Negombo and Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
October 2016....after a brief 2 day layover in Fort Kochi, Kerala in India, we flew to Colombo, Sri Lanka. We then stayed in the Serendib guest house in Negombo at the start and end of the week, with a 4 night excursion and stay at Water's Edge Bungalow on the edge of the 'tank' Thissa Wewa in old Anuradhapura.
Practising with our new Panasonic Lumix GX-80... trying to capture the wildlife around....
Practising with our new Panasonic Lumix GX-80... trying to capture the wildlife around....
The indian crow (Corvus splendens)... here in Fort Kochi... but common in Sri Lank too.
As night falls, squadrons of Indian Flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) appear in the twilight...
Walking around the Orphaned Elephant sanctuary in Kerala. A red tailed lizard, identified as Dussumier's Forest Skink (Sphenomorphus dussumieri) appears on a log along side the path.
A species of large green damsel fly.
Alongside the main river in the park, a butterfly rests... the Common India Crow (Euploea core).
On arriving at Anuradhapura, in the grounds, a pair of Indian Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi) frolicked.
Uttering a piercing 'tick-tick-tick' call like a bird, dozens of Indian Palm Squirrels (Funambulus palmarum) made their home in the woodland. Happy on trunks, or on spindly twigs in the canopy.
Exploring the woodland around Water's Edge more, lots of wonderful discoveries made....the nosiest being groups of Yellow Billed Babblers (Turdoides affinis)jumping around both the floor and the trees..
Here Red Vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus cafer) enjoying the birdbath..
Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)
Sri Lanka Drongo (Dicrurus lophorinus)
Some birds proving elusive to capture on camera...Here a Brown-Headed Barbet (Psilopogon zeylanicus) camouflaged in the tree... although in flight a vivid emerald dashing sight.
The constantly hunting Black-rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense)
More golden form....Black-rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense)
The most elusive was the Sri Lanka national bird.... the wild Red Junglefowl ...(Gallus gallus)
Spice Finch or more properly the Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata)
The endemic Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill(Ocyceros gingalensis)
More common was the very noisy Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
As was Sri Lanka's equivalent of the Starling... the Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
And a flash of brilliant Yellow in the canopy... Black-hooded Oriole(Oriolus xanthornus)
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