April 16 From Carwoola to Colombo

The plan for today is to meet our friends on the outskirts of Canberra and drive to Sydney airport.  We then catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur (aka KL) and transfer to a flight to Colombo.   The essential part of this plan is to spend less time in aircraft than is involved in going to Europe or South America!

The trip started well with a meet in Bungendore and a steady drive to Sydney. It looked as though the tunnel might be jammed, but it cleared once people stopped gawping at the other lane. So we got to the airport on time. There we spotted what Rob called the first leopard of the trip.

This was actually a  female human wearing very tight leopardskin pattern pants. In one swoop she captured awards for

• Pattern of the day
• Bird of the day and 
• mammal of the day

She also added "bad taste of the day" to the list of categories. Frances, to whom the pattern category belongs, has said the winner of that category shoould be the uniform of the Malaysian female cabin crew.

The Malaysian check-in system worked well as did immigration and security. One guy was doing a lot of talking at security as he was a courier taking human stem cells back to Germany. I found the Tax refund place to get my GST (~VAT) back on Frances's bins. The amazing thing was that half the people in the queue didn't meet the rules- too long since purchase; not $300 in one purchase etc etc..

The flight was quite reasonable: only about half full. Some good scenery was seen as we crossed the centre of Australia.

The second of those images shows some very red hummocks somewhere near the Kimberlys.  If any of the Hancock family ever fly this route it must be like a shopping trip!

A surprising aspect of the arrangements was that the information given by the trip monitor site included the heading (tail or head) and speed of the wind. At one point it changed from 60kph tail to 80kph head within 5 minutes. A little bit bouncy at that point, but generally a smooth flight.  There were some interesting late afternoon clouds as we got close to Kuala Lumpur.

The business in transfer at KL was generally OK although many of the prices for duty free were a little harsh ($A250 for a bottle of fancy Scotch). We got cheaper. The flight to Colombo was full at least and pushed back from the gate with about 12 folk still trying to find room for their carry on. Flight a little bumpy but given it took off at 2am body time was not too bad. We landed on time and everything happened reasonably well. Getting the ATM to deliver cash and return my credit card was a little fraught (as they had an unexpected category "Cash advance from credit card" which I initially didn't spot) but that happened OK in the end.  See my main blog for some downstream stuff on this.

By then it was the next day so read on.

April 17 Recovery and acclimatisation

Morning, relaxation. Afternoon, visit Talangama Tank to look for birds.

We met our guide (who we call, at his request, Hettie – rather than use his family name Suchithra as advised by Jetwing) after getting the money and joined the chaos in the pick up area while he got the Jetwing van. We then had an hour of touring from 35km N of Colombo through the city and then 15 km east. On route we noticed:

• Many statues of Buddha, many with flashing blue and red LEDs forming a halo around the head;
• Lots of turf accountant premises. The first three had police stations opposite which we thought might be a pattern, but then the bookies continued and the copshops disappeared;
• it was raining and most people carried brollies (even the cops in uniform).
• There were lots of cattle wandering around and at one point a dozen of them loomed up like the zombies in a Living Dead movie.

Then we got to Villa Talangama. Caesar Augustus would be jealous of a villa as great as this. It is a huge place with just us in it. The staff had stayed up until 2am to greet us, give us a juice and cart our kit around. Excellent. We agreed that breakfast would be at 10 am if we were up by then which we were. This was a huge meal of very healthy stuff served by the excellent staff. It was served under an umbrella beside the pool giving a view over thee Tank. We had a conversation with Hamish - the owner of the Villa - and made arrangements for tea at 7pm (we're going birding with Hettie at 3:30).  Here are a few images of the villa and its fittings (mainly taken by Frances).

 Hamish pointed out that we were lucky to have arrived at 2am as the traditional song festival 50m away had only finished at 1:30am. This was part of the New Years Festivities (which seem to last 5 days at least with New Years Day itself in the middle). Possibly lucky to find we could get rooms etc at this time.

Frances and I arose about 9:30 and were greeted with this view.

We all went for a prowl together (repeating more or less one which Rob and Carol had already done).  A good collection of reptiles were seen:

Land Monitor

 Water Monitor

Garden Lizard

Rob good an excellent image of a Dragonfly, which annoyed me for several minutes by refusing to pose!

Many birds seen, of which several were additions to my life list. My favourites of this stage were initially the White-bellied waterhens

with little fluffball black chicks (which didn't hang around to be photographed), but were overtaken by the Flamebacks- very lurid woodpeckers.  The Tank was a bit low on water, but high on birds as shown in this Rob image.

