Nature Diary Kwong Chi Yu

Transcription

1 Nature Diary Kwong Chi Yu Aug Our first official day in Madagascar! I could hear the birds chirping! I wondered how many endemic birds I m missing while still lingering in bed. And like I expected, many of us were already up for early morning birding~ ( Saw the Madagascar Wagtail and Red Fody, a little disappointed that it s not breeding season or else I would be able to see a red plumaged fody) We started off the day with a coach ride across the outskirts of the city of Tana to reach Lemur s Park. I wasn t too sure of what I was expecting of Madagascar. The street view, the people, the whole atmosphere was totally foreign to me I wonder if I could call this cultural shock already as I was feeling a little uneasy within the urban areas. Or maybe the view itself was something I haven t prepared myself for. I knew the country wasn t rich but I have yet to set foot in places that I would describe as slums. I didn t take a lot of photos from the coach somehow a part of me feels it seems a little disrespectful to take photos of the hard lives of others like some ignorant tourist just passing by. Lemurs Park We could get very close to the lemurs! I was thrilled and it was very good practice for me in getting good photographs of them! But still it doesn t feel the same as finding wild ones in the natural environment. However, Lemurs Park allowed us to observe the lemurs in a very close range. They were so agile and quick. I love it when they leap from tree to tree or even bouncing from the ground to the tree right beside us. I especially like the colour of their eyes, so bright and shiny when the sunlight hit the right angle. I think I went crazy with close up portraits of their faces trying to catch the moment when their eyes are the shiniest. 1

2 Tsarasotra Lake The view of the lake and the island at the centre was breathtaking! When the sun started to set, warm orange rays flooded the lake side that was covered with soft vegetation. It was a very beautiful moment. My photos can t do the moment justice. Black Egrets there were a new encounter to me and I thought they were very special. I think it is because till now I have only seen white colored egrets, a black coloured one was refreshingly new to me. Under the sun, the feathers of the Black Egrets shone gleaming blue and green colours. Their coats were a lot richer in contrast to the plain white egrets and the deep colour made them feel more majestic. I think I will miss Black Egrets when I get back to HK Aug Woke up at 5:00am! It feels rather refreshing to wake up this early~ And I get to hear the nightjars calling in the early morning. Flight to Tulear When we got to the airport I could see why we had to get to the airport so early I couldn t really tell if there was a line at all nor could I see the counters for checking in clearly. 2

3 When we landed, I could feel everyone s excitement peak! I was overexcited and getting hyper like the rest. We were greeted by sunshine and plains of golden grass, just like the typical African plain! I think we were all so excited because of the difference in weather and landscape. Tana was more urban and was always cloudy and cool, even described as cold in mornings and night. But the place we have arrived at felt a lot like the savannas of Africa, with strong sunlight, open plains and an arid feel to it. Arboretum of Antsokay We sped through plains of arid land on what seems to be their single highway to our first stop of the day, a botanic garden. Not quite a plant person, I wasn t too sure of what to expect. But we ended up chasing birds and reptiles through the garden. I was super happy to see a Green Capped Coua! I think I was too overwhelmed that I got very nervous and every photo I took was blurred even when it walked right across the road in front of me and I was in a perfect position to get a great clear photo and it comes out blurred After chasing the coua, we went about chasing a black and white coloured Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher. I haven t even seen one in HK! It flew around in the thicket and I couldn t get a good shot. Adding on with the previous blurred photos of the coua, I was getting a little frustrated. But after some time, I decided just watching was enough. I realized I was too focused on getting a good photo that I forgot to enjoy just watching it. So I put away my camera. As if it was awarding my decision, it flew around a tree trunk in front of me (maybe chasing 3

4 some bug) and it fanned out its long tail feathers. It was a pretty display and I was satisfied Note: Being no bird expert, I am rather proud that I identified the Chabert s Vanga correctly today. It flew over our heads and landed on the tree above us. And in a split second I was pointing upwards and calling out Vanga to the rest of the group. Desi says it is indeed a Chabert s Vanga! Note: Loving the car ride into Isalo, it feels like riding a jeep through the savanna. The openness of the plains and the broad sky above us. I was lucky to have a window seat~ I could even peep my head out of the window to feel the speed of our car and the roaring wind while we head towards the sunset (literally) and the sky ahead of us continued to change colour from blue to purple to golden yellow. I really loved the moment. Note: I thought we would have a simple dinner at camp site. With a 2 course dinner with soup, steak, rice and fried potatoes, ending up with fruit as dessert. Dinner was wonderfully out of expectation~ Aug Isalo National Park Breakfast greeted by the Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher (reddish brown coloured one). It didn t seem very afraid of us and I could finally get some decent photos of it 4

