Geraldine

20^th March

I’ve no time to write much now but I ought to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Geraldine. I don’t remember now how she came to be known as Geraldine, except that it was I who christened her in November 2008. She’s an Indian giant flying squirrel and she lives in a large hole in a tree overhanging a dry stream bed close to our lodge in Pench. Over the past few years she has become a Naturetrek institution and, despite my being away from here for years at a time, Pench-based friends have often written to let me know how Geraldine is faring.

This evening, our whole group paid a visit to Geraldine’s tree and, faithful creature that she is, she put in her appearance as dusk fell. She poked her blunt grey nose from her hole, clambered to the top of her tree and launched herself into the moody half-darkness. Landing in the next tree she shinned up this too and glided spectacularly into the night.

Thanks Geraldine. Stay well; I don’t know when I’ll be back to see you again.

New this afternoon

	Mammals
54	Indian giant flying squirrel	Petaurista philippensis
	Birds
421	Indian scops owl	Otus bakkamoena

2012 Totals

Mammals: 54

Birds: 421

Reptiles: 11

Amphibians: 3

Fish: 2