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A Report from birdtours.co.uk

Sri Lanka, November/December 2003 ,

Jan Vermeulen

CONTENTS

General Information
References
Itinerary (summary)
Sites

* Kelani Forest Reserve
* Uda Walawe National Park
* Sinharaja Forest Reserve
* Tissamaharama
* Yala National Park
* Bundala National Park
* Nuwara Eliya
* Horton Plains National Park
* Kandy
 

Daily Log
Systematic List of Birds
Systematic List of Mammals 

GENERALINFORMATION

This trip report records the birds seen on a 16 days trip in November/December 2003 to Sri Lanka.

Luc Bekaert, Mark van Beirs, Staf & Jos Elzermans, Vital van Gorp and Eric Wille, all birders I know for many years, accompanied me.

Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. Not only does Sri Lanka have a diverse avifauna but, after two millennia of Buddhist-inspired regard for wildlife, many birds are tame and approachable, whilst even large mammals, including Asiatic Elephants, survive in numbers in spite of a burgeoning human population.

About 435 species have been recorded and in addition to the resident birds a considerable number of migrant species spend more than six months in Sri Lanka to escape the winter in their breeding grounds.

Sri Lanka supports 233 resident species of which the most important are the 24 endemics and a further 17 species which are only shared with India.

Sri Lankan endemics:

Ceylon Spurfowl,
Ceylon Junglefowl
Ceylon Wood-Pigeon
Layard’s Parakeet
Ceylon Hanging-Parrot
Red-faced Malkoha
Green-billed Coucal
Serendib Scops-Owl
Chestnut-backed Owlet
Ceylon Grey Hornbill
Yellow-fronted Barbet Yellow-eared Bulbul
Ceylon Whistling Thrush Spot-winged Thrush
Ceylon Bush-Warbler
Dull-blue Flycatcher
Ashy-headed Laughingthrush
Brown-capped Babbler
Orange-billed Babbler
White-throated Flowerpecker
Ceylon White-eye
Ceylon Magpie
Ceylon Myna
White-faced Starling

With luck and good planning it is possible to see 23 of the 24 endemics (Serendib Scops-Owl is a problem) in 10 days, but I recommend 14 days if you wish to include waterbirds and shorebirds sites. We stayed 16 days in Sri Lanka, because there was no other possibility to book flights with Royal Jordanian Airlines.

FLIGHT AND VISA

We booked our flight from Amsterdam to Colombo for € 660 with Royal Jordanian Airlines. We travelled to Sri Lanka via Amman. The flying time was roughly 4½ hours to Amman, a 75 minutes stop and then 6 hours on to Sri Lanka. The flights were punctual and trouble free. The time difference with the Netherlands was five hours.

A permit valid for a less than 31 days stay is issued free on arrival at the airport, otherwise you do need a visa for Sri Lanka.

Be sure to reconfirm your flight at least 72 hours before departure. When you're leaving Sri Lanka, you are required to pay a departure tax of 1500 Rupees.

TOUR SERVICE

If you plan to visit Sri Lanka you just need to contact Baur & Co who have been running tours here for many years at very reasonable cost. The Baurs driver will be a birder/driver who knows all the sites and the important endemic stakeouts.

Our guide was W.P.B. Abeydeera, who was good and very helpful. Abeydeera picked us up from the airport and without having to waste filling paper work etc. we started our birding trip. Baur charged us a price of US$850 per person for a 16 days trip and we had to pay this when we arrived at Colombo.

This price included:

* Arrival/Departure transfers + tour in an air-conditioned vehicle with English speaking birdwatching driver/guide.
* Accommodation on half board basis during entire programme.
* All entrance fees, tipping and porterage.
* Jeep services where applicable.

MONEY

The official currency of Sri Lanka is the Rupee. Take travelling cheques with you or cash. The exchange rate at the airport was 9400 Rs to US$100. The best place to change money is the airport on the way in out of the country. In most of the hotels you can pay by credit card.

ACCOMMODATION

Hotels were arranged by A. Baur & Co. (Travel) Ltd. and were in general clean and good. All hotels had air-conditioning and hot showers in the rooms.

FOOD AND DRINK

Many birdwatchers rule out third world destinations as options for holidays fearing strange food, language barriers, sickness, bugs, and galore and intense heat. They needn’t have any such reservations about Sri Lanka however.

Bottled mineral water you can buy nearly everywhere; stick to this and bottled soft drinks or Lion beer (630cl).

The food is generally good and inexpensive.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Theft is really not a problem in Sri Lanka unless you are careless. The people in Sri Lanka are very friendly, easy going and helpful. They smile and greet you and almost without exception respond to a greeting or smile. They have no objection to birdwatchers on their land, just don’t trample crops and treat their land with respect.

For vaccinations consult your own doctor for up to date advice. Generally you should be immunised or “topped up” against hepatitis A and B, Tetanus, Typhoid and Polio. In addition to this you are recommended to take Malaria tablets.

We did not suffer much from the mosquitoes, only in our hotel rooms were sometimes a few mosquitoes.

We had virtually no health problems, the only real nuisance being loads of leeches in Kelani Forest Reserve. Leeches are a real pest and you can pick them up not just in the forest but also in damp grass, often when you least expect it. Although there is no complete answer to the problem, as precaution wear long trousers tucked securely into your socks, use “leech” socks and spray insect repellent liberally on your clothing and shoes! If they do get on to you, you can simply flick or pull them off. They don't leave their head in you or cause infections.

LANGUAGE

English is a widespread lingua franca and the first language for many educated people. Nearly everywhere English will get you through.

WEATHER

Sri Lanka has a typically tropical climate and it is hot and humid year-around. Any period between October to late April or early May is best for visiting birders.  Most birders visit Sri Lanka between November and March, when northern migrants such as Pied Thrush, Kashmir Flycatcher and Indian Pitta are wintering, but in January, February and March it can be wet at this time of year, especially in the south-west.