I then decided to go for a run to the wall of the Tank and perhaps a bit further. When I got about 1km from the Villa there was a lot of interesting stuff happening so I went back and got my camera.

The tractor driver wasn't real happy about having his photo taken even at 50m away. Then I saw the Pheasant-tailed jacanas

and I was a very happy chappy.  A cooling and cleansing dunk in the pool completed the business.

In the afternoon we went for a slightly longer walk with Hettie, where we saw very many birds and generally had an excellent time. Highlights were the whistling ducks and cinnamon bittern. As we had not used the car at all this was all able to be counted as Green Birding.  While relaxing from all this exercise a monkey

ran across the lawn, getting a very steely gaze from Hamish's dog.  (I cannot imagine the battles that would ensue between our small dog an monkeys!)

The evening meal was enlivened with a bottle of Merlot and was generally excellent. The main dish was fish (rated by Hamish as better than chicken - note from later in the trip: this opinion is strongly endorsed) and was accompanied by many tasty vegetables. Definitely a great meal.

Bird of the Day:  Black-rumped Flameback

Other vertebrate of the Day:  Garden lizard

Pattern of the day:  Wrought-iron Gates

Bad taste of the day: none.

Read on

 

April 18 To Sinharaja

After breakfast leave for Martin’s Simple Lodge, Sinharaja for two nights. Afternoon, birding at Sinharaja Rainforest. A UNESCO World Heritage Site for lowland endemics and mixed species bird flocks. According to a study of the mixed species bird on average 42 individual birds occur in the flocks, which makes this world's largest mixed species bird flock. The mixed species Bird flock study of Sinharaja forest has been continuing since 1981 and is considered as the World's longest studied bird flock study. Birding highlights include Red-faced Malkoha, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, White-faced Starling and Scaly Thrush.

Up early as we had a 5 hour drive to get to Sinharaja and to do some birding in the afternoon.  The shower at the Villa was itself a work of art (yes, part of the room is open to the sky)

 On the first morning Frances had been having a shower when a Palm Squirrel ran across the top of the wall!

While having another huge breakfast our attention was drawn to a family of pigs trotting through the adjacent, vacant, block.  At a more delicate level we spotted this butterfly having its breakfast.

In fact the drive was going to be slow, as there was much traffic on the roads due to everyone going to visit their families for New Years. This seemed to particularly infest the roads with 

• tuk-tuks (here called 3 wheelers) on the one hand, driven surprisingly slowly – but then it is difficult for something powered by 150cc (basically a lawn mower motor) to drag a family of four and a few sacks of rice along at a great speed – and 
• buses driven at great speed and no respect for sanity - let alone traaffic laws.

Travelling at a fair speed (faster than tuk-tuks but slower than buses) were competitors in bike race led out by a series of cars full of people screaming at the traffic to get out of the way. Most of the bikes were more like M Poppins than C Evans but plenty of sweat was flying.

We went through a number of towns

including stopping to try to get some bread and also beer. Here we made a BAD decision and only got 12 cans of Three Coins (at Rs 100 ~ $A0.80 per can). An interesting aspect of the shop was a sign prohibiting photos. Why was this so- we thought the shops interesting but who would object?  This is a smaller shop featuring among its products references to another movie franchise

There were many adverts for TAFE type colleges, quite a few of which mentioned studying to work in Australia.  Frances noted one for the "Academy of Sugar Craft"

Back on the road with a few stops for interesting birds including Honey Buzzard and Crested Serpent Eagle.  Then we got to the place where we swapped vehicles from our van to a Jeep to cart us up a rather basic road to Martin's Simple Lodge. Some commentators on this Lodge had expressed concern about the road,

but I think I would have taken the Subaru up it with little problem and no damage. Whatever, we made it - included a stop to gawp at a Black Eagle out in the valley - and after settling in went out for a birding session with Hettie and our Forest Dept guide Chandra.

This went pretty well and a number of species were recorded. I reckoned that from 3pm we were entitled to regard it as no-carbon birding so this becomes another green day.
 I didn't take any bird images but this orchid was very spiffy:

There were a few "home comforts" out in the forest including well designed shelters

 and a well designed, but leech infested, dunny.

When we got 2km out it started to rain. In fact it poured down and we all got thoroughly wet except Frances who was wearing rain pants. The road effectively transformed from a dusty track to several modest streams within about 10 minutes.
We were also all, except Chandra, wearing Leech Socks which are supposed to keep the little suckers at bay (or at least visible so they could be flicked). This seemed to work for most of us although Rob got well sucked and bled for about 4 hours. (Chandra was not fussed by the leeches: she seemed to feel them creeping around and flicked them off wioth a handy twig.)

