Green Bee-eater

I have had quite a problem with the internet this last few days which has been frustrating as you can imagine,  I have done so much and yet not been able to put pictures on the blog.  On  Friday I went to Wilpattu National Park, 180 kms north of here,  I went with some friends from the Dolphin Hotel and I really enjoyed their company.  We took a jeep safari ad saw many interesting species both bird and mamal as well as Mugger Crocodlie and Land Iguanna, Mongoose, but looking back, perhaps Jackall was the most exciting species seen. It's not often in your life that you are going to seea truly wild jackall.

Unfortunately no Elephants nor Leopard but it was a possibility.

Wilpattu National Park

I have also seen some nice birds this weekend and taken loads of pictures and added a few new species to my galleries such as Brown-headed Bee-eater, Painted Stork, Indian Thick-knees and Blyth's Reed Warbler.

Brown-headed bee-eater

Fresh water Turtle

Today was a crazy day, in the morning I staked out Kingfishers and had some succes with Alcedo athis bengalanensis, (the Indian sub-continent Common Kingfisher).  I had put a stick in the edge of the river the other day and basically I went back and sat next to it hoping that a Kingfisher would come and perch……and it did.  I always love it when one of my plans works so well.  

Common Kingfisher (Indian continent sub-species begalanensis)

Then this afternoon I went on the back of the motorbike to a wetland area about 50 kms north.  We saw all the usuals and I managed to get a good photo,  at last, of Whistling Duck.  Their were several pairs of Brahminy Kite and one bird attacked a small group of Ibis.  I took photos but the light was nowhere near as good as it needed to be.  Then I saw and photographed Eurasian Spoonbill, a first for me in Sri Lanka but I have seen this species many times before in Europe of course.