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AFC Flag Expedition #8:
Not the way of the Dodo - Endangered Species of Mauritius
Expedition Artist: Ria Winters
Purpose: To visit Mauritius to study, render and support conservation of it's endangered species with special focus on its birds.
Location: Mauritius
Scheduled For: May 2009
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The last few days
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The weather has turned bad. There are periodical cycles here, in winter time: a few days good, a few days bad (although the good days are really warm; I'm not sure what it would feel like in summer time when the temperatures rise to 42 degrees C.).
I use the time to work on the log and the online log.
I'm far behind with the paper log and have to finish some pieces of text and complete sketches. Some sketches I turn into watercolours, something that I've had little time for, so far.
This hotel has a computer facility (the second one I've come across in Mauritius!) so I can complete the online log as well and I hope you all enjoy reading it.
On June 3 and 4 I work full time on the paper log; the log is interesting and fun to do but it is a lot of work if you want to do it right. June 5 is a day of preperations for the journey back and some last phonecalls.
On June 6 I arrive back home after an 11 hour flight from Mauritius to London and another two from London to Amsterdam. It was worth it and now I have to go to work!

Photos
  • Clouds over Blue Lagoon
  • Working on the log
  • Flight back home
 
Snorkling in Blue Lagoon
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
I have another look at the underwater world, this time by snorkling. The coral is right at the beach (after getting some directions from Laura) and I try to get some photographs of the beautiful fish that are just there, one meter or less under the surface.
The upside of this way of photography is that the colours stay in tact (the further down you go the more colours disappear); the downside is that it’s hard to focus and keep the camera still. I see many species; some I’ve seen before, others I haven’t. There are brown coloured fish that seem to be in their breeding season because they don’t like my presence and come swimming right at me with attack similations.
The day goes quickly because this underwater world never gets boring. I end up with a sun burned back.
At the end of the day I try to sketch some by memory.
In the evening, just before sun down, huge storm clouds appear in the sky.


Photos
  • Indian Ocean
  • Indian Ocean
  • Indian Ocean
  • Indian Ocean
  • AFC flag in the Indian Ocean
  • Corals from above
 
Ile aux Aigrettes, a botanical day
Monday, June 1, 2009
The weather is fantastic, it’s really hot and the water is cristal clear. I try to make photographs of fish from the boat because  you can see the fish and coral.
Laura is there and she leaves me off, finding my way around Ile aux Aigrettes myself. The Island is round, there are many paths and if you don’t watch where you’re going it’s easy to get lost …
I make photographs and sketches of plants and trees for future reference.
The Pink pigeons don't show themselves much today, I think it's too hot.
 
There is a life size bronze statue of a Dodo (the only statue on the island that looks like proper Dodo because all the other ones show a bulky bird like on the early middle-age Dutch paintings); it stands in between the undergrowth and it's nice to see the correct height of the bird in relation to it's surroundings.
In the afternoon I sit in the shade near the fody feeding station and sketch the Mauritius Fodies.
When I’m done Laura shows me the cave on Ile aux Aigrettes. This is an unknown feature of the island but I’m interested because she reports there are white crustations and crabs down there. That means this small cave must have been there for …. how long? …. to develop the white and blind crustations.
I don’t have the equipment nor the nerve to go in there but I make some photographs and tell myself that this is a special place not known by many people.


Photos
  • Endemic plants Ile aux Aigrettes
  • Endemic palm Ile aux Aigrettes
  • Endemic lowland forest Ile aux Aigrettes
  • White ebony
  • The cave
  • The cave
 
Driving back to the South
Sunday, May 31, 2009
It’s time to go back south because the end of the expedition is getting near and the airport is right in the south. I plan one more day at Ile aux Aigrettes and have a closer look at the plants and trees, especially the ebony trees.
On the trip down south we visit the Blue Penny Museum; I have an appointment with the director to discuss a possible exhibition in the museum and the cooperation between the MWF and the museum of having cards and prints made of my paintings that will result from this expedition. That means another stop in Port Louis. The Blue Penny museum is at the waterfront which is the pretty part of town.
The pride of the museum's collection are the two world's rarest stamps: the red one-penny and blue two-pence 'Post Office' stamps. Issued in 1847, these stamps were incorrectly printed with the words 'Post Office' rather than 'Post Paid'. They were recalled upon discovery of the error, but not before the wife of the British governor had mailed out a few dozen on invitations to one of her famous balls!
These stamps now rank among the most valuable in the world. The 'Bordeaux cover', a letter bearing both stamps which was mailed to France, was last sold for a staggering US$3.8 million. In 1993 a consortium of Mauritian companies paid US$2.2 million for the pair of unused one-penny and two-pence stamps now on display at the museum. This is the only place in the world where the two can be seen together on public view. To preserve the colours, they are only lit up for 10 minutes at a time: every hour, on the half-hour.
Generally I have no interest in philately (except bird stamps) but this museum turns out to be the  best one in  Mauritius. It shows a lot of history as well and has a room for temporary exhibitions. The director is sure that my natural history paintings will compliment the collection.


 

 
A different underwater experience
Saturday, May 30, 2009
In the morning I make photographs of insects and butterflies.
I also sketch Common waxbills (Estrilda astrild). They are not common to me; they are very different from the European waxbills and I don't think they are even related. They appear in flocks on a piece of bare land with weats, near accomodation. They have bright red bills, brown plumage with pretty narrow stripes.
Then have a rare encounter with an invasive species that is feared by conservationists: a mongoose! Mongooses have been introduced to Mauritius to control rats, particularly in the sugar cane fields. Unfortunately native mammals and birds proved to be easier prey.
 
In the afternoon we have a different look at the Indian Ocean; we have arranged for a dive in a submarine, 35 m deep. It is a wonderful experience; the submarine provides a landscape view of the reef and of a sunken wreck. We see many fish species and several calamaris; this is my first time seeing these animals.
They are almost translucent and hover around in the clear water, inspecting the submarine.
I make lots of photographs and do some filming but I’m unsure what the thick glass of the windows and depth of the dive will do with the colours. They may come out blue-ish.
There are schools of Blue-striped snappers (bright yellow fish with blue stripes), it is one of the species that is typical for this part of the Indian Ocean

Photos
  • Underwater from submarine
  • AFC flag in submarine
  • Underwater shipwreck
  • Giant Triggerfish
  • Bluestriped snappers
 
Pamplemousse Botanical garden
Friday, May 29, 2009
This is winter time in Mauritius which means that, although the average temperature is 24 C, the weather is changeable. Today it rains which is not so good for the cameras but it makes good pictures because of the lack of shadows. I get some great shots of the lotus plants for which the gardens are famous (like the Jardin d'Etat in St. Denis, but these are much larger).
Although the garden includes 80 palms and about 25 species indigenous to the Mascarene Islands there is no map, nor a list of plant species so we have to use our imagination and feeling for direction because it is a large park. I recognize the endemic bottle palm trees and make lots of reference photographs in between the rain drops. There are many impressive old trees of which the huge sacred fig tree is probably the largest.
The garden’s history dates back to 1735. It is said that Pamplemousses got its name from a citrus plant imported by the Dutch from Java. The Tamils called it the bambolmas and it is believed that this is the origin of the French word pamplemousse or grapefruit.
Back home I sketch some of the plants in the log, using the display of the camera as reference.


Photos
  • Pamplemousse garden
  • Pamplemousse garden
  • Pamplemousse garden
  • Pamplemousse garden
  • Pamplemousse garden
  • Pamplemousse garden
 
Grand Bay and surroundings
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May 26  is a day of rest. I’ve been going since my arrival and the Grand Bay beach is inviting. The center of town is built at the beach, there are many shops and restaurants. The town has a friendly appearance.
I read “Golden bats and Pink pigeons” (1977) by Gerald Durrell.
Durrell (1925 – 1995) was a naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist and television presenter; brother of novelist Lawrence Durrell. The Durrells could certainly write because the book is entertaining and I read it from start to finish. In a humorous way he tells the stories of the early conservation days in Mauritius and how they catch the last Pink pigeons to start breeding them in captivity to save them from extinction.
It was also Durrell who relocated the first Telfair’s Skinks from Round Island to breed them in a second location, preventing them from extinction being endemic to only this tiny island.
Here is a quote from the book (page 45) that illustrates Durrell’s motivation: [after catching a Pink pigeon] “Gazing at it, feeling its silken feathering against my fingers and sensing the steady tremor of its heart-beat and its breathing, I was filled with great sadness. This was one of the thirty-three individuals that survived; the shipwrecked remnants of their species, eking out a precarious existence on their cryptomeria raft. So, at one time, must a tiny group of Dodos, the last of their harmless, waddling kind, have faced the final onslaught of pigs, dogs, cats, monkeys and man, and disappeared for ever since there was no one to care and no one to offer them a breeding sanctuary, safe from their enemies.”
On the 27 and 28 of May we explore the surroundings and come to the conclusion that the south has more nature than the north. Nevertheless I make several photographs of a.o. Pointe aux canonniers and a beautiful Hindu temple. To make up for the lack of endemic nature we look up the famous Pamplemousse botanical garden which houses several Mascarene plant and tree species.

