Sri Lanka: the teardrop of India Saturday 25 February to Sunday 11 March 2012 with a whale-watching extension to Tuesday 13 March with Deepal Warakagoda as leader. Cost: £1750 plus about £650 for flights (2012) with the whale-watching extension Cost: £2210 plus about £650 for flights (2012) Single room supplement: £270 Please click here for details and an explanation of the price breakdown Maximum group size: 8 with 1 leader. |
'Everything went extraordinarily well. Deepal is a truly superb leader; he brought Tharanga Herath with him as an assistant, who proved to be an enviably sharp-eyed, knowledgeable, and delightful person. The country was lovely and fascinating, everyone was amazingly friendly.' F. Witebsky - 2008 |
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Early travellers romantically named Sri Lanka ‘the teardrop of India’. Just 270 miles long and 140 miles wide, this small island does indeed look like a tear which has fallen from the face of the sub-continent to become petrified in the Indian Ocean. Having, in reality, risen from the sea millions of years ago and since been subjected to much geological upheaval, Sri Lanka has developed into a magical land of mountains, gently undulating hills, open plains, and lush valleys. Running through these are countless rivers dotted with beautiful waterfalls, many hidden beneath a dense cloak of rainforest. For the birdwatcher, islands have the added attraction of endemic species that have evolved through centuries of isolation. With upwards of 33 unique birds, Sri Lanka is no exception and we’ll endeavour to encounter them all during our visit. A large number of northern migrants winter on the island, joining many other resident species which are difficult or impossible to see on our usual birdwatching circuits of India. Add to this a rich cultural history and the world-famous hospitality of the Sri Lankan people and you have the recipe for a perfect birdwatching holiday. The forests of Sri Lanka are home to one very special bird, a new species of scops owl discovered in 2001 by our leader Deepal. Sunbird was the first tour group to see this bird, now named Serendib Scops Owl, and we have seen it every year since, a record we hope to maintain on this, our twelfth tour to this magical island. Starting in 2011, we'll also be offering a short, post-tour whale-watching extension. In recent years, large numbers of Blue Whales and other cetaceans have been found in the waters off southern Sri Lanka. Our short extension will include a boat trip into these waters to look for these massive creatures. Day 1: The tour begins with an overnight flight from London to Colombo, the island’s capital. Day 2: We arrive in the early hours of the morning and transfer to an airport hotel for the rest of the night. The calls of the ubiquitous Asian Koel are sure to waken us and, after a late breakfast, we’ll drive to our hotel at Sigiriya. Perhaps the most striking sight on Sri Lanka, Sigiriya is a 600-foot high wide pinnacle of rock rising out of the jungle. One of seven World Heritage Sites on Sri Lanka, Sigiriya is famous for the ancient fortress that sits on its summit, and especially for the ancient rock paintings or frescoes that adorn the walls. After checking in to our hotel, we'll have time to explore the surrounding forest for our first birds, which could include Ceylon Grey Hornbill, a selection of woopeckers including the striking crimson form of Black-rumped Flameback, and White-naped Woodpecker. Night at Sigiriya. Day 3: Around the base of the imposing rock are an extensive series of ancient ruins, most of which have been swallowed by the encroaching jungle. It is this jungle that will provide many more birds for us today as we wander the extensive network of tracks and roadways in search of Oriental, Forest Eagle and Brown Fish Owls, Indian Nightjar, Blue-faced Malkoha, Drongo and Banded Bay Cuckoo, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Indian Pitta, Ceylon Woodshrike, Large and Black-headed Cuckooshrikes, Blue-winged Leafbird, Orange-headed Thrush, White-rumped Shama, Indian Black and Indian Blue Robins, Jungle, Ashy and Grey-breasted Prinia, Green and Large-billed Leaf Warblers, and Brown-capped Babbler. For those that wish, there will also be the chance to climb the long staircase to the top of Sigiriya rock to admire the paintings and the carved fortress. Night in Sigiriya. Day 4: Leaving Sigiriya, we travel to Kandy, home of traditional Sri Lankan culture and famous for the temple that houses a sacred tooth rescued from the Buddha’s funeral pyre in 