Birding Kalpitiya - Part 2 Shorebirds

Eurasian Curlew, photo by Saranga.

We spent the second part of our trip shore birding. As we headed north towards Kalpitiya, we passed several tanks and sections of lagoon that were full of shorebirds and waders. One spot we spent nearly an hour on the side of the road scanning through about 60+ shorebirds. Among them were species we hadn’t yet seen this fall, including Curlew Sandpiper and Black-bellied Plover.

Common Redshank, photo by Saranga

A common sight in any good shorebird habitat, Kentish Plovers, photo by Saranga

We continued north until we arrived at our hotel. After checking in and cooling off a bit, we headed towards the sand bar separating the sea from the lagoon. Evening birding along the lagoon did not disappoint as we added Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Gray Francolin, Pied Kingfisher, and Indian Paradise-Flycatcher to our trip list. As we were birding, someone on a bicycle rode by selling ice cream, so we enjoyed an ice cream cone as we watched the foraging shorebirds. As the sun set on the sand dunes, we made our way back to the hotel to enjoy the pool before bed.

Enjoying ice cream while birding

Whimbrel, photo by Saranga

Indian Paradise-Flycatcher, photo by Saranga

Crimson Rose, photo by Saranga

We set out at first light to walk down the road for some exercise and birding. Broad-billed Sandpiper, a life bird for Saranga, was a highlight of the morning, along with some active Ruddy Turnstones, and better looks at a family of Gray Francolin. I really enjoyed watching the Eurasian Curlew bathing in a puddle.

Eurasian Curlew, handheld iPhone through Vortex Razor HD

Once we had sufficiently surveyed the area, we decided to head back out to the sand bar. We were treated to near side-by-side comparisons of the Whimbrel and Eurasian Curlew, and of Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits. We were traveling by bike and stopping to scope and walk around when we saw a promising area, which is a quite enjoyable and effective way of birding!

At one time, we were driving along the lagoon towards a point where a group of terns were roosting. As we drove, I noticed a couple shorebirds with upturned bills. We quickly stopped and got the scope on them and started snapping pictures. I thought they might be Terek Sandpipers and pulled out my field guide to be sure. They were! Another life bird for us both! Terek Sandpipers have an interesting foraging behavior, where they quickly run with their heads down, then stop and listen, then run some more. Their short legs, relative to other shorebirds, make them almost comical to watch run along the water’s edge. Their speed and agility made them difficult to photograph for me, since I was hand-holding my phone to take pictures through my spotting scope. Saranga, however, wasn’t deterred by their speed and quite successfully followed them along the beach with his camera.

My current phone scoping set-up... not ideal for Terek Sandpipers.

Saranga's photo of our lifer Terek Sandpiper

For a two-night vacation, I’d say we couldn’t have had much better birding!

The lagoon

Here’s our complete list of shorebirds for the day and a half we spent birding:

Ruddy Turnstones, photo by Saranga

1 - Great Thick-knee

2 - Black-winged Stilt

3 - Black-bellied Plover

4 - Pacific Golden-Plover

5 - Red-wattled Lapwing

6 - Lesser Sand-Plover

7 - Kentish Plover

8 - Whimbrel

9 - Eurasian Curlew

10 - Bar-tailed Godwit

Common Sandpiper, photo by Saranga

11 - Black-tailed Godwit

12 - Ruddy Turnstone

13 - Broad-billed Sandpiper

14 - Curlew Sandpiper

15 - Little Stint

16 - Terek Sandpiper

17 - Common Sandpiper

18 - Common Greenshank

19 - Marsh Sandpiper

20 - Wood Sandpiper

21 - Common Redshank

Bar-tailed Godwit, iPhone photo through Vortex Razor scope

Birding Kalpitiya - Part 1 Seabirds

Lesser Crested Tern, photo by Saranga

The morning of November 5^th, shortly after I woke up, my husband surprised me that he wanted to take me to the beach when he got home from work, and to plan for 2 nights away. We had talked about visiting Kalpitiya, a western coastal town in Sri Lanka, later this month, but some recent reports of Orcas showing up inspired an impromptu vacation. We first arrived in Norochcholai and visited the Department of Wildlife Conservation office. Staff shared recent accounts of Spinner Dolphins and Orcas. They treated us to a delicious lunch while playing locally filmed videos of the dolphins and whales. I was definitely getting excited to be on the water!

