Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Camping in Sinharaja with a group of students from UK



A group of eleven students with two lecturers from UK led by Mr. Joss joined the camp site organized by the Eco Team on 24th October 2009 for a one night camping. Filled with full of fun they made this night remarkable by having dance with the light of camp fire and at the end of their dance there was a special request to Upali (the guide) present a Sri Lankan dance with Joss since he has been in Sri Lanka for three years. All these activities followed by the B.B.Q. dinner despite that Joss requesting rice and curry because he has a special taste in that as a result of working three years in Sri Lanka for an international school in Colombo.



Having all that fun last night the nature walk to Sinharaja forest was started around 9.00 am with sunny weather conditions by rewarding us not to worry too much about the leeches.



By not having rain for two weeks the forest was little dry and not provided much opportunities for birding. Once again Joss became the main actor by expressing his views that he is keen to see a snake and quenching his thirst we were able to spot two green pit vipers so that he became the happiest man in the group.



Purple faced leaf monkey, giant squirrel, Sri Lanka Kangaroo lizard, green pit viper, praying mantis are some of the sights that this group of students seems to be impressed.
Ceylon tree nymph, common blue bottle, blue morman, crimson rose, Ceylon bird wing, blue glassy tiger, commander are some of the butterfly species that were recoded during this nature walk.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Bird Watching Tips

For those who haven't gone bird watching, it can look like an odd past time. Yet for ones who have tried it, it can be very rewarding. Bird watching (aka birding) is an opportunity to grasp a closer look of nature. Discover a new way of looking at the world by examining the lives of birds -- including mating behaviors, feeding, and protecting their young.

Learn the best tips on how to enhance your birding experience so you can have the best time possible.

Beginning Bird Watching:

If you are just starting, going with professional bird watchers can be helpful. There are groups you can join, such as the Audubon Society or American Birdwatching Association. They offer such amenities such as lists of birds in the local area, birding books, magazines and articles. Sometimes, they have field trips you can go on to get some experience in bird watching.

When and Where To See Birds:

You can see birds at different times of the day, but certain birds have times they are more active. For example, songbirds start singing and eating two to three hours before sunset. Shortly after sunrise, hawks and eagles become more active as they soar in the warmer, thermal air currents. Owls are more active at night when they are looking for food with their night vision, and shorebirds feed after high tide.

Watching Birds At Feeding Time:

You can offer bird seed, water and shelter for birds in your backyard or garden and attract birds to watch. You can also find them in their natural habitat, eating the foods they would normally eat. Songbirds like seed and many bird types like niger, millet and sunflower seeds. Peanut butter attracts a lot of birds like cardinals, woodpeckers and nuthatches, although they also like suet. Hummingbirds are attracted to red colors and feed on a mixture of sugar and water. Some people add a drop of red food coloring. Birdbaths are a place to see many birds, because not only do they use them for a drink, but enjoy splashing on hot days.

Looking For Breeding Birds:

Unlike humans, birds breed according to specific seasons. Additionally, some migrate before having their young. The majority of birds breed in the spring and summer so that the babies are ready for fall migration. In the fall, some birds are more difficult to identify as some get heavier feathering and duller colors for migration.

Spotting and Identifying Birds:

Birds are easily alarmed, so you need to move stealthily. Basic clues to look for and listen for when identifying a bird are: its habitat, plumage and color, behavior, silhouette and the songs or calls it makes. Also, looking at the beaks can give you a clue and watching what they are doing with it. Woodpeckers have rigid beaks for chipping wood, while hawks, eagles and owls have sharply hooked beaks for tearing up prey. Most backyard birds like cardinals, finches and sparrows have conical beaks while shorebirds have long, slender bills for digging in the sand and prying open shells.

Bird Watching Gear To Bring and Wear:

Of course, binoculars, cameras and something for taking notes is something you need. You may want to keep track of the time of day and activity you witnessed particular birds. You may also want to write down characteristics of the birds you are not familiar with so that you can look them up later, or take along a bird identification guidebook.

You will want to dress in dull colors so that you blend into the surroundings. Camouflage is the thing to keep in mind to see the most birds. Also, fabrics that rustle, snag or squeak will scare birds off. You may want to have boots, warm clothing and rain gear. Owls are best seen and heard at night, so a flashlight might come in handy. You might want to consider a hand-held recorder for songs and chirps of birds that you don't recognize to look up later.

After Your Bird Watching Experience:

Take advantage of the time after birding to review your notes and try to identify the birds you were unable to name during your outing. You may want to get a tape of different bird songs and calls to assist with identification. Using a field guide can be extremely helpful for matching what you saw with detailed pictures and specific characteristics.

You can spend many enjoyable hours birding without spending very much on special equipment.

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Use the best birding binoculars: http://www.how-to-buy-binoculars.com/best-birding-binoculars.html They help you get the most out of your experience


Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Umbrella birding

For my second tour of the month of August to Sinharaja organized by the Eco team with 18 people from UK including many dead scaring children for leeches we started our nature walk on 26th morning with raining conditions compelled us to put on our umbrellas and rain coats. Not to mention the rain was continued until we end of our walk in the forest specially leaving a life long experience to the children because of the blood thirsty leeches.

