Sri Lanka Part 3: Negombo

So, after 5 nights at Galle we were on our way north to Negombo. A 3 hour drive with plenty of brahminy kites seen once again along the southern expressway as well as the regular birds associated with paddy fields. We were only going to be at the Jetwing Beach hotel for 2 nights and the reason for staying here was that it is handy for the airport, just half an hour away.  Upon arrival I found the resident hotel naturalist who organised a morning tour of Muthurajawela Marsh, some 20 minutes away, for the final morning of our holiday. Good way to finish the trip.
A wander around the hotel and beach area gave views of usual suspects. A pond opposite the hotel looked interesting. Out to see, terns and cormorants headed north and south and a white bellied sea eagle went directly over our balcony, too fast for me to grab the camera.
The following morning I was out by 7 and heading to the marshes. Upon arrival it was clear it was a good area, with herons, barbets, kites and cormorants all around. This area is good for stork billed kingfisher and pied kingfisher, both of which would be new birds for me.
Within 5 minutes of setting off in the motor boat we stopped and Hemantha, the hotel naturalist, pointed out a stork billed kingfisher. A shy bird, but nevertherless, excellent views. It flew over the canal and was lost to view. As we headed towards the lagoon a white bellied sea eagle came into view and numerous brahminy kites. Both indian and little cormorants were perched on every available stick whilst on the side of the canal, a purple heron. This was the first of about 10 that we encountered. We entered the lagoon and made our way around the mangroves, disturbing whiskered, common and little terns as well as a purple swamphen. The latter was very camera shy!

Brahminy kite

Indian pond heron

Canal, heading towards the lagoon

my 1st stork billed kingfisher!

Retiring purple swamphen

white bellied sea eagle

Other birds around the marsh were hard to see apart from the ubiquitous blue tailed bee eaters. Lesser whistling teal took off before I could get a photo as 2 more swamphens darted for cover and were lost from view. We stopped in the shade of the mangroves so that I could have my packed breakfast before another trip around the lagoon edges and back to the canal. Soon after we entered the canal a black and white bird rose in front of us. A pied kingfisher. Superb bird that alighted upon wires so we could get good views. Excellent. Also in the trees Asian koels, rose ringed parakeets and cattle egrets.

Second stork billed kingfisher

blue tailed bee eater

Indian cormorant

red wattled lapwing

whiskered and common terns

purple heron

pied kingfisher

another of this stunning bird

Business end of a purple heron

A second stork billed kingfisher was noted in the shade of the trees, so not easy to photo from a moving boat and also along the footpath, a red wattled lapwing. A superb purple heron posed above us in a palm tree before we arrived back at the Visitor's Centre. A most worthwhile trip. As we headed along the coast road into Negombo I noted a solitary whimbrel on the beach.
Wendy was happy on the beach, so I headed off to check out the pond opposite. Cormorants, bee eaters, red vented bulbuls were all present, before my attention was drawn to a small bird flitting in the bushes near the vegetable garden that supplies the veg for the hotel. A plain prinia, my final new bird for the trip

Indian cormorant

Plain prinia

Plain prinia

After an excellent buffet and a few gin and tonics, a final beach walk, it was time to retire as we had an early 7.30 start for the airport. Another packed breakfast and we were on our way with just enough time to get to the airport, without having to hang around too long. Well, that was the plan, but we hadn't factored in The Pope! He was travelling to visit Negombo in the morning and as we approached the main dual carriageway that links Negombo to the airport we joined a very long traffic jam, where engines were off and the occupants had left the car. Our driver managed to negotiate the randomly parked vehicles and we got to the front of the jam, with just a couple of 100 mopeds and motorbikes in front of us. There was no other route to take and time rapidly slipped by.Our flight was at 9.50 and it was now approaching 8.30, still no Pope!
I began to plan my letter to The Vatican, requesting reimbursement for the extra plane tickets we looked like having to purchase when a convoy of cars sped past, accompanied by endless police cars. We were first on to the dual carriageway, travelling past police who were stationed at every 100 yards along the road at speeds in excess of 100km/h. Time drifted on as we finally pulled up outside the airport and, with a porter leading the way, we joined the queue to check our bags in. Just time to get to the departure gate only to discover all was 15 - 20 minutes behind schedule.

room view

catamarans on the beach

Looking north

hotel entrance

local house crow

After a 4 hour flight to Dubai and then 7 hours to Heathrow, we arrived home at 8.30pm having had a superb 12 day break, seeing some great birds, eating fantastic food, meeting some very wonderful people and seeing some great sights. Excellent time.

Species for the "non birding" trip
Indian peafowl, lesser whistling duck, wedge tailed shearwater, asian openbill, yellow bittern, indian pond heron, grey heron, purple heron, cattle egret, great egret, (10 sp) intermediate egret, little egret, little cormorant, indian cormorant, common kestrel, brahminy kite, white bellied sea eagle, shikra, crested serpent eagle, changeable hawk eagle,(20sp) white breasted waterhen, purple swamphen, red wattled lapwing, whimbrel, heuglins gull, gull billed tern, common tern, little tern, whiskered tern, rock pigeon (30sp) spotted dove, orange breasted green pigeon, Sri Lankan green pigeon, rose ringed parakeet, alexandrine parakeet, Layard's parakeet, Asian koel, greater coucal, Asian palm swift, crested treeswift (40 sp) blue tailed bee eater, stork billed kingfisher, white throated kingfisher, pied kingfisher, brown headed barbet, Sri Lankan grey hornbill, lesser goldenback, brown shrike, common lora, Jerdon's leafbird, (50 sp) black hooded oriole, house crow, large billed crow, barn swallow, Sri Lankan swallow, White bellied drongo, Sri Lankan drongo , paddyfield pipit, red vented bulbul, white browed bulbul, ( 60 sp) grey breasted prinia, plain prinia, common tailorbird, green warbler, asian paradise flycatcher, yellow billed babbler, common mynah, oriental magpie robin, asian brown flycatcher, pale billed flowerpecker, (70 sp) purple rumped sunbird, Loten's sunbird, white rumped munia, scaley breasted munia, Sri Lankan hanging parrot 

For a non birding holiday, 75 species is a most pleasing total. Ones in bold are new birds for me, so also, a satisfactory total.