We visited the country in the ‘dry’ season, but even then we had quite a few days with a few hours rain, the rest of the day was warm and sunny, except at Horton Plains NP where it was cold and windy.

EQUIPMENT

A small tape recorder and the bird call sets of the Sri Lankan endemics is useful for drawing in birds. Our guide to had tapes of the endemics and they are absolutely essential, without these some species (Ceylon Spurfowl, Ceylon Whistling-Thrush, Green-billed Coucal) will not be seen.

A good torch is a must. A telescope is useful at lakes and very useful for viewing canopy species especially from roadsides. Photography is NOT difficult, as birds are easy to approach and light conditions are good.

TRANSPORT AND ROADS

Road conditions in Sri Lanka vary, but are generally reasonable, though barely wide enough for passing cows and wandering people. Although distances are very small the roads are slow to drive.

The driving is entertaining unless you are the nervous type. Drivers use the horn the entire time even when the road is empty. The custom seems to be hoot and let the world know you are there.

NOMENCLATURE & TAXONOMY

Many Sri Lankan birds have two or more English names, which stems from history and the close proximity of India and Salim Ali’s version of things. I have decided to follow the English names of James F. Clements (Birds of the World, A Check List, Fifth Edition, 2000, including updates May 2000 - December 2003).

COMMON BIRDSPECIES

The following list of birds we saw frequently and if you spend any sort of time in the right habitats you will too:

Little Cormorant, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Asian Openbill, Lesser Whistling-Duck, Indian Peafowl, White-breasted Waterhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, Red-wattled Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Whiskered Tern, Spotted Dove, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Ceylon Hanging-Parrot, Greater Coucal, Indian Swiftlet, Little Swift, White-throated Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Barn Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Oriental Pipit, Red-vented Bulbul, Common Tailorbird, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Babbler, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Brown Shrike, White-bellied Drongo, House Crow, Large-billed Crow, Common Myna, House Sparrow and Nutmeg Mannikin.

For a detailed report of species and numbers please refer to the systematic list at the end of this report.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to Abeydeera for being a very helpful and good guide during the whole trip.

REFERENCES

BOOKS

John Harrison. A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka.
James F. Clements. Birds of the World. A Check List.
Ronald Grimmett, Carol Inskipp, Tim Inskipp. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent
Michael Walters. Complete Checklist. Vogels van de Wereld.
Nigel Wheatley. Where to watch birds in Asia.

REPORTS AND ARTICLES

M.A. Beevers. Sri Lanka (in comfort) January 30th to December 20th 1996.
Henk Hendriks. Sri Lanka 22 December 1995 – 7 January 1996.
Eddie Myers. Sri Lanka 4th to 26th November 1992.
Barry Reed. Sri Lanka 27th December 1999 – 7th January 2000.
David van den Schoor. A report on the birds seen during a trip to Sri Lanka from 23 December till 7 January 2001.
Moira and Graeme Wallace. Sri Lanka 8-23 November 2001.

SOFTWARE

BIRDBASE & BIRDAREA

I use this software to keep track of the birds I have seen and to make lists of any country, labelling endemics and birds previously seen in that country, outside it, or both. BirdArea can produce checklists of the birds of any country of Clements’ world birds.

USEFUL ADRESSES


A. Baur & Co. (Travel) Ltd.
Bird-watching, Adventure and Wildlife Service
No. 5, Upper Chatham Street
P.O. Box No 11
Colombo-1/Sri Lanka
Tel No. 0094-1-3220551-6
0094-1-448822/448087
Fax No : 0094-1-448493
E-mail : tourism@baurs.com
Website : www.baurs.com

ITINERARY

November 19  Chaam * Amsterdam * Amman * Colombo
November 20  Colombo * Bodhinagala (Ingiriya Forest Reserve) * Kitulgala (Kelani Forest Reserve)
November 21  Kelani Forest Reserve
November 22  Kelani Forest Reserve * Ratnapura * Gilimale Forest * Ratnapura
November 23  Ratnapura * Sinharaja Forest Reserve
November 24  Sinharaja Forest Reserve                                                                                         
November 25  Sinharaja Forest Reserve * Embilipitiya (Chandrika Lake)
November 26  Embilipitiya * Uda Walawe National Park * Tissamaharama
November 27  Tissamaharama * Yala National Park *Tissa Tanks * Bundala National Park * Tissamaharama
November 28  Tissamaharama * Bundala National Park * Yala National Park * Tissamaharama
November 29  Tissamaharama * Lunugamwehera Reservoir * Yala National Park * Tissamaharama
November 30  Tissamaharama * Surrey Tea Estate * Nuwara Eliya (Victoria Park)
December 1     Nuwara Eliya * Horton Plains * Nuwara Eliya (Victoria Park & nearby forest)
December 2     Nuwara Eliya * Horton Plains * Nuwara Eliya * Kandy (Royal Botanical Gardens)
December 3     Kandy (Uda Watakele Nature Reserve) * Kitulgala
December 4     Kelani Forest Reserve
December 5     Kitulgala * Bellanwila Attidiya Sanctuary * Colombo
December 6     Colombo * Amman * Amsterdam * Chaam

THE MAIN SITES

KELANI FOREST RESERVE (KITULGALA)

This remnant lowland forest on the banks of the Kelani River supports many of the lowland endemics. The forest contains many of the same endemics found at Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

It was here that “Bridge on the River Kwai” was filmed.

