FIRST VISIT TO WILPATTU in 2025......

 I went to Wilpattu with 2 fellow photography friends and their wife's for a day trip in the 3rd week of July. The highlight was that we got to see Kuruttupandiya mother aka New road mother on a sand patch around 7.15  all to ourselves for more than 30 minutes while 50+ vehicles were scouting close by.

How majestic she was ........

Sri Lana Grey Hornbill nesting

Sri Lanka Jungle foul

Black naped Monarch nesting

Sri Lanka Shama

Painted Storks nesting

This is one of the 2 cubs of the Kuruttupandiya mother. Although for the past week or so there have been many sightings of all 3 together we missed that.

Managed to get a glimpse of this Croc gulping down a land monitor

Eurasian Thicknee

True to it's name  - Asian green bee eater

Little ringed plover

Gate opened ..

How even the teeth are

Jordon's Bushlark

Endemic painted lipped  lizard

Serpent eagle

Brown fish Owl

FIRST TRIP TO YALA FOR 2025 AND FIRST EVER TO YALA BLOCK V.................

 I went to Yala with  2 fellow wildlife enthusiasts and photographers in the 3rd week of April. The highlight was going to Yala bock V for the first time..

Black crowned night heron

Serkeer malkoha

Gerry sunbathing

Fan tailed flycatcher nesting

Sri Lana sloth bear

Jerdon's nightjar

Yellow wattled lapwing

Pied cuckoo

Green bee-earter

This is the first time I got to photograph this beauty this close taking our own time.

Chestnut headed bee-earters

An overstaying Indian pitta

Tri-coloured munia

Orange breasted pigeon

Sri Lana Shama

Grey headed fish eagle

Yala block V Entrance

The famous Veheragala dam

Male crested treeswift

Serpent eagle

Lesser adjutant stork

Male grey bellied cuckkoo shrike

Gery breasted prinia

Marshall's iora

This pregnant deer had fallen to the tail-race of the Veheregala  dam and it took some doing to virtually carry it to the bank above by our tracker and another but we only hope that it's destiny was not a short one.

 Little ringed plover

Jungle Owlet

This fan-tailed flycatcher was definitely annoying the feasting Changeable haw eagle

Although it was 5.10 pm it was like 6.15pm as the skies were about to open.

The trees along the Thissamaharama lake is almost a guaranteed place to photograph the Barn owl