13/9/1999

We had rice and snail leftovers for breakfast and headed for a transect roughly one km east of the Ribeira Porco. We have brought a tarp as it may be easier to sleep on a small islet just off Antonio Enes then returning all the way home. We left before the sun came up and were at the transect within three hours. The forest northeast of Ribeira Porco is somewhat unique. Much of the ground is covered in jagged rock, the trees are in general small, although the odd massive tree is present. As you continue northeast there is less undergrowth, it becomes less rocky and there is a higher density of very large trees. I think this area may have been cleared slightly for grazing, but still has many of the components of a primary forest. It is really quite beautiful. After 12 hours of hiking I had run out of water and was more than happy to relax for a while along the beach near Antonio Enes and drink a few liters of coconut milk. We sat and ate snails cooked directly on the fire and looked out over the rough sea in the direction of Pico Negro. At the divide between the shoreline and the forest I saw a 12 cm banded gecko, Hemidactylus greeffii. This species is also common in the north of the island in the dryer areas. An old stone house consisting of a few low walls encased by forest roots is located at Antonio Enes. It must have been an outpost of Infante de Henrique a former plantation to the northeast. For some reason the mosquitoes are much worse in the southeast, but the strange thing is they never seem to try and bite above the waist. There might be a few thousand around your legs, but nothing bothering your arms. It must be some strong predator based selection that keeps them below one meter. The rains started to come with force. Although it was getting late we decided to try and make it back to the camp. On the way home we noticed a large rat maneuvering through a maze of massive tree roots. When we arrived back it was like a hurricane. The rain was breaking the tree limbs all around us. There was mud up to our ankles and we had to build a moat to stop the rain form flooding the floor of the tent. Standing in the relentless rain I listened to the drawn out thunder echoing through the lush volcanic mountains and valleys.

14/9/1999

I have still not seen any sign of the Ibis. I have also been doing playback calls of the São Tomé Scops Owl in hopes of attracting one. Although there is no reason to believe that the owl that may live on Príncipe is the same species as the one on São Tomé, and even if it is, the call may be different. However, seeing the owl seems to be a little unlikely. Monauna spends all his time in the forest and claims he does not know the call. He said that he saw one near Pico Zau about eight years ago, and that it was the only one he has ever seen in his entire life. All the locals I asked did not know the call and had never seen it. Domingos, my other guide, lives near the airport, the location that Rene de Naurois reported hearing the owl call in the 70s, but said that he has never heard a bird call in the night. In addition to the birds I listed as common on 11/9/1999, I have now heard or seen the Príncipe Speirops, Olive Sunbirds. Príncipe Drongos, Bronze-naped Pigeon, Emerald Cuckoo, the Thrush and the Green Pigeon. I have seen all of them a number of times with the exception of the Cuckoo, Green Pigeon and the Thrush. I only heard the Cuckoo once after a hard rain, I saw one Green Pigeon high in the canopy, and only two Thrushes have been spotted along the Ribeira de Sao Tome flood plains. I was able to get within a foot and a half of both of them and watched one feeding on the small skink (Leptosiaphos africana). Remains of the white thin-shelled snail with a brown stripe (Lignus alabaster) is always found in higher abundance when a thrush is near by. It is undoubtedly one of its main foods along with the lizards and it is always a good clue on where to find them. Today’s transect ran up the east side of the Ribeira de Sao Tome and back down the west side. If you follow the river far enough you come to an unbelievable Príncipe equivalent of the Angle Falls. Along the river flood-plains there are some massive tress with buttressing roots that temporarily take you back in time demonstrating the majestic awesome forest that the Dutch and Portuguese must have encountered in the 15^th century. Seedeaters were prolific in this swampy region and very curious. We ate some bark that was meant to make one feel strong and remove all aches and pains, but the bitter pulp just gave me a headache. I think it may have been bark containing quinine. The tide was low, the winds began to blow northwest causing the rains to cease and it was a perfect afternoon for fishing!