We stayed at the Kitulgala Rest House.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Little Cormorant, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Brahminy Kite, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Black Eagle, Ceylon Spurfowl, White-breasted Waterhen, Common Sandpiper, Spotted Dove, Emerald Dove, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Plum-headed Parakeet, Layard’s Parakeet, Ceylon Hanging-Parrot, Asian Drongo-Cuckoo, Greater Coucal, Green-billed Coucal, Chestnut-backedOwlet, Ceylon Frogmouth, Indian Swiftlet, Asian Palm-Swift, Little Swift, Common Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Brown-headed Barbet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Lesser Yellownape, Black-rumped Flameback, Indian Pitta, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Black-crested Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Blue-winged Leafbird, Common Iora, Spot-winged Thrush, Zitting Cisticola, Grey-breasted Prinia, Ashy Prinia, Plain Prinia, Common Tailorbird, Large-billed Leaf-Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie-Robin, White-browed Fantail, Black-naped Monarch, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Brown-capped Babbler, Indian Scimitar-Babbler, Dark-fronted Babbler, Orange-billed Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Long-billed Sunbird, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Oriental White-eye, Black-hooded Oriole, Brown Shrike, White-bellied Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Large-billed Crow, Southern Hill Myna, Common Myna, White-rumped Munia, Nutmeg Mannikin.

SINHARAJA FOREST RESERVE

Sinharaja, Sri Lanka’s last major remaining area of tropical wet lowland forest, which was declared a World Heritage site in 1988, is arguably the best site in Sri Lanka for it harbours 19 out of the 24 endemics. This reserve contains some of the few remaining sizeable tracts of undisturbed lowland rainforest. Much of the birdwatching is done in the area where once selective logging was carried out.

Birding at Sinharaja essentially means walking along the road to the research station. There are a few trails into the forest the final 1km along the main road. Be prepared for leeches in this forest.

We stayed at the newly opened Blue Magpie “Lodge”, better than Martin’s according to Abeydeera. You have to take your own food with you and the staff will prepare the meals for you.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Cattle Egret, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Ceylon Spurfowl, Ceylon Junglefowl, Barred Buttonquail, White-breasted Waterhen, Spotted Dove, Emerald Dove, Pompadour Green-Pigeon, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Plum-headed Parakeet, Ceylon Hanging-Parrot, Red-faced Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Green-billed Coucal, Chestnut-backedOwlet, Ceylon Frogmouth, Indian Swiftlet, Asian Palm-Swift, Malabar Trogon, White-throated Kingfisher, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Brown-headed Barbet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Lesser Yellownape, Indian Pitta, Barn Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Black-crested Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Blue-winged Leafbird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Common Iora, Spot-winged Thrush, Common Tailorbird, Plain Prinia, Greenish Warbler, Large-billed Leaf-Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Indian Blue Robin, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Indian Robin, White-browed Fantail, Black-naped Monarch, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Ashy-headed Laughingthrush, Indian Scimitar-Babbler, Dark-fronted Babbler, Orange-billed Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Purple-rumped Sunbird, White-throated Flowerpecker, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Oriental White-eye, Black-hooded Oriole, Brown Shrike, White-bellied Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Ceylon Magpie, Large-billed Crow, Ceylon Myna, Common Myna, White-faced Starling, White-rumped Munia, Black-throated Munia, Nutmeg Mannikin.

UDA WALAWE NATIONAL PARK

This is another dry zone area, which is the catchment of a very large man made reservoir. A mixture of abandoned teak plantation, grassland, scrubland and some riverine forests. This is a really birdy place and the open habitat allows for great viewing. It reminded me of my many open jeep trips in Africa with its gently rolling grassland dotted with small bushes and trees.
We stayed at the Centauria Hotel along the Chandrika Lake at Embilipitiya.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Spot-billed Pelican, Indian Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Darter, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Woolly-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Black-shouldered Kite, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Pallid Harrier, Shikra, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Indian Peafowl, Barred Buttonquail, White-breasted Waterhen, Black-winged Stilt, Wood Sandpiper, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Spotted Dove, Emerald Dove, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Yellow-footed Pigeon, Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Pied Cuckoo, Blue-faced Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Indian Swiftlet, Asian Palm-Swift, Crested Treeswift, Common Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Brown-headed Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Coppersmith, Brown-capped Woodpecker, Greater Flameback, Indian Pitta, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Forest Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Oriental Pipit, Small Minivet, Red-vented Bulbul, Zitting Cisticola, Grey-breasted Prinia, Ashy Prinia, Plain Prinia, Blyth’s Reed-Warbler, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Indian Robin, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Great Tit, Long-billed Sunbird, Brown Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Large-billed Crow, Baya Weaver, White-throated Munia, Black-headed Munia.

TISSAMAHARAMA

The village of Tissamaharama (Tissa) is famous for its large tanks (man made lakes) and ancient domed dagoba (Buddhist shrine). Tissamaharama acts as a base from which to access the surrounding areas in particular the Tissa Tanks, Yala National Park and Bundala National Park.

We stayed at the Priyankara Hotel.

TISSA TANKS

In the neighbourhood of Tissa are 5 large reservoirs or tanks surrounded by paddy fields. We spent a few hours around these lily-covered lakes and the best birding place was the Lunugamwehera Reservoir with its surroundings, where we spotted a Long-billed Plover in a group of Little Ringed Plovers on a stony riverbed and a Slaty-legged Crake in the reed.

Around the Tissa Tanks you can expect to see numerous waterbirds and also you have a good chance of seeing White-naped Woodpecker in the nearby coconut palms.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Little Grebe, Spot-billed Pelican, Indian Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Darter, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow Bittern, Black Bittern, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Lesser Whistling-Duck, Eurasian Teal, Black-shouldered Kite, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Slaty-legged Crake, White-breasted Waterhen, Purple Swamphen, Common Moorhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, Great Thicknee, Red-wattled Lapwing, Pacific Golden-Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Long-billed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Snowy Plover, Mongolian Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Brown-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Lesser Crested-Tern, Great Crested-Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Spotted Dove, Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Pied Cuckoo, Sirkeer Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Indian Scops-Owl, Little Swift, Crested Treeswift, Common Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Brown-headed Barbet, White-naped Woodpecker, Indian Pitta, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Oriental Pipit, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Red-vented Bulbul, Zitting Cisticola, Ashy Prinia, Plain Prinia, Common Tailorbird, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Indian Robin, White-browed Fantail, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Brown Shrike, House Crow, Large-billed Crow, White-rumped Munia, Black-headed Munia.

