2nd March
We booked our own flights and flew with Jet Airways from LHR to Mumbai then Mumbai to Colombo. We left on 1st Mar and arrived early [4:30 a.m.!!] on 2nd and were met by Jith and Nandana at the airport. Ensconced on our spacious air-conditioned 25-seater coach with driver Nimal and helper Penando, we set off for the longish drive to our first hotel at Sigiriya, location of the World Heritage Site of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, and also the nearby Polonnaruwa ruins.
En route we stopped for lunch at a large lake and later by a marsh area and soon logged a large number of water birds including 7 species of egret & heron including Indian Pond Heron, and also Black-headed Ibis, Asian Openbill Stork, Indian- and Little Cormorants and Oriental Darter. Our first raptors encountered were the striking White-bellied Sea-eagle and Grey-headed Fish Eagle. Common, Stork-billed, and White-throated Kingfishers were noted. We also encountered our first endemic in the shape of a Small Minivet.
En route we stopped for lunch at a large lake and later by a marsh area and soon logged a large number of water birds including 7 species of egret & heron including Indian Pond Heron, and also Black-headed Ibis, Asian Openbill Stork, Indian- and Little Cormorants and Oriental Darter. Our first raptors encountered were the striking White-bellied Sea-eagle and Grey-headed Fish Eagle. Common, Stork-billed, and White-throated Kingfishers were noted. We also encountered our first endemic in the shape of a Small Minivet.
Our hotel was the very pleasant Sigiriya Village Hotel, which has extensive gardens and accommodation in separate chalets located throughout the gardens. After arrival and a brief settle in, we did some birding around the area near the hotel. The jewel here was a very confiding Indian Pitta in the hotel grounds, posing for photographs. We also visited the awe-inspiring 200m high Sigiriya Rock Fortress. This comprises an ancient volcanic plug which a former king of Sri Lanka had selected as the centre of a new capital, and he built a palace and fortress atop the rock. About 1000 steps lead to the top, via caves where well-preserved wall paintings can be seen. The views from the ruins at the top are stunning. Wikipedia has lots of info about this incredible site. During the course of the afternoon, passerines now started to be added to the list, with Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Oriental White-eye, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Jerdon’s Leafbird, Marshall’s Iora, Black-headed Cuckooshrike, the very striking Orange-headed Thrush, and Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike being highlights. We also had prolonged views of a Shaheen Falcon, a local race of Peregrine. The day was rounded off with a well-earned and excellent meal at the hotel [after the exertions of mounting the ‘rock’!]. Click on each photo below for a bigger image. On the expanded images click the side arrows to move through them all.