15/9/1999

It has been raining hard all night and morning, making transects impossible for the day. Apparently Domingos knows an old man who can stop the rain for a little money and enough wine to keep him hydrated over the number of days dry weather is required. His services are called upon for all the major Príncipe festivals, of which there are many. We should have spoken to him before coming to the southwest! The wind is shaking the trees violently as it blows north, it is getting darker, and the heavy clouds continue to move in from the sea. The startling thunder is sudden and short like a bomb exploding, but the sound runs through your body long after the echoes ceased roaring through the mountains. Within seconds we can fill buckets of rainwater for drinking and cooking. The ground is no longer visible, just a brown glossy cover interrupted by constant splashing. It is ten hours later and the rain is starting to slow. We walked down to Praia de São Tomé to see how high the river had raised. The volume of water was impressive and the guides indicated that if the rains continue we would not be able to cross it to head back to Santo Antonio. 

We then noticed fins gliding smoothly through the mouth of the river. The largest of the sharks was about 3 meters and 500 pounds. It was beautiful watching them slice through the freshwater hunting for fish. The storm increases the sediment in the water that attracts the fish, and obviously the high densities of fish attract the sharks. Domingos ran back to the camp site and grabbed some green rope I had been using with the insect traps, some wire and one of Monauna’s hooks. Upon his breathless return he placed a giant land snail on the hook, waded out into the water and threw the bait directly in front of the sharks. They initially swarmed around the snail but then swam off. In total there were five sharks swimming around the mouth of the river, but they became wary of Domingos and one by one bumped over a sand bar and made their way back out to sea. I discovered they were so eager to catch these sharks as they can get 60,000 Dbs for one fin. Monauna said we could catch the sharks when they returned in the evening at high tide. 

I spent the afternoon setting up the malaise trap (insect trap) in a protected swampy area along an old stone road by the river. I needed to use some of the old stone from the road to stabilize the trap. As I picked them up one by one it was strange to think that these stones would have been laid by slaves not so long ago. The old road throughout the southwest must have been like a causeway at one time. Large sections are covered with stone and elaborate stone bridges were once built over the major waterways. The road heading from Praia de São Tomé east, just in from the coast is fairly easy to follow. I did not go much further than Antonio Enes, but Monauna said the road can be followed past Neves Ferreira, Infante de Henrique and ultimately back to Santo Antonio which is consistent with the map form the 1940’s. There is also a road that runs parallel at a higher elevation, but many sections of this road have been completely washed out. 

At dusk we headed back to the mouth of the river and waited patiently watching every eddy and ripple in the hope that it may be a shark. As Monauna predicted, we watched at least two sharks swim into the river. As the sun was setting we could see the large dark images gliding beneath the water. In the more shallow sections their fins surfaced catching the remaining evening light. It must be an innate fear that makes the beautiful deliberate movements of a shark appear so entirely sinister. Determined to catch one, Domingos cautiously waded into the water and threw the snail bait right in front of the now dark shadows. They showed no interest and continued to swim back and forth across the mouth of the river. Monauna then used his throw net to catch some 12 cm silver fish. We placed one of these on the hook, threw it into the stream and watched the current pull it towards the sharks. Immediately one of the sharks took the bait and Domingos was left trying to hand-line a 400 pound shark. I could not believe that he was able to hold on as the large shark thrashed in the water. The fight lasted about 30 seconds, the water went still and Domingos ran like hell for the shore. When we pulled the line in it became evident that the shark had completely flattened the hook. Apparently these hooks are more appropriate for fish such as wahoo and Barracuda. Stumbling back to the campsite in the dark I could hear and feel things scampering in the leaf-litter all around my feet. They turned out to be rather large hermit crabs with red claws living in juvenile giant snail shells. I wonder if they kill the young snails for the shell. I could then hear the micro-bats fluttering around our heads. For the second time on Príncipe, one actually bounced off my head. These bats must be particularly uncoordinated or alternatively rabid. The day ended sitting around a fire eating snails and rice telling and retelling the shark story.

16/9/1999

At 4:30 we headed out in the rain, by 6:00 we were able to conduct point counts on transect number 13 and 17. These points have all been marked on trees along this main path so that this study may be replicated in the future. The Ibis and Owl have still escaped observation. I will list the different bird species that have been observed in the southwest forest and provide a general idea of abundance using the index below. A more detailed analysis estimating abundance using the distance program will be available in my thesis. The area between Barriga Branca and the mountain east of Ribeira Porco has been surveyed. The transects were run to the base of the central mountain massif at 250 m.

Abundant: 50+ seen or heard per day in a specific habitat.

Very Common: 10-50 seen or heard in a day.

