A first: think have just been party to a sentiment never uttered before in history of man OR dinosaur...

Am currently doing a bit of research for a forthcoming exhibition at the Natural History Museum Age of Dinosaurs.  (Wonderful work - am so enjoying tackling the timescales, and the thought that humans have hardly made an appearance compared to the huge, bizarre and exotic creatures that ruled the planet for 160 million years.)

...well while on the phone to Mum I mention that tomorrow I have to go and photograph some coprolites (fossilised dinosaur poo)...she obviously drifts off a bit and says in an alarmed tone:  no, no I would really like you to have highlights not copperlights!  What Mum?

(I am sure the worlds of palaeontology and hair-dressing rarely, if ever, collide!)

Here is a coprolite taken from the NHM picture library - a beautiful spiral one from a coelacanth, the flesh-finned fish that was thought to have died out at the mass extinction 65 million years ago...only to appear in 1938 at a fish market in South Africa.  The exotic looking fish was 1.5m long Latimeria - a living fossil.  The wonders of nature...

Coelacanth coprolite - a 'preview' image from NHM picture library

Oh...'those are easy...you need to get into the forest!'

Trithemis arteriosa

...that was Steve's reaction to my dragonfly photos. He is an expert at the Natural History Museum, friend and ex colleague.  He says the interesting stuff will be near forest streams... 


Palpopleura lucia

 I was so sure this collection (see earlier blog entry brimming with self congratulation) were rare and would excite him to the point of jumping on a plane!  But no, although he did concede that they are good quality images. 

Thankfully it has not dampened my enthusiasm -I now want to hunt in those forest streams until I find the 'hardly known to science' flighty camouflaged ones.

 

not sure at the moment. Will get back to you!
a glimmer of hope

 

impossible. A female damselfly

The captions are Steve's identifications and comments.  It has inspired Dominik to dig around in his huge photo library but I have a feeling this response is quite valid - it is a reminder that you can get imbued with the sense of wilderness and your wish for pioneering discovery on occasion...and the truth is...it is not ALL rare!

A new upload...is this hard to see specimen interesting...please?

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS 2010: and thrilling camera trapping

• Seeing Golden Cat at Mareja from the car only 10 m away - perfectly silhouetted, a rare and elusive large cat species which was instanting recognisable in our mammal book with its dark brown fur, small very slightly tufted ears, and tucked 3/4 length tail
• Peter trapping a very interesting giant elephant shrew with a russet behind and spots, it may be a new sub-species...
• Identifying a new Duika for the area, Harvey's Duika
• Hearing a deafening and mysterious rush of air and then seeing a Marshall Eagle decend from above me (I was lying on the veranda) and swoop to get a chicken, it lowered its white legs like a jumbo jet coming a ground
• And finally the all time high spot is here for you to enjoy.  It was our first attempt at using the new camera traps (wonderfully supplied by Peter, Ox University) which we put at the waterhole and just look at these two videos....

please watch both in order, you will see why

our christmas and jasper's....

Our first christmas in Europe for 3 years - and in every way it was like a refreshing cool/snowy breeze after life in the oven. 

I greatly wanted to be at home with my family around me with a large turkey (with darling Jay who always wears his party hat far longer than anyone else - and this year was no different).  It was wonderful and a stark contrast from the last two years...which included tourists and

·         2008: much cooking over an open fire for guests, a kidney infection, a 5 hour drive on christmas day to Sauli to return the Queen (with only one dry roll en route). We arrived back in Pemba at 11pm and missed Rebecca’s offer of pork and chocolate roulade...

·         2009: we decided to have a feast and killed the large angry alpha duck which I lovingly cooked in a large pot in the furnace with all sorts of nice ingredients...but the skin did NOT crisp so at the last Dominik unexpectedly plunged it into the furnace caking it irredeemably in 1cm of fine ash...

Anyway this year as you may know we left Jasper in charge.  Jasper has lived in Pemba for many years, he knows Moz and its ways and also Dominik and his ways..he is highly practical and fantastic at stepping in as our temporary manager and Fixer. 

Jasper's christmas...he managed to drive all the way back from Nampula in time to collect food from Pemba and then deliver it to Antonio at Mareja on 24th, in preparation for our 2 booked Dutch guests (and further 4 visitors arriving 26^th).  Once at Mareja he waited and waited to welcome the visitors...who did not appear.  He arrived home, after a 6 hour round trip, too late and tired to enjoy Christmas eve. Argh – poor Jasper.

I have just heard that our guests on 26th did come but only for 1 night not the planned 2.  They saw 4 elephants and 6 antelope which is wonderful...but all that preparation and food...for so little return. I am heartily pleased we came home this year.  Imagine we would have prepared a Christmas feast with prized duck killed and all else polished and eventually eaten alone.

I could not have borne the disappointment of so much work and waiting in vain and another year without one Christmas carol, brussel sprout or the sight of Jay in a paper hat...it is funny what you miss most.

INSECTS delivered: from damp dwelling to dry pinning

...from obscurity to a preserved data rich entity in a monumental institution far far from their place and habitat of origin.

