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| A Report from birdtours.co.uk |
SRI LANKA 27th December 1999-7th January 2000,
Itinerary:
| 27/12/99 | early a.m. arrival Colombo, mid a.m. onwards Bodhinagala |
| 28/12/99 | a.m. Bodhinagala p.m. Sinharaja |
| 29/12/99 | Sinharaja |
| 30/12/99 | Sinharaja |
| 31/12/99 | a.m. Sinharaja p.m. Tissamaharama & Bundala |
| 01/01/00 | Yala |
| 02/01/00 | a.m. Yala p.m. Hakgala |
| 03/01/00 | a.m. Horton Plains p.m. Victoria Park |
| 04/01/00 | a.m. Hakgala Botanical Gardens midday Labookellie Tea Centre p.m. Kitulgala |
| 05/01/00 | Kitulgala |
| 06/01/00 | a.m. Kitulgala p.m. Colombo |
| 07/01/00 | early a.m. flight to UK via Doha |
LITTLE GREBE 1 Colombo-Bodhinagala, 1 Yala.
SPOT-BILLED PELICAN c.35 in the Tissamaharama-Bundala-Yala area.
LITTLE CORMORANT Small numbers Bodhinagala, Bundala, Yala, Nurewa Eliya & Kitulgala.
INDIAN CORMORANT 30 Bundala, 20 Yala.
ORIENTAL DARTER 15 Yala.
PURPLE HERON 3 Colombo-Bodhinagala, 1 Bundala, 1 Yala.
GREY HERON 40+ Tissamaharama-Bundala-Yala area.
INTERMEDIATE EGRET 25+ Tissamaharama-Yala area plus a few roadside sightings.
GREAT EGRET 20 Bundala, 5 Yala, 1 Kitulgala-Colombo.
LITTLE EGRET 1 Bodhinagala-Sinharaja, 50+ Tissamaharama-Bundala-Yala area, 1 or 2 Kitulgala, 5 Kitulgala-Colombo.
CATTLE EGRET Common.
INDIAN POND HERON Fairly common throughout, especially numerous in the Tissamaharama-Bundala-Yala area.
PAINTED STORK 30+ Bundala-Tissamaharama-Yala.
ASIAN OPENBILL 3 Colombo-Bodhinagala, 10 Tissamaharama-Yala area.
WOOLY-NECKED STORK 2 Tissamaharama-Nurewa Eliya.
BLACK-NECKED STORK 2 Yala NP.
BLACK-HEADED IBIS c.40 Tissamaharama-Yala area.
EURASIAN SPOONBILL 20 Bundala, 40 Yala, 20 Tissamaharama.
GREATER FLAMINGO 500 Bundala.
LESSER WHISTLING-DUCK 60+ Bundala-Tissamaharama-Yala area.
GARGANEY 20 Bundala, 100 Yala.
ORIENTAL HONEY-BUZZARD 1 Bodhinagala, 3 Sinharaja, 2 Yala.
COMMON BUZZARD 1 Horton Plains, 1 near Labookellie Tea Centre.
BRAHMINY KITE 1 Colombo, 1 Bodhinagala, 3 Bundala, 8 Yala.
RUFOUS-BELLIED EAGLE 1 displaying Bodhinagala.
BESRA 1 Sinharaja. 3 distant Accipiter sp. Kitulgala may have been this species.
BLACK-WINGED KITE 1 Bundala, 2 Horton Plains.
CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE 1 Bodhinagala, 1 Sinharaja-Tissamaharama, 1 Kitulgala-Colombo.
BLACK EAGLE 1 Sinharaja, 1 Sinharaja-Tissamaharama, 1 Kitulgala.
MOUNTAIN HAWK-EAGLE Prolonged views of a distant perched bird Kitulgala. It caused something of a commotion amongst the locals who declared it a "Devil Bird". Apparently if the Devil Bird calls at night then someone is going to die.
CHANGEABLE HAWK-EAGLE 1 Yala NP.
WHITE-BELLIED FISH EAGLE 1 Sinharaja-Tissamaharama, 3 Yala.