Common: 1-10 seen or heard in a day.

Frequent: Seen or heard on more than one occasion in a habitat but not on a daily basis. These are species that are present but are either inconspicuous or occur at low density.

Rare: special record on very few occasions in a certain habitat despite specific attempts to locate them.

Dohrn’s Thrush-babblers are abundant in all habitat types in the southwest. The Seedeaters were abundant throughout the southwest, but at highest densities in smaller trees along riverbeds and the coast. African Grey Parrots are very common in the high canopy more than 100 meters above sea level where larger trees were present. The Príncipe Glossy Starling is also very common, but densities are greater at higher elevations, again where large trees are found. The Blue-breasted Kingfisher and the Príncipe Sunbird are very common in all habitat types. The Lemon Dove never called but was commonly flushed from mid to low vegetation as we passed through the forest. Throughout the southwest the White-bellied Kingfisher was frequent, but would be considered common if you followed its habitat type along rivers. The Olive Sunbird was common and tended to be associated with open patches. The Príncipe Speirops was not seen or heard every day, but they were fairly common and always found in groups. The Príncipe Drongo was frequent to common throughout the forest. The Príncipe Weaver was very common along the shore, but only frequent in the forest. The Green Pigeon, and Gulf of Guinea Bronze-naped Pigeon were rare, but almost never called and were only spotted in the high canopy. They are rather inconspicuous and are more likely frequent. The Emerald Cuckoo was only heard once in the high canopy but Monauna said it calls more in other seasons. It is also probably frequent. The Thrush was only seen twice along the Sao Tome River. The snails it eats were found in many different parts of the southwest which indicates that it is not restricted to the river floodplain habitat type. However, I would list the thrush as rare in the southwest. The Príncipe White-eye was not seen. The Black Kite was also absent from the southwest. Along the coast, Reef Herons, Cattle Egrets, Whimbrels, Plovers and Sandpipers were common. 

Today the Karioky should arrive at 2:00 in the bay by Cost e Silva. Early this morning we came across a brown snake about a half meter long. Both guides shied away rather quickly as I took a photo. I did not understand their apprehension as they assured me that is was not venomous. Later that afternoon Domingos explained that the brown snake is a bad omen. If you see you it you feel tired and all goes wrong that day. It was true. There are two main paths that lead out of the southwest up the west coast of Príncipe, eventually leading back to Santo Antonio. One runs west of Barriga Branca and along the coast to St Joaquim. From St Joaquim to Santo Antonio the road is still good for tractors and robust 4 wheel drive. The other runs from the east of Barriga Branca and just east of Pico Mesa, joining the main road/path along the coast at Maria Correia. We followed the path east of Barriga Branca past Pico Zau. The road must have been quite good once, but large sections are now overgrown and it is very difficult to cut through the vines and undergrowth where landslides have occurred. We were searching for the best place to try and ascend Barriga Branca, but standing in the pouring rain looking out over endless walls of near vertical lose boulders made it clear that it was going to be difficult. We did not have time to climb it from the north slope which Monauna thought was possible in good weather, so we hiked back south and tried climbing the southern ridge. Slowly working our way through the boulders we managed to climb to about 300 m. We then hit a section that was perhaps possible, but would be better with ropes in dry weather. I was also not feeling so strong so we headed to Costa e Silva bay collecting snails on the way. We ate lunch looking out to the sea in great anticipation. When the boat did not arrive at 2:00 Domingos began to work himself up into a bit of a panic. An hour and a half later he could not have been a happier man as we heard the soft drone of a karioky through the sound of the crashing waves. I would have liked to spend more time exploring the southwest, but I had completed the study and wanted to get back up into the central mountain range. We discovered the boat was late because the lads were fishing off Boné do Joquei. There was one large barracuda head in the boat and a decent sized wahoo. 

When they were reeling in the large barracuda, another barracuda or a shark came and bit its body off. The driver asked if we had seen any wild cows or pigs in the southwest forest. I told him that we had only found pig skulls (it has been reported that the last wild pig was killed in 1991). They had a Brown Booby tied by the leg hanging off the bow. I could hear it thudding against the boat as we crashed through the waves. Tired, I easily lost my temper and told them to kill it or let it go. One of the boys pulled in the dangling seabird from the side of the boat, took a large knife and cut the rope off its leg. It was wonderful watching it fly low over the rough sea.