We were the only two people on the beach!

We stayed at Ocean Wind Beach Resort, and across the road, another property managed by the same people offered a private beach for us to use! We spent the evening walking the beach, collecting shells, watching crabs, wading, and building a sandcastle under the moonlight.

There were dozens of these crabs running along the waves. Photo by Saranga.

We only saw one of this type of crab. Photo by Saranga.

The boat we had for the morning.

Early the next morning, we woke up to meet our boat at the beach property, which also offers dolphin watching tours. The small 6-seat boat was by far the smallest watercraft I’d ever been on in the ocean, and with the wind, I was a little nervous. Being the off-season for tourism and just the beginning of whale and dolphin season, we ended up with a private boat for the morning. 

The water wasn’t as smooth as it had been the previous days, and the wind direction had changed so there was a chance we wouldn’t get to see the dolphins. This became a reality as we spent more time at sea. After a while, we began to see small groups of 3-10 terns flying by or circling low over the water. We finally told the boat drivers that we’d be happy to stop and look at the birds the next time we found a group, since the dolphins didn’t seem to be around.

Small groups of birds turned into a feeding flock of roughly 150 terns! As we waited in the middle of the group, and circled back through the flock several times, we were able to identify 8 species of terns, two being life birds for both Saranga and myself! Then, we noticed a dark bird fly low over the water and land… we quickly got binoculars and our camera on the bird and identified it as a Wedge-tailed Shearwater! Another life bird for us both! Then another… and another! Altogether, 4 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters sat on the water and flew low to the water below the higher-flying terns.

Saranga's photo of one of the Wedge-tailed Shearwaters

Another Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Photo by Saranga.

Terns dove into the water all around our boat, performing incredible aerial displays. It was really a fun experience and we were quite happy ending the trip with 3 life birds and no dolphins. We may try to go back again on a day with better sea conditions, but who knows… we may not see any good birds that way!

 

Omeesha Beach Resort, where we enjoyed breakfast after the dolphin tour.

Here’s are list of the birds we saw at sea:

1 - Wedge-tailed Shearwater

2 - Sooty Tern

3 - Bridled Tern

4 - Gull-billed Tern

5 - Sandwich Tern

6 - Common Tern

7 - Whiskered Tern

8 - Great Crested Tern

9 - Lesser Crested Tern

10 - Blue-tailed Bee-eater (I know they migrate, but I was surprised to see a group of 6 bee-eaters at sea!)

Ready for Part 2 of our vacation! 

Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka

September 20-22, 2019

Toque Macaque

We spent all 3 days on 12-hour safaris in Wilpattu National Park. Located in northwestern Sri Lanka, Wilpattu is one of my favorite national parks. Not only is it close to home, and where Saranga and I first met… but it has amazing animals and a unique diversity of habitats and perhaps the most beautiful scenery of any of the parks. From grasslands, arid shrublands, and old growth jungles… to an array of freshwater lakes, brackish lakes, and coastal cliffs and shoreline. See a sampling of the habitats below. The park even hides an array of preserved archeological sites. Wilpattu’s 1,317 square kilometers make it Sri Lanka’s largest national park.

A herd of Spotted Deer, a common sight in the park

We arrived extra early to try to be he first jeep in line going into the park… not only to get first encounters of animals out in the morning, but also to see the leopard, bear, and elephant tracks in the road before they get covered, and to avoid vehicles in front of us kicking up dust from the dirt and sand roads. Perhaps our most notable “first encounter” was this massive bull elephant; one known to charge vehicles on occasion! This day he was coating himself with dirt from the road before making his way into the jungle.

A massive bull elephant in musk at Wilpattu National Park

While searching for leopards, birding wasn’t our primary focus; regardless, we still managed to identify over 80 species of birds in the park! A favorite for me was my lifer Cotton Pygmy-Goose! A tiny white goose with an iridescent green back.

