Sri Lanka 4 - Yala

 

We travelled down from Nuwara Eliya to Tissamaharama where we stayed for a couple of nights and used it as a base to visit Yala National Park. We stopped off at a baby elephant sanctuary on the way where I added a Painted Stork, Yellow Wagtail, Green Bee-eater and White-browed Fantail to my list.

Green Bee-eater - Merops orientalis

White-browed Fantail - Rhipidura aureola

Painted Stork - Mycteria leucocephala

There were also a few other birds that I had already seen and of course, lots of baby elephants.

We had a couple of trips into Yala. The early morning visit was quite productive and I picked up a number of new birds. The late afternoon visit was less successful. There seemed to be a lot less activity from birds and mammals, possibly due to the heat, although we were also in an area of denser undergrowth and so less visibility.

Crested Hawk Eagle - Nisaetus cirrhatus

We saw two Crested Hawk Eagles. You always hope for one sitting out in the open but both had picked spots where they blended into the background.

Crested Hawk Eagle - Nisaetus cirrhatus

Crested Treeswift - Hemipprocne coronata

Great Thick-knee - Esacus recurvirostris

Pin-tailed Snipe - Gallinago stenura

Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus Himantopus

Blue-faced Malkoha - Rhopodytes viridirostris

Brahminy Starling - Sturnia pagodarum

Indian Robin - Saxicoloides fulicatus

Marsh Sandpiper - Tringa stagnatilis

Orange-breasted Green Pigeon - Treron bicintus

Pheasant-tailed Jacana - Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Sri Lanka Junglefowl - Gallus lafayeti

Sri Lanka Swallow - Cecropis (daurica) hyperythra

Yellow-wattled Lapwing - Vanellus malabaricus

Asian Openbill - Anastomus oscitans

Black-headed Ibis - Threskiornis melanocephalus

Emerald Dove - Chalcophaps indica

Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata

Spot-billed Pelican - Pelecanus philippensis

White-throated Kingfisher - Halycon smyrnensis

Woolly-necked Stork - Ciconia episcopus

and lots of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters

Blue-tailed Bee-eater - Merops philippinus

Blue-tailed Bee-eater - Merops phillippinus

I would have liked to visit the Bundala National Park but was advised that it that it had been badly degraded by flooding. Checking later I found mixed reviews of the park, some reporting the damage others saying it is the best location in Sri Lanka for waders. 

Maybe next time I visit Sri Lanka!

In total for the holiday I saw 87 birds, managed to get record shots for 71, and will probably have between 45 and 50 life ticks once I get round to checking them. Not too bad but trips like this always leave you wanting more.