18/9/1999

In general it takes about three days to get clothing washed as the sporadic rains makes it difficult to dry anything. With no dry clothing I headed to the local clothing market where the desirable size or color is rarely an option. With a new look I paid the guides and we spent the rest of the day drinking and eating.

19/9/1999

The sky was completely void of clouds. For the first time the entire central mountain range was visible. I climbed on the Bom-Bom staff truck at 6:00 (it leaves form the central market). By 7:30 I was diving near a small rock outcrop west of Bom-Bom (if you are not staying at Bom-Bom it costs 45 US dollars for one dive). I began to feel a bit faint underwater but all was forgotten as the current swiftly pulled us past massive synchronised schools of small fish and large black volcanic rock formations. As we were swept into the deeper water impressive Grouper and Sturgeons would appear from the distant blue haze. Upon boarding the boat I realized that something was definitely wrong as I felt dizzy and the back of my head was becoming stiff. I was going to go to the hospital, but I found out malaria tests are only done in the morning. Also, it was Women’s Appreciation Day meaning that everyone would be at the local festival.

20/9/1999

I have bought the food and petrol for our next trip to Pico Mesa and the Pico do Príncipe. Depending on the result from the malaria test I may stay in town for an extra day. The electricity is not working this morning so the results are taking time as the microscope slides with blood samples are being dried in the sun on the hospital banister. It turns out I have Plasmodium falciparum. A very kind local nun told me that I should take a tablespoon of sugar and some strong painkillers, which is what most of the locals do if they can afford it. I thanked her for the advice and took a pack of Halfan that Jean-Francois from Ecofac had given me.

21/9/1999

Malaria

22/9/1999 Just before leaving for Maria Correia I ran into Ian Sinclair who asked if I wanted to join his group to visit the Tinhosa islands. I was dying to visit the islands, but all was now set for Maria Correia and the weather and sea did not look like they were going to cooperate with his journey. We arrived at Maria Corria on the southwestern coast of Príncipe at about 9:00. Monauna had come on his own in a dugout canoe so that he could go fishing in the evenings. I had heard great things about the beautiful old plantation house at Maria Correia, but when we arrived the floors were all covered in an inch of water. People from the surrounding area have been slowly removing the tiles for their homes. Monauna continued to repeat "Africans destroy everything". A room off to the side, which must have been the kitchen, was much dryer as the entire ceiling was concrete. The house was built around 1957 and suffered from all the glories of architecture from that era. I was told it was occupied until 1987 when a bridge broke making it no longer accessible by vehicle.

Walking down to set up an insect trap in the remains of a banana field I passed what must have been the servants quarters and a large Victorian style gazebo, now draped in thick green vegetation. Four Mona monkeys were sitting nearby drinking coconut milk, grunting and grooming each other. Upon returning to the house I found a small lizard (Lygodactylus thomensis) making its way across the wet living room floor. It was the same species as I had found on the wet rock faces of Boné do Joquei.

From the porch I could hear and see Príncipe Sunbirds, Seadeaters, Blue-breasted Kingfishers, Dohrn's Thrush-babblers, African Grey Parrots, Príncipe Glossy Starlings and Príncipe Weavers. At dusk I walked down to the beach and watched two men fishing form their dugout canoes. One swam along the side of his boat with a mask looking for octopus. Forty fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) flew south across the night sky. Back at the house I could see micro-bats flying out from the basement. As I walked through the basement about 40 were hanging from the ceiling (I have no idea what species they are). Given the amount of bat shit on the floor I assume there are normally may more but that they had headed out for the night. Monauna was looking through my Guns Germs and Steel book by Jared Diamond and trying to find Príncipe on the world map. It took him a while as he was looking for something the size of Canada or Africa. The sky is clear and the moon is bright which is apparently perfect for snapper fishing.