Lesser Adjutant, the second largest bird residing in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Jackal, a subspecies of Golden Jackal

One day, while resting after eating lunch, I opted to stay in the jeep while Saranga and his friends were photographing a very cooperative Changeable Hawk-Eagle nearby. Suddenly I saw what I have best identified as either a Common Bronzeback or a Shokar's Bronzeback snake coming down the tree in front of me. I grabbed my camera and before I realized what was happening, a high-speed chase was occurring next to me between the snake and a rather unfortunate gecko. Two trips up and down the tree, and the snake won in both endurance and stealth. Shade from the jungle canopy didn’t offer the best light, and my recently dropped point-and-shoot camera couldn’t focus quickly enough for the action, but I did manage this short series of shots to remember the action.

Bronzeback snake consuming a gecko

Bronzeback snake consuming a gecko

The next day, at the same lunch spot, we found this White-rumped Shama catching a similarly unfortunate baby Dotted Garden Skink. Sometimes stopping to rest gives you the best opportunity for the wildlife to come close to you. 

White-rumped Shama with a juvenile Dotted Garden Skink

White-rumped Shama with its prey

We also met this elephant as we rested in the shade next to this grassy watering hole, he eventually wandered out from the jungle to drink and bathe before turning back to retreat to the shade, himself. 

Indian Flying Fox roost colony 

Grizzled Giant Squirrel

By the middle of our third day, our effort in the park finally paid off… there in the brush, lounging next to a termite mound was a massive male Leopard! We watched him for over 30 minutes as he napped, washed his face and paws, and twitched his tail. We hoped he would come out to explore a nearby water hole, but eventually he simply stood, stretched, and wandered deeper into the jungle. Regardless, it was a breathtaking and priceless few moments to spend in the presence of such a powerful apex predator.

Sri Lanka Leopard resting in Wilpattu National Park

Peace, and thanks for reading! I hope you'll want to visit Wilpattu National Park. Saranga and I would be happy to show you around! 

Saranga with the safari vehicle we rode around in for the 3 days

Obligatory selfie of Saranga and me in the park after lunch

Horton Plains National Park

We took a bus, an overcrowded train, and another bus on a day-and-a-half long journey from home to Nuwara Eliya last week. Leaving temperatures in the low-90s in Anuradhapura, we arrived on a misty and cool 58-degree evening in the mountains. 

A view from the bus as we passed through the mountains and tea plantations

We showered and layered on the clothing we brought and settled into our hotel room for the night. In the morning we would be leaving at 4:45AM to head to Horton Plains National Park… another hour away by tuk-tuk. The morning was misty and rainy, windy, and downright cold as we made our way to the park. Upon arrival, and seemingly on cue, the rain let up, and the wind settled. Making our way to the trail head, we met Lillie, a fellow birder from the United States.

Birding Horton Plains! - Photo by NS Dissanayaka

Horton Plains is a vast and unique park with open grasslands flanked by rainforest, high in the mountains. It’s the home to Leopards, the regionally endemic Bear Leaf-monkey, a subspecies or the Purple-faced Leaf-monkey, Sambar Deer, many regionally endemic birds, and several endemic lizards, including my favorite Rhino-horned Lizard. The climate, montane habitat, and wildlife are unlike anywhere else in Sri Lanka.

We started our nearly 6-mile trek through the grasslands to the famous Baker’s Falls, through the jungle, and on to the End of the World overlook. It didn’t take very long until Saranga pointed out a Blyth’s Pipit… a life bird! It’s #916 for the world, and #222 for Sri Lanka! Here’s a short photo-tour of Horton Plains National Park…

Sambar Deer - Photo by NS Dissanayaka

Tricolored Munia (Lonchura malacca)

Baker's Falls

Yellow-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus)
a Sri Lanka endemic - Photo by NS Dissanayaka

Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus) - Photo by NS Dissanayaka

Saranga and me at the World's End overlook - Photo by L. Kline

World's End

Dark-fronted Babbler (Rhopocichla atriceps) - Photo by NS Dissanayaka

Photo by NS Dissanayaka

If you like what you see, join Saranga and I at Horton Plains as part of our Ultimate Island Safari trip in March 2020! 

Saranga and me at Baker's Falls - Photo by K. Wijesinghe

All photos in this post are mine unless noted otherwise :) Thanks for reading! 

-Anna