Today after a lovely cold shower - it was a hot night - we set off for breakfast and our first walk. We had 4 beds (1 double and 2 bunks) in the hut so I opted to sleep in the lower bunk bed which made it cooler and probably safer than both being in the double bed - we were not sure it would take two people because when I initially sat on it the slats dropped out and John had to fix it so it was at least comfortable for one to sleep on!!
Breakfast concluded - but as it was a covered open air restaurant we were able to see and photograph a broad billed roller and the sickle billed vanga - my picture makes it look very ordinary because the long sickle bill was stuck in the tree and invisible ...hey ho! We then met with Tena and went to look for a very rare bird which has been top of the endangered list for several years - the asity - see today's picture which was hard earned - a small yellow and green bird with a luminescent flower shaped pattern around its eye. He knew where it might be as it was breeding and they had spotted a nest. We searched for the bird - but albeit the guide saw it and John saw a fleeting glimpse it flew off to feed - we waited for it to return - nothing - so we walked the block and saw a hooked billed vanga sitting on its nest in a dead tree - we returned to the asity nest and sat and waited......15-20 minutes later I saw something fly from the nest tree to another close by and yes it was the male - eventually sighted on a branch by Tena and where it obligingly stayed for 10 or so minutes. After several photos thwarted by twigs and foliage I eventually positioned myself in the undergrowth to get a much better albeit not perfect shot. It was worth the wait as you only get one chance to see endangered wildlife like this and you have to take your moment - we are not birders per se so I was surprised to see only a few of a group of elderly British birders stop and look at the bird - the rest marched on! Our guide told us that some people have taken 3-4 days to see the bird - consequently our 2 hours was seemingly a snip!
Back to base - we ordered our lunch had a cold drink of mango juice and headed off in the car to a sandstone canyon which had need beautifully sculpted by erosion. To get to it we crossed an area of savannah grassland - the home of bush pigs-sadly not seen. We did see the Madagascan lark, beeater and cisticola - perched on bushes as we drove through. In the canyon it looked hot,dry and lifeless but we did hear and then see a pair of Elenorar's falcon and a Madagascan kestrel flying along the canyon edge. Having taken in the great views we headed back to pack and sort ourselves out before lunch and a boat trip on the lake. Initially it was planned for 2pm but luckily the 2pm slot was booked so it meant we could go at 1pm - and start our drive back to Mahajanga earlier......much better.
The boat trip allowed us to see at closer quarters the birdlife we saw yesterday when walking around the lake. First though the boatman had to chug his way out via a large swathe of water hyacinth. The fish eagles were flying high and calling they then perched in a far off dead tree -the new sightings today were of the grey heron and malachite kingfisher.
As you are moving through the water you become aware of loud slapping noises - these were from the catfish slapping their tails on the water - dinner for crocodiles and humans. Indeed we saw one young man who had speared a fish nearly as long as himself and was proudly walking along the bank with it smiling happily. There were several villagers either in the water or on the edge fishing - you forget that doing this they run the gauntlet of the crocodile -crocodiles do take people now and again - so it is not without risk. Indeed the bit I did read from the travel agent said - don't swim in the lake - crocodiles along with other water born nasties no doubt lurk within!
As we left the boat to walk back we saw another group of Coquerels sifakas who were feeding and jumping from tree to tree- they really are beautiful white and chestnut colours and so clean.
As we walked back I took pictures of the stalls selling fruit and bottles (reused plastic water bottles) of mango salad - with and without chillies - lime juice and fried banana.
With all our bags loaded we said goodbye to Tena and headed to the Sunny hotel - described by the guide book as luxury - but that is only in the Fawltey Towers guide book - that said they had a great pool which I had to dip in for exercise and cooling down and the staff were lovely and very helpful.....but it was not European 5 star maybe 2!
Tomorrow we run the gauntlet of Madagascar airways and luggage - at least when we arrived at the hotel I was reunited with my wayward bag - but for how long? - anyway I now have a few more clothes in my hand luggage!