Listening for monkeys

30 July

When I was doing research in Gibraltar, we had the often difficult task of distinguishing monkeys from rocks (and other objects that look like monkeys) during our group-wide scans.  Here, I don’t play the monkey-or-rock game quite as much, but sometimes I have a difficult time telling whether or not a noise came from a monkey, which is relevant when I’m trying to track them down in the forest.  

Here is a non-exhaustive list of things that sound like monkeys:

• Cicadas:  though you might not expect this, certain cicada chirps sound like a screaming juvenile monkey.  Cicadas tend to call for longer, and have a bit more periodicity.
• Frogs (at least I think they are frog noises): this is a new one…didn’t hear these last time.  Certain frog croaks sound like a monkey call.
• Birds:  this is a list in and of itself.  Many different bird species and calls, ranging in similarity to a monkey scream to an infant’s coo.
• Wind: rustling leaves or branches or a monkey in a tree?
• Crab: rustling in the forest, everywhere.
• Human children.

I’m planning to head back to the mainland station tomorrow evening to stay the night and return the next morning.  My limiting reagent this time is water, which I find quite ironic, since last time I could never actually get dry.  Because it is so hot I’m going through twice as much water as before.  

Side note: I met another tourist family today who were from Tokyo.  They had their daughters take their picture with me as well – I am becoming a Koshima attraction.  :P

Today was productive.  I was with the monkeys most of the day until I lost them around cliffs.  I tried to see if I could meet them on the other side of the island, but that was unsuccessful.  First I went a way that was not the trail I needed, and ended up sliding down a short portion of the hill on my but (only half on purpose), which somehow filled my pants with leaves and was not the most pleasant.  Eventually I headed back to the beach, which was full of monkeys -_- 

Also, I just gained wind (ha, get it?) that there is FIFTH typhoon forming in the seas.  I’m not sure yet what this means for my project, but it’s probably not good.  

My feelings about typhoon #5.

Knowing that I am going back tomorrow night I realized I could use up the battery on my computer.  So…I watched an episode of the Wild Thornberries, for inspiration.  

Also, dinner at sunset.