From Karen - on tour in Sri Lanka

13/3/2005

We were met by Uditha our bird guide at the airport - no worries! Good flights but all tired when we arrived. It is only 15 minutes to the Tamarind Tree Hotel. Also set in nice grounds. Even as I was waking up the sounds of the tropical morning filtered through to my room and got me up to explore a bit before breakfast. Crows, Barbets, Sunbirds etc. After a lovely breakfast of pawpaw and other tropical fruits plus curries and traditional American breakies we headed off. But not before photographing the cinnamon and cashew trees in the garden of the hotel.

We wended our way through the countryside, punctuated by small towns and villages. Coconut Plantations sometimes interspersed with pineapples, mahogany with second growth forest and lots of roadside activity. Our first stop to stretch and bird was beside a "Tank" basically a water reservoir. Here we spotted pygmy cormorant, pond herons, pheasant-tailed jacanas and a fantastic kingfisher called a stork-billed kingfisher. We made it to The Lodge (Bundala) by 1.00ish then had a lovely buffet lunch followed by a rest for some or a swim. At 3.30 we went to visit the Dumbella Temple Caves. They were really magnificent. These caves have been carved inside with Buddha's and date back to the 1st century BC. After that we headed off to go owling and nightjarring, and were rewarded with fly-overs of the long-tailed nightjar and great looks at the Oriental cops-owl in the torch light. Other highlights are large water monitors, enormous carp, domestic elephants etc.

Sri Lanka is a magnificent place - no introduced birds or mammals causing problems, delightful people and lovely scenery and wildlife.

15 March
We left the hotel at 8.30AM this morning after a short walk, wonderful views of garrulous Hill Mynas, also spotted an Otter in the hotel lake at Hunas Falls, Elkaduwa. After breakfast we went into Kandy, Sri Lanka's second largest city and the site of the most revered Buddhist site in the world, the Temple of the Tooth. Here a tooth of Buddha is housed in seven golden caskets. We visited the temple along with hundreds of Sri Lankans (one of the nicest aspects of visiting Sri Lanka is that tourists such as ourselves are very few and far between). We even glimpsed the golden caskets when the locked doors were opened periodically for devotees to file in and pray. A very moving experience and we felt very privileged that these gentle people are happy to share this special site with tourists who are non-Buddhists.

We also visited the famous Kandy Botanical Gardens, reputedly second only to London's Kew Gardens for their collections. These are magnificent tropical gardens have many native as well as introduced specimen trees, including the unusual and rare double coconut trees. There is a huge colony of Indian fruit bats. Then on to a tea factory for a tour and tea tasting before arriving at the mountain town of Nuwara Eliya and our old style accommodation, the colonial St Andrews Hotel. We were served a very late lunch at 4.00PM before scooting out to the local botanical gardens to bag four new birds - Forest Wagtail, Pied Thrush, Slaty-legged Crake and the gorgeous Red-breasted Kashmir Flycatcher. This was the first time we saw other birdwatchers - 3 Brits with their local guide. Back at the hotel we enjoyed a bottle of champers over our bird list to celebrate my birthday and a birthday cake 17 March 2005 (Day 7)
Staying at the very proper St Andrews Hotel at Nuwala Elyia (very much in the style of the Raj - high teas served in the garden etc). Nuwala Elyia is known as the Garden City or City of lights! It is situated high up on a plateau. Early start after tea at 4.30AM we wended our way through the mountains passing tea plantations and terraced vegetable gardens into the cloud forest - a very rare habitat in Sri Lanka with only 2% left. Sadly much has given way to tea, but now it is illegal to plant tea or cardamom above 3000ft.

We climbed high into the forest of the Horton Plains area with the lights of Adams Peak to our right and the Southern Cross to lead our way. Black-naped Hares scuttled off the road ahead in our headlights as we wound our way upwards. We arrived at our stop high amongst the Rhododendrons, tree ferns and Eugenia species. The temperature was still very cold (pre-dawn) and our guide Uditha was wrapped in coat, gloves and mittens. The rest of our group managed with a thermal top each, quite a shock after the tropical humid temperatures down by Sigiryia.

We waited for only about 10 minutes before Uditha signalled he had heard one of our main targets for the day the Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush. It was still very dark but getting lighter by the minute. We all peered intently into the dark forest where we could hear the bird calling. Uditha waved excitedly and suddenly it was there - a dark bird in a dark forest!!!! Well actually it was getting light and we could make out the shape as it hopped up onto a branch. We all got good looks at another male bird as well as the female. We wandered along the narrow road and were rewarded with close views of the Sri Lanka Bush Warbler and Sri Lanka White-eye. Over our picnic breakfast the spectacular Scarlet Minvet sat for us and we scoped great views of the Dull Blue Flycatcher (sad name for a beautiful little bird). After breakfast we continued our stroll amongst the cloud forest picking out several other birds including Dark-fronted Babbler, Large-billed Leaf Warbler and the Pied Bush Chat. Interspersed with the cloud forest are open grassy areas where a local bamboo species grows. Several Sambar deer are one of the items on the menu for the 15 resident Leopards and were found grazing quietly along the bush edge and we also spotted Sitting Cisticola and forest wagtail amongst the grasses.

Leaving the cloud forest we made another stop before heading back to the hotel for lunch and managed great views of Black-throated Munia and Paddyfield Pipit. Later on we visited another botanical garden a great place for enthusiastic birders/naturalists as animals and birds are often more habituated than in wild forest areas. We had magnificent views of the upland race of the Purple-faced Monkey, known as the Bear Monkey because of its shaggy coat. This race is likely to become a full species shortly – a feature of a number of races of birds as well. Watch this space for full species list including endemics to be at the end of the trip. We also spotted several Dusky Squirrels and after seeing the decidedly weird lizard the Leaf-nosed Lizard yesterday we were delighted to see its relative the Rhinoceros-horned Lizard along with a number of endemic frogs including Haplobacticus kirtisinghe. Perhaps the most colourful bird today was the endemic Sri Lankan Jungle Fowl (!) which we saw right out in the open strutting his stuff with a magnificent flame crest and iridescent royal blue tail – the Sri Lankan national bird, one to celebrate the fantastic wildlife and nature of Sri Lanka.

18 March 2005 YALA NATIONAL PARK SAFARI GAME DRIVE POST TSUNAMI
Arrived at Yala Village Resort on the south coast of Sri Lanka late yesterday afternoon and headed off straight away to look for the Brown Fish Owl. Driving past paddy fields and 'Tanks' we saw large numbers of water birds feeding very close to our bus. Marsh and Common Sandpipers, Black-legged Ibis, Open-billed Stork, Redshank, Pheasant-tailed Jacana as well as egrets - Little, Intermediate and Great, Indian Cormorant, Curlew Sandpiper, Spot-billed Pelican, Ruddy turnstone…. White-bellied Sea Eagles flew overhead and Indian Rollers were on the wires. We arrived at the appointed place in a nearby village and headed along a dirt track to a 'tank', Sri Lanka is well endowed with these tanks which have been established for centuries to manage water in dry areas for irrigation and more latterly also for hydro generation. The magnificent Stork-billed and White throated Kingfishers were seen here as well as Common Kingfisher. Lesser Whistling Ducks and Whiskered Terns were also among the birds on the tank.

Our guide Uditha took us to some coconut trees where we stood watching a Rose-ringed Parakeet standing at the entrance to a woodpecker hole. Then a laughing and helpful local woman pointed behind us and there on another coconut tree trunk was the family of the White-naped Woodpeckers with recently fledged juvenile we had come to see. We had fantastic views of this rare woodpecker as it clambered around the trunk in the bright afternoon sunlight. Leaving the woodpecker we headed to another local spot behind someone's house. The friendly family here showed us into their back yard - tall trees only a few metres from the edge of the tank. Here we finally spotted the magnificent Brown Fish Owl sitting quietly in the tree. Light was fading, the owl getting restless and it took off to a nearby tree where its mate was sitting. We had scoped great views of these birds before wandering back to the bus with bats buzzing by. En route back to Yala we stopped and wandered over some open sandy areas, the result of the Tsunami in December and were rewarded with views of both sitting and flying Indian nightjars.

19 March
Up early for a game drive in the park. After picking up our entrance tickets we headed into the park. Immediately we stopped at a water hole brimming with water birds, again many of them close enough for good views with just bins. Little Stint, Red and Greenshank, Little and Great Sand Plovers, the gorgeous Painted Stork and many more. Wild boar were everywhere as well as 'domestic' water buffalo (we saw real wild water buffalo later) as well as a couple of lone male elephants. We had previously seen the Ruddy and Brown Mongoose but were lucky enough to see the Stripe-necked Mongoose a much rarer animal busy digging for insects and a Land Monitor lizard. We saw a number of the local crocodiles both small and large. Some of the stand-out species were the White-rumped Charmer (a flycatcher with a long beautiful tail), Blue-faced Malkoha and the Malabar Pied Hornbill and Painted Stork. After a picnic breakfast by the river we strolled beside the river looking at Sloth Bear scat and footprints and had great views of the Black-capped Kingfisher and glimpses of the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. Spotted Deer were also quite common alongside the tracks and a few Sambar deer familiar to some of us kiwis. The Common Hoopoe was another exciting first for us on this trip. Although we missed seeing a Leopard this day we are hopeful we will see one tomorrow.

Meantime check out our bird list from today:
Little Grebe, Little Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Oriental Darter, Spot-billed Pelican, Lesser Whistling Duck, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Painted Stork, Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Brahminy Kite, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Indian Peafowl, Barred Buttonquail, White-breasted Waterhen, Purple Swamphen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Stint, Great Thicknee, Black-winged stilt, Small Pratincole, Pacific golden plover, little ringed plover, Kentish plover, lesser sand plover, greater sand plover, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Rock Dove, Emerald Dove, Orange-brown Pigeon, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Green Imperieal Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Pied Cuckoo, Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Asian Koel, Blue-faced Malkoha, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Little Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Brown-headed Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Rufous Woodpecker (heard), Sikeer Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Brown Fish-owl, Crested Treeswift, Indian Swiftlet, Asian Palm Swift, Little Swift, Eurasian Kingfisher, Black-rumped Flameback, Indian Pitta, White-browed Fantail, Black-naped Mondarch, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Ashy Drongo, White-bellied Drongo, House Crow, Large-billed Crow, Common Jora, Black-hooded Oriole, Small Minivet, Brown Shrike, Common Woodshrike, Brahminy Starling, Common Myna, Oriental Magpie Robin, White-rumped Shama, Indian Robin, Barn Swallow, Red-vented Bulbul, White-browed Bulbul, Plain Prinia, Common Tailorbird, Tawny-bellied Babbler, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Rufous-winged Bush-lark, House Sparrow, Scaly-breasted Munia, Forest Wagtail, Paddyfield Pipit, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Purple-rumped Sunbird and Purple Sunbird.

During the day also we visited the motel next door to our resort where our guide Uditha was staying when the Tsunami struck. He managed to get out and ran up the road about 300m before the wave took him. After being submerged three times he was able to ride the wave with his feet in front of him to prevent himself from being hit on the head by oncoming trees and building debris. We saw where he was deposited and the site where the large motel was completely wrecked boats and debris still lie everywhere, although Uditha says it will be rebuilt. Luckily the resort we are staying in now was protected by the sand dunes and came off unscathed. Inside the park there is evidence of coastal destruction including loss of mangroves and grasslands, but the wildlife is still as plentiful as ever and in time the coastal part will regenerate.

By coming to Sri Lanka and supporting tourism there we are helping to inject much needed cash into the economy to keep people employed and to provide resources for the rebuilding effort.

Friday 25th March

After three fantastic days at Yala National Park where we saw Leopard and large numbers of birds, we set off for Sinharaja Rainforest. Winding through hills and tea plantations climbing to towards the rainforest it began to rain. On arrival at the Forest headquarters we unloaded from our comfortable air-conditioned bus into a jeep for the last section of the trip to Martin's Simple Lodge. We bumped along the track peering out through the plastic sides of the jeep into the rainforest. The road consisted of hand laid rocks providing a secure although rough trip up. By the time we arrived at Martin's the rain had stopped and we stepped into the basic open lounge/dining area overlooking the forest.

Martin the lodge owner was also extremely knowledgeable about the trees in the forest and pointed out several of the trees we could see - tall forest giants of the Dipterocarpaceae family dominated the skyline, and families that we recognized from NZ such as the family Euphorbiaceae and genus Syzigium containing our hinau, emphasizing their Deccan-Gondwana ancestry.

We were still outside the park here, so after an early breakfast next morning we gathered together to head into the forest, sporting our new leach socks, provided by Jetwing. These socks are made of light canvas and are worn inside the boots and tied tightly below the knee. After spraying our boots and legs with insect repellent we headed up the road to the edge of the forest park. The track was wide enough for a small vehicle and very smooth, making wandering along peering up into the forest easy. Early morning is the best time to observe rainforest birds as they are waking up and announcing their presence to all their neighbors and looking for their first meal of the day.

