TRIP TO MANNAR AFTER 2 YEARS........

 I got the opportunity to go to Mannar  with a fellow birder friend after 2 years , in the 3rd week of February  As we went in his vehicle and took his driver also with us, logistically the trip was much comfortable and the exhaustion levels were very much manageable and on top of it the photography was very good.

On our way we diverted towards Anawilundawa sanctuary as the Black -naped oriole had been photographed in the past and we too were rewarded as the bird came to the same tree after sometime 

Giant squirrel

This was a rare occurrence as we witnessed a bit of  a fight between a serpent eagle and a changeable hawk eagle

We stopped on the way to and from Mannar  at a place near Oyamaduwa to have tea and the place was on the edge of a stream with a small tree cover and there were good opportunities for birding.

Female Indian robin

Chestnut-headed bee eater

Coppersmith barbet

male small minivet

Black -headed cuckoo shrike

Male purple sunbird

Male oriental honey buzzard

Female 

Eurasian Curlew

Marsh sandpiper

Bar -tailed godwit

Wimbrel

Being chased---Brahmin

kite

With prey

Loosing the prey.....

Black kite

Northern pintail

Black drongo

Common greenshank

Wood sandpiper

Gull billed tern

Female garganey

Male

Brown - headed gull

Famous mannar donkey

Common redshanks

This was the icing on the cake and the main reason all bird watchers go to mannar during  the season.. This time to make the situation more tempting and exiting there were  more than 5000 greater flamingos congregated in a few places and we too got a great opportunity to observe and photograph them at close range 

We had to wait for a good 45 minutes or so to see them take off and that was quite something....

Eurasian wigeon

Collard dove

This is a very rare migrant and may be recorded for the first time; White -browed wagtail

Oriental skylark

Indian roller

 Booted eagle in flight

Kentish plover

Eurasian hoopoe

Shallow water fishing...