Sri Lankan visit. 1st - 12th February.

 Overnight flight from Heathrow saw me arriving at Colombo airport midday 12noon after an 11 hour direct flight.

Met friend of many years, Anoma who drove me to my room at the Back Pack and Reggae Bar in Pittiwella Boossa along the south west coast of the island.

I had planned to catch up with friends, do a spot of local bird watching and photography as well as see how a Learning Centre I helped establish was getting on called MindGarden. Towards the end of my stay, I headed back to Colombo airport to collect Rob and Rachel Jones and their 3 daughters to accompany then to their hotel in Bentota. Later in the week we had arranged that I give them a tour of Galle Fort, Mahamodara village, a Buddhist temple and also drop into a turtle hatchery where student volunteers from MindGarden also help out. It was also planned that Anoma and I would take the family on the long trip to the wonderful National Reserve some 3 hours away at Udawalawe.

I also took my trail camera with me so on my first full day I took it to a site where there have been reports of the elusive Sri Lankan Fishing cat. I set the camera up on a palm tree near a path, but over the 3 nights it was present, no video evidence.

Spare time was spent wandering the local lanes bird watching as well as a morning trip to Matara and popped into Koggalla Lake where there are good birds. Another site I dropped into, via a bus trip, was on the outskirts of Galle where many common species can be observed and photographed.

All in all a great 12 day trip, returning yesterday, Mon 13th Feb, departing Colombo at 12.55 and landing 7.20pm. There is a 5.5hour time difference, so again, an 11 hour+ flight time.

Below, a selection of photos taken over the time I was there, concluding with a view of some of the nature seen at Udawalawe.

Typical railway line scene in Pittiwella Boossa

Common Tailorbird

Scaly breasted munia

small monitor lizard, about 4 foot long

Yellow billed babbler, a very common bird

White throated kingfisher, another common species

Water monitor lizard, about 7 foot long

Hibiscus species, possibly Spider hibiscus

Spotted dove, common

7 - 8 foot Water monitor

Amazing sunsets

A very distant White bellied sea eagle, Sri Lanka's largest eagle

Swallows at Mahamodora

Another white throated kingfisher

Red wattled lapwing

Red vented bulbul

Peacock at Mahamodora

Peahen close to the male (above and below)

Dis[laying Peacock

Drongo species can be tricky. Think this is Pale bellied drongo

Green Imperial pigeon

Gull billed tern in Galle harbour

Jungle crow at Galle Harbour

House crow. Possibly the most common bird for Sri Lanka

Looking west at Koggalla beach

Little cormorant along the River Mahamodora

Small monitor lizard

Local fishermen

Common mynah

Ceylon crested drongo (I think!)

Brown shrike at Koggalla

Brahminy kite, common BoP.

Blue-tailed bee-eater under a sports ground

Oriental magpie robin

Black monkey

Black hooded oriole

Another superb Blue-tailed bee-eater

On a couple of occasions I popped into Galle cricket ground where I watched the England Lions take on Sri Lanka A in a 4 day test. I got chatting to a couple who were watching and it turned out that their son, Jack Carson was playing and I offered to take a few shots of him batting. Unfortunately, his innings didn't last too long but I fired off a few shots and emailed them to his mum.

Quick single

Ducking under a bouncer

Oops

text book defensive shot.

Udawalawe Reserve.

A super reserve. Anoma and I set off with Samaan, our minibus driver from Pittiwella to collect Rob and family from their Bentota hotel and then a 3 hour drive to the reserve. First stop was the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre where young elephants are called in at 10 am, and then every 3 hours, for milk feeding. A viewing terrace gives great views of this before we jumped into a 6 seater jeep for a 3 hour safari with a driver Nandu. He stopped on the way to buy fruit which we enjoyed half way around the safari. So many birds and mammals. This is the only Reserve in the world where views of elephants are absolutely guaranteed and we had some superb views. Highlight was an elephant walking along the track towards the Jeep and then strolling right by the vehicle. Amazing. Highlights for me were several new species for the island including Sirkeer malkoha, Yellow eyed babbler and Plum headed parrot.

All these photos taken from the Jeep, sometimes whilst it was bumping along the dusty tracks

Record shot of my 1st Yellow eyed babbler

Wood sandpiper

White bellied sea eagle

Same bird

heat hazed Whiskered tern

water snake species

Water buffalo

the flooded valley for Hydro electric

Sikeer Malkoha, a good sighting

Red wattled lapwing

Ceylon Junglefowl, the National Bird of Sri Lanka

Purple faced Macaque

More purple faced macaques

Adolescent

Lizard sp

Distant Plum headed parrot, a first for me.

Island in the reservoir: Grey heron, Black winged stilts, Painted stork and Indian pond heron

Oriental darter and Little cormorant.

Orange breasted green pigeon

Submerged crocodile

Malabar hornbills

Little ringed plover

Little egret

Lesser whistling ducks

Jackal after a wash

Grey heron

Painted stork

Green imperial pigeon

Asian elephant at the rehabilitation centre

Common kingfisher

Cattle egret

Blue tailed bee eater in perfect light

same bird

Black winged stilt

Black winged stilt and Wood sandpiper

Black shouldered kite

Yellow wagtail, sub species thunbergi

Asian elephant

Elephant coming towards us.

And passing right by the Jeep

Rehab centre

Black hooded oriole behind a branch

Feeding time

Adult Little green bee-eater

another stunning Little green bee-eater, first year bird

feeding in the wild.

Species list for the whole trip:

1. Ceylon Junglefowl
2. Indian Peafowl
3. Lesser whistling duck
4. Painted stork
5. Black headed ibis
6. Indian pond heron
7. Grey heron
8. Cattle egret
9. Great white egret
10. Little egret
11. Spot billed pelican
12. Little cormorant
13. Oriental darter
14. Black shouldered kite
15. Brahminy kite
16. White bellied sea eagle
17. Shikra
18. Crested serpent eagle
19. White breasted waterhen
20. Black winged stilt
21. Red wattled lapwing
22. Wood sandpiper
23. Little riunged plover
24. Gull billed tern
25. Little tern
26. Great crested tern
27. Whiskered tern
28. Spotted dove
29. Orange breasted green pigeon
30. Green imperial pigeon
31. Rose ringed parakeet
32. Plum headed parakeet
33. Pied cuckoo
34. Asian koel
35. Sirkeer malkoha
36. Greater coucal
37. Crested treeswift
38. Indian swiflet
39. Green bee-eater
40. Blue tailed bee-eater
41. White throated kingfisher
42. Common kongfisher
43. Brown headed barbet
44. Malabar hornbill
45. Lesser goldenback woodpecker
46. Brown shrike
47. Black headed oriole
48. House crow
49. Jungle crow
50. Barn swallow
51. Sri Lankan swallow
52. Pale bellied drongo
53. Ceylon crested drongo
54. Yellow wagtail ssp thunbergi
55. Paddyfield pipit
56. Red vented bulbul
57. Common tailorbird
58. Asian paradise flycatcher
59. yellow billed babbler
60. Common mynah
61. Oriental magpie robin
62. Indian robin
63. Purple rumped sinbird
64. Pale billed flowerpecker
65. Loten's sunbird
66. Scaly breasted munia.

Not too bad for a trip that was not a dedicated bird watching visit.