Monday 27th another early start leaving The Peacock Reach Hotel at 5.45 am the group got into 3 Safari Jeeps and headed off to Yala Reserve. Spending the whole day on the reserve with both packed breakfast and lunches we saw some incredible birds and mammals.
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| Yala Nature Reserve and Indian Ocean |
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| Ashy-headed Prinia? |
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| Asian Green Bee-eater |
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| Open-billed Stork and Black-headed Ibis |
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| Baya Weaver |
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| Black-necked Stork |
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| Brahminy Kite |
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| Chital |
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| Marshals Iora |
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| Greater Sandplover |
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| Eurasian Hoopoe |
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| Hoopoe and Orange-breasted Pigeon |
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| Indian Pitta |
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| Indian Pitta |
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| Intermediate Egret |
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| Kentish Plover |
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| Lesser Adjutant |
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| Lesser Sandplovers |
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| Lesser Whistling Duck |
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| Malabar Pied Hornbill |
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| Malabar Pied Hornbill |
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| Marsh Sandpiper |
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| Orange Minivet |
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| Orange-breasted Pigeon |
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| Painted Stork |
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| Peacock |
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| Ruddy Mongoose |
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| Scaly-breasted Munia |
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| Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl (E) |
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| Sri Lanka Woodshrike (E) |
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| Striated Heron |
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| Toque Macaque |
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| Water Buffalo |
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| White-bellied Sea Eagle |
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| White-bellied Sea Eagle |
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| White-browed Fantail |
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| Wild Boar |
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| Yellow-Wattled Lapwing |
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| Zitting Cisticola |
Towards the end of the day it was apparent that a Leopard had been sited as all the jeeps were rushing towards a minor track we joined the queue and after a 40 minute wait we eventually got a sighting of one asleep in a tree. Unfortunately as the light was fading I was unable to get a photo.
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| Queuing for the Leopard. |
Tuesday 28th November, yes another early start and into jeeps again with a packed breakfast but this time we headed for Bundala Nature reserve an area of flooded wetland stuffed with birds and butterflies.
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| Bundala Wetland |
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| Cinnamon Bittern |
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| Black-crowned Night Heron |
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| Blue-tailed Bee-eater |
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| Blue-tailed Bee-eater |
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| Blythe's Reed Warbler |
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| Brahminy Starling |
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| Butterfly sp |
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| Butterfly sp |
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| Crested Honey Buzzard |
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| Crested Honey Buzzard |
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| Greater Thick-knee |
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| Grey-headed Swamphen |
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| Hoopoe |
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| Indian Darter |
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| Indian Roller |
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| Indian Thick-knee |
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| Mugger Crocodile |
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| Osprey |
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| Paradise Flycatcher |
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| Pin-tailed Snipe |
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| Purple-faced Langur (E) |
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| Red Wattled Lapwing |
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| Rosy Starling |
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| Stork-billed Kingfisher |
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| Streaked Weaver |
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| Striated Heron |
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| Tricolored Munia |
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| White-breasted Waterhen |
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| Yellow Bittern |
Returning back to the hotel mid morning we stopped off to see the roosting Brown Fish Owl
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| Brown Fish Owl |
He never showed well despite looking at various angles. Packing our bags again and we set off to
Uda Walawe stopping for lunch at a restaurant on the way and arriving at the Centaur Hotel mid afternoon.
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| Centaur Hotel |
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| My Room |
Wednesday 29th, another early start at 5.45 am back into jeeps and we headed the short journey to \The Uda Walawe National Park. Once again we were treated to an assortment of birds, butterflies and mammals.
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| Asian Green Bee-eater |
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| Black-shouldered Kite |
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| Blue-faced Malkoha |
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| Blue-tailed Bee-eaters |
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| Butterflies |
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| Chestnut-headed Bee-eater |
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| Coppersmith Barbet |
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| Indian Elephant |
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| Indian Elephant |
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| Indian Robin |
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| Jerdon's Bushlark |
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| Jungle Cat |
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| Tiddles from No.22 |
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| Indian Peacock |
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| Peacock from behind! |
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| Red-backed Flameback |
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| Rose-ringed Parakeet |
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| Sri Lanka Junglefowl (E) (Jungle cat food) |
Mid morning we returned to the hotel to pack our bags once again before heading to the Sinharaja National Park. Stopping on the way at a road side restaurant for lunch.
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