Day 23: Figan Streambed Display
| Date: | July 22, 1974 |
| Start: | 07:11 (nest) |
| Finish: | 18:14 (nest) |
| Duration: | 11 hr. 3 min. |
| Observers: | Curt Busse and Cretus Chiwaga |
Curt’s Report. Fifi and Winkle were found nested with the group this morning. Brief mnazi feeding preceded travel to a mumanda tree in Lower Kasakela, which would later turn out to be a favorite feeding source for the chimps. Figan merely sat and waited as Faben, Goblin, and Winkle fed for 15 minutes. Figan then led travel to another mumanda tree at the korongo north of Kasakela. This time Figan fed for a while and the others waited. Faben started traveling back towards Kasakela and Figan leapt out of the tree to follow.
Faben (left) pant-hoots and charges bipedal into camp while Figan bangs on a box. 
The group then made a B-line towards Camp, pant-hooting and drum-displaying twice in Plum Tree Thicket and feeding briefly on ngazi on the way. Humphrey and Sherry pant-grunted as Figan and Faben displayed into Camp (Sherry avoided). Figan and Faben displayed again before leaving Camp to the east. Humphrey, Sherry, and Goblin followed, Sherry bobbing twice to Figan during travel.
Figan sits along the Kakombe stream near the Dell after a brief streambed display.
At the stream Figan did a brief streambed display. There had been initial screams by Humphrey or Sherry as Figan began his 1-minute display. Figan then left the group and traveled to an ngazi tree near the Dell, where he pant-hoot-displayed upon arrival and fed for an hour. Figan met Sherry and Faben near the waterfall and they traveled up Dung Hill a ways to rest.
Half way up Dung Hill the group stopped as Sherry eagle-wraah’s softly for several minutes. Perhaps a snake was nearby but I was unable to find any. Sparrow arrived 1/2 hour later, and after being submissive to Sherry, began to eagle-wraah in the same manner that Sherry did earlier. Figan continued to wait for the group for 45 minutes then led travel to KK6.
Figan left the group and was lost for two hours as we stayed with the others at Bald Soko. We finally found Figan feeding alone on magugunwa in Upper Kasakela at 1350. Figan left the tree just as we found him and did two long branching displays (1 silent) during travel down into Upper Kasakela forests. He fed on mshai and budyankende before reaching the kifumbe trees on Linda Peak at 1430.
Figan feeds along an upper hillside.
Faben suddenly showed up 3 minutes later!! Good coordination! Later Sherry, Athena, and Atlas joined in the kifumbe feast. During travel to the ridge between AK7 and the Kasakela stream, Athena and Atlas “siafu’ed” for 6 minutes. Sprout and the unhabituated female juvenile (STJ) [Spray] were met at the mnazi trees below Linda Peak. Figan, Faben, Athena, and Atlas fed on msongati briefly before joining Sprout and Spray for mnazi feeding. Figan and Faben fed on mnazi for 50 minutes before nesting nearby as the others still fed.
ASR Details. Arrival displays by Figan and Faben in Camp directed at Sherry and Humphrey. Later in the day Figan and Faben met Sprout and Spray (see Stranger Contact, page 309). There had also been a brief streambed display by Figan earlier in the day; Faben, Humphrey, and Sherry were present when Figan displayed.
Nesting Details. Figan, Faben, Sprout, Spray, Athena, and Atlas were all feeding in an mnazi tree near Linda Peak at 1812 when Faben descended and built his nest 30 m downhill in a small tree. Figan followed seconds afterwards and built his nest 2 m from Faben. We left at this time as the others still fed. Next morning Sprout, Spray, Athena, and Atlas were all seen off in the distance. We sat about 50 m from the group during mnazi feeding since Sprout and Spray were afraid of us – bad observation of any grunting which might have preceded nest-building.