GREY-HEADED FISH EAGLE 1 perched Yala NP.
BOOTED EAGLE 1 pale phase Yala.
COMMON KESTREL 4 Yala, 2 Horton Plains, 1 Nurewa Eliya.
QUAIL sp. 1 flushed Kitulgala.
BARRED BUTTONQUAIL Superb views of 2 males in beak to beak combat Yala NP.
SRI LANKA SPURFOWL 1♀ Kitulgala. Small numbers heard Sinharaja & Kitulgala but proved devilishly hard to see. Only succeeded at the 11th hour using a poor quality field recording that seemed to provoke a greater response than the pre-recorded tape.
SRI LANKA JUNGLEFOWL 10 sightings Sinharaja (doubtless some repetition here), 4 Yala NP, 1 Horton Plains. A nice bird, not at all shy.
INDIAN PEAFOWL 3 Bundala, 30 Yala.
WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN Few Colombo-Bodhinagala, Tissamaharama, Bundala, Yala, Nurewa Eliya & Kitulgala.
COMMON MOORHEN 1 Tissamaharama.
PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA c.50 breeding plumaged birds Tissamaharama-Bundala-Yala area.
BLACK-WINGED STILT 40 Tissamaharama-Bundala area, c.1000 Yala. Like many of the waders at Yala the majority were on pans outside the National Park itself, on the way back to Tissamaharama.
EURASIAN THICK-KNEE 4 Yala.
GREAT THICK-KNEE 3 Bundala, 2 Yala.
ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE 10 Tissamaharama.
YELLOW-WATTLED LAPWING 2 Bundala, 5 Yala.
RED-WATTLED LAPWING 2 Bodhinagala, c.40 Tissamaharama-Bundala-Yala area.
PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER 4 Bundala, 5 Yala.
GREY PLOVER 3 Bundala, 80 Yala.
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER 2 Tissamaharama.
KENTISH PLOVER 10 Bundala, 20 Yala.
MONGOLIAN PLOVER 300 Bundala, 10 Yala.
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT 30 Yala.
COMMON REDSHANK 1 Bundala.
MARSH SANDPIPER 50 Bundala, 50 Yala.
COMMON GREENSHANK 1 Bundala, 10 Yala.
GREEN SANDPIPER 1 Victoria Park.
WOOD SANDPIPER 1 Bundala, 3 Yala.
COMMON SANDPIPER 10 Bundala, 20 Yala, 5 Victoria Park, 2 Kitulgala.
RUDDY TURNSTONE 3 Bundala, 3 Yala.
CURLEW SANDPIPER 4 Bundala, c.1000 Yala.
LITTLE STINT 15 Bundala, 200 Yala.
RUFF 3 Yala.
COMMON BLACK-HEADED GULL 1 Yala.
GULL-BILLED TERN 3 Bundala, 30 Yala.
CASPIAN TERN 1 Bundala, 10 Yala.
GREAT CRESTED TERN 40 Yala.
WHISKERED TERN 1 Colombo-Bodhinagala, c.80 Tissamaharama-Bundala-Yala area.
WHITE-WINGED TERN c.6 Bundala-Tissamaharama-Yala area.
LITTLE TERN 40+ Bundala-Tissamaharama-Yala area, Saunder's Tern was not eliminated.
FERAL PIGEON Common enough, an apparently tree nesting group of wild-type birds was noted Yala NP.
SRI LANKA WOODPIGEON 1 perched Hakgala Botanical Gardens, also 4 untickable fly-overs Horton Plains.
SPOTTED DOVE Common everywhere except pure forest, particularly common Yala.
EMERALD DOVE 1 Bodhinagala, 1 Sinharaja, 9 Kitulgala, an endemic race robinsoni.
ORANGE-BREASTED GREEN PIGEON 4 Bundala, 25 Yala.
POMPADOUR GREEN PIGEON 3 Yala, 2 Kitulgala.
GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON Regular in small numbers Sinharaja, Yala & Kitulgala.
