Sinharaja National Park
A typical view of the forest
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Monday 10th February (continued) – After a late breakfast, we had a four hour drive to Sinaraja. Arriving mid-afternoon, we had a (very) late lunch with some relaxed bird-watching including 3 Munias, Black-throated, White-rumped and Scaley-breasted feeding on rice in the paddy field next to the restaurant and a confiding White-browed Bulbul coming to a feeding station. We added two more endemics, Layard’s Parakeet and Sri Lanka Myna.
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White-browed Bulbul – Seen behind the restaurant after lunch.
Layard’s Parakeet – An endemic species
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Tuesday 11th February – After an early breakfast we were off by 6.30am for a day in the Sinharaja Rainforest. We didn’t get far when Ashoka picked out a Brown-capped Babbler singing from a roadside bush. It remained stubbornly hidden, giving only brief views amongst the undergrowth but enough to clinch the first endemic of the day.
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After meeting Dhanushka (guide) and Thilak (driver) in the Jeep on the way to the reserve we then reached a rough track heading uphill into the forest. On a sharp bend we were soon piling out of the jeep to view a Spot-winged Thrush singing from some overhanging branches. Higher up in the canopy of some larger trees a small party of Red-faced Malkohas were moving around the branches quietly and a bit further on a similar number of White-faced Starlings were feeding at the tops of the trees.
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Thilak (Sinharaja driver), Dhanushka (Sinharaja guide) and Ashoka
Spot-winged Thrush – An endemic species singing early morning.
Red-faced Malkoha – Another endemic species but only seen very high in the trees.
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We carried on to a gated entrance where an obliging Sri Lanka Junglefowl was wandering around and then proceeded on foot into the reserve.
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Down to the right was a dense scrubby area dropping down to a stream running parallel with the track we were walking along and this was apparently a good area for Scaly Thrush. We kept scanning and listening for the slightest rustle of leaves but could find nothing until our guide, who had gone ahead to search another area, came out from the scrub and excitedly called us over. We scrambled as quietly as possible down through the tangle of branches and then got our first obscured views of a Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush feeding in the leaf litter. We sat there for a while getting reasonable views through the shaded cover and then realised that another bird was nearby and over the next 10 minutes or so we got cracking, if slightly obscured, views of a shy and skulking species. They eventually flew into denser cover so we moved on.
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We reached a small pool where a Dog-faced Water Snake was poised, ready to strike on the unsuspecting fish nearby and up in trees some Ceylon Tree Nymph Butterflies were fluttering around the branches.
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Sri Lankan Tree Nymph, Idea iansonia
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A little further up an Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush was feeding in the vegetation alongside the path, soon joining some others up in the trees and another Spot-winged Thrush appeared on the edge of the path.
Round the next corner an impressive spider was in the centre of its huge web and as we began to make our way back a pair of Malabar Trogons materialised on a branch, although the male soon disappeared.
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The Dog-faced Water Snake was still on the small pool and back by the entrance Ashoka found a Green Forest Lizard and a nice Kangaroo Lizard, while an Intermediate Egret was on a nearby marshy grass area.
It was now time for some lunch so we drove a short distance to the educational centre to make plans for the rest of the day. A large pond next to the centre was productive with a variety of dragonflies, including Crimson Dropwing and Pink Skimmer; a Terrapin, many Flying Barb fish, several Common Skittering Frogs and most impressive of all (from a safe distance!) a Sri Lanka Green Pit Viper!
Crimson Dropwing, Trithemis aurora
Pink Skimmer, Orthetrum pruinosum neglectum
Flying Barb, Esomus thermoicos
Common Skittering Frog, Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis
Sri Lankan Green Pit Viper. Trimeresurus trigonocephalus
Ashoka and the others had gone off to search for some Serendib Scops Owl roost sites while we photographed the dragonflies and a showy Brown-breasted Flycatcher.
Unfortunately they drew a blank but did have a Sri Lanka Frogmouth on view, so we set off through some thick scrub to view a tree where a fantastically camouflaged Sri Lanka Frogmouth was sitting on a ridiculously small looking nest. A cracking bird, well worth the couple of leeches we found in our boots. With leech socks on though these were not a problem.
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Back up by the centre a party of stunning Sri Lanka Blue Magpies were calling from some nearby bushes and eventually gave us good views and then Ashoka heard a Golden-fronted Leafbird singing from one of the taller trees which we managed to get decent scope views of before it flew off.
