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SEYCHELLES 1998

Wedge-tailed Shearwater;(Puffinus pacificus);breeding species

Mahe -;Seen daily from the hotel feeding offshore - maximum of 70+ on 16/8.

Bird -;20+ off the southern end, 14/8.

Audubon's Shearwater;(Puffinus ilherminieri nicolae);breeding species

Mahe -;1, Offshore from hotel, 15/8

;2/3, Offshore from hotel, 16/8

White-tailed Tropicbird;(Phaethon lepturus lepturus);breeding species

Mahe -;Seen daily from the hotel flying between feeding areas out to sea and nesting areas in the ;mountains - Up to 20 birds probably involved.

Bird -;15+ birds seen, including one nest with chick.

Great Frigatebird;(Fregata minor aldabrensis);non-breeding wanderer

Bird -;1, over airstrip, 14/8

Most Frigatebirds seen were not adult males and not of this species. Although this was the only individual identified to be this species, it is highly likely that more were seen.

Lesser Frigatebird;(Fregata ariel iredalei);non-breeding wanderer

Mahe -;A maximum of 8 Frigatebirds were seen daily from the hotel, most if not all were Lessers. 1 or 2 ;males were positively identified.

Bird -;c.10 males and female-types were identified amongst the c.30 frigatebirds on the island.

Striated Heron;(Butorides striatus degens);endemic sub-species

Mahe -;1 bird feeding along the stream and rockpools near the hotel, seen on about half the days. A ;second bird was seen on 10/8.

Cattle Egret;(Bubulcus ibis seychellarum);endemic sub-species

Mahe -;Up to 12 seen flying past the hotel to roost every day. Common on the airport with about 40 feeding on the grass. Ones and twos seen elsewhere on the island.

Bird -;2, around tern colony, 14/8

Grey Heron;(Ardea cinerea);recent colonist

Mahe -;One seen in a drainage ditch in Victoria town centre, 8/8.

Seychelles Kestrel;(Falco araea);endemic species

Mahe -;1, on telegraph pole, Grand Anse, 8/8; 1, flying past, near Mount Seychellois, 8/8; 1, on telegraph pole, Anse aux Pins, 8/8; 1, distant, in valley behind hotel, 9/8; 1, distant, in valley behind hotel, 17/8

Grey Plover;(Pluvialis squatarola);migrant

Bird -;2, East beach, 14/8

Sanderling;(Calidris alba);migrant

Bird -;2, Airstrip, 14/8

Curlew Sandpiper;(Calidris ferruginea);migrant

Bird -;c. 40, around lodges and airstrip, 14 & 15/8

Whimbrel;(Numenius phaeopus);migrant

Mahe -;1, near airport, 6/8; 1, on a beach at south end of island, 8/8

Bird -;c.20, airstrip, 14/8

Turnstone;(Arenaria interpres interpres);migrant

Therese - 12, on rocks, 10/8

Mahe -;1, past hotel, 11/8; 2, past hotel, 18/8

Bird -;c.60, around lodges, on airstrip, on beaches, 14 & 15/8

Roseate Tern;(Sterna dougallii arideensis);breeding species

Bird -;1 adult & 1 juv, South end, 14/8

Bridled Tern;(Sterna anaethetus antarctica);breeding species

Mahe -;Seen daily after 8/8, all flying East past the hotel, maximum of about 30 in a day. They seemed ;nearly all younger birds.

Bird -;c.10, South end, 14/8

Sooty Tern;(Sterna fuscata nubilosa);breeding species

Bird -;100,000's in the colony and feeding all around the island, 14 & 15/8.

Mahe -;3, West past the hotel, 16/8

Saunder's Little Tern;(Sterna saundersi);breeding species

Bird -;1 juvenile, South end and off the Lodge, 14 & 15/8.

Lesser Noddy;(Anous tenuirostris tenuirostris);breeding species

Mahe -;Huge feeding flocks present off the hotel all day, followed by an evening passage of birds flying ;West to roost. On 12/8 an count/estimate of 17,000 birds was involved.

Bird -;Small numbers nesting in two colonies. 1-200 birds seen.

Brown Noddy;(Anous stolidus pileatus);breeding species

Mahe -;First identified on 9/8 off hotel but present there in small numbers with Lesser Noddies.

