10/03/11 Hunt for the Black Parrot

Black Parrot expert and all that entails!
Looking over Curieuse and its amazing views.
OMG it is early, 5am starts!
GPS- the only time I would say it was essential!!
Navigating cliffs, rock faces, plum foliage et al…
Intrepid explorers…I would say so!!!
Nearing the end…maybe but…
Experiencing Curieuse has not finished yet!!!

So week nine has been incredible and I feel we have smothered ourselves all over Curieuse!

The reason being, Anna, who is studying the Black Parrot population on Praslin and here on Curieuse, came over to do the ‘point counts’ (survey technique) and we have been lucky enough to join her.

Little did we realise (well we knew really but had put all scrambling thoughts to the back of our minds!) that we had to go wherever the GPS told us to, no matter how dense the vegetation or awkward the terrain. We would walk it, scramble over it, climb it or go through it! No time for contemplation or whinging here, you just do it!!

Today we rose at 5am and set off with our headtorches and by 6.20am we were at the first point of the day (having witnessed a glorious sunrise on the way!). By 7.30am we were at the second (Point Rouge; See Photo) and had already been up and over rocks, of the kind that on an ordinary day you wouldn’t contemplate!! Moving on to points 3, 4 and 5 were tough going but we made it; to give you a rough idea of the time it takes to traverse this wonderful Island…we covered roughly 5 ½ miles in 5 hours! The photo that looks back over land with Point Rouge over the very edge- we hadn’t got to point 3 at this stage!! What a day! Never fear, 5am alarm call tomorrow too, WHOOP WHOOP!!

Stunning to say the least and although we are yet to hear or see that elusive Black Parrot here on Curieuse, the memories of time spent walking all over the island will never be forgotten.

10/03/11 Hunt for the Black Parrot