A full days birding in the jungle today was very successful seeing all the crucial endemics of the area. Although things didn't start well with myself feeling under the weather for a few hours, and constant heavy rain for three hours during prime birding time, things soon picked up with several roving feeding flocks encountered at various stages, including one flock holding a trio of endemics. Leeches were a constant nuisance today as we often went off track in search of the Scaly Thrush. Later on we got word that a pair of roosting Serendib Scops Owls had been found in a very remote area of the jungle, that basically led to Ian losing his glasses, and me slipping over front first and sliding down the slope covering a fair percentage of my clothes in mud. Needless to say, the Owls couldn't be located, but thankfully we were very satisfied with yesterday's views. An enjoyable, but tough days birding in the jungle, with now only one more day left of wearing leech socks.......hoorah!!
Capitals = new endemics, highlighted birds = lifers
Crested Treeswift - 20
SRI LANKA CRESTED DRONGO - 12
Asian Paradise Flycatcher - 2 pale morph
Orange-billed Babbler - ca. 30
WHITE-FACED STARLING - 8
ASHY-HEADED LAUGHINGTHRUSH - 10
SRI LANKA SCIMITAR BABBLER - 6
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch - 1
Brown-backed Needletail - 40
SRI LANKA BLUE MAGPIE - 3
Asian Brown Flycatcher - 1
SRI LANKA SCALY THRUSH - 3
Lesser Yellownape - 2
RED-FACED MALKOHA - 4
Black-capped Bulbul - 15
Malabar Trogan - 5
Black-naped Monarch - 1
Pale-billed Flowerpecker - 2
Toque Monkey - 8
Purple-faced Leaf Monkey - 5
Layard's Striped Squirrel - 1
Green Garden Lizard - 1
Kangaroo Lizard - 1
Sri Lanka Keel-back Snake - 1
Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush - a very lucky encounter with the entire group and another group chasing the bird on another path, whilst I stayed put and waited for it to come back to me.
Sri Lanka Crested Drongo
Ashy-headed Laughingthrush - taken at a very high iso, in the pouring rain looking up into the canopy......nice
Sri Lanka Keel Back
Malabar Trogan
Toque Macaque
umbrella birding was the code for the morning. Our guide picked the pink umbrella, and we made sure he knew about it
the jungle at Sinharaja
