29th March 2024
After the
excitement of the night drive most people had a lay in of some sort but as
usual the Hotel Ehalgala grounds were excellent with Cuckoo and Wood-Shrikes,
Munias, SL Red-backed Woodpeckers and Swallows, shouty Kingfishers and two pair
of imposing Malabar Pied Hornbills.
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| Tri-coloured and Scaly-breasted Munia |
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| Scaly-breasted Munia |
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| Scaly-breasted Munia |
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| SL Red-backed Woodpecker |
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| SL Red-backed Woodpecker |
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| Malabar Pied Hornbills |
A
Ruddy Breasted Crake was seen briefly down in the lake edge and both Plain and
Ashy Prinias showed exceptionally well.
Asian Koels and Great Coucals also put on a good show and the male
Peafowl was once again at the top of the pylon where he roosts.
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| Ashy Prinias |
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| Plain Prinia |
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| Great Coucal |
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| Whiskered Tern |
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| Peafowl |
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| Peafowl |
There were lots of
Dragonflies roosting in the dewy grass and on the walk back a cock Jungle Fowl
strutted up the road towards me. Such a
splendid bird and still a trip favourite.
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| Variegated Flutterer |
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| Pied Parasol |
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| Pied Parasol |
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| Pied Parasol |
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| Paddyfield Parasol |
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| Jungle Fowl |
After breakfast we
potted down the road to look for Orange Headed Thrush in the grounds of the
Sigiriya Hotel (but a White-tipped Spreadwing for the Odonata list) but to no avail but a stop on the way back at the lake afforded
excellent views of Lesser Whistling Ducks, Swamphens, Grey Breasted Prinias and
a kaleidoscopic display of dragonflies and damsels.
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| Lion Rock |
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| Oriental Darter |
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| Black-headed Ibis |
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| Asian Open Billed Stork |
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| the only tourist Elephant we saw |
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| Humanoid dots in the Winter Palace onLion Rock |
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| Common Kingfisher |
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| Common Kingfisher |
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| Lesser Whistling Ducks |
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| Eastern Cattle Egret |
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| Oriental Darter |
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| Purple Heron |
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| Spine-legged Redbolt |
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| Sombre Lieutenant |
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| Malabar Sprite |
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| Malabar Sprite |
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| Variegated Flutterer |
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| Variegated Flutterer |
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| Variegated Flutterer |
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| Spine-legged Redbolt |
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| Asian Groundling |
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| Lemon Emigrant |
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| Big Green Frog... |
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| Big Green Frog... |
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| Common Grass Dart |
Back for lunch and
a final pack, with Oriental Honey Buzzards wing clapping like giant Butterflies
overhead and a Legge’s Hawk-Eagle flying through with prey and then on the road
for the long journey back to the Tamarind Tree in Katunayaka where it all began
two weeks ago.
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| Another large Robberfly |
 |
Crimson Dropwing
|
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| Crimson Rose |
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| Legge’s Hawk-Eagle |
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| Legge’s Hawk-Eagle |
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| Oriental Honey Buzzard |
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| Oriental Honey Buzzard |
There was some
casual birding from the van as we went along and a roadside stop for fresh
Coconuts (with a straw) and Pink Oranges was actually an appropriate way to
wrap things up. A short walk around the grounds was far less fraught then the
first visit (the Indian Scops Owl was still looking grumpy) and it was pleasing
to hear the crew now talking about the 'usual suspects'.
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| Biggest and best road sign ever |
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| SL Red-backed Woodpecker |
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| Crimson Rose |
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| Red-wattled Lapwing family |
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| Indian Scops Owl |
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| Cashews |
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| Brown-headed Barbet |
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| Common Myna |
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| Yellow-billed Babbler |
30th March 2024
A final walk around the hotel grounds pre breakfast gave us those comfortable
encounters with the regulars once again before the short ride to the airport
where White Bellied Sea Eagles, Brahminy Kites and Spot Billed Pelicans were
visible circling from the departures lounge.
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| When you wish you had a mirror when applying the morning make-up... |
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| And goodbye from the Red-wattled Lapwings |
It had been
splendid tour of this culturally, ornithologically and geomorphologically
varied country. The numbers are impressive (over 230 bird species, 56 Butterflies, 28 Odonata, 19 Mammals, 17 Herps and two Terrapins ) but it is not
a numbers game; it should be about the experience and on that score none of us
could complain. I can’t wait to have
another opportunity to visit.
As for Frogs - still working on those
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