5 . I didn t expect it to have such a beautiful call, and it didn t mind showing off repeatedly. It was a lovely way to start the morning! It was sort of amazing how the habitats could change so fast! Our campsite was located at a relatively dry forest area, but after a short hike, our guides have led us into a habitat similar to a wet jungle with a stream. Big ferns lined the stream and moist moss and vegetation covered the cliffs on either side of the stream. I was happily enjoying the hike alone along the stream, maybe because I was looking forward to entering a more natural environment compared to the places we have visited previously. And we could finally do some wild animal spotting on our own~ I also enjoy hopping from stone to stone along the stream, a little challenging at times but of great fun. Note: Saw the Madagascar Coucal. It doesn t seem very different to the one in Hong Kong. Our guide said that due to its long heavy tail, it cannot fly very far. Funny We went back to our camp for a quick stop to see the lemurs. The Ring tailed Lemurs were a lot smaller in size than I expected! They were not afraid of us and we could get very close to them. They seem to be slightly domesticated, as if waiting for us to feed them. Somehow it sort of feels like being surrounded by Macaques in HK well maybe with less hostility. Then we climbed up the mountain called Mamaza, which means friends in Malagasy language. The climb was a little tough, I guess more so due to the unforgiving sun. But it was alright since we climbed it slowly. The view as we climbed was spectacular! We got to a rocky area for a picnic lunch. Lunch was unexpectedly accompanied by free entertainment opera! This was one of my most interesting encounters by far, the setting, the location, the people, all seemed too odd for it to happen. 5

6 After lunch and some laughs over whether our lunch fruit is an orange or a tangerine or some other small round orange fruit, we continued our hike and was struck by an amazing view! Who could have guessed after a steep hike through rocky areas, one would reach an African golden plain at the top? It was thrilling to have reached such a surreal place, where the golden plains end at cliffs and we could survey fields and plains down below that stretched and merged with the horizon of the sky. It was one of the most breathtaking moments ever! An up above our heads, as if it was a welcoming parade, Madagascar Kestrels did aerial displays of swift dives and swoops. A league of Pied Crows also did a parade around us in formation. It was a place where I could sit all day and still not want to leave; actually, I just didn t want to leave. Note: On top of the mountain we saw an iguana known as 3 eyed iguana. Our guide said that there was a 3 rd eye on its forehead that was degenerated. Aside from this fact, I found it more interesting that its body form was a lot different from what I thought iguanas looked like. The one we saw, I would have called it a lizard rather than an iguana as my image of an iguana is always of those big green ones with long tails in pet shops. Note: Nightwalk saw a Madagascar Scops Owl up close! It wasn t afraid of us and didn t seem very bothered by our flash lights. My first time seeing a wild owl so close!!! 6

7 Aug First long car ride of the trip around 7 hrs. It went better than I thought despite the fact that I was sitting in the middle of the very last row. Good thing I m not claustrophobic nor am I a very car sick prone person. But I had to resist the urge of climbing out through the window every time we stopped for a break, which eventually Kimchi gave up using the main car door and exited through the window. It was a long athletic feat from the last row to the car door, hurdling over folded seats, heaps of baggage and a final twist of the body out the car door through a narrow space created by the blockage of the first row seats. Usually, I end up sacrificing my head to save my camera in the process of getting out (I know I m not the only one who has bumped their head on the car roof while getting out). By the time I ve gotten out, it was also time to get back on. Near the final hours of the car ride, I sometimes just gave up getting off at all. At the end of the ride, I had a sore back and a bruise on my shin from hurdling over baggage. Our cars we get off for some stretching~ Reaching Ranomafana. Our car ride took us from straight highways across plains to twists and turns up into a forest covered mountain. The change in scenery was welcoming and it finally felt more like the Madagascar I read about with dense forests waiting to be explored. We stopped at our hotel which turns out to be pretty huts! I just loved the little huts; it feels so exotic with the mosquito nets. Another lovely surprise was the bright green 7

