A birding trip to Sri Lanka - 17th November

I've decided to blog this trip to Sri Lanka, as communications ought to be good here.

We are four people: Paul Bateson, Rob Whitwell and Mike Pollard doing a 10-day tour of Sri Lanka. We set off on 16th November from Manchester Airport, flying with Qatar Airways, changing at Doha for Colombo. We flew with them before to Kerala, and I ddn't think they were as good this time - less leg room, no eye masks or flight socks and the in-seat entertainment was a bit ropey - but I can't fault the service or the music choice on their entertainment system. George would have grumbled about the gin portions in their G&T's - but then they are a Moslem country. We were a bit late getting into Doha, which eroded into our already tight 1-hour transfer. The whole operation went like clockwork at Doha, they picked us out and got us onto the Colombo flight and pushed back from the apron on time. And our luggage was at Colombo to meet us too

Colombo Airport was bedecked in flags to welcome the Commonwealth Heads of State Conference and after being collected by Pradesh our guide, and Kalid our driver, we were delayed getting out of the airport because of a CHSC convoy.

We drove to Kithulgala in the foothills from the Airport, weaving our way past mopeds, tuktuks and buses, occasionally stopping to look at collections of wetland birds. Our hotel, the Kithulgala Rest House is set back from the main road and positioned above the River Kelani, where they shot footage for A Bridge over the River Kwai. We were pretty shattered after our travelling, so freshened up and had lunch (a buffet curry) then a bit of free time to snooze or do some birdings. I went for the latter!

The River Kwai a.k.a. the Kelani River

By the time we gathered for a later afternoon stroll, the birds had woken up. The garden at the hotel was now alive with yellow-fronted barbets, Sri Lanka hanging parrots, Layard's parakeets, an Asia brown flycatcher, a fly-over black eagle, flame minivets and many more, it was difficult to get moving beyond the one spot.

Kalid drove us to near the police station at the other end of town, and we saw black-rumped flameback, a gorgeous pair of Tickell's blue flycatchers and Sri Lanka green pigeons. Then chestnut-backed owlets started calling right next to us. It was Kalid, who picked out the silhouette in the canopy above us.

We came back and met for supper, which was odd, to say the least. There was a religious festival on all day and night in the village, and I think the chef must have been off work for that. And no alcohol to celebrate a great start to the trip.