Evening meal was enhanced by some of the beer purchased earlier and was quite good although the food was a little blander than we were expecting.

Bird of the Day: Black Eagle

Other Vertebrate of the Day: Ruddy Mongoose

Pattern of the day:  the table top at Martins.

Bad taste of the day:  leeches (The leeches probably rated the leech socks as bad taste of the day!)

Read on

April 19 Sinharaja

Full day birding at Sinharaja Rainforest.  This may be green birding day in Sri Lanka.

I had a fairly ordinary nights sleep, possibly being a little dehydrated and not having a big enough pillow.  Of course at dawn I was solidly asleep and as a result I was not up early enough to see the Sri Lankan Blue Magpies come to feed on moths in the breakfast area. I did get a good look at the rainforest however ....

... and a Junglefowl came to visit.

The place is quite well set up as an eco lodge with solar hot water and his own mini hydro-electric scheme.  It is certainly 'simple' but is also very close to the forest and wildlife (which is the reason for coming here) and all other accommodation is at the foot of the hill about 40 - 60 minutes jeep drive away.  Surprisingly for such a remote place there was good cellphone coverage. Perhaps Telstra should send a mission to Sri Lanka to work out how to do it?  (See below more significant comment on this!)

As no-one had been able to acquire bread yesterday our breakfast included coconut roti: while it looked a bit like dwarf bread (which is inherited not baked) it tasted excellent. It was enhanced by application of Woodapple jam.

The aim of the day was to walk up and down the road to the Research Centre and visit a couple of other places of interest. The first of these was to try to locate the Serendib Scops Owl. We failed, but did find a beautiful green pit viper under a bank.

The other snake species seen on this day was a Keelback.  Nowhere near as attractive or venomous.

As we walked out to the Centre we found some Malabar Trogons. I really like this genus: like parrots but "softer".  Unfortunately they stayed out of camera range. Several of the other endemics were located until we found a gang/family of Sri Lanka Blue Magpies.

It seems that several of the guides feed them at this point, including one bloke who turned up with two German clients. He had the Magpies feeding off the top of his telescope.

This group ended up at the Centre at the same time we did. Then their equivalent of Chandra turned up to say he had found the Sri Lanka Frogmouths. The guide counselled his female client that it would be muddy getting there and that if a leech got her she wasn't to scream as it would scare the froggies. She immediately found a leech on her and screamed which scared the pants off all of us and caused her spectacles to crash to the ground. It was a bit of a struggle getting to the Frogmouth position and very muddy.

Note the white 'spats': they are in fact leech socks which seem to deter the little beasts from going up your leg.  They have other ways in however so constant vigilance is required.
The Frogmouths (an endemic species) were a lot smaller than our home crew and very cute.

At least the Germans were interested in Nature. We saw a Pommie couple who looked very miserable (and totally inappropriately dressed). This was not improved by the large patch of blood on the female's backside where a leech had obviously had a good feed. Two other large groups charged through – one set of Pom blokes wearing shorts and a group of Russian females, some of whom at least were wearing jewel enhanced thongs – in a rain forest!!!
 There were a lot of orchids around.  One species (unidentified) was called 'ground orchid' ...

... while the other, shown in close up yesterday, was Arundina graminifolia was rather tall!

Eat your heart out, Little Dumpies!
Also of interest in the plant department were some Pitcher Plants.  We could distinguish two species, the first of which was quite tall ...

 ... while the second was low, almost on the ground.

We had also enjoyed the masses of butterflies around of which two of the smaller species seemed to take a liking to my shoes. 

Three-spot Grass-yellow

 Angled Pierrot

They were easy to photograph while some of others were impossible. We particularly liked the Tree Nymphs - large, back and white beasts that floated like something out of Avatar! Butterflies will have a separate summary page.
I enjoyed this monster snail

 ...  and this attractive spider species popped up at various points throughout the trip.

A few other arthropods were also of interest, especially the millipedes. These were a contender for pattern of the day.  Rob took the snap, and marvelled that anyone - in this case Frances obliged - would put their hand in that close for scale.

 I also liked the shapes made by the vicious thorns on this rattan palm.

We had walked halfway back to the Lodge when a flock came through so beetled off to look at it. A Red-faced Malkoha was found as part of theflock: very pleasing as our trip was based on a Jetwing standard “Malkohas and Leopards” outing. We then went back to the Research Centre. While there we noticed the cloud building up again and sure enough got wet again. Taking off my leech socks and checking my clothes and body I found I had carted 10 leeches back to the Lodge. Yecccch!
Bird of the Day:  Malabar Trogon (the Magpies were semi tame)
Other Vertebrate of the Day:  Green Pit viper
Pattern of the Day:  Can't remember!!
Bad taste of the Day:  Bejewelled thongs on Russian tourists.