8 geckos. Ivan had been complaining about not seeing green geckos. When I came face to face with one in the bathroom (literally as it was at eye level perched on the wall), I was overjoyed and over hyper. I had this brief moment of dilemma of whether to take photos first or tell people to come see. I rushed out the hut and ran to the closest hut with the door open to tell others to go see. But to my disappointment, it turns out those geckos were fairly common and found in almost every hut. But still, my hut seems to have the most day geckos, at most 4, one near my bed, one in the bathroom and 2 on the roof. Considering the hut wasn t that big, they had a relatively high density. Nightwalk at Ranomafana like one heart attack after another. I could barely keep up. And I must admit I wasn t too used to such fast paced wildlife watching as well as with so many people at the same time. Our guides spotted chameleons as if they were neon colored. Pointing out one chameleon after another, we piled up close for photos. The chameleons were cute and petite. I found their way of sleeping very funny, some were hanging on for dear life so tightly at the edge of leaves and branches that they were very amusing to watch. I thought it would take us a lot of luck to find and meet small chameleons, but they seemed like they were everywhere! And to think it was only about 100m stretch of forest along the car road, the density of wildlife was amazing! Note: Dinner with flaming bananas and one of the biggest and prettiest moths I have ever seen. I thought those yellow moths were fake at first! But it was a little sad that it seemed to be on the verge of dying. Aug Whole day at Ranomafana National Park. We could finally track into the dense moist forests! I had a lot of fun, maybe a little tired from going uphill, but I liked it because this is what I call exploring! I feel more awake in such an environment, where I need to think about how I tread and which paths are the best to avoid slipping. I enjoyed myself. On the other hand, some of my 8

9 teammates, not equipped with good hiking shoes, nor very used to slippery moist earthy slopes seemed to have a troubled time. Samantha end up calling me a monkey as I always went up ahead while she was still struggling with slopes. But I was sure to wait up and look back in case she needed my assistance. Velvet Asity!!!! My heart almost stopped when the guide pointed it out and I couldn t see it. I ended up only seeing its silhouette as it flew away. But luck was on our side! We encountered another one that was in breeding plumage (with the green wattle!). I was super nervous about not getting a good photograph of it, especially this being my first time using the borrowed lens to chase birds through dense vegetation in dim light. The Velvet Asity is one of the birds I wanted to see but didn t expect to see, so I was really, really excited. Despite my best photo of it being a bit blurry, I am still very satisfied! Another bird I would have loved to see is the Blue Coua. It was totally a big surprise! Our guide started whistling and then a bird whistled back. He got excited and pointed upwards Blue Coua! I could only see its dark silhouette against the sun and it was really far away. I saw it ruff its feathers ready to fly, so without time to change any camera settings I did my best to get a photo, which turned out pitiful over exposed and blurry. Nevertheless, I saw a Blue Coua!! And turns out I was the only one who actually got a photo of it. I only had in mind seeing lemurs, but we actually saw a Ring tailed Mongoose! It was my first time seeing a wild mongoose! It is one of the most beautiful things I ve seen! I never knew mammals could have such a wonderful gleaming cinnamon red coat. It looked so well groomed and healthy that I really thought it was a domesticated animal the guides put out for show. And so close by too! I could get as close as 1m away from it. 9

10 Note: Our guide, Roden, told me he has been a guide for 22 years and Ranomafana was where he started off. He had a fascinating bird whistle with him that he uses to lure birds out. He says it is specially made in UK and had to ask friends to bring them back to Madagascar. I sort of want to have one of those whistles, maybe it will be of use in HK. Aug An almost 10 hr drive. I thought I was alright with car rides but twisting and turning down the mountain roads early in the morning with a little lack of sleep turned out really bad for me. But I am really thankful that I didn t throw up, and just reminded in a state of half unconsciousness for most of the ride. Miandrivazo camping at riverside At the riverside, we were told that we were going to ride the flimsy looking boats to cross the muddy river. I was actually very, very excited!! I just loved the thrill of doing something I may never be able to do again. It was something new, fresh and adventurous looking! While everyone else seemed a little skeptical and confused over the boat ride, me, Yanny and Jenny have already skipped right down to the bank and onto the first boat. The ride was a bit wobbly but it was still very exuberating! All 3 of us seemed rather relaxed and enjoying our time, but others seemed more nervous about it. Nevertheless, to me it was a great ride! And the sun was setting; it was a moment that I would never forget! 10