23/9/99 We have just returned from Pico Mesa and are enjoying the snapper that Monauna caught fishing from his dugout late last night. From the house of Maria Correia we headed northeast crossing a large river on an old precarious cement bridge. Thick black clouds covered the entire south of the island creating the illusion of a perpetual dawn, making it difficult to see in the dense damp forest. We then made our way east and slightly south following the river until we came to a relatively obvious path. The forest began to look more primary in nature at about 300 m where we also began to notice the giant land snails (Arcachatina bicarinata). The trail is very easy to walk until 470 m. At that point you can head down into the south of the island eventually arriving at Rio Sao Tome, or you can climb a dry, or in our case a wet waterfall up onto the top of Pico Mesa (Pico Mesa means table mountain). Not surprisingly, the top of the mountain is very flat. Almost all the tress are tiny and the ground is covered in penny sized copper colored stones. The rain was now pouring down making it difficult to observe the wildlife. Small frogs (Phrynobatrachus dispar) were very common; again I found some species with unique patterns for example rust colored stripes along the side of the body.

Phrynobatrachus dispar

Pico Mesa

I was told that in the 1800s this is was where many of the escaped slaves took refuge. It would be a good location from a strategic point of view, as there is only really two access points to the Mesa, but I could not imagine them growing much produce in this rugged terrain. I looked for remains of past communities, but could find none. Apparently there are grave stones on the far side of Pico Mesa leading down to the Sao Tome river. When the rain ceased we recorded Príncipe Sunbirds, Dohrn’s Thrush-babbler, Seedeaters, one Thrush, one Olive Sunbird, and one Lemon Dove. A little further down the mountain (450 m) we recorded all these birds plus the African Grey Parrot. The top of Pico Mesa is probably not ideal for parrots as the trees are so small and wiry. At 12:00 the sun came through the clouds lifting the shadows from the massive buttressing trees, gushing waterfalls and clear cold rushing rivers. The largest trees all seemed to be along the river as if left to reduce erosion or flash flooding. It is an extremely easy one-day walk (with the exception of the very top section) the trail is beautiful and you are virtually guaranteed to see the thrush. We came across another thrush at 350 m another at 290 m. Strangely I did not notice many Lignus alabaster which the thrush appears to feed on. There were however plenty of small skinks (Leptosiaphos africana). This evening I have been wading through the estuaries observing a large species of mud-skipper 12 cm and a group of small green calling frogs (Nesionixalus molleri).

       Nesionixalus molleri

24/9/1999 We took our bags down to Fortaleza on the east coast and put them in Monauna's dugout to transport to Praia da Lapa. With all the weight he rolled in the turbulent surf near the shore but we managed to salvage everything. After a few readjustments he successfully made it out into the deeper calmer water as he repeated the words leve leve—leve leve, meaning lightly lightly or slowly slowly or cool cool. It is the proverb of the islands! Domingos and I hiked along the beach and coastal forest on an overgrown trail until we hit Lapa. Up to 80 fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) were seen in one coconut tree along the coast. At Lapa there were a few fishing homes along the shore and the surreal image of pigs and chickens hanging out on the beach looking out over the horizon. We started hiking at 6:45 in a light rain, but were shortly wading through spontaneous streams and a deluge of thick mud under a relentless rain.
	The lapsed plantation ended at about 210 m where the forest looked like former grazing land until about 350 m. At 300 m the giant snails started to become common. At 400 m we seemed to have climbed above the rain clouds into a cool dark mist. From this point I was able to conduct point counts all the way to our campsite at 600 m. The campsite was located at 01 37’ 11N, 0 07 22 52E Using petrol we have made a smoky fire to dry off and are relaxing in the cool pleasant mist. Monauna politely informed me that I had chosen the completely wrong season to climb in the mountains, "much rain" he kept repeating. Apparently December and January are the driest months in the Mountains. All the guidebooks recommend July and August.

25/9/1999 At 3:00 I awoke to a large tree crashing to the ground in the heavy rain. At 6:45 the rain stopped and we began point counts on the way to the summit of the Pico do Príncipe. At the summit I found another white land crab (undescribed) and a small frog with a large brown stripe (Phrynobatrachus dispar ?). The common birds were consistent with the last time I had climbed the Pico. On the descent to the campsites I once again came across the various color morphs of Phrynobatrachus dispar. At 700 m we saw the expected thrush. We have now built a fire to smoke the 100 or so snails we collected on the way back to the campsite. I am feeling weaker today and hope I can make it through to Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

Príncipe Thrush

26/9/1999

Above 800 m the only birds that have been heard or seen are Dohrn’s Thrush-babblers, Seedeaters, and Príncipe Sunbirds. At 750 m the trees begin to get much smaller, and by 820 m it is clearly a cloud forest with moss covering the stunted tress. Around 750 m I began to see or hear African Grey Parrots, Príncipe Starlings, Príncipe Speirops, Olive Sunbirds, Thrushes, Lemon Doves and Blue-breasted Kingfishers. I was surprised to hear a White-bellied Kingfisher at 700 m, but I have discovered that they are found as high as the sources of the rivers. I have conducted over 30 point counts from 600 to 920 m. Strong rains were on and off all morning. When the rain hit we braced ourselves like horses in a storm of the open plains. There was simply no place to take cover.

