuban Warbler family.

In Havana we stayed at a unique, small hotel (about 10 rooms) converted by German investors from an Oldtown residence to a hotel.  It was ideal as a base for our day-tour of Havana.  Among the highlights of the day tour were these.

Several of our group in front of the Fidel Castro mural on an administrative building in Revolution Square

Also at Revolution Square is the Jose Marti Memorial, at 358 feet in height, the largest memorial in the world in honor of a writer.  Long planned, and much delayed, it was finished in 1958 in the final days of the Batista regime. Governments of Cuba whether pre-revolution or post-revolution, deem it important to honor Marti.  From Encyclopedia Britannica:

“Jose Marti, born January 28, 1853, Havana, Cuba—died May 19, 1895, Dos Rios.  Poet and essayist, patriot and martyr, who became a symbol of Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain.  His dedication to the goal of Cuban freedom made his name a synonym for liberty throughout Latin America.  As a patriot, Marti organized and unified the movement for Cuban independence and died on the battlefield fighting for it.  As a writer he was distinguished for his personal prose and deceptively simple, sincere verse on themes of a free and united America.”

Jose Marti Memorial, Adam in foreground

The fight for independence from Spain began in the 1870s and ended in 1898 when the United States, after the sinking of the Maine in Havana Harbor, went to war with Spain and drove it from Cuba.

The 29 new species I saw in Cuba brings to 3,825 my total species seen.  Adding the Cuban Warblers to my family list brings it to 223 out of 248. That leaves only the Sapayoa as my single Western Hemisphere unseen family. When the Corona Virus is conquered, I may still see the Sapayoa in Ecuador or Panama.

Madagascar Part 5 – The Lemurs, Chameleons, etc.

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THE LEMURS

The trip to Madagascar offered an opportunity to see lemurs, found nowhere else in the world.  There are 3 orders of mammals found only on Madagascar: lemurs, tenrecs and Malagasy carnivores.  We saw a Tenrec, as earlier reported, but none of the Malagasy carnivores.  As for Lemurs, the Island lived up to its reputation.  From the Behrens and Barnes invaluable guide, “Wildlife of Madagascar”:

“Lemurs: A massive radiation of primates that is endemic to the island.  There are five living families, plus a further three that have become extinct.” “Lemurs are Madagascar’s most celebrated biological treasure. Fifteen percent of the world’s primate species and subspecies, 20% of its primate genera and one-third of its primate families, are endemic to the island.  Lemurs form one of the most prominent voices in the Malagasy forest.  Most species are vocal and produce many different calls.”   

The five different families of lemurs are Mouse, Sportive, True, Indri and Aye-aye.

Mouse Lemurs (Cheirogaleidae Family).  18 species, 9 to 12 inches long.  Behrens and Barnes: “These tiny nocturnal lemurs include the smallest living primate in the world: Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur. . . . They closely resemble the galagos, or “bushbabies” of Africa.  Modern taxonomy has seen the number of recognized species increase dramatically from two to 18, and more species may yet be described. Although mouse lemurs are occasionally found sleeping during the day (resembling tiny fur balls), most sightings are during the night, usually in the form of a pair of eyes bounding about the forest at remarkable speed. There is some variation in size and colour (from gray to rufous), but all mouse lemurs look very similar, especially with a typical night walk view.  According to current information, most can be identified simply by where you are, so refer to the locality and species table on this page.”

 Grey-brown Mouse Lemur

“Dwarf Lemurs (also in the Cheirogaleidae, or Mouse, family).  7 species, 16 to 22 inches long.  Behrens and Barnes: “Dwarf lemurs are small nocturnal lemurs in the same family as mouse lemurs.  They are remarkable as the only primates known to go into a hibernation-like torpor during the dry season (approximately May to December), during which they live off the reserves of fat stored in their tails. . . . There seems to be little overlap in range of most species so tentative identifications can be based on the location of a sighting.  Refer to the locality and species table on this page.”

Based on my prior understanding that finding any mouse lemurs (including dwarf lemurs) would be difficult, I was hoping we would see at least one species from this big family of small, nocturnal lemurs.  We found 3:  Grey-brown Mouse Lemurs at Ifaty, and Goodman’s Mouse Lemurs and Crossley’s Dwarf Lemur at Andasibe.

