Last evening I had the opportunity to visit a marshy land called “Ketha” in Ihala Bomiriya, Kaduwela. I went with Mervin & Amila who directed us to this location for birding. This location is identified by him for some birding with his clients. Within a short period of time we were able to see more than 35 species including some of the endemics. Our birding time was from 4.15 PM to 5.45 PM.
Some of the highlights of our birding are Red Rumped Swallow, Black Bittern, Pheasant Tailed jacana etc. Lots of nesting of purple heron was observed in this area. Yellow bittern, Purple heron, brown shrike, Blue tailed bee eaters, Striated heron, Plain prinia, Pied kingfisher, Common kingfisher, White throated Kingfisher, Lesser whistling duck, Little cormorant, Purple Swamphen, Spot billed pelican, Brahminy kite, Black winged stilt are some of the names to me mentioned I saw.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
FOGSL Forest Bird Flocks Study Workshop at Sinharaja from 20th March 2008 to 23rd March 2008
From 20th March 2008 to 23rd March 2008 I participated for the Forest Birds Flocks study workshop conducted by the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka led by Mr. Amila Salgado who is an experience birder. We were very lucky to see large number of species within few minutes after entering to the forest from the Kudawa entrance for the first time. We were able to see Sri Lanka Blue Magpie,Sri Lanka White faced starling,Sri Lanka Myna,SriLanka Wood Pigeon, Red faced malkoha,Crested Drongo, Indian Cuckoo, Malabar trogan,Orange billed babblers, Dark fronted babblers,Sri Lanka Junglefowl,Pale billed flowerpecker,Ashy headed laughing thrush, brown capped babblers,Sri Lanka Hanging parrot,Layard's Parakeets any many other bird species. In the second day we almost repeated the bird list what we saw on the first day itself.FOGSL President Mr. Rahula Perera also joined the group from 2nd day onwards. Evening I was trying to spot owls with Amila but with our hard luck we were not able to see any of those. In the Third day we walked up to the research centre & almost repeated the same bird list as we saw in the previous two days. Evening I met Ms.Brigitt who is from Canada at Martin's Lodge. She was a very keen birder & specially has come to Sinharaja to see red faced malkoha.I was able to show her the red faced malkoha while we were chatting at Martin's Lodge. She was very happy. Final day I was able to spot a Crested Serpent Eagle while I am coming back to the lodge. In conclusion this was a very good trip to enhance my birding experience. Also I was able to see many of the rare species with ample time of observing them.
Birding at Gallswayland National Park on 16th March 2008
Birding at Gallswayland Park was very interesting. Walking through the misty forest is always a great experience. While I was on a tour to McLarens Lodge NuwaraEliya I had the opportunity to go the Gallswayland Park with a boy from the Lodge. For the first time in my birding life I had the opportunity of observing a Brown Wood Owl with a short distance.Infact I identified the bird after consulting an experience birder who has over 19 years of birding experience. He is none of the other than Mr. Amila Salgado who was very kind to help me over the phone to identify the bird. Dull Blue flycatcher,Sri Lankan White eye,Sri Lanka Yellow Eared Bulbul, Dark fronted babbler are some of the birds I observed during my visit to the Gallswayland Park.