27/9/1999

I am now back at the Romar. It rained the entire descent, which makes it extremely slippery, but quite soothing on the fever. When we got to Lapa we put down our packs and walked to Praia Caixao where Domingos claims he has seen a bird that resembles the ibis. The large marsh inlet looked like perfect ibis habitat and was in general great for birdwatching, but was void of ibis for the day. I am not convinced of the ibis’ existence, but the deep valleys and mountains of this island could still be hiding species never described. Looking southeast from Lapa I saw a sudden swarm of about 1,000 fruit bats flying over Focinho de Cao. After waiting for our Karioky for two hours we arranged to be taken back in a large dugout canoe, but just as we were leaving our boat arrived. I completely lost my temper.

28/9/1999 Today has been dominated by a Halfan trip and organizing everything for our last journey into the forest to the crest between Pico do Príncipe and Pico Mencorne in the center of the island. At the Romar I noticed a 12 cm pale green, almost white gecko that occupies almost all the houses in town, but is not found in the forest. It is the perfect example of an introduced species that is limited to an anthropogenic habitat. On my walk in the afternoon I passed the local sawmill which is obviously removing large forest trees, but given the scale of the operation probably has a negligible effect.

29/9/1999

I awoke at the sound of thunder at 4:00 am after some vivid Halfan dreams and walked out on the old wooden porch to watch the torrential downpour and lightning. The town was slowly flooding with at least 4 cm of muddy water. I was interested to see how the local people would react to the flooding in the morning, but by 6:00 there were only large puddles. I have arranged to go to Boné do Joquei with some local fisherman on the first (250,000 Db). Today and tomorrow I will recover from the Halfan.

 

30/9/1999 Today I spoke with the local Catholic priest who has lived here for about 7 years. All I knew about him was that he was the son of an Austrian count and could speak English well. He is very well respected in the community, but is by no means your typical padre. This became apparent as he slid down the banister at the parish residence! We discussed the WADCO project (a project that would create a 50 km2 free trade zone on Príncipe). The locals have told me that WADCO would be bringing hospitals, schools, employment and a better transportation system. Virtually everyone on the island was quite excited about it. I was told that WADCO planned to build a major port in the southwest near Maria Correia and then improve the roads up to Sundi in the north where they would have their headquarters. I also met the local representatives of WADCO (based at Sundi) patiently waiting for the project to get started. They have not been paid in months. The priest said they have been trying to contact the heads of WADCO to no avail. Most people have now accepted that for one reason or another (local politics/financial), the project has failed. We discussed the history of the island. He told me that a man once lived out on Boné do Joquei to tend the large number of banana trees. I thought Príncipe was somewhat isolated, but living alone on an island less than 1km2 would constitute the ultimate hermit existence. While the priest has been living on the island the south of Príncipe from General Fonseca on the east coast to Lapa on the west coast has been completely abandoned, although a few fisherman temporarily live in the south. I spent the rest of my day working out my study design for Boné do Joquei.

 

Feylinia polylepis

1/10/1999 I have decided to rest one more day and go to Boné do Joquei on the second. Tonight I will have Domingos, Monauna and their families for dinner at the Romar. Domingos told me that there are yellow blind serpents that live underground on his farm. This sounds very much like an apoda that is not believed to exist on the island. I asked him to bring me one but he only turned up with a legless skink (Feylinia polylepis), an island endemic lizard. He said that the yellow ones are fairly rare but easiest to catch in January. The legless skink was found under the leaf litter out by the airport. They are very common in the northern dryer part of the island.

