Wednesday 28 November 2018

Visit to Udawalawe National Reserve

This splendid reserve is some 3 hours drive north west from Galle. Charlene, on her last day after a month's volunteering at the MindGarden Centre and I were picked up by Pasindu and friend who were to drive us there.
After stopping for snacks and tea we arrived in time to watch the baby orphaned elephants feeding time. Shortly after, the 4 of us boarded a safari jeep and were off for a three hour drive around the magnificent reserve. The main target were the elephants that inhabit this large area whilst I was, not surprisingly, keen to observe and photograph some of the bird species present. I was not disappointed, seeing 2 new species for me in Sri Lanka and managing to get some pleasing shots into the bargain. However, the highlight was surely Charlene's excitement at seeing wild elephants close up as they wandered in front of the jeep or just stood by the side of the track. Excellent trip and well worth the 6 hours in the car. If I was to do this trip again, may book into one of the local hotels and stay the night, but is is feasible to visit in one day from Galle.
These photos are in no order, just ones that seem to have come out quite pleasingly. These first 4 are of the orphaned elephants being given milk and then feeding.




En route to the Reserve the jeep drives over a dam that has created a man made lake around which were several bird species including cattle and little egrets and red wattled lapwings, all common species for Sri Lanka.
Rising water levels submerging trees.
Upon arrival into the reserve, I asked the driver to stop for bird photos. This he did, frequently pointing out birds that we would not of otherwise seen. A few species here that we saw upon arrival on the sandy tracks.
Paddyfield pipit

Green bee eater: such photogenic birds. More later

Common kingfisher: female

A lucky capture!

Crested hawk eagle
Let's get the elephants out of the way!







Back to some bird species.
Another superb green bee eater

Great white egret being watched by a water buffalo

Grey heron

Blue tailed bee eater

Yet another green bee eater

Red wattled lapwing

Spot billed pelican floats past a water buffalo

Wooly necked stork, a new bird for me

Black shouldered kite, the 2nd new Sri Lankan bird for me

Painted stork

Painted stork

White throated kingfisher

Another black shouldered kite

Posing peacock
Time for a few mammals and other bits and bobs:
Laid back frog species

Water buffalo. Larger the horns, the older they are

Distant water buffalo

Grumpy macaque momkey

Same creature

swarms of butterflies feeding on minerals from the sand

More water buffalo
Penultimately, a shot of the typical terrain

To finish, my 2 favourite shots from this superb trip.

The Painted stork gives a great perspective to the whole landscape.

Just got lucky with this pose.

Sri Lanka Nov 2018

I flew out to SL on 19th Nov, arriving the following midday and was picked up to take me south to Galle where I was to be based for a week at the MindGarden Learning Centre in Gintota, some 6km north of Galle. These photos just represent a snippet of the week, most of my stay will be documented on https://volunteersatmindgarden.blogspot.com
On the Wednesday, (my first full day) myself and volunteer Charlene visited Udawalawe National Reserve for wild animals and superb birds. Again, this trip merits a post of its own. These photos are therefore just a few that I took with my camera whilst wandering around when not leading sessions at the Centre.
These first four were taken in the grounds of the superb Jetwing Lighthouse hotel, Galle, one of the best spots to observe a good sunset.


Red wattled lapwing

Cattle egret

On the Friday of my stay, I rose early as staff from the Lighthouse and students from MindGarden begin a local beach clean at 6.30am. This concludes with tea at the hotel and time on the beach. The girls just wanted selfies, the boys collected sea shells.




After my last teaching session the students through a surprise party for me. Food, music and dancing. Once they had left I had a tidy up and set off to get the bus to Hikkaduwa. When I got to the bus stop, some of the students were still waiting for their bus.



On my last morning, I rose early and had a wander on the local beach. Here, no beach cleaning program and this is, unfortunately, what most Sri Lankan beaches could look like if such programs didn't exist. The beach was covered in drift wood, much of it cut with chain saws and just thrown into the local river or sea to wash up on some beach. Also here, thousands of plastic bottles and hundreds of flip flops. Sri Lanka is the 5th largest polluter of the seas and time and money needs to be spent on education to make locals realise that without clean beaches a major source of income, i.e. tourism, will just dry up. However, a lead needs to be taken as individual clean ups only scratch the surface. The government needs to put into place a far better rubbish collection system. Presently all house hold waste is put into plastic bags and just left outside. Local dogs, rats and monkeys then check the bags for food waste, leaving the contents strewn along lanes and major roads. In Galle the main rubbish tip is on the banks of the River Mahamodara and plenty just falls into the river, to later wash up on the local beaches. There is much for the whole island to address in this matter. The beach clean at Galle takes place every Friday morning and the amount of large sacks full of plastic waste that are collected weekly is staggering.

How many flipflops can you count in this 3 metre square area?
Finally, I took a walk into Mahamodara village to see friends, Raja, Nilantha, Chaminda and Wasantha along with other locals. Snapped these as I wandered past the new sports ground
Paddyfield pipit

White bellied drong

Adult and juvenile Brahminy Kite, high overhead

This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander