VISIT TO NUWARA ELIYA AND THE CLOUD FOREST......

 I went to Nuwara Eliya to cover Victoria park ,Surrey estate in Welimada and  Hortain plains in the 4th week of February with a fellow photographer friend . We started around 2.45 in the morning and arrived at Victoria park around 6.45 . After photographing a good number of birds , moved to Surrey estate bungalow in Welimada in search of the Brown Wood Owl where the sighting is almost guaranteed. Then proceeded to the cloud forest for a afternoon drive .We stayed the night in Ohiya and returned the following day after a morning session again in the cloud forest. Although we didn't see leopards which was expected  as  huge crowds were converging due to a long weekend, all in all it was a satisfying trip considering the fact that I got a lifer in the foam of the Himalayan buzzard and my friend getting a mammoth 5 lifers which was  a huge achievement .

The guaranteed sightings of Sambar in the cloud forest which are quite common as well.

Migrant Grey wagtail 

 endemic Sri Lanka scaly Thrush in Ohiya . For a person trying to see this illusive bird , the stretch between the 25 and 26 mile post along Ohiya hortain plains road side is almost a guaranteed place.

Grey headed cannery flycatcher 

Velvet fronted Nutach

Endemic Purple-faced Langur

Rare migrant- Himalayan buzzard

Migrant kashmir flycatcher

Endemic yellow eared bulbul

Citrine Tit

Shikra

Endemic Sri Lanka bush warbler

Endemic Sri Lanka white eye

Endemic dul blue flycatcher

Endemic Sri Lanka jungle foul- Male

Female

Endemic Sri Lanka pigmy Lizard

Endemic Sri Lanka Kangaroo Lizard

Endemic Sri Lanka Treebrown butterfly

Pied Bush chat male

Female

Migrant Forest Wagtail

Female scarlet minivet

Although this was my 3rd time , it was a special movement when we located this one in the almost guaranteed Surrey estate im Welimada after making a huge effort 

Plum headed parakeet

Picturesque scenery  in Hortain plains

Victoria park.

heaven for birds-- SEETHAWAKA BOTANICAL GARDENS , AWISSAWELLA

 

Seethawaka Botanical Garden, is a botanical garden which mainly serves as a research area and a conservation area for threatened and vulnerable endemic plant species in the Sinharaja rain forest region.  The garden was opened to the public in late October 2014 and it is the most recently constructed botanical garden in Sri Lanka. The total land area of the garden is 42 ha (105 acres).This is situated on the Puwakpitiya-Thummodara road, at Illukowita, adjacent to the Indikada Mukalana Forest Reserve bordering Avissawella. The garden has a tropical climate.

A beautiful stream flows through the garden, which sustains the existence of various wet zone plants. 

I have made a few visits to this promising place since July 2023 and was able to take some fabulous pictures.

Alexandrine parakeet

Sri Lanka hill myna

Fantailed flycatcher

Large billed warbler

Brown breasted flycatcher

Endemic sri lanka grey hornbill

Mating....

Asian paradise flycatcher

In transition..

Black bulbul

Oriental honey buzzard

Endemic sri lanka wood shrike

Very rare Banded bay cuckoo

Crested tree swift

Oriental white eye

Endemic yellow fronted barbet

Sri Lanka swallow

Chestnut headed bee-eater

Tickell's flycatcher

Indian pitta

Brown capped pigmy woodpecker

Golden fronted leafbird

Endemic black capped bulbul

Forest wagtail

Alpine swift

House sparrow

White rumped munia

In love with water

Brown shrike

Bar winged tailed flycather

Common Iora

Sri Lanka green pigeon

Yellow bulbul

Three toed kingfisher

Pale billed flowerpecker

Scarlet minivet-female

Male

Asian brown flycather

Changeable hawk eagle

Black eagle

Barn swallow

Paddyfield pipit

black headed cuckoo shrike-female