 

Boné do Joquei Seedeater   Blue-breasted Kingfisher

2/10/1999 I awoke to Satu (the boat owner) calling up to my window at the Romar at about 3:30 am. I gathered my sound equipment, camera, and some food and headed down to the fishing boat. In complete darkness the small karioky drove into the large lulling waves of the open sea. By 4:15 we could see the jagged landscape and beautiful beaches of Príncipe with large brewing cumulous clouds in the distance. A light haze covered Boné do Joquei. This time I was able to jump straight from the small boat to the island. Satu broke open a coconut and within seconds inquisitive and hungry Seedeaters were feeding on the white flesh. At first I was not convinced that the Boné do Joquei seedeater was in fact a subspecies, but it is clearly much darker with less distinct lighter markings on the chin. The bill is about the same size as the Príncipe population, but it is darker and has slightly more of a ridge. I forgot my water bottle on the fishing boat, but the rain at 11:00 provided more than enough drinking water. I took cover in a small cave looking out over the waves and the southern half of Príncipe. Running transects across the entire island reinforced the fact that the Seedeaters are present at incredibly high densities. It will be interesting to compare the densities of the seedeaters where they are the most common in the southwest to the densities on Boné do Joquei. As before, Príncipe Weavers, Blue-breasted Kingfishers and Green Pigeons were also recorded. It was strange to be in a forest without the constant call of the Dohrn’s Thrush-babbler. I hope to conduct a study looking at the genetic distance between the three subspecies (São Tomé, Príncipe, and Boné do Joquei) using museum specimens. The Boné do Joquei population of Seedeaters is extremely interesting for a number of reasons. First, it is unusual that a unique subspecies has been able to persist on such a small island - especially when it is considered that the entire island was under oil palm and banana cultivation. Second, it is strange that the subspecies morph would be maintained when the island is only a few kilometers form Príncipe. If this normally occurred, we would expect subspecies to exist on most small islands just off the continents. Third, it is found at unbelievably high densities. Density compensation is common on islands, but I have never seen such an extreme example. The fisherman returned back from Tinhosas at 5:00 in very low spirits as the fishing had been less than fruitful. The rain continued until dusk as we drove back to Santo Antonio.

3/10/1999 We are now at 250 m just south of the ridge between Pico do Príncipe and Pico Mencorne. A local fishing boat dropped us off at Neves Ferreira at 9:00 this morning. All that is left of the former port is a large stone pier jutting out into the ocean. A large cold river runs into the sea next to the old plantation houses, now difficult to distinguish from the encroaching jungle. Príncipe Speirops could be heard and seen in the trees all around the decrepit buildings. As the rain started we took cover under a massive boulder that is obviously a well-known campsite for hunters. The rain never slowed so we began hiking north along an old stone path that led us across two substantial bridges and ended at the gateway of Infante de Henrique, a place that looks more like a medieval fortress than a plantation. Palm trees and overgrown shrubs still line the entrance. Half expecting to hear children’s voices and see hundreds of workers we entered the silent village now completely covered in thick vegetation. Mist slowly lifted over the once majestic plantation now barely recognizable and almost completely forgotten. Cows owned by the man living at General Fonseca could be heard in the distance. For an island that was once riddled with horses, donkeys, cattle, and goats, there is remarkably little livestock remaining. The open spaces encircled by palm forests now reverting back to rain forest makes Infante a great place for birdwatching. We saw Príncipe White-eyes, Príncipe Speirops, Príncipe Glossy Starlings, Dohrn’s Thrush-babblers, Olive Sunbirds, Príncipe Sunbirds, Príncipe Weavers, and Blue-breasted Kingfishers. Signs of the plantation continued far into the hills as we worked our way to Rio Bibi. There is a path that goes from Infante into the valley between Pico do Príncipe and Pico Mencorne, but we decided to take a shortcut over the Mencorne ridge. It was a bad idea as it was unbelievably steep and we eventually came to rock face on the far side of the ridge that we could not climb down. The rain was picking up and climbing back over the ridge was not appealing, so we cut down a large tree which fell over the drop off and allowed us to slide down to more manageable terrain. At 300 m I began to hear parrots and see giant snails, but neither were in great abundance. The inhabitants of Infante must have been very effective deforesters, as the vegetation does not look to be late succession until about 400 m, and even beyond that elevation it looked as though there had been substantial clearing. Our campsite was at 250 m in the valley of the two highest island peaks. Infante d'Henrique

