Ranomafana

Ranomafana NP supports an excellent diversity of montane and mid-altitude rainforest species, as well as several tricky species associated with high-altitude wetlands. We had bad luck with the weather here - it was raining hard on arrival, and the next day was cool and cloudy, which suppressed bird activity.

On account of the rain, our first experience of Ranamofana itself was unfortunately disappointing. The hotel (Domaine Nature) was good, but our cabin was down several steep and slippery wooden flights of steps and so you had to be quite organised when coming up to eat or go out. The cabin itself was tiny with a really inconvenient mosquito net specially designed to bump your head each time you entered the room. Simon 6: Julia 4! Also our shower unit produced a lake each time you used it. However, the view over the jungle was spectacular, our cabin was felt beautifully remote, and there were amazing moths around the lights at night.

Unfortunately we didn't have very long here as our flight to Masoala had been brought forward by one day, and this was quite frustrating. It was also here that the group celebrated Rainer's birthday, with Ruth delivering her unforgettable 'Ode to Madagascar'. Sadly, here we had to say goodbye to several of the group who were not coming on the Masoala extension with us.

We had a very soggy Madagascar Pratincole here on the first evening, which was especially good as we had searched in vain for this at other sites. The next day was much more interesting, as we saw Brown Mesite really well. Simon managed to get some kind of chemical burn on his arm from a plant in the process of looking for the bird. So the ensuing scar will always remind us of Brown Mesite! The other good bird that we were looking for was Yellow-bellied Sunbird-asity, and only Simon and I managed to see it, briefly but well on separate occasions. There was also Common Sunbird-asity, Pitta-like Ground-roller, Madagascar Wood Rail, Grey-capped and Spectacled Greenbul (the latter on a nest) and eventually Madagascar Yellowbrow in the deepening gloom. Some of us also had brief views of Henst's Goshawk on the nest here, whilst fighting off an army of leeches.

Mammals were also good here, as we saw our only Milne-Edwards' Sifaka of the trip, one Red-bellied Lemur (with a radio collar) and a really cool Lowland Streaked Tenrec on a stream bed. Some of us managed a glimpse of the beautiful Ring-tailed Mongoose by the road here as well.

We left feeling very frustrated that we didn't have more time here, and therefore had missed several bird and mammal species that we wanted to see (e.g Rufous-headed Ground-roller, Pollen's Vanga and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur). Again, somewhere to return to, I think. After lengthy goodbyes most of us now had an incredibly long drive of roughly twelve hours back to Tana. The only bird of note en route was a singing Quail.