SRI LANKA HANGING PARROT Regular fly-overs whizzing by at Bodhinagala, Sinharaja & Kitulgala, rather fewer seen perched.
ALEXANDRINE PARAKEET 1 Bodhinagala, 1 Yala.
ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET 2 Bodhinagala, 20 Bundala, 90+ Yala.
LAYARD'S PARAKEET 10 Sinharaja, 7 Kitulgala.
RED-FACED MALKOHA 2 Sinharaja, a stunning endemic.
BLUE-FACED MALKOHA 6 Yala, typically flying across the road & disappearing into cover. This was Steve's bogie bird for some time, though he got one eventually.
SIRKEER MALKOHA 2 Yala NP.
GREEN-BILLED COUCAL 2 Sinharaja. An extremely shy bird, the first one flew onto a lightly vegetated cutting & made it's way 40 yards to the nearest tree without ever showing properly (bill colour not seen). Had to "go in" for superior views of a second bird.
GREATER COUCAL 1 Bodhinagala, 1 Bodhinagala-Sinharaja, 1 Yala, a few others heard.
ASIAN KOEL 5+ Yala, also heard Kitulgala.
PIED CUCKOO 6 Yala.
GREY-BELLIED CUCKOO 1 Bundala, 5 Yala. Sometimes treated as a subspecies of Plaintive Cuckoo.
COLLARED SCOP'S OWL 1 at a regular daytime roost by the Citizen Rest near Bodhinagala.
[BROWN HAWK OWL] 1 heard Sinharaja.
CHESTNUT-BACKED OWLET 2 Sinharaja, 1 poorly at dusk & 1 nicely in the late afternoon.
SRI LANKA FROGMOUTH 3 seen Bodhinagala, a marvellous bird.
INDIAN NIGHTJAR 1 Bundala, 12 Yala.
JERDON'S NIGHTJAR 1 taped in close to the Safari Beach Hotel near the entrance to Yala NP.
GREY-RUMPED TREESWIFT 1 Bodhinagala, 150+ Tissamaharama-Bundala-Yala area.
ASIAN PALM SWIFT 3 Bundala, 3 Yala.
BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL 2 or 3 Sinharaja.
LITTLE SWIFT 1 Sinharaja-Tissamaharama, 2 Yala.
INDIAN SWIFTLET Fairly common Sinharaja, Nurewa Eliya & Kitulgala, with others seen en route.
MALABAR TROGON 2 Bodhinagala, 4 Sinharaja, 4 Kitulgala.
STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER Singles twice Kitulgala.
WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER Fairly common & widespread, most seen whilst travelling between sites.
COMMON KINGFISHER 1 Bodhinagala, 1 Tissamaharama, 2 Yala, 2 Kitulgala.
PIED KINGFISHER 3 Tissamaharama.
LITTLE GREEN BEE-EATER 100 Bundala, 150+ Yala.
CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER 3 Bundala, 1 Tissamaharama-Nurewa Eliya, 2 Nurewa Eliya, 5 Kitulgala, 2 Kitulgala-Colombo.
BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER Moderate numbers Bodhinagala, Sinharaja, Tissamaharama, Yala, Horton Plains & Colombo, also seen regularly en route between sites.
INDIAN ROLLER c.10 Tissamaharama-Yala area, 1 Colombo.
EURASIAN HOOPOE 1 Bundala, 7 Yala.
SRI LANKA GREY HORNBILL 3 or 4 Bodhinagala, 2 Sinharaja, 2 Yala, 1 Kitulgala.
MALABAR PIED HORNBILL 1♀ Yala NP.
COPPERSMITH BARBET 3 Yala NP.
CRIMSON-FRONTED BARBET 1 rubricapilla Yala NP, also heard Bodhinagala.
BROWN-HEADED BARBET 1 Yala NP, 1 Hakgala Botanical Gardens, 2 Kitulgala, 1 Colombo.
YELLOW-FRONTED BARBET 5 Sinharaja, 2 Yala, 1 Hakgala Botanical Gardens, 2 Kitulgala, many more heard.
