Anne Belton Photography
October 26th we left Calgary en route to Sri Lanka. We met with others for a birding trip run by Rockjumper. We spent the 1st night at the Corvanro Hotel near the airport.
In the hotel gardens we saw our 1st birds of the trip
Day 1 - We were picked up from the hotel and driven to Kitulgala where we registered into the Kitulgala Rest House on the Kelani River. We did several hikes in the Kitulgala Rain Forest. There was some sun in the morning, but rain started in the afternoon, heavy at times.
Day 2 - birded the rain forest again in the morning. Very hot, trails quite steep in places and LOTS of leeches! In the afternoon we drove to a nearby camp, but spent most of the time under the shelter as it poured rain.
We crossed the Kelawni River on this small craft. Here are children boarding from the far side to go to school.
Brown-breasted Flycatcher
Red-vented Bulbul
Orange-billed Babbler - endemic
Square-tailed Bulbul
Spotted Dove
Red-backed Flameback - endemic
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Layard's Parakeet
Common Tailorbird - a tiny bird that likes to hide in thick brush
Layard's Parakeet - endemic
Sri Lanka Green Pigeon - endemic
House Crow
Red-backed Flameback
Yellow-billed Bulbul
White-bellied Drongo
Red-wattled Lapwing
White-rumped Munia
Brahminy Kite
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Black Eagle
Sri Lanka Green Pigeon- endemic
Alexandrine Parakeet
White-throated Kingfisher
Domestic cat
Alexandrine Parakeet
Stork Kingfisher
Greater Coucal
Red-vented Bulbul
It had rained so much the water level was high - we waded across, very slippery rocks but lots of help!
Indian Pond Heron
Layard's Parakeet - endemic
Indian Pitta
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Acvus Phoenix - Giant Land Snail
Milliped
Blue-tailed Bee-Eaters
Grey Wagtail
Water Monitor
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Jerdon's Leafbird
Orange Minivet (M)
Orange Minivet (f)
White-bellied Drongo
Asian Emerald Dove
Medium Egret
Jerdon's Leafbird
Day 3 - We went back to the camp in the morning with a picnic breakfast, after a few hours we left and drove to Nurawa Eliya. Some pretty scenery along the way.
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Spot-winged Thrush - gathering worms for her chicks
When we arrived we went to a small street in hopes of finding a Sri Lankan Whistling Thrush. Called it for a long time and saw a fly by several times, but no photos! However there were other birds and flowers in the shrubs.
Oriental Magpie Robin
Indian White-eye
Common Tailorbird
Square-tailed Bulbul
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Sri Lankan Junglefowl- (f) Endemic
Spotted Dove
Lesser Yellownape
Crested Serpent Eagle
Loten's Sunbird
White-browed Fantail
Yellow-fronted Barbet
In the late afternoon we went to Victoria Park - a large park in the middle of the city, unfortunately it was dark and rainy so difficult to see much. The target bird was the Kashmir Flycatcher - which we did eventually find in thick brush.
Common Sandpiper
White-breasted Waterhen
Kashmir Flycatcher
Brown Shrike
Little Cormorant
Day 4 - picnic breakfast on the roadside as we drove into Horton's Plains, a high altitude plain that is home to many Leopards. In most areas of the park we were not allowed to get out of the van. Unfortunately we did not see a leopard, but did see fresh scat and a scratched tree!
Yellow-eared Bulbul - endemic
Dull Blue Flycatcher - endemic
Pied Bush Chat
Indian Blackbird
Sambar
Common Buzzard
Brahminy Kite
Pied Bush Chat (f)
Barn Swallow
Sambar
Paddyfield Pipit
Sri Lankan Junglefowl - endemic
Tricoloured Munia
Toque Macaques
Sri Lankan Gray Hornbill - endemic
It poured rain again in the afternoon, spent some time standing under a roof waiting for it to stop, then a walk in the drizzle seeing nothing but macaques.
Peafowl
Indian Brown Mongoose
Day 5 - we drove from Nuwara to Tissa on the south coast. Stopped at a popular tourist town for a coffee. Passed many tea plantations along the way.
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On arrival we were met by a man on a motorbike who took us to 4 private homes. In the forest/gardens at the back of the homes he had found 4 different owls. Very well hidden and difficult to see much less photograph!
Ashy Prinia
Ashy Prinia
Brown Fish Owl
Indian Scops Owl
Jungle Owlet
Brown Boobook
In the afternoon we walked around a large reservoir - very hot but lots of birds.
Scaly-breasted Munia
White-throated Kingfisher
Darter
White-rumped Munia and Scaly-breasted Munia
Grey-headed Swamphen
White-naped Flameback
Dogs on the loose were everywhere, some in terrible shape and begging on the roadside. This one belonged to a family so was in better shape.
Green Imperial-Pigeon
Little Cormorants
Stork-billed Kingfisher
Alexandrine Parakeet
Black-headed Ibis
Purple Heron
Lesser Adjutant
Traffic on the road
Day 6 - to Yala Park, we were in 2 jeeps for the day. The roads were all potholes making it an exhausting day as we had to hang on the whole time in the jeep. However we saw lots on this day! But again no leopards!