YALA NATIONAL PARK

The vast Yala National Park in the ‘dry zone’ is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka, comprising scrubland, extensive open areas of grassland, tracts of jungle enriched by the presence of high, windswept coastal dunes, lagoons, rocky outcrops with water-holes, swamps and ribbons of gallery forest along the rivers.

Access is by park jeep and the jeep must be covered which can be somewhat frustrating.

Yala is also home to many mammals including Hanuman Langur, Wild Boar, Sambar, Chital and Asiatic Elephant.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Spot-billed Pelican, Indian Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Darter, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Lesser Whistling-Duck, Garganey, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Besra, Black Eagle, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Ceylon Junglefowl, Indian Peafowl, Barred Buttonquail, White-breasted Waterhen, Purple Swamphen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, Great Thicknee, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Pacific Golden-Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Snowy Plover, Mongolian Plover, Pintail Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Little Stint, Temminck’s Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Brown-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Oriental Turtle-Dove, Spotted Dove, Emerald Dove, Orange-breasted Pigeon, Pompadour Green-Pigeon, Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Pied Cuckoo, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Asian Drongo-Cuckoo, Asian Koel, Blue-faced Malkoha, Sirkeer Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Brown Fish-Owl, Jungle Owlet, Jerdon’s Nightjar, Indian Nightjar, Indian Swiftlet, Little Swift, Crested Treeswift, Common Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Malabar Pied-Hornbill, Brown-headed Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Greater Flameback, Indian Pitta, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Forest Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Oriental Pipit, Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike, Small Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Red-vented Bulbul, White-browed Bulbul, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Common Iora, Orange-headed Thrush, Spot-winged Thrush, Zitting Cisticola, Plain Prinia, Blyth’s Reed-Warbler, Common Tailorbird, Greenish Warbler, White-rumped Shama, Indian Robin, White-browed Fantail, Black-naped Monarch, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Tawny-bellied Babbler, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Purple Sunbird, Long-billed Sunbird, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Black-hooded Oriole, Brown Shrike, Common Woodshrike, Fork-tailed Drongo, Large-billed Crow, Brahminy Starling, Baya Weaver, White-rumped Munia, Nutmeg Mannikin, Black-headed Munia.

BUNDALA NATIONAL PARK

Bundala National Park is perhaps the most important wetland in Sri Lanka for both resident and migrant birds.

This sanctuary is a Ramsar Site and is situated in the dry zone and cut off from the Indian Ocean by a wide beach and fringing dunes. The park is a mixture of dry semi-evergreen forest, scrub jungle, wetland habitat with shallow water holes. The whole area is teeming with hordes of waders. The sandy roads on the edge of the reserve hold Indian Nightjar and the recently split Jerdon’s Nightjar. It is also a site where Small Pratincoles breed, although we did not see them.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Spot-billed Pelican, Indian Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Darter, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow Bittern, Black Bittern, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Lesser Whistling-Duck, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Brahminy Kite, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, Shikra, Ceylon Junglefowl, Indian Peafowl, White-breasted Waterhen, Purple Swamphen, Common Moorhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, Eurasian Thicknee, Great Thicknee, Red-wattled Lapwing, Pacific Golden-Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover, Mongolian Plover, Greater Sandplover, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Brown-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Lesser Crested-Tern, Great Crested-Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Spotted Dove, Orange-breasted Pigeon, Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Pied Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Asian Koel, Blue-faced Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Jerdon’s Nightjar, Indian Nightjar, Indian Swiftlet, Crested Treeswift, Common Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Indian Pitta, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Barn Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Oriental Pipit, Red-vented Bulbul, White-browed Bulbul, Common Iora, Zitting Cisticola, Plain Prinia, Jungle Prinia, Blyth’s Reed-Warbler, Clamorous Reed-Warbler, Common Tailorbird, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Indian Robin, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Tawny-bellied Babbler, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Purple Sunbird, Long-billed Sunbird, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Brown Shrike, Large-billed Crow, Rosy Starling, Baya Weaver, Black-headed Munia.

NUWARA ELIYA AREA

This small town proclaims it self to be the Garden City of Sri Lanka and is situated at 1900 m in the heart of Sri Lanka's hill country and tea-growing region. This old hill resort acts as a base for several sites.

All of the montane endemics can be seen in the remnant forests in and near the town, as well as Pied Thrush and Kashmir Flycatcher.

We stayed at the Rock Hotel.

VICTORIA PARK & NEARBY MONTANE FOREST

Victoria Park, a large urban park, is situated in the centre of Nuwara Eliya and is a winter stopover for Pied Thrush, Indian Pitta, Indian Blue Robin and Kashmir Flycatcher. We also visited a montane forest only a few kilometres from the town, which held good mixed flocks including Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Yellow-eared Bulbul and Ceylon White-eye.

The best place for the Pied Thrush was inside Victoria Park near the main entrance on the left-hand side after entering, in the largest clump of bamboo.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Little Grebe, Purple Heron, White-breasted Waterhen, Spotted Dove, Greater Coucal, Black-rumped Flameback, Indian Pitta, Forest Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Red-vented Bulbul, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Pied Thrush, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Common Tailorbird, Greenish Warbler, Kashmir Flycatcher, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Indian Blue Robin, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Indian Scimitar-Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Great Tit, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Long-billed Sunbird, Ceylon White-eye, Brown Shrike, Large-billed Crow, Nutmeg Mannikin.

SURREY TEA ESTATE
16 kilometres south-east of Nuwara Eliya, just east of Welimada, is the Surrey Tea Estate, the best site for the Ceylon Wood-Pigeon. The owner of this private estate allows birders to visit the remnant forest around the house, which also hold Brown Wood-Owl and Yellow-eared Bulbul.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Ceylon Wood-Pigeon, Brown Wood-Owl, Brown-headed Barbet, Black-rumped Flameback, Grey Wagtail, Small Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Babbler, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Oriental White-eye, Southern Hill Myna, Great Tit.