YELLOW-CROWNED WOODPECKER 1 Yala NP.
LESSER YELLOWNAPE 2 Sinharaja, 1 Kitulgala.
BLACK-RUMPED FLAMEBACK Red-backed psarodes; 2 Bodhinagala, 1 Yala, 3 Kitulgala.
RUFOUS-WINGED LARK 1 Bundala, 30 Yala.
INDIAN PITTA 1 Bodhinagala, 2 Yala NP, 1 Victoria Park, 1 Kitulgala, about 5 others heard.
ASHY-CROWNED SPARROW LARK 20 Bundala, 40 Yala, 5 Horton Plains.
FOREST WAGTAIL 2 Victoria Park, 3 Kitulgala.
GREY WAGTAIL 1 Sinharaja, small numbers Hakgala, Horton Plains & Kitulgala. All birds showed extensive white areas on the smallest tertial.
PADDYFIELD PIPIT 2 Bundala, 40 Yala, 15 Horton Plains, 2 Hakgala.
BARN SWALLOW Fairly common & widespread, very common in the Bundala-Tissamaharama-Yala area.
HILL SWALLOW 3 Labookellie Tea Centre.
RED-RUMPED SWALLOW Red-breasted endemic hyperythra; 2 Bodhinagala, 10+ Yala, 2 Kitulgala. Pale-breasted migrant nipalensis/erythropygia; 10 Sinharaja-Tissamaharama.
COMMON WOODSHRIKE 4 Bundala, 1 Yala.
LARGE CUCKOOSHRIKE 2 each day Bodhinagala.
BLACK-HEADED CUCKOOSHRIKE 1♂ Yala NP.
BAR-WINGED FLYCATCHER-SHRIKE 2 Hakgala Botanical Gardens.
SMALL MINIVET 1 Sinharaja, 2 Sinharaja-Tissamaharama, 5 Bundala, 20 Yala, 3 Kitulgala.
SCARLET (FLAME) MINIVET 2 Bodhinagala, 5 Sinharaja, 1 Yala, 2 Horton Plains, 4 Hakgala Botanical Gardens, 5 Kitulgala.
BLACK-HEADED YELLOW BULBUL (BLACK-CRESTED BULBUL) Endemic melanicterus; 5+ Bodhinagala, 10+ Sinharaja, 1 Kitulgala.
RED-VENTED BULBUL Common, seen every day. Abundant Yala.
YELLOW-EARED BULBUL A most attractive Bulbul restricted to the highlands; 3 Hakgala Botanical Gardens, 15 Horton Plains.
WHITE-BROWED BULBUL 2 Sinharaja (outside the National Park), 2 Bundala, 2 Yala. This one's a trash padder.
YELLOW-BROWED BULBUL Another non-event of a bird; small numbers regularly Bodhinagala, Sinharaja & Kitulgala.
BLACK BULBUL Fairly numerous Sinharaja, Hakgala, Nurewa Eliya & Kitulgala.
COMMON IORA 4 Bundala, 3 Yala.
BLUE-WINGED (JERDON'S) LEAFBIRD 1 Sinharaja, 2 Yala.
GOLDEN-FRONTED LEAFBIRD 1 Sinharaja.
BROWN SHRIKE A fairly common non-forest bird seen more or less throughout, though commonest in the Yala area. Both cristatus & lucionensis regularly encountered.
INDIAN BLUE ROBIN 2♂♂ Sinharaja, 1♂ Kitulgala, also 1 seen very poorly in response to tape Victoria Park.
ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN Small numbers Yala, Victoria Park, Hakgala & Kitulgala, also several seen whilst travelling.
PIED BUSHCHAT 10 Horton Plains, 5 Nurewa Eliya.
BLACK-BACKED ROBIN 7 Bundala, 50+ Yala.
SRI LANKA WHISTLING THRUSH 1♂ seen well at dawn Horton Plains, more surprisingly a mid-afternoon ♀ Victoria Park.