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With time getting on we tried another part of the forest for the Owls, getting great views of a couple of Giant Squirrels on the way., as well as a couple of Crimson-backed Flamebacks and another pair of Malabar Trogons. The next Owl site also produced nothing but we had consolation with exceptionally close views of a pair of roosting Sri Lanka Frogmouths.
Giant Squirrel – Watched for some time close to the track.
While the guides were looking for owls, we spent a long time admiring a small troop of Purple-faced Leaf Monkeys. We only saw these a couple of times on the trip.
Southern Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus vetulus vetulus
Spot the monkey! The picture above this one was digiscoped from here with Swarovski 80 ATM HD and Nikon P330. Panorama taken with iPhone 4S.
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The last hour of daylight was spent looking for Spurfowl on a sloping part of the forest. We got a bird calling and then had good close views of a pair of Sri Lanka Spurfowl in the undergrowth. Unfortunately the male soon disappeared when another guide and a couple of birders came through the area where we were watching it but the female hung around for a few more minutes but was very elusive. It was then time to head back to the hotel after a fantastic day, the only disappointment being dipping a Scops Owl.
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Wednesday 12th February – While we were enjoying a nice meal yesterday evening Ashoka told us that the forest guides, would be trying another part of the forest early this morning to try to pin down a Serendib Scops Owl. At breakfast early this morning we got the news we had hoped for that they had found one in a regular roost area. It was a two hour drive to reach the site, through endless roadworks, where we met the guides in the jeep and made our way up a narrow road, seeing a female Indian Robin next to the road and eventually reaching a forested area with dense undergrowth. One of the guides quietly crept into the undergrowth and reappeared a few minutes later smiling. It was still there! We had to make our way through the tangle as quietly as possible on our hands and knees until we reached the spot where the Owl was roosting on a horizontal branch. We couldn’t believe it after trying so many places the day before that we were now focused on a superb Serendib Scops Owl. There was a mixture of relief and elation as we soaked up the views of this recently discovered species, first described in 2004 and we managed to get some good shots before leaving it in peace.
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It was only when we were back out by the jeep that we could start talking about what a fantastic bird it was and thanking the guides for their efforts. They had apparently been out all night making sure they found one for us! Well beyond the call of duty but we were extremely grateful.
Walking further up the road a Crimson-fronted Barbet was calling but refused to show, then a huge Scorpion appeared along the road edge and we suddenly realised that the leaches we were concerned about while crawling through to the Owl were the least of our worries!! The Barbet stopped calling but an Alexandrine Parakeet flew across and so after waiting a while we started walking back along the road getting good views of a Purple-rumped Sunbird and hearing another Barbet. Then one of the guides spotted a Crimson-fronted Barbet at the top of a distant tree and we managed to get decent scope views of this stunning bird before it flew. Another one flew into a different tree before it joined the other and headed off.
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Scorpion – A rather large creature was found by the side of the track close to the Serendib Scops Owl roost.
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With all the target species secured we got back in the jeep and made our way back. The drive back to the main road was eventful as we got a close view of a Water Monitor heading across a stream and an Oriental Honey Buzzard before there was a loud thud and the driveshaft dropped off the jeep!
Fortunately we weren’t too far from the road by then so a short push to the next downward slope was all that was needed to freewheel down to where Miender was waiting in the minibus. We then had quite a drive to the next town with the driveshaft where a new part was bought and then taken to a garage to be fixed on. We drove back to where the jeep was parked and left Daniel to fit the repaired driveshaft back on as we headed off.
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Oriental Honey Buzzard
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On the way back to the hotel Dave spotted a Whiskered Tern flying along one of the rivers we were crossing. It was quite a productive stop as we also got good views of Indian Swiftlets, Little and Asian Palm Swifts, Brahminy Kite and Black Eagle.
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking along the road from the hotel. The highlight though was a Butterfly, a huge, stunning Sri Lanka Birdwing which appeared briefly on flowers by the entrance. An Oriental Magpie Robin posed on the overhead wires and a Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot appeared further down the road. Jim picked out a stunning Green Forest Lizard with a fiery orange head, a pair of Small Minivets showed well, along with Brown-headed Barbet and White-bellied Drongo.
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We managed to find wildlife in our hotel too, this butterfly, the Common Evening Brown, Melanitis ledao, was seen by one of the lights as we went to dinner.
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