HORTON PLAINS NATIONAL PARK

A highland plateau comprising of dense, cloud-wreathed montane forest where the stunted trees are hung with lichen and epiphytes, and grassland. Famous among the birders for the highland endemics like Ceylon Wood-Pigeon, Dull-blue Flycatcher, Ceylon Bush-Warbler, Yellow-eared Bulbul and the prime attraction, the most elusive crepuscular Ceylon Whistling-Thrush.

The best place for the Ceylon Whistling-Thrush is a long thin pool on the right-hand side of the road at a large billboard of a leopard, near the entrance of the park. We saw the bird a few times at dawn and we also did see here the Ceylon Bush-Warbler.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Black-shouldered Kite, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Besra, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Eurasian Buzzard, Ceylon Junglefowl, Common Sandpiper, Ceylon Wood-Pigeon, Brown Wood-Owl, Indian Swiftlet, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, Hill Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Oriental Pipit, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Ceylon Whistling-Thrush, Ceylon Bush-Warbler, Blyth’s Reed-Warbler, Booted Warbler, Common Tailorbird, Greenish Warbler, Large-billed Leaf-Warbler, Dull-blue Flycatcher, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Indian Blue Robin, Pied Bushchat, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Indian Scimitar-Babbler, Dark-fronted Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Great Tit, Ceylon White-eye, Brown Shrike, Nutmeg Mannikin.

KANDY

We visited the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens and the Uda Watakele Nature Reserve, behind the Temple of the Tooth, in the ancient capital of Kandy. The Uda Watakele Sanctuary is a particularly good area for seeing Parakeets, Crimson-fronted Barbet and if we you are lucky Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. We were not lucky.

We stayed at the Queens Hotel in the centre of the town.

Birds seen in Kandy here during our trip:

Spot-billed Pelican, Indian Cormorant, Little Egret, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Brahminy Kite, White-breasted Waterhen, Spotted Dove, Emerald Dove, Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Plum-headed Parakeet, Ceylon Hanging-Parrot, Asian Koel, Greater Coucal, Little Swift, Common Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Brown-headed Barbet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Greater Flameback, Indian Pitta, Barn Swallow, Forest Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Scarlet Minivet, Red-vented Bulbul, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Common Tailorbird, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Tickell’s Blue-Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie-Robin, White-rumped Shama. Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Brown-capped Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Long-billed Sunbird, Oriental White-eye, Black-hooded Oriole, Brown Shrike, White-bellied Drongo, House Crow, Southern Hill Myna.

DAILY LOG

Wednesday/Thursday 19th/20th November

Our trip started with a Royal Jordanian flight from Amsterdam via Amman to Sri Lanka. Eric and Staf had to stay in Holland, because their passports had expiring dates of less than 6 months! We landed at Colombo airport around 5.45 a.m. local time (5 hours time difference with the Netherlands).

Colombo airport was fairly quick to get through. Abeydeera, our driver/guide, and Perry from the office met us on our arrival.

We paid for our trip and then headed to Bodhinagala for a quick visit to Ingiriya Forest Reserve.

 We spent only two hours here to find our main target the Green-billed Coucal. We failed miserably, only hearing the bird, but were not able to locate the bird.

However we had good looks at our first endemic, a very obliging Spot-winged Thrush. Amongst the other birds seen here were Brown-headed Barbet, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Black-naped Monarch, a white male Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Dark-fronted Babbler and Yellow-billed Babbler. We eventually said goodbye to the reserve, which had proved not very rewarding for us.

Heading on, we were introduced to paddyfields and associated bird species. Blue-tailed Bee-eaters sat on the wires - sites they shared with White-breasted Kingfishers. Then there were a host of herons and egrets, usually Indian Pond-Herons, Cattle and Little, with the larger Great Egret also being seen from time to time.

We then set off on the two hours drive to Kitulgala, where we dropped our luggage at the Kitulgala Resthouse. Our hotel overlooked the Kelani River, where “The Bridge on the River Kwai” was filmed all those years ago.

After a late lunch and time to settle-in, Abeydeera took us across the Kelani River in the dug-out canoe that acted as a very frequent ferry service.

We spent the late afternoon in the vicinity of the small village on the other side of the river and this area held amongst others Green Imperial-Pigeon, Ceylon Hanging-Parrot, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Scarlet Minivet, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Black-hooded Oriole and a pair of Southern Hill Mynas. Jos & Luc were loaded with leeches when we returned to the resthouse.

Friday 21st November

After an early breakfast we drove a short distance and crossed the river by a footbridge. We spent all morning walking the trails in the vicinity of the little villages along the Kelani River.

We soon found our first endemic, 2 Brown-capped Babblers, as they furtively flitted from one side of a bush to another in response to Abeydeera’s playback giving great views. We had good views of many species through the scope and amongst them were a number of endemics including Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Orange-billed Babbler and best of all a very obliging Chestnut-backed Owlet staring back down at us.

Other birds we encountered in the more open areas were Emerald Dove, Indian Swiftlet, a superb Indian Pitta, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, the local race of the Black-crested Bulbul - ‘Black-headed Yellow Bulbul’, Ashy Prinia, Dark-fronted Babbler, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Pale-billed Flowerpecker and flight views of 2 Layard’s Parakeets.

By now we were all hungry and returned by canoe to our hotel for lunch. We now had a couple of hours to rest and relax, as we did not intend going out birding again until 3 p.m.

We returned to the other side of the river and made a stroll in the rainforest. We did not see many new birds, amongst them were soaring Crested Serpent-Eagles and Black Eagles, Spot-winged Thrush, Large-billed Leaf-Warbler and a group of noisy Indian Scimitar-Babblers.
We stayed till it was dark and tried to tape the Ceylon Frogmouth, but we did not hear the bird. However Abeydeera heard the Serendib Scops-Owl and Mark managed to record the soft frog-like call of this recently discovered new species.

We stayed till 20.00 in the forest, but failed to lure the bird in, no wonder because we later found out that it was a frog!

A bit disappointed we made the long walk via the footbridge to our car and then returned to the rest house.