PIED THRUSH 3♂♂ & 1♀ Victoria Park. A smart creature, I guess a Siberian Thrush x Spotted Forktail hybrid would look something like this.
SPOT-WINGED THRUSH 10 Sinharaja, 5 Kitulgala. A dinky little thing, seemed more Catharus than Zoothera.
SCALY THRUSH 1 endemic imbricata Sinharaja. One would think it is only a matter of time before this form is given specific status.
EURASIAN BLACKBIRD 1♀ kinnisii seen briefly Horton Plains.
BROWN-CAPPED BABBLER 1 Yala NP, 2 Kitulgala. Tape required both times.
INDIAN SCIMITAR BABBLER 3 Sinharaja, 2 Horton Plains, 2 Hakgala Botanical Gardens.
DARK-FRONTED BABBLER Fairly common Bodhinagala & Sinharaja, 30+ seen in total.
TAWNY-BELLIED BABBLER 3 Bundala, 3 Yala.
ORANGE-BILLED BABBLER Fairly common Sinharaja where it was the primary species in most bird parties, also 5 Kitulgala.
YELLOW-BILLED BABBLER Fairly common throughout, though avoiding primary forest.
ASHY-HEADED LAUGHINGTHRUSH 2 flocks of 5 Sinharaja. Somewhat recalls a giant Victorin's Warbler.
SRI LANKA BUSH WARBLER 3 Horton Plains.
BLYTH'S REED WARBLER 2 Sinharaja, 1 Bundala, 1 Kitulgala.
ZITTING CISTICOLA 10 Bundala, 1 Yala, 15 Horton Plains. An old favourite.
GREY-BREASTED PRINIA 2 Bundala, 1 Yala.
PLAIN PRINIA 2 Bundala, c.10 Yala.
JUNGLE PRINIA 1 or 2 Yala NP.
COMMON TAILORBIRD 3 Bundala, 4 Victoria Park, 1 Nurewa Eliya-Kitulgala, 2 Kitulgala.
BOOTED WARBLER 1 probable rama Sinharaja.
BRIGHT GREEN WARBLER 5 Bodhinagala, 5 Sinharaja, 5 Hakgala Botanical Gardens, 4 Horton Plains, 1 Victoria Park. Many others heard, especially at Sinharaja.
LARGE-BILLED LEAF WARBLER 7 Bodhinagala, 2 Sinharaja, 2 Hakgala Botanical Gardens.
KASHMIR FLYCATCHER 2 Victoria Park, 1 Hakgala Botanical Gardens.
DULL-BLUE FLYCATCHER c.7 apiece Hakgala Botanical Gardens & Horton Plains.
BROWN-BREASTED FLYCATCHER 3 Bodhinagala, 6 Sinharaja, 1 Kitulgala.
ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER 1 Bodhinagala, 2 Sinharaja.
TICKELL'S BLUE FLYCATCHER 2 Bodhinagala, 2 Kitulgala.
GREY-HEADED CANARY FLYCATCHER 1 Hakgala Botanical Gardens, 2 Horton Plains.
BLACK-NAPED MONARCH 3 Bodhinagala, 6 Sinharaja, 3 Kitulgala.
ASIAN PARADISE FLYCATCHER 4 Bodhinagala, c.15 Sinharaja, 1 Bundala, 1 Yala, 1 Victoria Park. White males were recorded from Bodhinagala, Sinharaja (1 only) & Victoria Park, rufous males predominated at Sinharaja.
WHITE-BROWED FANTAIL 1 Bundala, 3 Yala.
GREAT TIT Wishy-washy looking mahrattarum fairly common Hakgala, Horton Plains & Victoria Park.
VELVET-FRONTED NUTHATCH 5+ Hakgala Botanical Gardens, 3 Horton Plains.
PALE-BILLED FLOWERPECKER Small numbers Bodhinagala, Sinharaja, Yala, Horton Plains, Hakgala Botanical Gardens & Kitulgala.
THICK-BILLED FLOWERPECKER 4 Yala NP.