Bird -;Commoner than Lesser Noddy here with many nests and 1000's seen.

White Tern;(Gygis alba monte);breeding species

Mahe -;Small numbers feeding off the hotel and other areas of the coast. No more than 10 at any one ;time.

Bird -;A few hundred birds present altogether around the island.

Feral Pigeon;(Columba livia);introduced species

Mahe -;A handful in the hotel gardens daily.

Madagascar Turtle Dove;(Streptopelia picturata picturata);introduced Madagascan species

Mahe -;Up to 4 seen in hotel garden on most dates. Small numbers seen all around the island.

Therese - 1, near beach, 10/8

Bird -;c.5 around Lodges, 14 & 15/8

Zebra Dove;(Geopelia striata);introduced Asian species

Mahe -;Probably the commonest species on the island, very tame and widespread.

Bird -;Also very common here.

Seychelles Blue Pigeon;(Alectroenas pulcherrima);endemic species

Mahe -;1, Victoria Town Centre, 8/8; 2, Botanical Gardens, 8/8; 4+, Mount Seychellois area, 8/8; 4+, Hotel gardens, a few dates; 1, South end of island, 15/8

Therese - 1, 10/8

Seychelles Cave Swiftlet;(Collocalia elaphra);endemic species

Mahe -;4, Hotel gardens, 6/8; 5, Valley behind hotel, 9/8; 6, Hotel, 18/8

Seychelles Bulbul;(Ixos crassirostris);endemic species

Mahe -;2, Botanical Gardens, 8/8; 1, Mount Seychellois area, 8/8

Seychelles Sunbird;(Nectarina dussumieri);endemic species

Mahe -;Quite common in gardens and other areas with flowers.

Common Myna;(Acridotheres tristis);introduced Asian species

Mahe -;Very common all over the island.

Bird -;Quite common on this island.

Madagascar Fody;(Foudia madagascariensis);colonist/introduced species

Mahe -;Common all over the island.

Bird -;Very common on this island.

30 Species; 20 Ticks

MAMMALS

Seychelles Fruit Bat;(Pteropus seychellensis);endemic species

Regularly seen around the hotel area.

REPTILES

Aldabra Giant Land Tortoise;(Geochelonia gigantea);endemic to Aldabra

'Esmerelda' was seen on Bird Island. He was originally a wild individual on Aldabra and was caught and took on a ship about 200 years ago. The ship was wrecked off Bird Island and he crawled ashore and has lived there ever since.

Mahe Stripeless Green Gecko (Phelsuma astriata astriata);endemic species

A few were seen around the hotel complex.

Gurgling House Gecko;(Hemidactylus frenatus);

Very common after dark feeding on insects around the lights inside buildings.

Seychelles Skink;(Mabuya sechellensis);endemic species

Quite common on Mahe, but very common on Bird Island.

Two other Gecko species/sub-species were noted on Bird Island.

FISH

Manta Ray;(Manta birostris)

One seen leaping from water outside the hotel was 1 or 2 metres across.

Rippled Rockskipper;(Istiblennius edentulus)

Strange fish living out of the water on the rocks at the waters edge.

African Mudhopper;(Periophthalumus koelreuteri)

A few living along the stream in the hotel garden.

Lots of other unidentified fish were seen in the sea and in the stream.

BUTTERFLIES

Two species were seen:

  • a very common, tiny, spotty blue (possibly Tiny Grass Blue),
  • a bigger blue species with a dark spot on hindwing.

MOTHS

Crimson Speckled

Lots of these were on Bird Island.

DRAGONFLIES

Three species were seen:

  • a reddish coloured one, which looked like a larger Darter,
  • an all pale blue hawker,
  • a black dragonfly with black blotches on wings near body.

SPIDERS

Palm Spider;

Introduced, very common large spider making huge webs.

CRABS

Crabs were very common everywhere. The main large types were as following:

  • Ghost Crabs sp. were seen along the beaches, especially on Bird Island.
  • Fiddler Crabs sp. were seen in the Hotel Gardens and in the mangrove swamps on Therese.
  • Dark green crabs lived on the rocks below the hotel.
  • A huge orangey species lived in the hotel garden - about 1 ft across and 1/2 foot high.