Saturday 22nd November

Breakfast was at 6.30 a.m. and we went over the river again. Scanning from the banks, we had Little Cormorant, several Green Imperial-Pigeons and 2 Stork-billed Kingfishers on the wires.

We spent all morning in the rainforest trying to find the Ceylon Spurfowl, but we failed miserably. We again heard the Green-billed Coucal and had a few Layard’s Parakeets fly through the trees.

After lunch we headed to Ratnapura, where Staf and Eric were waiting for us at the Ratnaloka Hotel. The late afternoon we spent on the terrace of the hotel and did a little birding.
Quite a variety of bird frequented the garden of the hotel amongst them Plum-headed Parakeet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Black-rumped Flameback, Indian Pitta, Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike, Grey-breasted Prinia, White-browed Fantail and Ashy Woodswallow, the only one of the trip, whilst overhead we saw Brahminy Kite.

Jos, Vital and I were feeling a little under the weather (the rice and curry?) so decided to stay at the hotel while the rest of our group headed to Gilimale Forest for the Ceylon Frogmouth. Having seen the Frogmouth already in Goa I did not mind.

As it turned out they did see the Ceylon Frogmouth very well and was chosen as bird of the trip! Of course I suspect, because the three of us were in bed at the time.

Sunday 23rd November

We had a very early start this morning in order to get to Sinharaja, so we met in the restaurant at 4.15 for breakfast and a coffee and tea. At 7 o'clock we arrived at the new Blue Magpie Lodge and here Mark discovered a male White-throated Flowerpecker in the top of a tree and we also saw a few Pompadour Green-Pigeons in the treetops.

We then boarded our Land Rover, which took us up a steep, rocky trail to the entrance to the reserve. On our way to the reserve we surprised a pair of Barred Buttonquails on the road. Entering the reserve, we had not gone 300 metres before we found a male Malabar Trogon.

Not much later we had marvellous views of our first Red-faced Malkoha, in my opinion the best bird of the trip.

In the neighbourhood of the Research Station we encountered our first feeding flock. The star birds were a group of Ashy-headed Laughingthrushes that played hide and seek in amongst the tangle of vines and creepers before shooting out and diving into the next patch of thick vegetation. With a little perseverance we got some really great views of these birds.

We had lunch at the Research Station and after a short siesta we walked back up the track searching for feeding flocks.

We found a lot of birds, but most of them were the same ones already seen at Kitulgala. Amongst the birds seen were Ceylon Hanging-Parrot, Green-billed Coucal (heard), a few Malabar Trogons, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Lesser Yellownape, Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike, Blue-winged Leafbird, Spot-winged Thrush, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Indian Scimitar-Babbler, Dark-fronted Babbler, Greater Racket-tailed (Crested) Drongo. On our way back we heard a Ceylon Spurfowl in a ravine, but of course did no see this devil-bird.

Non-avian highlights included a Green Whipsnake and an Indian land Monitor. When it was almost dark we returned to our lodge, where we had dinner and a few beers.

Monday 24th November

Early next morning we were before dawn at the entrance of the reserve, where we had a good chance to see the Ceylon Magpie according to Abeydeera. He was right of course and within a quarter of an hour we had great views of a group of very noisy Ceylon Magpies.

We then slowly walked into the reserve and after 100 metres we saw  a male Ceylon Junglefowl walk across the track right in front of us. We followed the track and again began to explore the excellent forest. We ‘scoped Red-faced Malkoha, Malabar Trogon, Indian Scimitar-Babbler, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and White-faced Starling.

We had to take a side-track to have good views of the elusive Ceylon Myna and also saw our first Velvet-fronted Nuthatches here. On our way back to the entrance we tried for more than an hour to get good views of two skulking Green-billed Coucals, but we only managed to get a flight view.

In the afternoon it rained like hell and we only could bird in the vicinity of the lodge, where we did not see anything special.

Tuesday 25th November

The following day took us back to a spot on the edge of Sinharaja, where we tried to find that elusive devil-bird, the Sri Lanka Spurfowl. Abeydeera played the tape and after a short while the birds came racing in and offered us a brief view.

We made another walk in this area and found the nest of a pair of Black-throated Munias, as it turned out the only ones of the trip.

In the afternoon we headed to Embilipitiya and checked into the Centauria Hotel along Chandrika Lake.

The lake was a hive of activity and held a wealth of birds amongst them Spot-billed Pelican, Indian Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Darter, Purple Heron, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night Herons and Asian Openbills roosting in a distant tree, Black-headed Ibis, Osprey, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Pied Kingfisher and in the garden we saw amongst others Alexandrine Parakeet, Asian Koel, Brown-headed Barbet and Long-billed Sunbird.

The swimming pool at our hotel was a welcome relief from the heat and the dust for some of us.

Wednesday 26th November

We set off very early the following morning to Uda Walawe National Park. We quickly boarded our open jeep and set off into the park, which is very reminiscent of Africa with its gently rolling grassland dotted with small bushes and trees.

The long grass held big flocks of Black-headed Munias and lots of prinias and we saw Ashy and Plain Prinias in quick succession, whilst overhead there were a few Crested Treeswifts.

Blue-tailed Bee-eaters and Brown Shrikes were quite prominent along the drive, but our first Asiatic Elephant was quite unobtrusive in the tall grass. Like on the plains in Africa we saw many raptors amongst them the quite common Black-shouldered Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, Pallid Harrier, Shikra, Changeable Hawk-Eagle.

Other birds of note were Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon, Pied Cuckoo, Blue-faced Malkoha, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Malabar Pied-Hornbill, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Forest Wagtail, Yellow-eyed Babbler and Blyth’s Reed-Warbler.

A single Long-tailed Shrike perched in the top of a bush was also a welcome find being a scarce winter visitor to Sri Lanka.

The 'mammal' element of birding in this reserve was of course not absent and we did see Jungle Cat, Asiatic Elephant, Water Buffalo and Spotted Deer.

