Another Sussex Birder's Observations

Tails from Sri Lanka part 1

After having been to Sri Lanka last year and missing out not seeing a Leopard I was keen to return and so I booked a solo trip with a local company "Walk with Jith" that was tailored to my wants.

Monday 11th November I took the train from Ore direct to London Victoria and then the underground to Heathrow for my evening flight to Sri Lanka, arriving at Colombo Airport at 13.10 their time on the 12th.

I was collected by Athula my guide for the week and headed off on the motorway arriving at Weligama around 16.30. I checked into the EKHO Hotel for the night and Athula went off to arrange my Whale watching trip for the following day.

Motorway road sign

EKHO Hotel and the mini bus

My room

Bathroom

An early start in the morning leaving the hotel at 5.45 with a packed breakfast for the 20 minute drive to Mirissa harbour

Mirissa Harbour

I boarded one of the several whale watching boats and we set off around 7.00 am

Whale watching boat similar to the one I was on

Although misty as we left the harbour in about 15 minutes it cleared and we headed towards where the locals were fishing.

In shore fishing boat

It wasn't long before we saw the first blow from a Fin Whale and we then had at least 4 views of one or maybe 2 whales

Fin Whale

Having been "Lucky customers" after about an hour we headed back to the harbour arriving back a lot earlier than expected having eaten their breakfast provided in the price. A bit of a rip off at $60 but at least we saw a whale or may be 2.

Back in the mini bus we made our way to my next accommodation at Tissamaharama. Arriving around midday I checked into the Hibiscus Garden Hotel

Hotel Entrance

Room 12

The gardens

Restaurant

Having settled in and eaten my packed breakfast for lunch, at 3.00pm we headed out birding in the local area seeing many birds.

Asian Openbill

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-headed Ibis

Black-rumped Flameback

Brahminy Kite

Brown Shrike

Emerald Dove

Common Lizard SP

Common Myna

Flapshell Turtle (E)

Greater Coucal

Indian Pond Heron

Indian Pitta

Jungle Owletts

Indian Darter

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Plain Prinia

Purple Heron

Purple Swamphen

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Ruddy-breasted Crake

Ruddy-breasted Crake (F)

Ruddy-breasted Crake (M)

Spot-billed Pelican

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Streaked Weaver

White-naped Woodpecker

White-throated Kingfisher

White-breasted Waterhen

Yellow Bittern

Yellow-billed Babler

Zitting Cisticola

Grey-tufted Langur

Flying Fox

Back at the hotel, dinner and an early night.

Thursday 14th. A really early start as we set off at 5.15 so as to be at Yala entrance gate in the front of the queue. A 15 minute wait and then we were entering the park. It wasn't long before we started seeing plenty of birds.

Asian Koel

Barred Buttonquail

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Crested / Changeable Hawk Eagle

Greater Sand Plover

Green Imperial Pigeon

Grey-headed Sea Eagle

Hoopoe

Indian Nightjar

Indian Paradise Flycatcher

Indian Robin

Indian Thicknee

Jacobin Cuckoo

Jerdon's Bushlark

Having had breakfast at 8.30 we went to an area where a Leopard had been seen crossing the track, we joined a a group of 8 jeeps waiting for the Leopard to appear. As time went by the jeeps gave up and moved on. The guide said if we wait as it is quiet there is more chance it will re appear and sure enough he was right after about 30 minutes it came out of the bush and crossed the road we then had him all to ourselves for about 5 minutes until he went off climbed a distant tree and went to sleep.

Leopard No. 1

What a relief I had now seen a Leopard properly! we continued to see more birds and stopped for lunch around midday at the rest area.

Painted Stork

Lesser-whistling Ducks

Little Green Bee-eater

Malabar Pied Hornbills

Asian Openbill

Orange-breasted Pigeon

Oriental Magpie Robin

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Peacock

Plain Prinia

Spotted Dove

Sri Lanka Junglefowl (E)

Towards the end of the day we started making tracks back to the entrance, and then as we rounded a corner there was another Leopard drinking from a puddle in a rock.

We watched for a few minutes and then he wandered off into the bush.

Other creatures seen were

Asian Elephant

Asian Jackal

Black-necked Hare

Crocodile

Grey Tufted Langur

Crab SP

Indian Brown Mongoose

Macaque

Ruddy Mongoose

Sambar

Spotted Deer

Water Buffalo

Wild Boar

We eventually left the park just before 6 pm arriving back at the hotel in darkness, a quick wash and dinner then off to bed for another early start tomorrow.

Friday 15th This morning we left at 5.45 as the part of Yala we were going to was a lot quieter with tourists. We arrived at the Galge entrance, obtained our tickets and entered the park.

Bird life was a bit quieter than in the part we visited yesterday but some quality birds were seen.

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Crested Hawk Eagle

Crested Honey Buzzard

Crimson-backed Flameback (E)

Crimson-backed Flameback(E)

Emerald Dove

Indian Pond Heron

Indian Roller

Jacobin Cuckoo

Monitor Lizard

Croc and Painted Stork

Peacock

Peacock tail

Red-wattled Lapwing

Sri Lankan Wood Shrike(E) and Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Tri-coloured Munia

White-bellied Sea Eagle

Woolly-necked Stork

We had only been in the park for a couple of hours when we came across a leopard crossing the track, watching it for less than a minute we had close up views.

Leopard number 3

Around lunch time I was now feeling very tired and my cold that I had the previous week seemed to be coming back so I asked to be taken back to the hotel. A little sleep and later a swim I then walked the gardens before dinner. Bird wise it was quiet but manged to see a few species.