MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
I'm sitting on my balcony watching a sliver of orange sunset between the bottom of a solid bank of grey cloud and a darkening Indian Ocean through the leafless but seed pod-loaded branches of an acacia an occasional hulking Mauritius Flying Fox floats gently towards the palm trees while a gang of introduced Village Weavers decide whether or not to make a serious effort to establish the acacia as a new colony. Not a bad way to end a day after two and a half days of discussing environmental issues in airport management in a seaside resort in (mostly) sunny Mauritius!
So far the rarity highlight has apparently been a Common Sandpiper that flew along the beach yesterday and today - according to Avibase they are very rare or accidental on Mauritius. Does anyone know how rare they really are here?
The highlight of the commoner local birds so far has been a dozen or so White-tailed Tropicbirds floating over the forest of the Black River Gorges National Park. I also heard, but did not see the Pink Pigeon and both heard and saw several Echo Parakeets on the walk down form the park gate at le Petrin to the Black River Gate some 12 km downhill. Other birds seen that morning included a dozen or so Mauritius Grey White-eye, too many Red-whiskered Bulbuls, Mauritius Swiftlet and an as yet unidentified Fody, which I'd hoped might turn out to be Mauritius Fody - but the ID is not conclusive.
Birding around the hotel (Sofitel in Flic en Flac) has delivered a few more birds. These include the resident colony of six or so Mascarene Martins, including one I caught collecting grass for nest building from the back lawn. For no clear reason they also like to perch on the two speedboats moored out in front of the hotel in the evenings.
Other birds are mostly introduced species, including the Village Weavers, ten or so very showy Madagascar Fodies, Spotted, Laughing and Madagascar Turtle Doves, half-a-dozen Yellow-fronted Canaries, two Common Waxbills, and gaggles of Common Mynahs, House Sparrows and Red-whiskered Bulbuls. A pair of Egyptian Geese have raised abroad of six goslings in the pond below reception which is also stalked by a more genuinely wild Striated Heron.
Cheers
Mike
So far the rarity highlight has apparently been a Common Sandpiper that flew along the beach yesterday and today - according to Avibase they are very rare or accidental on Mauritius. Does anyone know how rare they really are here?
The highlight of the commoner local birds so far has been a dozen or so White-tailed Tropicbirds floating over the forest of the Black River Gorges National Park. I also heard, but did not see the Pink Pigeon and both heard and saw several Echo Parakeets on the walk down form the park gate at le Petrin to the Black River Gate some 12 km downhill. Other birds seen that morning included a dozen or so Mauritius Grey White-eye, too many Red-whiskered Bulbuls, Mauritius Swiftlet and an as yet unidentified Fody, which I'd hoped might turn out to be Mauritius Fody - but the ID is not conclusive.
Birding around the hotel (Sofitel in Flic en Flac) has delivered a few more birds. These include the resident colony of six or so Mascarene Martins, including one I caught collecting grass for nest building from the back lawn. For no clear reason they also like to perch on the two speedboats moored out in front of the hotel in the evenings.
Other birds are mostly introduced species, including the Village Weavers, ten or so very showy Madagascar Fodies, Spotted, Laughing and Madagascar Turtle Doves, half-a-dozen Yellow-fronted Canaries, two Common Waxbills, and gaggles of Common Mynahs, House Sparrows and Red-whiskered Bulbuls. A pair of Egyptian Geese have raised abroad of six goslings in the pond below reception which is also stalked by a more genuinely wild Striated Heron.
Cheers
Mike
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DSC08332 Madagascar Fody @ Mauritius.jpg931.5 KB · Views: 66
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DSC08325 Mascarene Martin @ Mauritius.jpg955.9 KB · Views: 64
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DSC08350 Madagascar Turtle Dove @ Mauritius.jpg868.8 KB · Views: 58
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DSC08387 Village Weaver @Mauritius.jpg848.5 KB · Views: 58
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DSC08334 Mauritius Grey White-eye @ Mauritius.jpg825.5 KB · Views: 60
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