We managed to deliver our damp bags of insects to Darren at the Natural History Museum in Oxford just before he went home for Christmas.  In the process he showed us the results of all Mariel's hard work.  It was so moving to see a beautifully prepared polystyrene sheet with tiny neat labels bearing the location 'Mareja' and insects in all sizes from the almost microscopic to inch long.  There they are quite dead and preserved but representing their species and the reserve and much else.

Early in December the Rangers carried out the second dung-beetle transect, carefully following the instruction they were given by Zia, Catherine, Mariel and Peter in the summer.

We had the option of human, cow, pig or elephant dung... we managed to collected fresh elephant dung, discovering a huge amount on the road to Mareja.

Jose and Saleman did a fantastic job - placing the small muslin wrapped dung bundles over a buried cup containing soapy water, under a plate canopy, against the rain.  Each trap 50m apart on a 500m transect.  It didn't go precisely to plan as Jose disappeared for an impromtu holiday for 10 days but as a first attempt by the Rangers to carry out research...it was fantastic.  They did the transects in 4 of the 5 locations for 24hours each (not the ideal of three days) - next time.

And they bagged their catch in special researchers bags with essential data written on water-proof paper and then filled with 90% alcohol.  They caught many more insects than in the summer as the rains have begun.

I wrapped them all in many plastic bags and transported them home...they arrived and are now awaiting sorting by Mariel and identification by world specialists.  Mariel is doing this wonderful work as a volunteer...THANK YOU from me and your Mareja research team.

Amazing Timberland Christmas for all at Mareja

We held a small community party as usual - this time three young cockerels were killed and Antonio prepared a mix with vats of rice.  There is some unexplained system on these occassions, plates and bowls galore appear and are stacked with food and some get two or one or three...for relatives at home, or for tomorrow, not sure?  We all sit on mats around a fire.  And we are given forks, all else  eat with their right hand, after being passed water for washing.   Once the food arrives there is much laughter and chatting - we discussed the year, the large number of students, the increase in research and other good things.

The food was delicious, a bay leaf or two had creapt in - and although every possible part of the chicken is cooked up in the dark all tastes good.

After food, Dominik hands out cigarettes and the merriment continues. 

THEN christmas presents - elders first, Nanquata, Antonio and all else in their groups - Rangers, the 3 young cheeky lads from Nanduli (who have been doing odd jobs), the wonderful old Carpenter and his two assistants, Adamo and Mamma Nanquata who is very shy in the shadows and Maria.

All the rangers and elders got new boots and EVERYONE got t-shirts and the two women also a bit of jewellery from me.

All in new clothes in front of our new eco-guest house...with chickens

Rangers with confiscated snares

Cassamo, Alberto, Mustafer

Antonio putting on new shoes being observed by Brazil

Antonio, our cook, in new outfit

Nanquata and Adamo, guards and members of Community Council

Ali, Head Ranger, in fantastic new boots with confiscated poacher wares -
huge man trap for large game and saw

 

Old Carpenter repairing main roof
(he was very pleased to have his photo taken)

  


Massalino (Ranger) helping with new roof



Our donation from Timberland has made a very great difference to the Mareja community and provided an especially happy christmas.  Dominik made a speech - explaining that a big interational company called Timberland had recognised the value of our work here, in this remote and poor corner of the earth.  He pointed out the logo which includes a tree and the earth in which it is grows- both fundamental aspects we work here to protect.  Gathered in a large group in our room sitting on a carpet, they all found the symbol on their new T-shirt and understood that all these things were provided by this large company based far off and fell silent at this thought.  The room was thick with a feeling that they and their work were valued and recongised - work for forest conservation. 

THANK YOU to my contacts at Timberland, and we will continue to try to keep Mareja, 36,000 hectares of coastal forest, despite all the challenging pressures, a land of timber and wildlife....

a very MERRY Christmas from the community here to you.

and we left in the rain in the dark...but our path glittered

On day of departure, yesterday, instead of leaving at 3pm left at 8pm – (and slopped back to Pemba at 11.30 missing two planned meetings). 

But managed nearly all our 'to do' list and our Christmas presents were a huge huge success – most amazingly we had enough t-shirts for everyone even the old carpenter and his two assistants and Mama Nanquata and Maria. 

Just as we were really late, a storm gathered and unexpected Italian couple appeared.  The hum of an engine against the gathering dusk, panic of departure and then a huge down pour... all lead to an increase in anxiety!

The main house was flooded, a swimming pool of water and covered in the old, once roof (grass and bamboo everywhere) but Dominik managed to set up a small table for two on the veranda and Antonio served the sudden guests chicken soup and pasta prepared with a super Italian herb mix I imported, followed by fresh pineapple....and as we left they sat looking over the forest by moonlight.  Could be one of the most magical and surprising nights they have had.

Amazingly we managed to finish one of the rooms with its new waxed red floor, my curtains tied back with hand-made rope repurposed from a confiscated snare...candles in place and a note to welcome our first guests.  And a pot of wild Mareja honey as a small Christmas present.

Full of extreme exhaustion we left as the rain stopped and our exit was greeted by... newly hatched glittering fireflies and the mysterious loud croak of happy frogs.