In the afternoon we left the reserve and headed to the coast. We made many stops and inland we did see amongst others Eurasian Thicknee, Plaintive Cuckoo, Blue-faced Malkoha and near Tissa at a private house a pair of Indian Scops-Owls in a hole of their nesting tree.

Stopping to check the wader flocks on the way to Tissamaharama we found amongst many other waders Terek Sandpiper, Sanderling, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Ruff while closer to our hotel we found a beautiful White-naped Woodpecker in a grove of palm trees and a Black Bittern in a marshy area.

We arrived at 18.00 hours at the Pryankara Hotel in Tissamaharama.

Thursday 27th November

At 5.30 we headed to Yala National Park. At the ranger station we saw a pair of Yellow-crowned Woodpeckers and hereafter we quickly boarded our jeep and made our way into the reserve. Unfortunately the jeep had a canvass roof and we had to peer out the sides – which we soon got used to. We followed the main track and drove by some small lakes where we had Spot-billed Pelicans, many herons and egrets, Painted Storks, the stately Black-necked Stork, Great Thicknees, Yellow-wattled Lapwings and flocks of Pacific Golden Plovers, Mongolian Plovers, Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, as well as the usual Common and Marsh Sandpipers.

Then we had a small flock of 6 Brahminy Starlings feeding in an open grassy area, whilst a few Small-billed Minivets flew into a group of trees right next to us. As we drove along there were several more stops for some really close birds, including a pair of incredibly obliging Indian Pitta hopping along the road right in front of us, Orange-breasted Pigeons, Sri Lanka Junglefowls, Pied Cuckoos, Rufous-winged Bushlarks, White-browed Bulbuls and Tawny-bellied Babblers.

There were several bouts of rain, but not sufficient to spoil an excellent morning’s birding.

Highlight of the morning for some of us was when Luc found a huge Brown Fish-Owl at its daytime roost. Mark set the scope up and we took turns to view the bird.

We returned to the hotel for lunch and went out again later in the afternoon to some saltpans near Bundala National Park.

En route we made a stop at a tank to look for bitterns. We spent some time here, seeing 7 Yellow Bitterns, 3 Black Bitterns, many Purple Swamphens, White-breasted Waterhens and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas. However, we did not find the Watercocks.

We ended our day at the entrance of Bundala, where we had good views of Jerdon’s Nightjar and Indian Nightjar, a single Jungle Prinia and also had huge flocks of Rosy Starlings flying over to their roosting site.

Friday 28th November

Next morning again found us at Bundala NP. Unfortunately it started to rain just as we were planning to set out, so we had to wait a while before we boarded our open jeep. The tracks in the park were very muddy and we found ourselves surrounded by dense thickets and bushes. Occasionally the vegetation would open out and we kept scanning the tops of the bushes for any birds. Amongst the most noteworthy birds we saw were Yellow & Black Bittern, Eurasian Thicknee, Pied Cuckoo, Blue-faced Malkoha, Crested Treeswift, Oriental Pipit, Common Iora, Clamorous Reed-Warbler and Baya Weaver.

Eventually at the far end of some lagoons we arrived at a small pit of sandy beach and were able to have a little walk to stretch our legs. Here we came upon a large group of roosting terns. Here we picked out a few Common Terns amongst the commoner Gull-billed, Caspian, Lesser and Greater Crested-Terns, Little, Whiskered and White-winged Terns.

There were also lots of waders as well and carefully checking of the flocks produced the common Mongolian Plover, and there were also Curlew Sandpipers, a Broad-billed Sandpiper, Little Stints, plus 4 Brown-headed Gulls.

On our way back to the Park HQ we had a close encounter with a stubborn Asiatic Elephant and it took quite some time before we were able to drive on, although I thought it was absolutely irresponsible from our driver to do it.

In the late afternoon we headed to another part of Yala NP. A stroll in this part of the park provided some good birding including sights of Barred Buttonquail, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Malabar Pied-Hornbill, Greater Flameback, White-rumped Shama and Black-hooded Oriole and we heard the Jungle Owlet.

Saturday 29th November

An early start the following day ensured that we were very early at a different area of Tissa’s tank, the Lunugamwehera Reservoir. We spent some time on the dike and managed to scope a very wet Sirkeer Malkoha sitting on a wire.

We then headed to a marshy area near the reserve and here we made a short stroll. Amongst the many Little Ringed Plovers Staf managed to locate a vagrant for Sri Lanka, Long-billed Plover. Staf also discovered a Slaty-legged Crake in the dense streamside vegetation. Other birds we encountered in the rain here were Eurasian and Great Thicknee and groups of Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Larks.

In the late afternoon we headed another time to Yala, although to a different area and amongst the most noteworthy birds seen were Oriental Turtle-Dove, Asian Drongo-Cuckoo, large numbers of Forest Wagtails flying to their roosting site, Orange-headed Thrush, a male White-rumped Shama lured into view by playback and Common Woodshrike.

Sunday 30th November

It was largely a travelling day today, but with time for birding en route and still arrive in time at Nuwara Eliya.

The road north passed through Yala National Park, where thick bush and scattered large trees provided some superb birding.

We made a few stops here noting the same species as we had seen the previous days.

En route to Nuwara Eliya we made a stop at the Surrey Tea Estate, where we spent almost two hours. In this block of former tea land that has been allowed to grow wild over several decades we had good views of the endemic Ceylon Wood-Pigeon, Brown Wood Owl, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, the endemic Yellow-eared Bulbul, Great Tit and Southern Hill Myna.

We then drove to Nuwara Eliya, where we checked into Hotel The Rock.

In the late afternoon we visited Victoria Park, where we easily found the Pied Thrush and Indian Blue Robin, superb migrants from the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, but failed to find the Kashmir Flycatcher, because it rained cats and dogs the last hour of the day.

Monday 1st December

At 4.30 we left our hotel and the break of dawn found us standing alongside a small pool high on the Horton Plains, the only reliable site in Sri Lanka for one of the island’s most elusive endemics, the Ceylon Whistling-Thrush.

