| Leading Tours since 1987
Itinerary: Day 1: Morning flight to Colombo with arrival early the next day. Day 2: Transfer to an Ecofriendly hotel reached by a small ferry. In the afternoon, we visit a canal and lake area close to Colombo. Lily-covered ponds give us the opportunity to observe Pheasant-tailed Jacana and Yellow and Black Bitterns. Passerines we can expect are Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Brown Shrike, Black-hooded Oriole and Long-billed Sunbird.
Day 4: Return visit to Kelani Forest Reserve and adjacent village gardens for Ceylon Hanging-parrot, Black-rumped Flameback, Jerdon's and Golden-fronted Leafbirds which visit flowering shrubs and trees. After lunch, we drive to Ratnapurna for a two-night stay. Gilimale Forest Reserve is en-route and hosts Indian Black Eagle, White-browed Bulbul, Brown-capped Babbler and Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher.
Day 5: We have to start before dawn today to
reach Sinharaja Forest Reserve, one of the best remaining areas
of rain forest left in Sri Lanka. Sinharaja holds all but two
of the island endemics. Bird activity is at its height at dawn
with mixed flocks of birds offering us our best opportunities
for endemic Spot-winged Thrush and Ashy-headed Laughingthrushes.
Sinharaja also has the enigmatic Red-faced Malkoha, Ceylon Frogmouth,
Chestnut-backed Owlet, White-faced Starling, Malabar Trogan
and Ceylon Day 6: We leave Ratnapurna for Embilipitiya which is situated near a large tank (water reservoir). In the afternoon, we embark on our first safari to Uda Walawe National Park. Birds of prey are a speciality and include Crested Hawk Eagle and Grey-headed Fish Eagles. Tracks attract Barred Buttonquail, Indian Robin, and Yellow-wattled Lapwings. Rotten trees hold Malabar Pied Hornbills. Water holes are an important habitat for kingfishers and waterbirds whilst scrub hosts Plaintive Cuckoo and Blue-faced Malkoha. Day 7: The south-east coast at Hambantota is a short drive away and our base for three nights. Kelametiya Sanctuary, an extensive coastal reserve of scrub, lakes, woodland, grassland and estuarine habitats, is particularly good for water birds. The grasslands hold Pacific Golden Plover. A flooded marsh has Pintail Snipe, Greater Thick-knee, and Streaked Weaver. As Kelametiya is so diverse in its habitats, we can make more than one visit.
Day 10: Today we travel to the highest town in Sri Lanka, Nuwara Eliya, at an elevation of 2000 metres. An isolated stand of rain forest surrounding a monastery has Grey-headed Canaryflycatcher, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike and Yellow-eared Bulbul. Hakala Estate is an area of woodland holding Brown Wood Owl and Ceylon Woodpigeon. Two-night stay at Nuwara Eliya.
Day 12: The road winds its way through tea plantations where we stop and make a short visit to a tea factory for Hill Swallow. On the outskirts of Kandy are botanical gardens, a birdwatcher’s delight. On arrival, we can look for Greater Flameback, Layard’s Parakeet, Asian Brown Flycatcher, and Indian Pitta. Kandy, where we have an overnight stay, is soon reached. Day 13: Today we travel to Habarana in the dry zone for a two-night stay. Before we arrive, a roadside wetland may be productive for Brown-capped Woodpecker. Our base is set amongst mature woodland next to a lake and has well-marked nature trails. The grounds are a regular haunt of Brown Fish Owl. Day 14: Sigiriya is a huge rock which rises nearly 200 metres out of the plain. The surrounding jungle and scrub have many species including Chestnut-winged and Bay-banded Cuckoos and White-rumped Shama. Our final safari takes place to Kawdulla in the afternoon. Apart from the huge numbers of herons and egrets, we can expect White-bellied and Grey-headed Fish Eagles and, at dusk, Indian Nightjar. Day 15: Birding at Habarana before we head back to Colombo for our flight to London, arriving early the following morning. * * * * *
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Sri
Lanka, a large island situated off the Southern tip of
India, is often referred to as India’s “tear
drop”. The island itself has a diverse variety of
habitats including pristine rain forest, highland grasslands,
virgin jungle, mangrove swamps, mud flats and several
internationally important national parks. Sri Lanka is
a truly beautiful island with a wealth of resident and
wintering species, including over twenty five endemics.
We have modified the itinerary slightly in order to observe
the recently described Serendib Scops Owl. 
Day
3: We leave Colombo for Kitulgala. The road climbs
as we leave Colombo, passing villages, rice paddies and pockets
of palm trees. The rest house at Kitulgala is attractively situated
above a river overlooking the rain forest. After lunch, we cross
the river by dugout canoe to visit Kelani Forest Reserve with
its endemics, Green-billed Coucal, Orange-billed and Dark-fronted
Babblers and, perhaps, the secretive Ceylon Spurfowl.
Days
8-9: Hambantota is close to the national parks of Bundala
and Yala. We are making two safaris into these famous reserves.
Also of interest, within a short distance, are saltpans and
large tanks with muddy margins. Shorebirds include Greater and
Lesser Sandplovers, Temminck’s Stint, Marsh, Terek and
Broad-billed Sandpipers and Collared Pratincole. A dawn start
on one day to visit Bundala, a birdwatcher’s paradise.
Bundala holds Indian Peafowl which occur here in their natural
habitat. We should get close views of Painted Stork, Asian Openbill,
Ceylon Junglefowl, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater and Ashy-crowned
Sparrow-larks. On the other day, we visit Tissamaharama Tank
on the way to Yala. The former has the impressive White-naped
Woodpecker. Yala is an exceptional area for mammals. We should
see Indian Elephant, Spotted Deer and Sambar and there is a
good chance of Leopard at dusk. The birds are similar to those
at Bundala and Kelametiya but with the added attraction of the
huge Black-necked Stork.
Day
11: Today we visit Horton Plains National Park. Before
we reach the park, a stop will be made to try and locate the
rare Ceylon Whistling Thrush. The road climbs high above wooded
valleys where endemic Ceylon Bushwarbler, Dull-blue Flycatcher
and Ceylon White-eye occur. Forest areas attract Mountain Hawk
Eagles. After lunch, a visit to Victoria Park may be productive
for Pied Thrush, Kashmir Flycatcher and Indian Blue Robin. |
