Sun, Sep 8 - Wetly birding Ranomafana

It was lightly raining when we got up at 5:15 and joined the others for eggs and pain au chocolat.  We loaded onto the bus and drove up to the high trail head where we visited yesterday.  We slogged along the same trail and then started climbing.  This trail doesn’t have steps cut into it, so we have to climb over roots and rocks.  I used my two sticks and wonderful Olivia pulled me up over the higher steps.  

Our great Guides: William and Olivia!

The rain was pretty steady, but fortunately today I had a sweater, scarf, and handkerchief to dry the optics on my binoculars and camera, so I was better prepared, but it was very wet nevertheless.

We continued up and up, trying for various birds, as this is a very famous birding (and lemur) location, and we’re sadly missing much of it.   I did get a much better view of the female Common (actually not) Sunbird Asity, a small round bird with a lemon breast and a huge down-curved bill.  

Dave and Bob struggle on!

And then at 10 AM William led us to a spot where he had seen a Rufous-headed Ground-roller a few days ago.  He and David used their tapes to call the bird and in it came!  A lovely red-brown bird with greenish back and a narrow band of black and white strips on its neck!  This is the rarest of the Ground-rollers of which we’ve seen two of the five and the last place we could possibly see them.  

But we were all very wet by that time and started back on the more difficult downhill stretch, but with Olivia’s help, I managed without a spill.

Too wet for words!!

We returned to our rooms and spread out our wet gear - not likely to dry much in this humidity!   I needed to have laundry done, but the manager said they do their drying outside in the “sun”, and a sign in the bathroom says doing hand laundry in the room is forbidden!  So I’ll just wear clothes longer!

We had beer and lunch: Bob repeated the pasta of yesterday and I had a delicious plate of couscous with veggies.  David said we could go out at three if we wanted; he was going to rest his sore knee and we thought we’d rest and dry out.  We napped and wrote through some heavy downpours.

At five our exceptionally nice waiter came knocking to collect our dinner order.  Our room is very plain and inconveniently lacking in hooks or any place to put anything, but the food is quite good and the service very friendly and efficient.

At six Bob and I went down to the restaurant for Nosy Be Rum and Cokes, and to check the wifi for the Browns first game of the season!   We had a good chicken, cabbage and cilantro salad, bony tilapia and creme caramel. When we left at 8, there was no score in the game.   Bags out and breakfast at six tomorrow.