Compared to other days the sightings were less but we were lucky to observe a feeding flock which includes most elusive Red faced Malkoha, Malabar Trogon, Sri Lanka Blue magpie, Crested drongo, Orange billed babblers etc. Some of the main highlights were the green pit viper we observed during the middle of the nature walk. Ultimately this gave me a different experience of birding with an umbrella instead of binocular, camera and field guides as usual.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Dreams are alive at Yala National Park




Undoubtedly all the wildlife enthusiasts dreaming to see a leopard in its natural habitats and Yala National Park keep these dreams alive by providing excellent opportunities to observe and photograph leopards in their own territory.



Joining the Safari camp organized by the Eco team at palatupana just outside the Yala National Park to host Mr. Paul, a British who works as a Team Leader for a Water Board Project in Kandy with his wife and son who are on their summer vacation I was privileged to have two safaris to the Yala national park on 28th and 29th of July one in the dusk and one in the morning.



Our first sighting of this giant carnivore was at dusk sitting under a Palu tree (a common fruit tree in the park) under very poor light conditions for about 10 minutes observation. The second sighting was on the morning safari which provided us an excellent opportunity to observe and photograph it while it was sitting on a rock. On the same safari we were fortunate to observe another leopard just few yards away from the main road inside the Yala Park.



Apart from this elusive leopard our highlights included herds of spotted deer, wild boar, jackal, black napped hare, water buffalo, sambar, mugger crocodiles, Asian elephants etc.
Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Malabar pied horn bill, Black crowned night heron, Lesser adjutant, spot billed pelican are some of the birding highlights.





Monday, July 13, 2009

Sunnyside Holiday Bungalow, Ella – A Place to Experience Your Holiday with a Difference



Sunnyside Holiday Bungalow is a tranquil location blessed with true Sri Lankan hospitality to indulge your holiday situated in Ella, the calm & sleepiest town in Sri Lanka with a height of 1041 Meters above the sea level. The unique concept of No Liquor, No smoking lets you to enjoy your holiday with a difference. Ella gap (stunning views), Horton plains (world’s end) the paradise for the nature lovers, Demodara nine arched bridge, Demodara loop the amazing creation of the Sri Lankan Railway tracks, Picturesque Rawana falls, Kenellan tea estate, Uvahalpewatte tea estate are within the close proximity to the Sunnyside Holiday Bungalow.



This simple retreat boasts of two triple rooms and a double room surrounded by lush vegetation including some indigenous plants and some of the fruit plants like rose apple, avocado, Mango, guava etc. All the rooms are carefully designed with basic amenities that requires for a peaceful holiday with the comfort of the natural breeze blowing through the windows. Get up to the rhythm of the early morning bird songs and if you are in a mood you can rise up for a nature walk through the misty bushes by counting number of bird species. Some of my recorded bird species are Sri Lanka Dull Blue Fly catcher, Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Sri Lanka Yellow fronted barbet’s,Sri Lanka Grey Horn bill, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Hill myna, velvet fronted nuthatch, Shikra, Crested Serpent eagle, Dark fronted babblers, tawny bellied babblers, Emerald dove, Scarlet minivet, Pale billed flowerpecker, Grey tit etc.



Apart from bird species this property provides excellent opportunities to observe some of the animals like Giant squirrel, Fishing cat, Black napped hare, Mongoose and some of the butterfly species like Tawny coster, Blue Morman, Glassy Tiger, Common Jezebel, Common Sailor etc.



Arrays of Sri Lankan dishes followed by number of desserts are served prepared in a homely kitchen under the direct supervision of the property owners with extremely good hygienic conditions.




Undoubtedly the Sunnyside Holiday Bungalow ensures an unparalleled holiday experience with its naturally blessed calm & peaceful environment.

Address: Sunnyside Holiday Bungalow
Bandarawela Road
Ella

Telephone: 0094(0)575615011,0094(0)776239802

Website: www.sunnyside.go2lk.com

Reservation: sunnyside@go2lk.com

Rawana Falls - රාවණා ඇල්ල



Rawana falls is situated on Ella-Wellawaya road in the Uva province. The height of the waterfall is 1001 ft.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Demodara Railway Station - ෙදෙමා්දර ඳුමිරිය ස්ථානය




Demodara railway station is a wonderful design of architecture situated in the Badulla district of the Uva province in Sri Lanka in a distance of 172 miles (276.8 Kilometers) from Colombo with a height of 2990 ft. (911.61 Meters) from the sea level.


The lineman checks the track




The length of the Demodara tunnel which runs beneath the railway station is 1049 ft (320 meters). Construction of the tracks in this nature is known as “looping to loop” as per the idea of late Mr.D.J.Wimalasurendra who was the greatest Sri Lankan engineer to achieve the level difference by maintaining 1:44 which is maximum allowable gradient in Sri Lankan Railways.

A train arrives Demodara station



The first train arrived at Demodara was in the year of 1921.

Nine arched Bridge at Demodara

Friday, June 19, 2009

Warana Cave Temple - ඓතිහාසික වාරණ රඡමහා විහාරය




In 18th century King Walagamba built this temple enriches with ancient architecture. This ancient temple Situated in Warana, Aththanagalla in Gampaha district.