Trip Report Sri Lanka 2003

Simon Plat, Maaike Poppinga
Dates: 24-02-2003 till 13-03-2003
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Sinharaja Man and Biosphere Reserve


Location: The entrance to the park and Martin's Place are near the town of Kudawa, close to the larger Weddagala, south of Ratnapura, about 150 km sout east of Colombo (4-5 hours drive). The last 3,5 km to Martin's place can only be taken with a high clearence 4-WD, or by foot.

Costs: Entrance fee: Rs575/- per person, a one-way ticket to Martin's Place with a jeep costs R3500,-. Stay at Martin's Place: R1100,- per night, bring your own food and water.

Date(s): 25, 26 and 27-02-2003 (20 birding hours).

Notes: Sinharaja is THE place to go in Sri Lanka. It holds not only almost all the endemics, there's a lot more to get. And it is a beautiful area. Make sure you're able to stay at Martin's Place, only a few 100 m walk from the entrance of the park. This can be arranges by your tour operator (Bours did it for us), or by sending a telegram to the Veddagala Post Office on 045-5256. Stay for at least two days. There are however some rules. First rule is that a local guide is compulsory. It's no problem to arrange one but you best get one that likes to help you find the targets. Sunil found us a guide named K.D. Thandula Jayarathna (Thandula) who knows the area very good and is a keen birder. He found me Chestnut-backed Owlet, Ceylon Frogmouth and Scaly Thrush. We paid Thandula Rs1000,- for his help during our stay. Second rule is a weird one: you need entrance tickets, that's no problem of course but they told us that you can only buy those at the day of entrance and you can only buy them at the headquarters back in Kudawa..., opening at 8:00 o'clock in the morning! Actually we heard different stories from different visitors. But in our case Thandula bought us our tickets before getting up to the entrance.

We only birded the logging trail between the entrance and the research station, good enough to find all the targes. But there are severel hiking options in the park.

Highlights (endemics in bold): Malayan Night-Heron (1- juv), Black Eagle (2), Ceylon Junglefowl (V), Ceylon Wood-Pigeon (2), Ceylon Hanging-Parrot (V), Layard's Parakeet (XX), Green-billed Coucal (3), Red-faced Malkoha (V), Chestnut-backed Owlet (2 - mating, see Itinerary for the full story), Ceylon Frogmouth (1), Brown-backed Needletail (2), Malabar Trogon (5), Yellow-fronted Barbet (V), Lesser Yellownape (3), Black Bulbul (XX), Black-capped Bulbul (V), Scaly Thrush (1), Spot-winged Thrush (V), Ashy-headed Laughingthrush (XX), Orange-billed Babbler (XX), Large-billed Leaf-Warbler (1), Legge's (White-throated) Flowerpecker (V), Ceylon Myna (3), White-faced Starling (8), Greater Racket-tailed (Crested) Drongo (2), Ceylon Magpie (V).

Pics:

The balcony at Martins Place. Great to watch birds from, while relaxing after a good birding day in the park. This is also the best spot for good views of Ceylon Magpie
The start of the old logging trail into Sinharaja in early morning mist. Though this trails is only a few km long it is full of birds, mostly in feeding flocks. Almost all targets can be found from this path.
Another picture of Sinharaja at a resting place. This is where we got our first large feeding flock including at least 3 Red-faced malkohas.
A common, noice, obtrusive and tame endemic of Sri Lanka: Ceylon Junglefowl. Their loud call is totally different from the call of the familiar roosters. Ceylon Junglefowl
White-faced Starling This was a lucky shot, unfortunately a bit blur, but recocnisable: one of two White-faced Starlings showing well while feeding beside the road, just a few 100 meters from the entrance.
Another lucky shot! The Malayan Night Heron, discovered that morning, was standing stoical in the middle of the path. It was allready getting dark and the bird was not willing to leave this post. Eventually it flew of to a nearby tree when we approached. Malayan Night Heron
White-throated Flowerpecker Legge's (White-throated) Flowerpecker was easily found during our stay, but it can be a drag to find it. Sinharaja is (again) your best bet for this endemic.

