Sri Lanka trip: Part 1. Rosyth near Kergalle

Our flight on Emirates to Colombo, via Dubai took off on Saturday 3rd Jan in the evening. All went well and we arrived a little late in Colombo Sunday afternoon. The lateness was due to fog at Dubai meaning we had to circle for 45 minutes and then our connecting flight was held for other planes to land so all passengers could make the connection.
Upon arrival at Colombo we were met by our driver and headed off to Kergalle and the Estate House at Rosyth, some 2 hours drive towards Kandy. See: Estate house for details of this amazing place.
This is a superb retreat, right off the tourist trail, very rural and wonderful for walks and relaxing. I spent most mornings before breakfast wandering about, chatting to locals and photographing an excellent selection of the more common Sri Lankan birds.

Sunrise over the jungle

Looking north towards the Knuckles Range

From the Estate House garden

Another forest view.

The Estate House,

Many of the birds here were seen regularly, especially yellow billed babbler, red vented bulbul, brown shrike, greater coucal and purple rumped sunbird along with the ubiquitous large billed crow. I checked along the wires most mornings at sunrise, where white throated kingfisher and spotted doves were frequently to be seen.

yellow billed babbler

red vented bulbul

white throated kingfisher

greater coucal

brown shrike

common mynah.

By the 3rd morning of 4 nights at Rosyth I was beginning to get a good list together, with plenty of new birds that I hadn't previously seen in Sri Lanka, albeit fairly common ones. I spent some time trying to photograph the Sri Lankan swallow and managed some poor record shots in flight. Other new birds for me were white browed bulbul, green warbler, crested serpent eagle, Sri Lankan hanging parrot, brown headed barbet and common lora. All of these were observed within half a mile of our house, some proving too distant for a worthwhile photo though.

purple rumped sunbird

common lora

Sri Lankan grey hornbill

crested serpent eagle

1 of up to 7 crested serpent eagles overhead

brown headed barbet

Sri Lankan swallow

Rather distant blue tailed bee eater

Jerdon's leafbird

Whilst on site, we visited the local tea factory, having a most interesting tour, whilst also getting a tuk tuk down to Kergalle town for a spot of shopping. On the last day I visited the "bird sanctuary" in the town. There were armed soldiers everywhere due to the Presidential election taking place on the Thursday, along with numerous police but they didn't seem to be too fussed about my wanderings. However, the bird sanctuary was a waste of time. Firstly, I arrived to find the chap that takes your entrance fee had gone off to do some election duty and a mysterious bloke appeared to say that I couldn't go in. A quick offering of several hundred rupees changed his tune and I was soon wandering along an unmarked route through hugely overgrown forest. It was impossible to make any progress so after about 15 minutes I returned to the exit and walked back into town for a tuk tuk. All I heard in this sanctuary were yellow billed babblers and a grey hornbill and I literally saw no birds. Better were noted along the road, where my first kestrel of the trip was seen, along with 100's of cattle egrets, indian pond herons, black hooded orioles and another new bird for me, white rumped munia.
I arrived back at the Estate House in time for an afternoon wander, scoring with Asian palm swift, barn swallow, monkeys, a large billed crow eating a snake that had been run over, whilst also coming across a rat snake in the grounds. Oriental magpie robins could be heard everywhere as could coucals and the serpent eagles. A pale billed flowerpecker called incessantly as I tried to photograph this in the garden, another new for me bird.

Oriental magpie robin

white rumped munia

white bellied drongo

female purple rumped sunbird

female Loten's sunbird

pale billed flowerpecker

black hooded oriole

lesser goldenback

scaley breasted munia.

On the last evening, I spent a couple of hours just looking over the valley and watching a large open area of mixed grasses and shrubs. Plenty to be seen apart from the regulars. A green warbler alighted nearby, but too fast for a photo, and a shikra landed in a distant tree. Another new bird popped up, a white browed bulbul and then one that had me guessing. At first I though sylvia warbler species, but nothing fitted and eventually thought it must be a grey breasted prinia. I only saw this uncommon bird for 30 seconds or so and my 3 photos, having made mental notes of the plumage, were over exposed and taken through some long grass, so not too helpful for id. However, I am fairly sure grey breasted prinia it is.

grey breasted prinia

white browed bulbul

So, after 4 nights of superb, authentic Sri Lankan food, individually prepared for us as we were the only 2 staying in the 6 roomed house, it was time to move on. One final wander before breakfast before our driver arrived for the 3 - 4 hour trip to Galle in the South West of the island. Again, a place we were looking forward to revisiting, staying at the excellent Jetwing Lighthouse hotel.  

Other bits and bobs from Rosyth here:

toque macaques

Another spectacular crested serpent eagle

palm squirrel

large billed crow eating a still live, but run over snake.

Indian crow butterfly.

local cricket match on quite a sloping pitch

cattle egret

another toque macaque

rat snake

another monkey shot

presumed shikra taking off

red pierrot butterfly

Species list for Rosyth:

spotted dove, Sri Lankan green pigeon, Sri Lankan hanging parrot, rose ringed parakeet, Greater coucal, white throated kingfisher, brown headed barbet, Sri Lankan grey hornbill, brown shrike, common lora, (10 sp) Jerdon's leafbird, house crow, large billed crow, red vented bulbul, white browed bulbul, common tailorbird, green warbler, asian paradise flycatcher, yellow billed babbler, common mynah, (20 sp) oriental magpie robin, pale billed flowerpecker, purple rumped sunbird, white rumped munia, shikra, crested serpent eagle, lesser goldenback, blue tailed bee eater, Sri Lankan swallow, scaley breasted munia, (30 sp)Asian palm swift, cattle egret, black hooded oriole, indian pond heron, grey breasted prinia, kestrel, Alexadrine parakeet, white bellied drongo, Loten's sunbird, barn swallow. (40 sp)