WHITE-THROATED FLOWERPECKER 3 Bodhinagala, c.8 Sinharaja, 3 Kitulgala.
PURPLE-RUMPED SUNBIRD Regularly seen Bodhinagala, Sinharaja, Bundala, Yala & Kitulgala.
LONG-BILLED SUNBIRD 2 Colombo-Bodhinagala, 1 Bundala, 5 Yala.
PURPLE SUNBIRD Fairly common Bundala & Yala.
ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE 1 Bodhinagala.
SRI LANKA WHITE-EYE Common Hakgala, Horton Plains & Victoria Park, 50+ seen in total.
WHITE-THROATED SILVERBILL 3 Bundala, c.15 Yala.
WHITE-RUMPED MUNIA 2 Bodhinagala, 1 Bodhinagala-Sinharaja.
SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA 2 Bodhinagala, 5 Sinharaja-Tissamaharama, 35 Yala, 1 Victoria Park, 1 Nurewa Eliya, 10 Kitulgala.
BLACK-THROATED MUNIA 4 kelaarti in the paddyfields at Kitulgala just a few minutes before we had to leave the site on the final day of the trip.
BLACK-HEADED MUNIA 10 tricoloured malacca in cultivation along the Northern edge of Yala NP.
HOUSE SPARROW Plentiful.
STREAKED WEAVER 5 at a roadside wetland immediately North of Yala NP.
BAYA WEAVER 20+ Yala. Both weaver species were in breeding condition.
BRAHMINY STARLING 3 Yala NP, a very attractive species.
ROSY STARLING 3 Bundala, 500+ Yala NP.
WHITE-FACED STARLING Groups of 7 & 2 Sinharaja.
SRI LANKA MYNA c.30 Sinharaja, 2 Kitulgala.
COMMON MYNA Fairly common in non-forested areas.
GREY (ASHY) DRONGO 1 dark plumaged longicaudatus Sinharaja.
GREATER RACKET-TAILED DRONGO Lyre-tailed lophorhinus fairly common Bodhinagala, Sinharaja & Kitulgala, a single racket-tailed ceylonicus Sinharaja.
WHITE-BELLIED DRONGO Moderate numbers Bodhinagala, Sinharaja & Kitulgala.
BLACK-HOODED ORIOLE Few Colombo, Bodhinagala, Sinharaja, Sinharaja-Tissamaharama, Yala & Kitulgala.
ASHY WOODSWALLOW 1 Bodhinagala, 3 Bodhinagala-Sinharaja, 1 Kitulgala.
SRI LANKA MAGPIE 4 Sinharaja, 2 Kitulgala.
HOUSE CROW Very common Colombo area, numerous Tissamaharama area.
LARGE-BILLED CROW Common.
Other Wildlife:
3 species of Monkey at various sites, an Otter sp. at Sinharaja, various Squirrels including some attractive Giant Squirrels, about 6 Indian Elephant & 30 Wild Boar at Yala NP, 30 Spotted Deer Yala, 5 Sambar Deer Horton Plains, a few Mongoose sp. & 2 Rabbits Yala. About 5 crocodiles Yala NP, a Cobra at Sinharaja & numerous tropical fish including Tiger Barbs at Kitulgala.
GREAT CORMORANT 5
WESTERN REEF HERON 1 light phase, 1 dark phase.
KESTREL 2 including 1 with jesses.
FALCON sp. A large Falcon, possibly a Saker, presumed to be a falconer's bird.
GREY FRANCOLIN 1
GREY PLOVER 1
WHIMBREL 1
COMMON SANDPIPER 2
BLACK-HEADED GULL 20
PONTIC GULL 10
HEUGLIN'S GULL 1
PALM DOVE 10
COLLARED DOVE 10
ZEBRA DOVE c.8
FERAL PIGEON 100+
ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET 1
COMMON KINGFISHER 1
WATER PIPIT 10
WHITE WAGTAIL 5
RED-VENTED BULBUL 1
WHITE-CHEEKED BULBUL 10
SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE 1
HOUSE SPARROW 5
COMMON MYNA 15
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