11 At the other side of the bank our campsite It was flat sandy beach. We were welcomed by over hyper little kids that seemed to like photos A LOT. The changing colours of the sky from the sunset and the welcoming smiles of the locals, everything was worth that grueling 10 hrs of car ride. And as night fell, we could lie on an outstretched sheet to look up into the sky or sit by the campfire, just taking everything in. Maybe it is just that I m not the chatty type of person, but I was very fine being with everyone, sitting quietly around the campfire, just enjoying each others company and sharing the moment under the broad night sky. Tonight was a night that I would hold dear in my life. Aug Baobab Alley It was almost unimaginable that these were trees! They looked very different from my knowledge of what trees looked like. And to think they could live for thousands of years! As I could hardly associate them to trees, I was very astonished to see their fruits! It was just a very special feeling to see them up close with fruit and flowers, but also a little sad knowing that the baobabs were the living reminders of where forests once covered. 11

12 Fosa Many of us were very keen on seeing a Fosa. And there it was on our first day at Kirindy!! I was super excited to see it! It was a lot smaller than I thought though. And a lot more domesticated than I expect it would be. But it was still very cute. Though, I must admit I would have been more thrilled to see it in a more natural environment instead of lying outside the kitchen area of the campsite... Aug I feel very lucky to have survived the night such coldness, I think I will never forget such a crazy night when thoughts of death actually did cross my mind.but oh well, I survived and now I know my anti cold limits could be pushed even further. Whole day visit at Kirindy Morning: Crested Coua! It has become one of my favorite birds in Madagascar! It just makes you wonder why nature would produce such magnificent creatures. They are so beautiful! The first time I saw it, I went ballistic with photos. But after a whole day in the park, I realized it was a fairly common bird. Had a wild chase crashing through the forest of Kirindy after 5 6 mongooses! It was very fun. At least I loved it! And I am very thankful to have worn a long sleeved shirt or else I would have had scratches all over my arms. Everyone seemed alright 12

13 after the chase, tired, covered in dried fallen leaves and dirt, but everyone seemed so content. So did I. It was just so amazing how those wild mongooses tolerated our presence and continued to play amongst themselves. We got in very close and we weren t really that quiet either from cracking branches and crushing dried leaves. But they just allowed us to watch them play. It was a beautiful moment. Although I didn t manage to get a good shot, it was already very enough. Also, this crashing about in the forest, deviating from the given paths without much regard to getting lost and only focusing on finding the animal, I just really loved this feeling. It makes me feel much more alive, especially since I think we have been relying a bit too much on our local guides that some exploring on our own was very welcoming. Afternoon: We had some spare time on our hands and I decided to enjoy the place a bit on my own. And guess what I bumped into? A Coquerel s Coua! And I was very surprised by it since it had been rather elusive in the morning and I know many people were still stalking it for a good picture. But there it was! Right in front of me crossing the path and it was only 2m or so away from me. I froze and it seemed to tolerate my existence, and even cocking its head a bit to have a better look at me. After it left, I heard leaves crunching behind me, and it turns out to be a skink digging through leaves for food. I stood very still and it was only less than 1m away from me. It even decided to come out for a bit of sunbathing on the path. I was totally overjoyed of how tolerating the animals were of my presence. I could sit there all day in the middle of the path just to enjoy how the wild animals were fine with sharing the same space with me. I feel so blessed that they felt safe to approach me, and being alone with them was like sharing an intimate moment with them. I really love Kirindy! 13

