Back in August I had considering visiting Lesvos again but fancied something a bit more tropical. Having had an email from Rockjumper Birding tours offering a good discount on the last place for their "Relaxed" tour to Sri Lanka I thought yes, I would like to see some of the endemics better than I did on the previous 2 trips and I like the country, so I booked it.
Sunday 5th October I took the train from Ore to Gatwick, boarded the Qatar 6.5 hour flight to Doha at 14.55 arriving 23.35 their time. I had nearly a 3 hour wait before the next flight to Sri Lanka but in the airport there was plenty to do and see.
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| Inside departures |
The flight took 4.5 hours, arriving 09.40 Sri Lanka time. I was quickly through customs etc. and met Ashoka and Lisle our bird guides for the trip. It was good to see Ashoka again as he was an excellent guide on my first trip. He also remembered me!
An hours drive and we arrived at the Morven Hotel, Colombo where I had lunch, a sleep, a swim and met the rest of the group at dinner.
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| Roof top pool |
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| View from the hotel |
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| The room etc |
Tuesday 7th After breakfast we set off for the Sinharaja Forest arriving at our accommodation
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A view of the forest
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After settling in we had lunch, a rest then boarded our bus which took us to the entrance gate of the Sinharaja Reserve where we walked into the forest also accompanied by a local guide where we saw:-
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| Our first of many Yellow-browed Bulbuls |
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Orange Minivet
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| Common Emerald Dove |
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| Forest Green Lizard |
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| Another Lizard? |
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| Green Pit Viper |
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| Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (e) |
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| Sri Lanka Hanging Parrots (e) |
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| White-bellied Drongo |
Plus others:- Indian Peafowl,Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Greater Coucal, Spotted Dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Crimson-fronted Barbet (e), Black-hooded Oriole, Square-tailed Bulbul, Indian White-eye, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Common Myna, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Pale-billed Flowerpecker unable to photograph.
Returning back to our accommodation for dinner.
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| My room block |
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| Bedroom basic but comfortable. |
Wednesday 8th. Today we had an early start, getting into the jeeps for our trip into the hills. Our first stop was at a hide for Sri Lanka Spurfowl just as it was getting light a male showed. Another endemic target was the Serendips Scops Owl, which we saw but was too obscured to photograph.
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| Sri Lanka Spurfowl (e) |
Also while at the hide a Crimson-backed Flameback appeared in the trees behind us.
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| Crimson-backed Flameback (e) |
From there we went further into the forest, returning back to the lodge for lunch, and then back in the jeeps to another part of the forest seeing:-
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Ceylon Tree Nymph
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| Kangaroo Lizard |
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| Hump-nosed Lizard |
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| Sri Lanka Frogmouth |
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| Crested Serpent Eagle |
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| Spot-winged Thrush (e) |
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| Spot-winged Thrush (e) |
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| Pitcher Plant |
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| Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (e) |
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| Black-capped Bulbul (e) |
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| Yellow-fronted Barbet (e) |
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| Crested Serpent Eagle |
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| Asian Flycatcher |
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| Red-faced Malkoa |
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| Malabar Trogan (male) |
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| Malabar Trogan (female) |
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| Sri Lanka Drongo (e) |
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| Sri Lanka Drongo (e) |
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| One of the jeeps |
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| Sri Lanka Junglefowl |
Late afternoon we visited the roosting site of a Sri Lanka bay Owl, it was the same bird roosting in the same area that I saw on my 2023 visit.
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| Sri Lanka Bay Owl |
Thursday 9th, Another early start taking the jeeps again back into the forest to try for the Scaly Thrush that we missed out on yesterday, sadly it wasn't to be for me but I did have a good morning birding including finding another Sri Lanka Spurfowl.
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| Sri Lanka Spurfowl (e) female |
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| Sri Lanka Junglefowl (e) female |
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| Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush |
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| Jungle Owlet |
Another and better view of the Sri Lanka Frogmouth. Plus another endemic Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill
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| Sri Lanka Frogmouth |
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| Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill |
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| Spotted Dove |
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| Greater Coucal |
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| Layard's Palm Squirrel |
Friday 10th After breakfast we boarded the bus to start the long journey to Tissa, our first stop was at Kalawana for fuel.
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| Kalawana |
Another stop at Pelmadulla for the wash rooms
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Silver Ray restaurant, wash room break
2023 I stopped here for lunch |
Our next stop for lunch was near the Uda Walawe reservoir and soon after we saw our first elephant.
By mid afternoon we arrived at the Peacock Reach Hotel in Tissamaharama the same hotel as in 2023.
Once unpacked we were back on the bus and a short journey into town where we met the 2 local Owl boys. They took us to various places all within walking distance where we had an owl fest.
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| Brown Fish Owl |
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| Indian Scops Owls |
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| Jungle Owlet |
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| Brown Boobook (Hawk Owl) |
As dusk started we saw hundreds of Flying Foxes coming into roost along side a lake.
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| Flying Fox |
The evening ended with an Eastern Barn Owl coming out of his day roost.
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| Eastern Barn Owl |
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| Peacock Reach Hotel |
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| Reception |
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