oakycp's Favorites

These 3 photos were taken by my guide, not by me. His name is Patrick Randrianantenaina and all the rights and credit go to him. I'm posting this on his behalf, as he was the one who spotted it, and unfortunately I missed it by about a minute.
There are so few live records of this species, especially from the Masoala peninsula, and especially during the day. This was just before 13:00.

With Valeri Ponzo, Charlie Fisher, Ed Kwater, and Brian Ahern; an unsuccessful chase of the Red-necked Stint, which was never seen again. Also present were Dave Gagne, Tim Kalbach, Joe FitzGerald & Shelby McNamar, plus others. I had destroyed my camera a month earlier, so I was cameraless. However, Brian Ahern let me use his camera to take some photographs. We left at 1300, after nearly 5 hours onsite.

First island record! First observed around 17:20 at base of murre blind hill. Initially saw a starling sized bird with thrush like behavior, sapphire blue upper parts, head and breast, with clean divide to rufous underparts including under-tail coverts. Interesting interruption of blue around thighs. Flight feathers including primaries, secondaries and lower half of rectrices a near jet black. Greyish-black and strong looking legs. Long blackish bill and black in lores. Seemed quite at home hopping about rocky cliffs, consistently pumping and flaring its tail. Observed on and off for over two hours (until sunset) by myself and entire seabird crew. Bird continued in same location for 3 of the next 4 days, not seen after that.

First sighting: https://ebird.org/checklist/S170309078

Second: https://ebird.org/checklist/S170456802

Third: https://ebird.org/checklist/S170885796

First island record! Distinctive and striking adult with black hood, red orbital, eye ring, white patch behind nares, bicolored black bill with white tip, grey ombre to the body, reddish pink legs and white tail with shallow fork. Seen by entire seabird crew.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S170309078