Sunrise on the way into the park
But I did not see a leopard!!
House Crow at sunrise
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Paddyfield Pipit
Gray heron
Oriental Magpie Robin
Jerdon's Bush Lark
Redshank
Little Stint
Painted Stork & Medium Egret
Sri Lankan Green Pigeon - endemic
Green Sandpiper
Asian Green Bee-eater
Spotted Deer
Leopard tracks
Jackal
Green Sandpiper
Great Egret & Little Egrets
Little Egret
Great Thick-knee
Small Minivet
Yellow-wattled Lapwing
Great Thick-knee
Picnic breakfast by the Indian Ocean
Baya Weaver
Land Monitor
Rock Python
Great Thick-knee
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Wild Boar
Water Buffalo
Sri Lankan Swallows - endemic
Toque Macaque
White-rumped Shama
Spotted Deer
Small Minivet
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
White-rumped Shama
Plain Prinia
White-browed Fantail
Brahminy Starling
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker
Painted Stork
Indian Robin
Black-winged Stilt
Brahminy Starling
Peafowl
Red-wattled Lapwing
Indian Hare
Indian Robin
Lesser Whistling-Duck
Day 7 - into the van again at 5 with a picnic breakfast. Bundala National Park on the Indian Ocean. Toured the park in the morning then a 2 hour drive to the Sinharaja Rain Forest.
Asian Green Bee-eater
Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern
Plain Prinia
Gray Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Gray-headed Swamphen
Indian Roller
Purple Heron
Rosy Starling
Indian Swiftlet
Purple-faced Langurs
Asian Green Bee-eaters
Pied Kingfisher at a great distance
Pied Cuckoo (Jacobin Cuckoo)
Eurasian Hoopoe
Jerdon's Bush Lark
Monitor looking for nests
Pond Heron
Common Iora
Painted Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe
A tiny bright red bug - beautiful but likely poisonous
Blyth's Reed Warbler
Common Greenshank & Redshank
Green Sandpiper
Painted Stork
Very young Lapwing
Pacific Golden Plover
Small Pratincole
Small Pratincole
White-winged Tern
Kentish Plover
Asian Green Bee-eater
Indian Robin (m)
Indian Robin (f)
Common Tailorbird
Crested Goshawk
Blue-faced Malkoha
Orange-breasted Green Pigeon
Black-hooded Oriole
Asian Koel (f)
Malabar Pied-Hornbill
These Alexandrine Parakeets were very excited around this nest - apparently they were trying to coax baby out.
Day 8 - birded a nearby location in the early morning, then drove 3 hours to a place near Sinharaja Rain Forest. After checking in we again went in jeeps up the old forestry roads. There has been lots of rain so roads are muddy, lots of leeches, and a very uncomfortable ride.
Baya Weavers
Red-vented Bulbul
White-browed Bulbul
Indian Paradise Flycatcher - (f) the male is white except for a black head.
Brown-headed Barbet
Hooded Oriole
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Indian White-eye
Barn Swallows
Sri Lankan Woodshrike - endemic
Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot - endemic
White-throated Flowerpecker
White-browed Bulbul
Yellow-fronted Barbet - endemic
Red-vented Bulbul
White-throated Flowerpecker
Day 9 - Again drove up the forestry roads, stopped at a house where a man put out some food to lure in the Spurfowl. We hid behind a blind, in the heat, trying to be quiet and fend off the leeches. The Spurfowl did come in so well worth it!
Sri Lankan Spurfowl - endemic
Orange Minivet (f)
Black-capped Bulbul - endemic
Brown-breasted Flycatcher
Dull Blue Flycatcher - endemic
Sri Lankan Drongo - endemic
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
Sri Lankan Blue Magpie - endemic
Lesser Yellownape
Sri Lankan Frogmouth
Green-billed Coucal - endemic
Yellow-browed Bulbul
Green Pit Viper
Sri Lanka Gray Hornbill
White-browed Bulbul
White-browed Bulbul
Crested Serpent Eagle
Black-throated Munia
Crimson-backed Flameback - endemic
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Sri Lankan Blue Magpie
Yellow-fronted Barbet
Day 10 - birded the road near the hotel, drove up to the gate to Sinharaja Forest and birded there for a while. Another invitation to a private home to see an owl that had hidden in the shrubs at the back.
Indian Palm Squirrel - he was eating from the bird feeder - then a young girl came out and he jumped on her back - a pet!
Sri Lankan White-eye
Common Iora
Serendib Scops Owl - endemic
Day 11 - a short morning walk and then yet another man arriving to say he had found an owl - this one a very rare Sri Lankan Bay Owl. "uncommon, strictly nocturnal and very rarely seen". A great way to finish the trip. We then drove back to Colombo.
Sri Lankan Bay Owl - endemic
Total species - 214
Lifers - 111
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A very good trip - a little more physically taxing than expected. Great accommodations, lots of rain and very hot temps!