Light was starting to seep into the forest when our guide Uditha pointed excitedly along the track. Peering into the gloom we saw a thrush-like bird hopping around on the ground. We crept closer and were able to observe two shy Spot-winged Thrush as they hopped around gathering their breakfast. Heading further into the forest park itself Uditha pointed out two lizard species which live in the forest. A Kangaroo Lizard froze as we bent down for a close look at its long legs. Catching another lizard clinging to a tree gave us the chance to see the Hump-nosed Lizard change colour to bright green as Uditha held it next to a bright green leaf. Gently placing the lizard back on its tree we sent in search of more birds. We spotted another thrush the Scaly Thrush which also works the lower strata of the forest. We heard Jungle Fowl around us and several times spotted them running across the track. The elusive Spur-winged Fowl was also heard calling and we stopped several times to scan the forest below the track. We were joined by another local forest guide Thandula. Both our guides were extremely skillful at imitating the calls of the birds.

Freshwater fish abound in the streams living off invertebrates that fall into the streams. We also saw catfish and freshwater crayfish scooting along the bottom of the clear water.

After stopping for a rest at the forest research station, we continued into the forest crossing small streams on stones. Then Thandula called Blue Magpie, looking up we saw a large blue and chestnut coloured bird with a very long white tail and orange legs and bill. Carefully aiming the scope into the lower canopy we could get even better views of this magnificent bird. Two of them stayed around and soon we realized they were in the process of building a nest only about 10 feet up in a tree. Soon after our guides said they could hear a feeding flock not too far away so we headed in that direction. These flocks are famous for their large numbers of species, and up to 50 or so is not uncommon. We stood on the edge of one of these flocks, a great way to see a variety of birds, Orange-billed Babblers moved through noisily with Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush, below the gorgeous Malabar Trogon its bright orange breast and belly easy to spot in the subcanopy. Woodpeckers too were seen including the Black-rumped Flameback and the Lesser Yellownape. We also glimpsed the Red-faced Malkoha, deep in the forest. Other species we saw in the flock included Yellow-browed Bulbul, Blue Magpie, Layards Parakeet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Paradise Flycatcher, Spot-winged Thrush and Crested Drongo.

Uditha explained over dinner that each bird species (and in some cases mammals - we also saw the Giant Squirrel) seems to play a role in the dynamics of the feeding flock. This flock has been studied since 1981 and the dynamics are quite well understood. Some of the species we saw had leg bands to assist in studying these birds. The drongos go in front to lead and to spot for danger in the form of raptors and snakes. They can also mimic alarm calls of other birds to echo the danger to the group. The babblers drive the flock and keep it centred by constant chattering birds moving out to feed can return easily to the flock.

After dinner we went on a nocturnal walk to look for owls and frogmouths and had wonderful views of the tiny Sri Lankan Frogmouth sitting on a vine above the track. Scanning across an open grassy area we could see barking deer in the spot-light.

Next day we added several more birds to our flock species and also got much better views of the elusive Red-faced Malkoha a huge bird with red facial skin white breast and long tail. Other highlights were the Green-billed Coucal and the spectacular Chestnut-winged Cuckoo. We also watched a small troupe of the rainforest form of the Purple-faced leaf Monkey - its white rump distinguishing it from the other subspecies. Again this sub-species will soon be classified as a full species. Our best count for a single flock was 17 species.

We had heard the endemic Sri Lankan Hornbill. However, Thandula said he had seen a male near a possible nest hole that morning, so we headed back down the track. Things were starting to steam up as the day wore on a bit. Eventually we stopped beside a stream and looked across to a large tree with a big notch in it. As soon as we sat down to wait Thandula whispered 'Hornbill'. We stood up and stepped back into the shadow of the forest so as not to disturb the bird. Lacking the cylindrical cask on top of the bill of some hornbills the Sri Lankan bird still has a large bill - creamy yellow, with red eye, pale underside and black and white tail. Aiming the scope at the hole we watched the male hop along to the top side of his hole then bend down with a berry in his large bill, deliver it to the waiting female inside. Altogether we counted 52 berries regurgitated from his crop and delivered to the trapped female. Inside she will have lost her primaries, tail feathers and a patch on her belly to sit on her eggs. She and her young will rely for the next 2 months on the male delivering food to their tree-top hideaway. What a treat to observe not just our last Sri Lankan endemic bird but also one of the most unusual modes of supporting your family in the bird world.

--Karen Baird
Wadawada, Sri Lanka