2.  Sportive Lemurs (Lepilemuridae).  26 species, 17 to 25 inches long.  From Behrens and Barnes: “Sportive lemurs are classified as an entirely separate family.  They are rather chunky, with big eyes and ears, and have a vertical posture.  These nocturnal lemurs are often seen during the day, roosting in tree cavities or dense tangles.  At night, they move about with impressive leaps while retaining their vertical posture.  This is another group, like the mouse lemurs, where the number of recognized species (currently 26) has increased dramatically in recent years, and new species may yet be described.  These species look very similar, especially at night, but show some variation in size, color, prominence of the ears, and other traits.  However, it is unusual for two species to coexist, and so most can be identified by location  (see table below).”

As with the Mouse Lemurs, I thought we would need luck to see any Sportive Lemurs.  But, we saw 2 species:  Petter’s Sportive Lemur (White Footed?) at Ifaty, and Zombitse Sportive Lemur at Zombitse

3. “True Lemurs” (Lemuridae).  This family includes several larger lemurs, generally thought of as separate groups, (a “genus”) including Bamboo Lemurs, Ring-tailed Lemurs, Brown Lemurs and Ruffed Lemurs. Most True Lemurs are active in daylight, unlike the Mouse or Sportive Lemurs.  Except for the Ring-tailed Lemurs which we saw at Isalo, all of our sightings of this family were in the Andasibe area.

A.  Bamboo Lemurs.  Bamboo lemurs are active during the day.  They can be up to almost 3 feet long, tip of tail to tip of nose.  We found Eastern Grey Bamboo Lemurs at Andasibe.B

Another species of Bamboo Lemur, the Golden Bamboo Lemur, is critically endangered.  It exists only in Ranomafana National Park, which itself exists in large part because of the discovery of this species there in 1985.  We chose not to visit Ranomafana due to its remoteness, difficult topography and our time constraints for the trip.  

B. Ring-tailed Lemurs.  We included Isalo in our itinerary primarily because Ring-tailed Lemurs can often be seen there.  The 3 to 3.5 foot long Ring-tail is probably the most distinctive and well-known lemur in Madagascar, although the Indri, discussed later, certainly gives it a run for the money.  We were fortunate to find a very active group near the campground at Isalo.  Their expressive faces, athleticism and long tails make for a good show.     

C.  Brown Lemurs. From Behrens and Barnes: “Brown lemurs are a large genus (Eulemur) within the ‘true lemur’ family, and include some of the lemur species most frequently seen by visitors.  There are 12 species . . . . Brown lemurs are medium-sized [3 feet long], vocal, and generally found in groups.  They are generally diurnal.”  We saw them at Andasibe.I

D.  Ruffed Lemurs.  We saw just one Black and White Ruffed Lemur at Mantadia National Park, north of Andasibe, toward the end of our trip.  It is generally found high in the trees, and that was the case for us.  It appeared to be eating the flowers.  

4.  The Indriidae Family.  Like the True Lemurs, this family is normally active in daylight hours.  The Family includes Wooly lemurs, Sifakas (both Verreaux’s and Diademed), and the wonderful (and, if from a distance, haunting) voice of the forest, the Indris. All of them are large, colorful, athletic and charismatic. They gave us many hours of pleasure, and a few shocks as one or more Indri would suddenly emit from overhead an incredibly loud and surprising scream.  

Our first encounter with any of Indri family was with the Verreaux’s Sifakas in the southwest.I

At Andasibe, we were treated to several sightings of Wooly Lemurs,

And Diademed Sifakas,

The stars of the Lemur Show at Andasibe were undoubtedly the Indri. They were vocal and loud, beautiful and impressive with their leaps through the trees.  They could be heard every morning from our hotel.  The locals call them the Voice of the Forest.  Truly, never to be forgotten voices, deafening at close range, haunting from a distance.  

5.  The Aye-aye.  As for the 5th Lemur family, the monotypic Aye-aye, we did not expect to see any because it is rare and restricted to areas we did not visit.  Nevertheless, to complete the Lemur discussion, we quote a summary from Behrens and Barnes: “This remarkable creature is one of the world’s most bizarre animals.  Its strangest features are its perpetually growing incisor teeth and its thin, elongated middle fingers, which are used to extract larvae from dead wood.  Although it was sometimes considered to be a rodent in the past, recent genetic studies have placed it firmly in the lemurs.  It forms its own family (one of Madagascar’s five lemur families).”

