Sri Lanka with Bird's Wildlife & Nature - Day 10: 25th March 2024

A very early start saw me soon back asleep again for the hour drive to our dawn arrival at the ticket office for entry to the Horton Plains along with an eclectic mix of non-avian interested tourists.

As we parked up I could hear a Redwing like call and a whistle and Saman in the other van was soon gesturing us to get out pronto as a Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush (endemic #30) was singing outside. Thankfully I picked the bird up in the gloom glowing deep blue black in the half light. He stayed for under a minute but it was long enough to put a scope on it and get everyone a good view of this notoriously difficult to see species.  

Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush (endemic #30)

SL Wood Pigeons clambered around in the trees behind the Thrush showing their vinous plumage and chequerboard neck pattern. So much more satisfying than the two fly by birds back at Sinharaja.  The first of many Dull Blue Flycatchers (endemic #31)  were hawking from a tree around the pond.  We were told that they could be difficult to find and see well but on this particular day they performed amazingly but what a terrible name for a beautiful bird.

SL Wood Pigeon

SL Wood Pigeon

Dull Blue Flycatcher (endemic #31)

Movement below us revealed a very bold male Indian Blackbird with glowing orange bill and legs and he was catching tiny frogs while a Grey Wagtail was searching for smaller prey on the lily leaves.

Grey Wagtail

Indian Blackbird

Indian Blackbird

Indian Blackbird

After gently ‘persuading’ some Chinese tourists blocking the entrance road with their attempts at artistic holiday images to shift we trundled on to the Aranga Pool although of course we did not need to search for the Thrush now which gave us time to have breakfast and quickly add a host of other species as the sun climbed and warmed the slightly chilly air.  

Sri Lanka White Eyes (endemic #32) and Yellow-eared Bulbuls (endemic #33)  were added almost simultaneously to the endemics list along with Cinereous Tit, glowing Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, migrant Greenish Warbler and an Orange Minivet.

Dull Blue Flycatcher

Sri Lanka White Eye (endemic #32)

Sri Lanka White Eye

Sri Lanka White Eye

Yellow-eared Bulbuls (endemic #33) 

Sri Lanka Bush Warblers were calling and offering glimpses so we decided to continue towards the Visitor centre but were stopped by Saman seeing two Leopards some way off lounging under the trees! One lingered long enough for us all to see before slinking away.  We turned round and drove back and with some patience we saw both these immature cats very well as they relaxed and watched the grasslands. You make your own luck. Sambar called and one stood up on the ridge and watch the Leopard valley below and our first chunky Pied Bushchats were seen before embarking on our walk through the grasses, Rhododendron and Dwarf Bamboo pastures where Zitting Cisticolas were heard. This was the first time that I had seen them well and each one appeared paler above and less well marked than our European birds.  The call is, as I have said, completely different to my ear being more of a ‘chup’ than a ‘zit’.  In fact Purple Rumped Sunbird sounded more like our Zitter. I presume that someone else has noticed this? 

Chillin' Leopards

Sambar

Sambar

female Pied Bushchat

Black Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard and Crested Serpent Eagle were seen over the wooded hills along with a our first Common Kestrel.

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Black Eagle

Black Eagle

The woodland fringe at last gave us point blank views of our final endemic - the Sri Lanka Bush Warbler (endemic #34) while flocks of the other species seen moved through the canopy. A male Indian Blue Robin quietly sang and was seen briefly and there were more Butterflies to be added to the growing list along with croaking SL Frogs and Mountain Reedling Damselflies. 

Sri Lanka Bush Warbler (endemic #34) 

Dull Blue Flycatcher

Orange Minivet

Pale-billed Flowerpecker

Sri Lanka White Eye

Cinereous Tit

An amazing landscape

Rhododendron arboreum

Rhododendron arboreum - I saw some in scarlet flower but only while we were in the van

Beak

Bluebottle

Ceylon Tiger

Ceylon Tiger

Grass Demon

Grass Demon

Pea Blue

Mountain Reedling Damselfly

Mountain Reedlings

Eristalis sp

A male Pied Bushchat almost sat on my head on the way back and Hill Swallows swooped around the buildings.  I was also having some Pipit troubles.  Having seen two strapping Richard's Pipits on the track coming in I took some time to look at the Paddyfield Pipits that we saw but this one on the path confused me.  It was big and long tailed and big billed and structurally just felt wrong for Paddyfield so any input much appreciated.

Compare this to the Paddyfields in day eight. 

Paddyfield from Bundala

male Pied Bushchat 

Ageratina riparia

Arista ecklonii

Cestrum elegans

Melastoma malabathricum

Solanum sp

I was awake for the journey back down from the plains and after lunch at Heaven Seven we pottered back down into Nuwara Eliya and a sunnier Victoria Park. The Kashmir Flycatcher showed exceptionally well this time and was with a Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher and Brown-breasted Flycatcher at one stage.  

Jungle Crow - this one came down for a piece of Jaggery that I offered

Kashmir Flycatcher

Kashmir Flycatcher

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

Brown-breasted Flycatcher

Brown-breasted Flycatcher

The stream was still being used by Indian Pond Herons and Cattle Egrets and the Jungle Crows were poking through the detritus.  A SL Scimiter Babbler was poking under the bark of a big Pine tree which was something of a surprise but the singing Indian Blue Robin stubbornly refused to show. Grey and Forest Wagtails came up off the stream too, Blyth's Reed Warblers tacked and some magnificent male Pied Thrushes gathering for pre-roost made for an excellent finale to the day.

SL Scimiter Babbler

SL Scimiter Babbler

Eastern Cattle Egret

Eastern Cattle Egret

Indian Pond Heron

Pied Thrush