Photos
  • African Monarch
  • Grand Bay
  • Grand Bay
  • Village Weaver
  • Hindu temple
  • Hindu temple
  • Hindu temple
 
Moving to the north
Monday, May 25, 2009
Grand Bay is the base for the next days to explore this side of the island.
On the way up we stop in Port Louis and visit China town which is an amazing part of the city because of the small shops of every kind and the busy atmosphere as a whole. It is chaotic and charming at the same time.
We also visit the Natural History Museum so we can make some more photographs of the flag. The museum is housed in the Mauritius Instititute which is a beautiful yellow building on the outside but I can't get over the decrepit state of the inside.
Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius; there are approx. 150.000 inhabitants. It is also a port and is the busiest city of the country. It faces heavy traffic congestion as there is only one motorway which leads in and out of the city. Depending on what time of day you travel through it the traffic jams are not so long or very long. An amazing feature on the highway, just out of the city where you don’t expect them anymore, I found were zebra crossings.
The traffic in general is a happy jumble of slow vehicles, fast cars, smoking trucks, buses, the odd motor cycle, mopeds and even bicycles. And although there are security officers all around the public centers in the towns I only came across one police car during the whole expedition.
Getting closer to Grand Bay there is noticeably less forest and more sugarcane!


Photos
  • Port Louis
  • Port Louis
  • Port Louis
  • Port Louis
  • Port Louis
  • Port Louis
 
Black River Gorges National Park: upland forest
Friday, May 22, 2009
The park was founded on 1994; it covers an area of 6.754 km² including humid upland forest, drier lowland forest and marshy heathland.
The first day I walk one of the trails, starting at Le Petrin walking towards the center of the park which is several miles. The views are breathtaking and I imagine what the first visitors to the island must have thought. I see Grey white eyes, Phelsuma geckos bathing in the sun on large umbrella shaped plants and I think I hear Echo parakeets but don’t see them.
 
The second day I’m being escorted by dr. Carl Jones who has been working on the island for thirty years and is the expert on every conservation issue on Mauritius. He is employed by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust who has several conservation projects going all over the world. Its founder, Gerald Durrell, took up the first conservation efforts in  Mauritis, approx. 32 years ago.  Durrell was also the founder of the MWF, in 1984.
Our first stop is the breeding center in Black River where the MWF has a breeding program for the Echo Parakeets and Aldabra Tortoises that act as a replacement for the extinct Mauritian tortoises. The Echos have a beautiful large aviary of half a circle with breeding cages and trees. They can fly around freely and interact with eachother in a natural way.
Carl: “At the moment there are approx. 400 Echos in the wild so at the moment we don’t have an active breeding programme going on. There are possibilities to place some individuals in foreign zoos (at the moment there aren’t any) buut the downside of this is that Echos are difficult to keep in captivity. They need a special low proteine diet.”
There are also Mauritian Fruit bats and a male and female Mauritius kestrel. The male is over 15 years old (but doesn’t look it).
The Mauritian Fruit bats are beautiful looking animals to see from up close. They have intelligent shiny eyes and soft fur of different shades of brown. A face that resembles something between a small dog and a squirrel.
After a photoshoot we drive up into the mountains to see the field station where Echos and Pink Pigeons live in the wild. The drive goes deep into the mountains and I’m glad I stepped into Carl’s truck because my small rental car would not have survived this pothole journey. We go to the restricted area that is not open for the public.
The field station is built in a natural open clearing in the forest. The station was built by the government but only after years of negotiating. The first years of field work was done from tents! Now, after thirty years, the government sees the benefits of the conservation projects for the country; the collaboration between de MWF and the government has come from far. Carl spends a lot of time “cutting through the bureaucracy”.
Dozens of Pink pigeons and Echo parakeets fly around, rest in the grass and trees or are feeding from the feeders. It’s grat to see these endangered birds in their natural habitat, undisturbed and looking healthy. I ake lots of photographs and do some sketching.
There is also a Mauritius Bulbul, one of the eight endemic bird species. It looks very different from the Red-whiskered bulbul.
After lunch, tea and interesting conversations with Carl and the two field workers he escorts me to a special place that he announces as “I want you to see the forest”. I wonder what he means because there’s forest all around us but I follow him blank minded. “We keep our forest closed in. Or rather closed out!” There is a patch of forest with a fence around it; inside is a forest habitat that is made free of weeds and introduced plant species. The difference between inside and outside the fence is clearly visible. The undergrowth of the “real” forest is less dense and the whole look of this piece is lighter and sunnier, although it is still dense. “The ghosts of Dodos wander around here …. “ I ask him what sound they would have made and he produces an imaginary Dodo sound that makes me laugh. Carl is entertaining, funny and outspoken. His passion for his work of life is clearly visible.
I don’t know exactly how large this stretch of conserved highland forest is but we walk around in it for about half an hour. Large ferns grow from the trees, strange mosses on the ground and the ebony trees are the largest I’ve seen so far. It’s like dinosaur country, Jurassic jungle.
Carl picks up the fruits of the Tambalacoque tree which is also called the Dodo tree because it’s assumed that the fruits could only hatch after passing through a Dodo. “These fruits have nothing to do with the Dodo. My theory is that the hard nuts inside the fruits were for the protection against the large beaks of the (extinct) Broad-billed parrot”.
We discuss the possible ancestry of this parrot. It had a crest and the likeness of Black Cockatoos. Carl believes it was a cockatoo (unlike a ruling other theory) and it came from the south. He also believes that the early parrots of the Mascarenes evolved on the islands themselves, moving upwards into India (and not the other way around as the current theory rules).
 