This wonderstuff was advised to us by Sunil as being a good treat against leaches and a million other things. It definitely helps agains the itching of mosquito bites!

Bird List:

Column 1: S= endemic species; R=endemic race/subspecies
Column 2: N=Near-threatened; V=Vulnerable

    Ardeola grayii Indian Pond-Heron
2
    Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret
1
    Gorsachius melanolophus Malayan Night-Heron
1
    Haliastur indus Brahminy Kite
1
    Ictinaetus malayensis Black Eagle
2
R   Spilornis cheela spilogaster Crested Serpent-Eagle
1
R   Spizaetus cirrhatus ceylanensis Changeable Hawk-Eagle
1
S   Gallus lafayetii Ceylon Junglefowl
V
R   Chalcophaps indica robinsoni Emerald Dove
V
S V Columba torringtoni Ceylon Wood-Pigeon
2
    Ducula aenea Green Imperial-Pigeon
V
R   Streptopelia chinensis ceylonensis Spotted Dove
V
S   Loriculus beryllinus Ceylon Hanging-Parrot
V
S   Psittacula calthropae Layard's Parakeet
XX
S V Centropus chlororhynchus Green-billed Coucal
3
    Centropus sinensis Greater Coucal
V
S V Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus Red-faced Malkoha
V
S N Glaucidium castanonotum Chestnut-backed Owlet
2
    Batrachostomus moniliger Ceylon Frogmouth
1
    Hirundapus giganteus Brown-backed Needletail
2
R   Harpactes fasciatus fasciatus Malabar Trogon
5
    Merops philippinus Blue-tailed Bee-eater
V
S   Ocyceros gingalensis Ceylon Grey-Hornbill
V
S   Megalaima flavifrons Yellow-fronted Barbet
V
    Megalaima zeylanica Brown-headed Barbet
V
R   Dinopium benghalense psarodes Black-rumped (red-backed) Flameback
1
R   Picus chlorolophus wellsi Lesser Yellownape
3
    Pericrocotus flammeus Scarlet Minivet
V
R   Hypsipetes leucocephalus humii Black Bulbul
XX
R   Iole indica guglielmi Yellow-browed Bulbul
V
R   Pycnonotus cafer cafer Red-vented Bulbul
V
S   Pycnonotus melanicterus Black-capped Bulbul
V
    Aegithina tiphia multicolor Common Iora
1
    Lanius cristatus cristatus Brown Shrike
1
R   Zoothera dauma imbricata Scaly Thrush
1
S N Zoothera spiloptera Spot-winged Thrush
V
S V Garrulax cinereifrons Ashy-headed Laughingthrush
XX
S   Pellorneum fuscocapillum Brown-capped Babbler
V
    Pomatorhinus horsfieldii melanurus Indian Scimitar-Babbler
V
R   Rhopocichla atriceps nigrifrons Dark-fronted Babbler
X
S N Turdoides rufescens Orange-billed Babbler
XX
    Phylloscopus magnirostris Large-billed Leaf-Warbler
1
R   Cyornis tickelliae jerdoni Tickell's Blue-Flycatcher
V
    Muscicapa dauurica Asian Brown Flycatcher
V
R   Hypothymis azurea ceylonensis Black-naped Monarch
V
    Terpsiphone paradisi paradisi Asian Paradise-Flycatcher
V
R   Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis Asian Paradise-Flycatcher
V
    Sitta frontalis Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
1
R   Dicaeum erythrorhynchos ceylonense Pale-billed Flowerpecker
V
S N Dicaeum vincens Legge's Flowerpecker
V
R   Nectarinia zeylonica zeylonica Purple-rumped Sunbird
V
S N Gracula ptilogenys Ceylon Myna
3
S V Sturnus senex White-faced Starling
8
R   Oriolus xanthornus ceylonensis Black-hooded Oriole
V
    Dicrurus caerulescens leucopygialis White-bellied Drongo
V
R   Dicrurus paradiseus lophorhinus Greater Racket-tailed (Crested) Drongo
2
S V Urocissa ornata Ceylon Magpie
V

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