4/10/1999

We headed out at 7:30 when the rain stopped. The landscape looked prehistoric as we hiked over the rocky ground cutting back countless tree ferns and wedged our way though gaps in the massive boulders. Streams where everywhere, the water appearing to gush from the ground. I was still looking for the ibis and was very interested to see how common the thrush would be in this habitat type. Domingos was also peering around large boulders and into the dark forest, only it turns out he was looking for a Gougou. They look like people but are very short, not higher than the waistline of a man. They live in the forest of São Tomé and Príncipe, but you only have a chance of seeing them if you have been good (going to church and not cheating on your wife). When you see one you have to try and grab it around the chest and hold on to it. I was assured many times that they are very strong so you must hold on very tight. Once trapped you bring them back to your house and keep them in a box, feeding them nothing but white chicken eggs. They then defecate in any currency that you request. Domingos knows a few people in São Tomé that have a Gougou. These people never work, but fly to Europe whenever they want. 

At 300 m we found a path that headed west toward the Pico do Príncipe. In parts the path is washed out but it can still be followed and ends up on the ridge between Pico Mencorne and the Pico do Príncipe. Some of the landslide sections of the path are a little dangerous, as all that keeps you fixed on the steep incline is a little lose gravel and some weeds. The ridge is at 580 m to about 600 m and looks very much like a cloud forest. I think Tariq and Gilles would have enjoyed exploring this beautiful Jurassic like forest. We continued up Pico Mencorne to 740 m where we hit an impassible rock-face. I am sure it could be climbed if we followed the mountain rock face northeast and then followed the last ridge south. However, I needed to get more point counts between 200 m and 600 m for my study to be complete. It was a tough decision to make, as I would have loved to climb Mencorne. We saw one thrush at 600 m on the ridge and three more on the way back down at about 400 m. The parrots were most common around 450 m where the trees were the largest. Along with the usual suspects (Lemon Doves, Starlings etc..), I recorded Drongo's up to 350 m and a few Príncipe Weavers up 600 m. I also recorded one Gulf of Guinea Bronze-naped Pigeon at 620 m. I have rarely seen these three birds at such high elevation. However, this forest tends to be more fragmented by large gaps making it more accessible to species that prefer more of an edge type habitat. Once again, only Príncipe Sunbirds, Dohrn’s Thrush-babblers, and Seedeaters were recorded above 700 m.

5/10/1999

Point counts were recorded between 200 m and 600 m. At one point it rained so hard that a dry path turned into a rushing river as I stood waiting for the clouds to pass. In the evening I ate a feast of smoked snails for the last time. I stayed up late by the fire listening to the rushing stream and calling grillows, enjoying my final night in the forest.

6/10/1999 At 4:30 we packed up our things and I truly had my last meal of snails. We followed a winding path that took us back to Infante and then up to General Fonseca, the most southern farm. We then walked along the sunny coast to Nova Estrela were we were able to convince one of the farmers to give us a lift to town. I then collected my things from the Romar, had a beer, and at 2:00 took a local rattle-trap taxi to Bom-Bom. The security guard of the resort peered through the cracked window looking rather bemused as he stared at a tired looking white guy covered in mud and cuts. Unsure of himself he opened the gate, never taking his eyes off of me. With the sun in the north I was able to do some recordings and take some decent photographs of the island endemic birds. There is a large blue land crab found along the northern beaches that are strangely absent form the south. Taking a momentary rest I managed to fall asleep on the beach.

7/10/1999

At 5:00 I walked up the road and tape-recorded species such as the Príncipe Sunbird, Príncipe Glossy Starling, African Grey Parrot, Príncipe Weavers, Blue-breasted Kingfishers, and a few Mona monkeys. After a luxurious breakfast we headed to the airport where I was pleasantly surprised to see almost everyone I had made friends with on Príncipe. I will miss this place. Once in the air I had hoped to see the entire island from the sky, but of course clouds dominated the central mountains. I looked out the small round window into the thick mist and smiled as I recalled the story of the Gougou. My pleasant thoughts were then interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. One of the Bom-Bom staff informed me that he had seen the mysterious Scops owl two nights before by the Bom-Bom generator. I laughed. That’s the charm of Príncipe, so little is known, so much will remain a mystery and little distinguishes dreams from reality.

Príncipe Weaver

 

Text and all Photos ©1999, J.Baillie.