Bundala National Park

 

Bundala National Park is an important wetland site and was declared  a Ramsar site in 1991.  In 2005 Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Great habitat for waders and terns!

Sunday 16^th February AM –  Another early start today for a morning visit to Bundala National Park. While waiting for permits to be issued we had a look out from the impressive centre and viewing platform where among the usual species Jim and Dave saw a Marsh Harrier.

Back to the jeep we proceeded along a track into the reserve where the first stop produced a couple of Ashy Woodswallows in a dead tree behind a pool and then to the right a pair of Orange-breasted Green Pigeons appeared. Elsewhere around the pool we had Common Kingfisher, Barn Swallows and a Grey Mongoose.

Ashy Woodswallow – Two birds seen here were the only ones seen on the trip.

Orange-breasted Pigeon – Bundala proved to be a good site for this species.

Moving on we reached an impressive area of saltpans and large lagoons that were full of waders and terns. On the wader front Grey Plover was new and alongside the track a Small Pratincole gave incredible close views. A Red-necked Phalarope was nice to see, along with a few Curlew Sandpipers and plenty of Lesser Sandplovers and Little Stints. A large group of terns were loafing on one of the islands and included Caspian, Gull-billed, Lesser & Greater Crested, Little and Whiskered. Three Brown-headed Gulls in this area were the only gulls seen on the whole trip. A few Oriental Skylarks and Paddyfield Pipits were on the dry patches.

Small Pratincole – One of several  seen.  This one was sat a few feet from the Jeep.

Red-necked Phalarope – Also seen swimming.

This mixed group included Caspian, Great Crested, Lesser Crested, Gull-billed and Little Terns.

Large numbers of Terns were one of the highlights of Bundala.  Here are a groups of the largest; Caspian Terns.

Driving slowly back along the causeway gave us good views again of the Phalarope and Pratincoles as well as a few Kentish Plovers.

The causeway – The reserve was explored by Jeep with a local guide who was brilliant at finding birds, despite the fact that he did not have binoculars! 

Our only Osprey of the trip was perched up in a tree further along and an Indian Thick-knee was sitting on a nest on a bare area.

Indian Thick-knee 

The guide got very excited when a Glossy Ibis appeared on one of the pools and our second Black-necked Stork of the trip was further back. Reaching a large lake we were surprised to see a huge raft of Little Grebes on the water, quite a sight. As we drove on, reaching an area of reeds along the near edge of the lake, Neil heard an interesting song. We stopped and were soon enjoying the sound of a few Clamorous Reed Warblers, although it took a bit longer to get a reasonable view of one in the undergrowth. Just before leaving we got good views of another Crested Hawk Eagle.

Black-necked Stork – A very distant bird.

Little Grebes – The largest flock any of us had ever seen!

Crested Hawk Eagle – One of two seen during the trip.

 Several mammals were seen in the park, our first trip sighting of Grey Mongoose as well as Ruddy Mongoose, Black-naped Hare and Grey Langur.

Grey Langur Monkeys – Several family parties were present.  Click here for videoWe dropped the guide off back at the centre where we had some great views of a bat sp. flying around below the roof.  Click here for video clip of the bats.On the way out of the reserve, just before the main road, Dave found some Ashy Crowned Sparrowlarks in a grass field with some Pacific Golden Plovers.

Grey-headed Fish-eagle

Pied Kingfisher – Several were seen at Bundala.

Oriental Skylark – Fairly common at Bundala.

Large nest of the Giant Honey Bee, Apis dorsata.  Fortunately these were very high in the tree tops!  We saw a few of these nests.

We came across this rather unusual road sign on the main road near Bundala.  
Not too many of these in the UK!

 

Sunday 16th February PM – At Matara after morning at Bundala.

After some lunch and a rest we left the hotel on foot towards a large marshy area. Along the road we reached some large trees where a pair of White-bellied Sea Eagles were nesting and also got good views of Blue-faced Malkoha. Further up the road a Coppersmith Barbet was calling from the top of a tree and as we reached the marsh a calling Zitting Cisticola (see below) dropped down onto a fence post to give great views.

On the marsh there were large numbers of the usual waterbirds, especially Purple Swamphens and we added our only Cotton Pygmy Geese of the trip. As the light began to fade slightly a few Snipe started flying up from the adjacent crop field and heading out onto the marsh. As expected most of these were Pin-tailed Snipe with a darker underwing, pale upper covert bar, shorter bill and lack of white trailing edge to the secondaries. Fortunately at least one Common Snipe flew up with them which made the difference far more obvious, especially showing a white underwing and longer bill.

A Black Bittern flew past and then showed well in a Palm tree, while on the path back to the hotel we got an Asian Brown Flycathcer perched up on some wires and a Shikra was looking for a late meal.  A splendid day’s birding with 110 species seen, our highest day total of the trip.

On our way back to the hotel, there was a a further surprise as we found this Star Tortoise walking across the road.  Tortoises have declined significantly because of the pet trade, so it was a real delight to see this one, it was the only one we saw.