On our drive back to the breeding center where I left my car we discuss conservation issues, parrot dispersian and art. We agree that my first painting of the expedition should be of the " big three": the Pink Pigeon, Echo Parakeet and Mauritius Kestrel.
These last two days have been warm and sunny. The next day brings rain. We drive up to a northern part of the park for a hike but the weather prevents it; the path is dangerously slippery and there won’t be any wildlife in sight. I decide just to make a few photographs of the Black River. This is country of the Mauritius kestrel. Unfortunately it is not their breeding season at the moment so they are not territorial and flying around loose which makes them hard to spot. Luckily I saw two captive ones in the breeding centre yesterday.
It is a day of tropical showers; we drive to the west shore where the weather might be brighter. We watch the impressive roller coasters of the Indian Ocean that break off the reef, a few hundred meters away from the beach. “Bathing prohibited” is on a sign. Well, you wouldn’t dream of getting in there! It reminds me of the shipwrecking of the Arnhem in 1662 that went down off the coast of Mauritius. The survivors made the last account of living Dodos.

Photos
  • Black River NP
  • Black River view
  • Black River NP
  • Black River NP
  • Black River NP
  • At the Breeding Center, Black River town
  • MWF truck
  • MWF Field Station Black River
  • Echo Parakeets at the feeder
  • Male Echo parakeet, Breeding Centre
  • Pink Pigeon, Black River NP
  • Original upland forest, Brise Fer
 
Ile aux Aigrettes: lowland coastal forest
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Ile aux Aigrettes is a sanctuary half a mile off the west coast near Mahebourg. It is a national park owned by the government and managed by the MWF. As the name may expect there are no egrets on the island (but there used to be). The Dutch were the first to set foot on this island which they named ‘Visschers Eyland’ (Fisherman’s island).
I’m a guest on the island for two days. The first day I’m being escorted by MWF conservation officer Laura who is from Finland. She has been working here full time for a year after a career on other remote parts of the world like the Seychelles.
Ile aux Aigrettes is covered with lowland coastal forest. It was the last remnant that once surrounded much of Mauritius, although riddled with weeds and exotic species. In 1987 all invasive plant and animal species were removed.
The forest structure is thought to be an adaptation to surviving cyclones that hit Mauritius periodically. The forest has a high density but a low canopy with branches that interlock like a shield against the wind. 
The species found here are Pink pigeon, Mauritius fody, Olive white eye, Telfair’s skink,  Phelsuma gecko, Aldabra Tortoises and White-tailed tropic birds.
The tropic birds are here for a pilot project; young birds were brought over from Round island to see if they would settle as a colony here. There are about 16 birds in nesting boxes; looking at their behaviour they already consider their home.
There are 53 pairs of Mauritius fodies on the island. How many there are on the mainland is not exactly known but the estimate is 50 pairs. The males don’t have their full red plumage yet but they are getting into their breeding season so it should not take too long before  they have their beautiful red ‘hood’ above their olive coloured brests.
The Mauritius fody has been taken of the critically endangered list by the IUCN, just a few days ago. This sounds as something to celebrate but Laura is not happy with it. “There are only 53 pairs here and maybe 50 on the mainland. That still doesn’t sound like a lot of fodies”. I agree with her.
The Olive white eyes are cute little songbirds. They have a distinct white ring around their eyes which gives them an intelligent appearance. They are a real olive green and feed of the nectar of endemic plants. One follows us around for a while and I manage to make a few photographs of this small and agile bird.
 
The Pink pigeon, Mauritius kestrel, Echo parakeet, Mauritius fody, Olive white eye,  Mauritius bulbul have all evolved inside these native forests. The Kestrel and Echo have adapted to this habitat by evolving rounded wings that are shorter than their relatives like the European kestrel and the Ring-necked parakeet.
Also the Pink pigeon is a real forest dweller. It is not a good flyer and seems to be happy to amble around in the undergrowth and in between the branches. To me it seems strange for such a large pigeon to be in between the bushes but this where they live.
Seeing a Pink pigeon for the first time in the wild evokes amazement: the colours of this bird are beautiful: pink, chocolate brown with red on the beak and around its eye. In between the green of the forest you wonder how it was possible to evolve like this. But if you see them perching on top of the canopy they blend in with the colours and are hard to spot.
 