We played the tape and most of us saw the real prize of our visit to this region as it sat calling on a roadside branch, which unfortunately only gave a tantalisingly brief glimpse to me.

In addition to the Whistling-Thrush a number of other species were seen well near the pool including Yellow-eared Bulbul, Ceylon Bush-Warbler playing hide and seek in the bushes along the pool, Booted Warbler, the bright-green race of Greenish Warbler, Large-billed Leaf-Warbler, Indian Scimitar-Babbler and Ceylon White-eye.

Overhead we watched soaring Mountain Hawk-Eagles and Eurasian Buzzards, while obliging Ceylon Junglefowls and Pied Bushchats were found along the road. We also saw a large group of Sambars on the extensive grasslands of the plateau.

When we headed back to Nuwara Eliya we made a stop at the railway station of Pattipola, a known site for the Hill Swallow and low and behold there it was sitting on a utility cable leading to a house.

After our lunch we spent a few hours in a nearby elfin forest searching for the Dull-blue Flycatcher, but searched to no avail. Amongst the birds we encountered in this mountain forest were Black-rumped Flameback, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Greenish Warbler, Indian Scimitar-Babbler, Great Tit, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Ceylon White-eye.

The last hour of the day we spent at Victoria Park and were rewarded by great views of a female Kashmir Flycatcher.

Tuesday 2nd December

Next morning we again positioned ourselves in the pre-dawn along the pool and I finally got a decent look of a male Ceylon Whistling-Thrush. Luc found a Hippolais warbler by the pond below. It was probably a Booted or Sykes’, but disappeared before it could be positively identified.

We then slowly headed back to Nuwara Eliya searching for our last target bird here and were rewarded with a pair of Dull-blue Flycatchers.

Our journey from Nuwara Eliya down to Kandy from the high country meandered through another thousands bends as we passed hillside after hillside of tea plantations along Sri Lanka’s intestinal roads. En route we called in at a tea factory to buy some tea. We then continued to Kandy, home of traditional Sri Lankan culture and famous for the temple that houses a sacred tooth rescued from the Buddha's funeral pyre.

We checked into the Queens Hotel in the centre of town and had lunch at McDonald's. In the late afternoon we visited the splendid Royal Botanical Gardens that contained a surprising number of birds and a large colony of Flying Foxes.

Amongst the birds seen here were Spot-billed Pelican, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Ceylon Hanging-Parrot, Asian Koel, Little Swift, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Forest Wagtail, Scarlet Minivet, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Tickell's Blue-Flycatcher, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Oriental White-eye and Black-hooded Oriole.

Wednesday 3rd December

After an early breakfast we visited the nearby Uda Watakele National Park, a reserve just outside the city. We arrived soon after first light as the dawn chorus rang through the forest around a small lake. There was a pair of Stork-billed Kingfishers by the lake and a Common Kingfisher. In the forest was Plum-headed Parakeet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, White-rumped Shama and another bird that we hadn’t seen for a while - Brown-capped.

Also seen were Greater Flameback, Forest Wagtail, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Asian Paradise Flycatcher and Southern Hill-Myna. However we searched in vain for the Black-backed Kingfisher.

Hereafter we headed to Kitulgala and around midday we arrived at this reserve and of course again booked rooms at the Kitulgala Resthouse.

After lunch and time to settle-in, we crossed the river again in the outrigger canoe. We took a birdwalk in the forest and saw a good variety of birds amongst them Oriental Honey-buzzard, Ceylon Junglefowl, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Green-billed Coucal (heard), Greater Coucal, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Black Bulbul, Black-hooded Oriole.

Perhaps the highlight of the day was the Chestnut-backed Owlet who showed itself very well.

We spent two hours in the dark in the forest searching in vain for Serendib Scops-Owl and Ceylon Frogmouth.

Thursday 4th December

Early next morning Abeydeera brought us to another spot on this side of the river, where he thought he had heard the Green-billed Coucal the previous day. Within five minutes after our arrival we heard a Green-billed Coucal in a tangle of creepers and other vegetation. After a patient wait a pair eventually appeared to give good views through the scope – not an easy bird to see well!

We were close to the end of the trip and this was our last endemic – one, which had given us so much trouble to see it.

The rest of the day we spent in the forest, but did not see any new ones for the trip list.

Friday 5th December

The trip now almost over, we spent the final morning birding at Kitulgala again. We walked along the trails encountering a rich variety of birds along the way, but of course the same ones as we had seen before.

We then travelled back to Colombo with a last stop at the Bellanwila Attidiya Sanctuary a few kilometres south of the capital.

Amongst the most noteworthy birds we saw there were Spot-billed Pelican, Yellow Bittern, Shikra, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, but not the Watercock Luc hoped for.

We did some shopping in Colombo and then headed to a hotel in the vicinity of the airport, en route adding the final addition to our trip list: the Black Kite.

We spent the last night in Sri Lanka at the Hotel Siromeduna.

Saturday 6th December

At 4.00 a.m. we left our hotel and headed to the airport for our Royal Jordanian Airlines flight to Amsterdam.

We left Sri Lanka at 7.00 and returned to The Netherlands via Amman at Schiphol airport at 16.30 and home for 18.30.


We had wonderful views of almost all-possible endemics and only dipped the Serendib Scops-Owl.

The final total for the 16 days trip was 246 species of birds and it certainly was not a die-hard birding trip. I finished the trip with 36 lifers.

My ten best birds of the trip? Slaty-legged Crake, Long-billed Plover, Sirkeer Malkoha, Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Ceylon Whistling-Thrush. Pied Thrush, Kashmir Flycatcher and Ceylon Magpie, lifers all of course, but not all endemics.

Chaam, 28 January 2004

If you need any help or further information, contact me at the following address and I'll try and help if I can!

Jan Vermeulen
Bredaseweg 14
4861 AH Chaam
The Netherlands
Telephone: (031) – 161 – 491327
E-mail:              jem.vermeulen@wxs.nl
Web:                http://home.planet.nl/~verme860

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