We were able to identify 13 species of Lemur, at least one species within each of the 4 Lemur Families that were possible to find in the areas we explored.  The most surprising sightings were of the 3 normally nocturnal Mouse Lemur species and the 2 Sportive Lemur species, better than the previously hoped for 1 of each family. 

THE CHAMELEONS

This Oustalet’s Chameleon showed up outside our hotel on our first morning in Tana.

The Andasibe area added several Chameleons to our collection.

Short-horned Chameleon

Big Nose Chameleon

And the near threatened Parson’s (Giant) Chameleon.

THE GECKOS, SKINKS, LIZARDS, TORTOISES AND FROGS

We saw 7 species of Gecko.  One of the prettiest is this Lined Day Gecko

Gold-spotted Skink

Three-eyed Lizard

Spider Tortoise

Frogs were small but colorful.  Here are several:

Marbled Rain Frog

Baron’s Mantella (Painted Frog)

THE BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER INSECTS, AND SPIDERS

Notable at Andasibe were the large numbers of various species of Butterflies.

Green Ladies in with hundreds of white butterflies

Cream-lined Swallowtail

And these denizens of the insect (or spider) worlds:

Kung Fu Cricket (seen at Ifaty)

Grant’s Millipede

And the weirdest of all, this Giraffe-necked Weevil

Madagascar Part 4, Birds of Andasibe- November 26 to December 1

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We flew from Tulear to Tana on November 26.  There our party was divided for the remainder of the trip because of the need for smaller, four-wheel drive vehicles in the Andasibe/Mantadia area.  It took nearly 2 hours to get out of Tana because of the heavy traffic. The road was narrow and full of pot-holes.   It was slow-going most of the time and perilously fast the rest of the time, with heavy truck traffic both ways all the time.  We arrived at the Andasibe Hotel long after dark; we would spend the next 4 nights there. 

Within the Andasibe area are Andasibe National Park, Mantadia National Park and smaller preserves.  We spent most of our time near Andasibe, but on the 3rd day we drove the road to Mantadia.  We certainly needed the 4-wheel drives for that trip, which was not far, but very rough and wet. 

Over the course of several days we enjoyed 3 sightings of the odd Madagascar (Crested) Ibis:

And, finally, a stunning closeup view of a Cuckoo-roller, one of the regional endemics of Madagascar previously seen in good numbers, but not as close as this one.

Madagascar Pygmy Kingfishers were found at several locations.

Our Vanga sightings improved with first sightings of Nuthatch Vangas, more Chapert’s Vangas  and a better look at a Blue Vanga.

This White-headed Vanga stayed high in the trees.

A White-throated Oxylabes (of the Malagasy Warbler family) on the nest held still for our photographers. 

Nelicourvi Weavers showed up every day.

Purple Rollers were foraging above a small pond.

One late afternoon we were able to see a Collared Nightjar.

I used to focus on species in my birding outings, of which there are over 10,000 world-wide.  In the past several years, however, I have been trying to see as many of the bird families as possible.  Currently there are 248 families, up from about 200 a few years ago.  Genetic analysis has resulted in this remarkable increase.   I started thinking about going to Madagascar a year or so ago because it would be possible to add 7 new bird families to my then life-time total of 216: Mesites (endemic to Madagascar), Flufftails (widespread in Africa), Crab Plovers (widespread in the Africa-Asia coastal areas), Cuckoo Rollers (endemic in the Madagascar region), Ground Rollers (endemic to Madgascar), Asities (endemic to Madagascar) and Malagasy Warblers (endemic to Madagascar).  I was able to see 6 of the 7, but although our guide had fleeting glimpses of a couple of Asities, I did not.  And so I was able to add 6 families to my count to bring to 222 the number of families of birds that I have seen.  As for species, I added 83 new species to my world list, to bring the total to 3,796.  Couas are members of the world-wide Cuckoo family, and Vangas have some newly assigned family members in other parts of the world, but both the Couas and the Vangas on Madagascar are particularly colorful and interesting.   

My final Madagascar installment (Part 5) will feature Lemurs, Chameleons and other creatures unique to Madagascar.