The field station on Ile aux Aigrettes has a kitchen with living quarters and a veranda. There are several bunking quarters too. Unfortunately the water supply from the mainland has been very poor; the pipeline is there but for the last half a year the pressure has not been sufficient enough to get the water running in the field station which is 12 m about sea level. They have to keep a supply of 20 large water bottles and have to manage with that. Also there is not much electricity and at night time candles have to be lit.
On my second day on the island it rains and I can’t do much photography. We look for Telfair’s Skinks but in this weather they are hard to find. There are approx. 216 on the island. The conservation officer who monitors the skinks decides he’s going to find one and bring it to the field station so I can photograph it. So it happens, he catches a female and places it on the light coloured sand. The female is not too happy with this; she is cold in this weather and finds a warmer place, which is my leg!
She rests on my foot for a while and then climbs up my blue denim jeans. The brown of the skink and the blue of my jeans go well together and I make several photographs. Later on that day we find a male anyway, he poses for a good while so I get some great shots.
In the afternoon I drive up to the north to make further plans. During a stop in a big supermarket I find an internetcafe, the first I have seen during my whole trip! There are not many public computerfacilities on Mauritius. Not that I've missed it ....


Photos
  • View from Ile aux Aigrettes
  • Signboard and afc flag
  • In the boat with the MWF to Ile aux Aigrettes
  • Cristal clear water
  • The MWF field station
  • Phelsuma Gecko, female
  • Lowland coastal forest
  • Bronze lifesize Dodo
  • Pink pigeon
  • Pink pigeon
  • Phelsuma Gecko, male
  • Telfair's Skink
  • Aldabra Giant Tortoise
 
Rιunion
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A flight of half an hour and I’m back in Europe.
Rιunion is geographically part of the Mascarene islands but administratively it’s part of France, it’s an integral part of this country with the same status as on the Europe mainland.
So I get the Euros back out and leave the Mauritian rupees in my purse.
Once outside the airport you can see the difference between Mauritius and Rιunion immediately: the look and feel of the traffic, roads and people are different. In fact, it really looks like France. I try to set the feeling of being close to home aside and look at the island as one of the Mascarenes which is not easy either because Rιunion (2 million eyears old) is much younger than Mauritius (8 million years old). This is clearly visible on the height and shape of the mountains.
The French run an excellent bus service that I use to reach my destination which is Cilaos, in the middle of the island.
Rιunion is larger than Mauritius but has fewer inhabitants (approx. 800.000). It has one active volcano, Piton de la Fournaise and a sleeping one which is Piton des Neiges. There are three calderas (cauldron-like feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption).
 
The bus service from St. Denis (the capital) to St. Louis is called “Car Jaune”. They are new and clean buses, all in yellow.
At St. Louis there is another – local – bus going to Cilaos. Waiting times included this journey takes up most of the day because, as usual the case with public transport, this way of travelling is not quick.
The journey from St. Denis to St. Louis goes all along the west coast, overlooking the Indian Ocean. There are not many beaches, the black volcanic rocks end directly in the sea. Sometimes I see people fishing on the rocks.
The journey from St. Louis to Cilaos is completely different. The road is smaller and leads up into the mountains with a heavily winding road.
I’m used to the Dutch flat roads and have great respect for the skill of the driver who takes the bus up to harrowing corkscrews for about two hours long. There seems to be no end to the bends and curls but the views are breathtaking. I’m glad I came because these are the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen.
Cilaos is built inside the “Caldera of Cilaos” and once you’re in the village this is clearly visible because there is a crown of mountains, of all about the same height, around the village.
The next day I spend all day walking, sketching and photographing. To describe the beauty of the high mountains, deep valleys, streams and flora in words is difficult. I hope my sketches and photographs will get t his beauty across to the reader (of the paper log). The bird species I’ve seen are mostly the same as in Mauritius except these three: Rιunion Stonechat, Rιunion Olive white eye (both endemic to Rιunion) and the Mascarene Paradise flycatcher (endemic to Mauritius and Rιunion).
Another animal that was present on Rιunion is a gigantic orb spider of approx. 8 centimetre across. The first one I encountered had me shocked and I thought this must be a mistake, but later on I saw them everywhere, their large webs hanging over streams and even in people’s gardens.
At the end of Cilaos there is a church with a high tower in the colours white and blue. It dominates the view to one side of the mountains and it reminds me how different a Rιunion village is from a Mauritian village; there are no Hindu temples and women in saris.
The last day I got up early to catch the bus back to St. Denis and be in time to visit the Natural History Museum that I  had emailed back in Holland but got no reply (there is a similarity with Mauritius!)
When I got to the Jardin d’Etat (state gardens where the museum is located) it was clear why. The gardens were under reconstruction and the museum was closed. Unfortunately their website was not updated with this information! In the gardens, that were half-open, I photograph Zebra pigeons and the lotus flowers for which the Jardin d’Etat is well known.
At night time I fly back to Mauritius with Air Mauritius. There is a curious procedure before leaving the plane: health inspectors of the goverment come into the plane to check if there are no seriously ill people on board. The inspection doesn't last for more than one minute ...