14 Aug Another day with a long bus ride. I already miss Kirindy while driving away. The bumpy road leading out of Kirindy still held its surprises. It was very fun to spot wildlife from the car, too! It was especially amusing when everyone in the car gets over excited and starts shouting for the car to stop sometimes in Cantonese in which the driver will never understand. But the whole experience is sort of cool, maybe because I sort of associate it with safari adventures in jeeps spotting and tracing animals from vehicles. Maybe I watch Animal Planet too much We arrived at our hotel in a more urban area, where our guides said it was not safe for us to venture outside. Despite having a nice warm water bath (finally in a few days), I still feel more at ease in a more natural environment, like in Kirindy where we can wander about even after dark. I guess I just missed Kirindy in general. Aug We started the day with a leisurely walk visiting fields, villages and a big scenic lake. The view was magnificent and the lush greenness of the fields was almost surreal. My photos of its greenness will never do the real thing justice. Although there wasn t much wildlife watching done, the change of scenery was still welcomed. From the dense forests of Kirindy to the vast open skies and fields of the village, it was a very soothing place for a walk. And we also got to try some of the local foods! I have always wanted to randomly try the foods offered in different places but sadly our guides have told us not to do so in Madagascar to ensure our well being. But today was different somehow, I got to chew on a freshly cut slice of sugarcane and tried boiled sweet potato or some sort of vegetable that resembled both potato and sweet potato. The whole feeling was very earthy and local. 14

15 In the afternoon, we toured around the town. We went to a small little rundown shop that sold sweets and snacks. An elderly woman was the shop keeper, although she hardly understood us, it was very sweet and patient of her to smile and try to figure out what we needed. And she tended to us drearily, uncorking coke bottles and making sure the bottles were not dripping wet by wiping them before handing them to us. It is a little amazing how small encounters such as these would live on in my memories. Aug After another long car ride, we reached our new hotel in Andasibe! It was like a Hawaiian holiday spot. I really loved the individual little houses with a porch and dried palm leaves making up its roof. Everything felt very exotic and tropical. We came here for the Indris, and it was almost heart chilling the first time I heard them. As if they were welcoming our arrival, we heard them on the first day we arrived. Their voices were melancholy and resonated throughout the whole hotel site. It took some time to get used to but it was beautiful none the less. I wish I could have recorded it. At night we went for a nightwalk. It was a relatively quiet night, but we still had a nice encounter with an interesting frog that flashes its eyes blue when provoked. Having 15

16 been too used to relatively dull colored frogs in Hong Kong, seeing a frog with such a bright blue colour was really fascinating! Aug Woke up early for some birding~ I was exceptionally proud that I managed to find a Blue Coua and 3 Blue Pigeons on my own. And like I was rewarded, there was soft pancake for breakfast! Although it was a very misty morning that kept me from taking good photos of the birds that I found, it still felt like the start of a good day. And I was right! Our guide managed to find a pair of Collared Nightjars! I have always wanted to see Nightjars, throughout the trip I could only hear them and not see them. They were so cute! It took me a very long time to spot them since the pair cuddled up close to each other and did not form a distinct bird form on the ground. I was very astonished by its camouflage abilities! I was so happy to see them, and sooo close!!! I didn t want to leave. They just stayed very still while we made a lot of fuzz over them. Another big surprise was the Red breasted Coua! It had such a bright, beautiful cinnamon red colour that it gave off a majestic feel. But sadly, being a bit too short myself, I could only catch a glimpse of the bird amongst the people before it disappeared into the bushes. At that moment I was really depressed that I couldn t see it more clearly despite it being so very close to me, and it also dawned on me that I would most probably never get another chance to see it again in my life. But still, our team was rather lucky on bird encounters today. Tonight being the last night in Madagascar, I felt like I couldn t waste it and went out for owl hunting, though without much luck. But it was still alright, as I know I was roaming around under the night sky of Madagascar for the last time. I just took in the moment, the surroundings, the feeling of the night, just to make sure I won t forget 16

17 this all. Aug Being the last day in Madagascar, I knew I couldn t waste it, especially when I still don t have a nice photo of the Blue Coua that I met 3 times yesterday. I was up early at the same spot waiting for it, and it did come. Like some form of closure to my trip, I was able to take a few photos of it as well as spend some quality time with it, watching it jump from branch to branch. I am sure I will miss it. Somehow, I think everyone woke up with a slightly saddened atmosphere knowing that we were heading back to Hong Kong. Smiles all around, things didn t seem to be very different, but it felt a little sad inside, knowing that I am leaving a place I may never go back to and the special connections we had during the trip was going to change when we return home. We had to chase our plane back to Hong Kong, which was a first for me. It was also a first time for me to lose my luggage I thought it was slightly reasonable to panic, but everyone seemed to be fine with it. Goodbyes were a little uneventful, or maybe just because everyone was a little tired. Without my heavy luggage, I took a small walk before heading home to settle my emotions. I know that I am going to miss everything about this trip. 17