Mauritius January - July 2013, Combo Fieldstation

For four months I have been based at Combo field station, which is situated in the far East of the national park. The forest here is rather lousy and 80% of the trees here are the introduced Syzigium jambos. Although some Black Ebony trees can still be found and one tree species is actually endemic to this shitty forest and all 10 individuals of this species are found here!

For birders this site has special interest for it holds the biggest wild population of Mauritius Olive White-eyes. The population here gets no support apart from predator control and are therefore tickeable, even by the purist. This site also holds amongst others a subpopulation of Pink Pigeons (70 individuals, who receive supplementary feeding), Mauritius Bulbuls and Mauritius Paradise Flycatchers. We even found an abarrent individual that was most likely suffering from an allosome linked pigment deficiency called "Brown", which causes a qualitative reduction in eumelanine, but leaves phaeomelanine untouched. This results in a bleached plumage that turns paler over time as the effected eumelanine degrades in UV light. Signs that distinguish Brown from Leucism or Albinism include normal iris colour, parts that retain a certain amount of colour (caused by phaeomelanine) and most importantly parts of the plumage that are less exposed to sunlight are clearly less bleached. Apart from the avian attractions the forests here hold big roosts of the Mascarene Fruit Bat and they flap over regularly during the day.

7-8 weeks old Juvenile Pink Pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri)

Male Mauritius Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone (bourbonnensis) desolata)

Female Mauritius Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone (bourbonnensis) desolata) with a pigment deficiency called "Brown", which causes a qualitative reduction of eumelanine. Note the less bleached inner primairies and outer secondairies!

Access to this site is rather difficult, but not impossible. Hikes can be arranged through Exsul Lodges and these pass through the field station clearing. I have no idea what hike passes Combo field station (it might be the hike to Piton Savanne), so to be sure to ask Exsul Lodges. If you are not a purist I would not recommend going through all this hassle and just twitch the Olive White-eyes on Iles aux Aigrettes, where sightings are much more common than here.

Female Blue-tailed Day Gecko (Phelsuma cepediana)