 


Photos
  • Rιunion
  • Rιunion
  • Rιunion
  • Rιunion
  • Rιunion
  • Giant orb spider
  • Rιunion
  • Rιunion
  • Rιunion Stonechat
  • Rιunion
  • Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher
  • Car Jaune
  • Zebra pigeon
  • Lotus flowers, Jardin d'Etat
  • AFC flag in Jardin d'Etat
  • AFC flag and Mauritian Airways
 
Bird photography
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The weather is beautiful and I decide to go out and photograph birds. They are all around the area where I stay. I also visit a park near Casela, at the west coast where wild and captive birds can be seen.
I photograph the following species:
- Meller’s duck
- Indian minah
- Village weaver
- Madagascar fody
- Spice finch
- Red-whiskered bulbul
- Spotted dove
- Feral pigeon
- Madagascar turtle dove.
And my first Pink pigeon. It was a captive one but nevertheless beautiful!
Besides the Pink pigeon the most remarkable bird of this day was the Meller’s duck (Anas melleri) . It is a dabbling duck endemic to the eastern coast of Madagascar with a small population on Mauritius which is on the brink of extinction. The Meller’s duck lacks a supercilium (stripe above the eye towards the rear of the head). It is one of the rarest and least known species of wildfowl in the world.
All the other birds I photographed today were exotic species that are not endemic to Mauritius. For the endemic species I will visit the Black River Gorges National park and Ile aux Aigrettes.


Photos
  • Village weaver
  • Indian Minah
  • Madagascar turtle dove
  • Red-whiskered bulbul
  • Spice finch
  • Spotted dove
  • Juvenile Spotted dove
  • Madagascar fody
  • Madagascar fody
  • Indian Minah
  • Meller's duck
  • Meller's duck
  • Pink Pigeon
 
The MWF and Natural History Museum
Friday, May 15, 2009
I spent most of the morning in the office of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF). Besides the World Parrot Trust they are the second beneficiary of this project. The office is housed in a villa in Vacoas. It has a shiny marble floor and the offices have lots of space. The building and interior remind me of the villa that houses Dutch Birding Research in Holland. It is exactly like that, only a little smaller.
The housing is not the only thing the MWF and Dutch Birding Research have in common: they are both largely funded by external revenues, which is not an easy existence.
The director of the MWF tells me they only receive funding from the government for the projects they do for the government owned national parks. The rest comes from donations of project stakeholders such as the World Wildlife Fund and the World Parrot Trust (the latter for the Echo parakeet programme), or from Mauritian companies who like to donate money to the conservation cause. The MWF keeps a staff of over a hundred people so to keep the organisation going like this is a remarkable accomplishment. Together with Mauritian wildlife officer Vikash Tatajah I set out a programme to sketch and photograph the endemic species I came to see.
 
In the afternoon I planned to visit the Natural History museum in Port Louis. I told Vikash how I had tried to contact them from Holland (unsuccessfully) to ask if I could see and photograph the mounted specimen of the Mauritius Blue pigeon, also called the Dutch pigeon. He calls them and gives me two names of employees I can ask for.
So it happens and I make my way to Port Louis and the museum.
In Holland I had done some research about the museum and had read a memorandum of A. Cheke, the co-author of  “Lost land of the Dodo”. Things were not well with the museum because after its initial important role of conserving specimens of extinct species and presenting the Mauritius natural history it went downhill due to the lack of funding and mismanagement.
This was confirmed by the MWF so I was curious what to find.
While approaching the entry I could see that the museum was still in the state described by A. Cheke. The first main hall exhibits fish specimens and although no doubt the exhibit shows the correct Indian Ocean Species, it looks like nothing I had seen under water a few days ago. Fish just don’t look right mounted and dry, stuck up high on a wall.
The lady at the table tells me the entrance is free. I show her the piece of paper with the names I got from the MWF. She makes a phonecall, introducing as “a dame ιtrangθre”. When the man appears I tell him about the AFC and the project and can I please see the Dutch pigeon in the depot. To my surprise it is not in the depot but on display together with two skeletons of Dodos, one skeleton of the extinct Red Rail and a model of the extinct Giant Tortoise. They are mounted inside sturdy glass displays. He tells me that this separate room (called “The Dodo gallery”) was built with help of employees of the Dutch Naturalis of Leiden and the Zoological and Tropical Museums in Amsterdam. Their names are on the wall. I’m delighted to see the specimens like this.
Unfortunately there is no climate control !
Later on, after I have talked to the director of the privately owned Blue Penny Museum (the Natural History museum is state owned), I learn that the present state of the Natural History museum is a result of politics.
It was still great to see the specimen of the Dutch pigeon and two complete skeletons of the Dodo. They give a good idea of the shape and height of these birds.
Also I had a first impression of the capital, Port  Louis. It is a city with many influences and cultures. The waterfront looks western with shopping malls and restaurants. Further on are African and Chinese influences. More about Port Louis in a next blog.

