Set off for Sri Lanka on the overnight flight on Boxing Day, spending 2 days in Negombo followed by a week in Galle before returning to Negombo for 2 nights as it is easy for transfer to the airport. Not a birding trip, but I managed to get out on a few occasions, most memorably to a new area of Kottawa Rain Forest where I scored with the elusive and secretive white tailed shama. Other new birds for my SL list were crimson fronted barbet at Hiyare Forest and a distant osprey from the beach at Negombo.
I visited Kottawa with Anoma, naturalist in residence at the superb Jetwing Lighthouse hotel in Galle. I have spent plenty of time out and about with Anoma over the years and Wendy and I enjoyed his and his wife, Anusha's company on the Saturday night for a buffet at the hotel. We were also invited around to their house for a meal where son, Kevin, was the star of the show.
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| Anoma leading the way |
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| Listening for the call of the white rumped shama |
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| dense forest |
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| This path only lasts about 50 metres |
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| success: white rumped shama, a very difficult bird to find, never mind photograph |
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| showing well, the male with the longer tail |
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| shorter tail indicates a female |
The beach at Negombo was great for a spot of sea watching, with indian cormorants, white bellied sea eagles, occasional brahminy kite and numerous terns. The latter were almost all gull billed and whiskered, as shown here.
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| gull billed tern |
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| whiskered tern |
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| whiskered tern |
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| another whiskered tern |
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| katamaran out fishing |
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| Little egret, Negombo beach |
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| white bellied sea eagle off the sea |
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| distant white bellied sea eagle |
Other birds noted around Negombo were common sandpiper on the beach whilst in the Jetwing vegetable garden, a family of tailorbirds, asian koel, shrika and plenty of rose ringed parakeets.
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| juvenile black hooded oriole |
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| common sandpiper |
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| juvenile tailorbird |
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| adult tailorbird |
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| Negombo beach |
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| blue tailed bee eater hunting dragonflies on Negombo beach |
Whilst in Galle, Anoma and I walked the local lanes and visited Kurulubedda chalets, set in their own forest and paddy area adjacent to Mahamodara River. Here, black monkey as well as a selection of everyday birds, always good to see. I returned to this lane on another occasion to get a few more photos, such as these;
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| black hooded oriole, adult |
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| Black monkeys |
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| common mynah |
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| the lane leading from Jetwing Lighthouse |
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| purple rumped sunbird |
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| red vented bulbul |
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| common kingfisher |
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| Buddhist stipa along the lane with accompanying cattle egret |
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| white bellied drongo |
Another visit with Anoma was to the reservoir at Hiyare Forest. Here, brahminy kite, little cormorant and my first crimson fronted barbet, that refused to pose for the camera!
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| crimson fronted barbet |
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| same skulking bird |
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| Hiyare reservoir and forest |
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| juvenile Brahminy kite |
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| same bird |
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| little cormorant |
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| white throated kingfisher |
All in all, a superb time with birds everywhere. Restrictions on time meant no big trip out this time but still plenty noted and many pleasing species recorded.
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| cattle egret |
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| Indian pond heron |
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| Oriental honey buzzard outside Lighthouse hotel |
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| red wattled lapwing |
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