Read on

April 20: Baby elephants

After breakfast leave for Centauria Inn, Embilipitiya for one night. Afternoon, visit Udawalawe National Park for dry zone birds and Elephants. Look for dry zone birds, which include Little Green Bee-Eater, Malabar Pied Hornbill & Blue-faced Malkoha. In a visit to Udawalawe National Park close to 50-60 Elephants can be seen and the Nursery Herd, which comprise of many baby Elephants, is one of the key attractions.

 The day began in an early but relaxed manner including watching the Magpies in the eating area. We also got enough of a view of a Giant Squirrel for Hetti to identify it. An impressive black beast with tasteful ginger around the head. Apparently this is a mountain subspecies.  Here is a view of sunrise.

Breakfast was then had, including commercial bread, unanimously rated as inferior to the coconut roti. After trundling down the road to the bottom of the hill Hetti announced we had 40km of bad road and then 50 of good road. In fact the first several kms were quite well surfaced but a tad twisty. It then got rough dirt as surface as we weaved through a few mountains and villages. Much of the area was devoted to tea plantations.  In one, a dog - surprisingly not light brown in colour - had found that a protruding rock was a good spot for guard duty.

If only human security guards were that sensible instead of behaving in the objectionable manner they usually do!

Several of the villages were decked with white banners indicating that funerals were happening. Posters with photos of the deceased were stuck on every flat – or near flat – surface. We found out later that white means an ordinary citizen while yellow bunting means that a monk is being interred. Many of the houses in the villages were painted in gay colours.

As another bit of lifestyle Hetti explained that a sprig of palm flower stuck on the front of a car/van/bus meant the occupants were on a pilgrimage. (Some turned up in Yala a couple of days later: it seems Buddha is into efficiency and agrees that pilgrimages can include game spotting in a National Park where this saves an extra long trip.)

Seven species of bird and some playful monkeys, using the power lines (Rob image)

were spotted in transit before we stoppped for lunch near the Elephant Transit home (where thy are cared for but not allowed to imprint on humans) just outside Udawale NP. Before lunch we inspected a couple of trees known to Hetti and found Collared Scops Owl therein. Not as rare as the Serendib SO but still pretty exciting.
 As I failed to get a shot of the owls - they were rather well concealed - I photographed another snail instead.

Lunch was in a restaurant opposite the transit centre. It was rather bland and one of our number – wearing an Arsenal FC shirt - ordered fish 'n' chips. The menus also featured “Cattle fish”. We were intrigued by the group next to us who seemed to comprise about 6 couples of different nationalities. They also babbled somewhat in a fairly banal way. The conclusion was that they were a Mixed Feeding Flock.

We then rumbled down the road to the Park passing over a big dam. Soon after getting into the park we found our first peacocks.  They were pretty impressive

 When one raised its tail it was very impressive.

 On the other hand, when up in a tree they were very confusing if not seen clearly!

Then we found a large herd of elephant grazing in tall grass so hard to photograph. This is what the Park is known for. After watching them for a while we pressed on, noting that rain was surrounding us on 4 sides. Shortly thereafter rain was above us as well and the top was put on the jeep greatly reducing visibility (which of course the rain had also done). The sides were still open so I was having trouble keeping myself and the camera dry and retreated to join the driver in his cab. As the rain was coming from the passengers side I could see little and hear nothing through the closed, and fogged up, window. I did get to see one big elephant which was within 3m of the drivers open window (the streaking is due to the pouring rain not bad focus)

but didn't even hear folk say that the rain had stopped and the top had been taken off.

When I eventually realised what had happened I returned to the rear where several species were added to the trip list and my life list! We met another elephant wandering along the road but he just prowled on past.

 Malabar Pied Hornbill

 Changeable Hawk Eagle

Our Hotel for the night was about 20 minutes further down the road and was rather grand, The usual business of porters grabbing our bags and then standing around with their hand out was annoying as always. However, sitting on the verandah and having a medicinal dose of Glenlivet overcame our frustration. It also generated the first Geckos of the trip.

Our evening meal was quite pleasant in a bland sort of way. The astonishing bit was when Rob found that some of the little packets of butter had been opened by a previous diner and recycled.

Bird of the day:  Malabar Pied Hornbill
Other vertebrate of the day: elephant eating grass
Pattern of the day: can't remember
Bad taste of the day:  recycled butter (although its taste wasn't actually checked)
Read on