 


Photos
  • In the MWF office
  • Port, Port Louis
  • At the waterfront, Port Louis
  • At the waterfront with AFC flag
  • In front of the Natural History Museum
  • Specimen of Mauritius Blue Pigeon
  • Dodo skeleton with flag
 
Rain and Curepipe
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Today was a little bit of a lost day because it was raining (what a contrast with the previous three days) and I couldn’t find what I was looking for.
I went to Curepipe which is a town in the midlands. It is the home of the Curepipe botanical gardens. The garden is not famous because of it’s beauty – a Mauritian wildlife officer told me it was badly managed – but for the only specimen left of the endemic palm Hyophorbe Amaricaulis.
My day turned out into a disappointment because there was no trace and not one signpost that could lead the way to the botanical garden.
It was as if the town was hiding it. I drove around many times – provoking beeps of other drivers – but in the end I gave up. It was raining so I didn’t feel too bad about it.
Curepipe is not a pretty town. Badly kept buildings, closed shops, traffic jam horror and unhappy looking people. Maybe it was just the rain that made the people look sour but I couldn’t escape the feeling that the state of this town was definitely not a cure for depression.
Funny enough this whole thing made me more curious for the garden and its sole survivor of Hyophorbe Amaricaulus and I may try another day.
 
Postcript: during my stay in Mauritius I have passed several times through Curepipe, every time looking out for some sign that could lead to the garden. Without success. I believe that the signs – if they were ever there – were deliberately removed so visitors could not find the garden that probably needed fixing.

 


Photos
  • Rainbow
  • Wind, palm trees and rainbow
  • Public transport
 
Diving in the Indian Ocean
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
On my first days I had arranged for two scuba dives (May 12 & 13). I hadn’t dived for quite a while but when visiting an island in the Indian Ocean which is surrounded by coral reefs I felt it important to have a look at the underwater world.
It is winter time in Mauritius so the touristic season is not in full swing yet which meant that not all of the diving schools were open. But I did find a diving school in one of the big hotels who would organize a few dives if the weather would allow it. Luckily the weather was beautiful, hardly any wind and not so many waves.
The dive master called the visibility “okay” but I found it very good compared to Dutch waters. I had a small underwater camera and managed to get a few shots.
The temperature of the water was about 20 degrees which sounds like a lot but when under water for 40 minutes or so it can get cold, so this meant wearing an 8 mm suit.
The second day went better than the first but it was really enjoyable and I can see that the underwater world of the Indian Ocean is really beautiful.
We saw Blue-striped snappers, Moorish idols, Stonefish, a brown with yellow/black spotted snail, Octopus, Spotted sergeant, a large Tortoise, Parrot fish, Giant trigger fish and lots of beautiful coral.
In the afternoon I sketched a Striated heron on the beach and at night I worked at the log!


Photos
  • The diving school
  • Rocky beach
  • Scubadiving
  • Scubadiving
  • Scubadiving
  • Scubadiving
  • Scubadiving
  • Scubadiving
  • Scubadiving
 
The journey begins
Sunday, May 10, 2009
My flight was on the 10th of May, with British Airways from Amsterdam via London Heathrow, taking a night flight to Mauritius. The flight was quite comfortable and punctual. I got some sleep on the plane but like usual after such a long journey I was a little tired and had arranged for the hotel to pick me up from the airport (May 11th, early in the morning).
I’m staying in a budget family hotel in Quatres Bornes, run by Indian people. More than half of the population of  Mauritius is from Indian descent. I got a warm welcome and later I found out that not many Europeans come to this hotel and in fact I’m the first Dutch one.
 
