Mauritius

September 2008 saw my eldest son get married on the island of Mauritius. I smuggled my camera and a couple of lenses into the wedding luggage and managed to get a few shots of the local birdlife.

Most of these shots are taken from within the grounds of the hotel.


If I had a favourite then it would be the Red-Whiskered Bulbul. They appeared in numbers wherever you were and if out walking they would keep you company for much of the journey.

Madagascan Fody.

Also present in great numbers was the Mynah Bird.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I think the youngster was saying, "Mother, either you regurgitate some food or we're gonna fall out..!"

The Weaver Birds were too busy nest building to be bothered by photographers...

Zebra Doves were always to be found foraging on the floor.

Green Heron. This shot was also taken within the hotel grounds...

...but I had to venture out to The Black River Gorges national park to see this Pink Pigeon. Endemic to the island and once very common, this bird almost became extinct in the 1970's when numbers in the wild fell to less than 30. Since then a captive breeding program has seen the numbers increase to several hundred.

This Fruit Bat was one of a pair that flew high overhead whilst we were visiting the Black River Gorges.