ANOTHER VISIT TO UDAWATTAKELE .....

I did an afternoon visit to UDAWATTAKELE and my first in 2020 in the 2nd week of February on a Saturday  and managed to photograph more than a few birds.

Tickell's blue flycatcher

Indian Black Turtle sunbathing in a very unusual position

Spot winged thrush

Barking Deer

White-rumped shama

Indian paradise flycatcher

Toque macaque

Common Hill Myna

Brown breasted flycatcher

Brown -capped babbler

Yellow -browed bulbul

Brown fish owl

OWLS OF SRI LANKA CAPTURED ON CAMERA......

Over a period of time, I managed to capture 10 or 11  out of the 14 species of Owls found in Sri Lanka and look forward to photograph the other three or four  namely,

Forest Eagle Owl
Sri Lanka Bay Owl

Jungle Owlet

Collard  Scops Owl OR Indian Scops Owl as identifying is difficult . Sometimes I would have photographed both.


Sri Lanka Serendib Scops Owl- April 2021

 This was long time coming. This was seen and identified as a new bird species in 2001  in Sinharaja and is endemic to Sri Lanka. We had to hike and climb the terrain through the thick jungle interior for about 20 minutes till we came across this juvenile may be. Although we ere not more than 10 feet away and our experienced guide pointed it to us, it took a good  2 minutes to se as it was perfectly camouflaged and blended with the surrounding branches and leaves. 

These Frog-mouths were seen a couple of times at the same place inside Sinharaja forest and is a frequent perching place .

 

This is a juvenile Indian Scops owl or collared scops I managed to photograph close to our place in Nugegoda after I got news that it was coming to a tree in the evening with the other members of the family 

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The same friend who found the Oriental Scops Owl for me sometime back again gave the whereabouts of these 2 juvenile Scops Owls.( either indian or collard)

It’s difficult to determine whether they are Indian or Collard and the call is still a hissing sound than the normal call. The probability is more towards Indian though.

A fellow wildlife photographer I met in Thalangama was nice enough to give the whereabouts of two Collard /Indian scopes owls perched in the day time at Beddegana wetland and after a couple of visits I was lucky enough to capture them.

 A Brown Fish Owl in Yala

 

In Udawattakele

This one was perched on a tree on the side of the road close to the entrance in Wilpattu. As it was drenched in rain may be , was not afraid of us though we were mighty close and did all the tricks with great expressions including garbing a ground crab.

 This Brown Hawk Owl was captured around 11.30 in the night perched on our TV antenna in Nugegoda. I woke up  to its call and then went out and got on to a chair to focus and get  this shot

 These Brown Wood Owls are an almost guaranteed  sight inside the famous Surrey Estate in Welimada close to Banadarawela.

 One of our good friends who lives in Thalawathugoda called to say that this Oriental Scops Owl had been seen  perched on a tree close to her place for a few days and I rushed to the place and got these shots.

 Jerdon's Nightjar in Minneriya National Park

This endemic Chestnut backed Owlet was photographed in Sinharaja forest en route to the village before the forest entrance in the 2nd week of February 2021. Our experienced guide Somapala new the general whereabouts and used the birds call also on his phone many times and managed to get a return call . From that point he went interior and somehow got the bird to fly on to the other side so that we could get a glimpse and some decent photos.

This Barn Owl was photographed in the Wild life office  in

Attidiya as it had been handed over to them after it was found in a garden in the suburbs of Colombo.