Originally I had planned to travel by public transport but inquiries quickly make me change my mind and I decide to rent a car. The car arrives in the afternoon and I drive around for several hours to get used to the left hand driving (which also means that the steering wheel, windshield wipers and indicators are on the opposite side as you’re used to) and the general look and feel of the traffic.
The roads are of British design (M1, M2) but the driving is French: a lot of beeping, no indicating and a general state of slight chaos. The upside of this is that if you make a mistake it all blends in :-)


Photos
  • Arrival at the airport
  • The Indian hosts
  • Quatres Bornes
 
All set to go
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Well, I’m all set and ready for the journey.
I’ve been preparing for the trip for several months so hopefully all will go well.
I’m restricting my luggage to one suitcase and one small backpack.
The items that definitely will be packed are:
- Diving equipment
- Nikon D200 and a Nikon D100 as backup with several lenses
- Underwater camera
- Extra batteries for the cameras
- about 10 GB on scan disks
- Storage medium for digital photographs
- JVC camcorder
- Watercolour paint set
- Brushes
- Drawing pencils
- the AFC log
- the AFC flag
- Lowepro backpack
and of course all the necessary documents.
I’m looking forward to it and I will upload blogs when it’s technically possible which won’t be all the time during my trip because I have already noticed that Mauritius is a country with a Western touch but even more of a mix between an African and Indian state of mind … and technology. This will all be set straight when I get back with – no doubt – hundreds of photographs, many sketches and a full log.


Photos
  • My travel equipment
  • with British Airways
 
Progress and two paintings
Saturday, March 21, 2009
While waiting for my trip to take part I'm painting a few extinct species of the Mascarenes. One is the Rodrigues Parakeet and the other is the Mauritius Blue Pigeon.
Furthermore I'm preparing my trip and planning activities in collaboration with the Mauritian Wildife Foundation. Things are looking good and it's great to notice that people see the value of Art for Conservation.
Besides the World Parrot Trust I have now a second benificiary of this flagexpedition which is the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.

Photos
  • Rodrigues Parakeet
  • Mauritius Blue Pigeon
 
About the Dodo
Monday, December 29, 2008
Several people in the seventeenth century saw the dodo with their own eyes and left descriptions and made drawings of it. Unfortunately nobody gave a description detailed enough that you could make a lifelike painting of it.
All that was left were descriptions such as  'as big as a swan', 'greyish in colour', 'light coloured eyes', that it was flightless, had a small plume as a tail and a big beak. There are two versions about the beak: one with and without a ribbed front and also there are several opionions about the colour of the beak.
 
Dutch painter Roelof Savery (1576 - 1639) painted the dodo from a stuffed specimen which was obese from captivity, he portrayed an oversized bird. All the painters after him pictured the dodo like that: a fat, out of proportion kind of turkey with a head of a fantasy bird.
 
Only one painting dating from approx. 1610, when dodos were still alive, is possibly close to reality. It is the Persian miniature by Ustad Mansur owned by the Institute of Orientalistics in Leningrad. It depicts a dodo in an acceptable pose together with some other birds. 
 
Unfortunately the dodo died out during the Dutch period of Mauritius. It was said that the Dutch captured the dodo by the hundreds to eat them but historic evidence proves this untrue because they called it "walgvogel" which means "disgusting bird".
It is more likely that the decline of the dodo had begun even before Europeans set foot on the island; it is suspected that rats came ashore from the visits of earlier arabian voyages; the rodents preyed on the birds nests.
Later other invasive species speeded up the eradication of several endemic species. The dodo was one of the first to die out and became an icon of extinction.

Photos
  • Painting of Ustad Mansur
  • Head of a Dodo
 
1598: Arrival on Mauritius
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
In 1598 a fleet of Dutch explorer merchant ships landed on Mauritius. This visit made the United East India Company decide to return three years later. In 1601 part of the fleet of Admiral Wolphert Harmensen stayed for three weeks in Mauritius to refresh and recover from scurvy. It was custom to keep a journal on the voyages. But the journal of one of the ships, "De Gelderland", was special because it contains drawings of animals, some now extinct.
Joris Joostens Laerle, downgraded from helmsman to illustrationist, made the drawings.
He made sketches from life of the Dodo and other now extinct species like the Blue Pigeon, Red Rail and Broad-Billed Mauritian Parrot.The journal is kept in the National Archive, The Hague, and getting a chance to see it from up close was a rare opportunity.
 
The AFC flag arrived at my home late October; I took it to the National Archive and a library that houses special collections: the Artis Library of the University of Amsterdam.
 
The flag, the 400 year old journal, the books with numerous pictures of the Dodo and emails with employees of Naturalis who went to Mauritius recently for archeogical research are the start of my project.

Photos
  • Journal of the Gelderland, National Archive
  • Page with Dodo, journal of the Gelderland
  • Page with Blue Pigeon, journal of the Gelderland
  • Book with Dodo illustrations, Artis library Amsterdam
  • Artis Library University of Amsterdam
 
 

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