543 BC. We’ll visit the temple as well as the splendid Royal Botanical Gardens that contain a surprising number of birds and a large colony of flying foxes. Night in Kandy. Days 5-6: Today we continue our drive into the highlands and the town of Nuwara Eliya in the heart of Sri Lanka’s hill country and tea-growing region, and we’ll pause on our way up to sample some of the tea for which the island is so famous. Over the next few days we’ll visit many sites, including the beautiful and elegant Hakgala Botanical Gardens, to look for Kashmir and Dull Blue Flycatchers. Among the formal shrubbery of Victoria Park we should see Indian Pitta and Pied Thrush, while on the Horton Plains we’ll search for Jerdon’s Baza, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Ceylon Scimitar-babbler, Sri Lanka Bush Warbler and Sri Lanka White-eye, among others. However the real prize of our visit to this region will be the Arrenga or Ceylon Whistling-thrush, one of the rarest and most magical birds on the island. Nights in Nuwara Eliya. Day 7: Leaving the high country behind us, we descend into the warm tropical 'wet zone'. Our first destination is Kitulgala, on the banks of the River Kelani, and we should arrive in time for some birdwatching in the grounds of our hotel. Our first birds here might include Green Imperial and Ceylon Green-pigeons, Layard’s Parakeet, and White-throated Flowerpecker. Night in Kitulgala. Day 8: It was here that Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed and in the early morning we’ll cross the river that featured in the film by dug-out canoe to spend some time birding in the tropical forest in search of such birds as Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, a variety of woodpeckers including Lesser Yellownape, Rufous, Brown-capped and the recently split Crimson-backed Flameback, Malabar Trogon, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Black-capped Bulbul, Spot-winged Ground-thrush, Tickell’s Blue and Brown-breasted Flycatchers, and Black-naped Monarch. We’ll return to our guest house for lunch and a midday break but will re-enter these bird rich forests in the late afternoon and remain there until after dark in search of Serendib Scops Owl, Chestnut-backed Owlet and the bizarre Sri Lanka Frogmouth. Night at Kitulgala.
Day 9: After another morning in and around Kitulgala we’ll drive to the town of Ratnapura in the heart of the island’s gem-mining region. Night in Ratnapura. Days 10-11: These two days are set aside for exploring Sinharaja and other rain forest sites in the heart of the wet zone. Because our hotel, which is the nearest suitable accommodation, is some distance away from Sinharaja, we’ll need to make early starts to reach the forest for first light. The park’s extensive birdlist includes most of the country’s endemics and we have a good chance of seeing the majority of them, although some are easier to find than others. The ground-dwelling Sri Lanka Spurfowl requires stealth and sharp eyes, whereas roving flocks of Ashy-headed Laughingthrushes and Orange-billed Babblers are much more obliging. Ceylon Hill-mynas call loudly and clearly from exposed positions while Ceylon Hanging-parrots shriek past. The exquisite Ceylon Blue Magpie is a real gem and, with luck, several will be seen here. We’ll also be keeping a sharp eye open for Red-faced Malkoha cavorting around the tangled vines and creepers. Another rare and shy inhabitant of the forest here is the Green-billed Coucal and we'll listen carefully for the distinctive call that will betray the presence of this remarkable bird. White-faced Starling may appear high up in the trees and the very elusive Chestnut-backed Owlet haunts the dense canopy. Multicoloured butterflies, the size of saucers, float in and out of the warm humid forest which at times echoes to the excited calls of mixed-species bird flocks. Sinharaja will undoubtedly be a rewarding experience and possibly the highlight of the tour. Nights at Ratnapura. Day 12: Leaving the wet zone, we head south. We'll reach our hotel in time for lunch and spend the afternoon visiting the Uda Walawe National Park. Established to protect the forest catchment of a large reservoir, this park is home to good numbers of waterbirds and mammals. We’ll switch to open-topped jeeps and drive around the park searching for the distinctive Sri Lankan forms of Crested Hawk-eagle and Barred Buttonquail, as well as for Malabar Pied Hornbill, Plum-headed Parakeet, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Brown Fish Owl, Forest Wagtail, and Blyth’s Pipit. We can also expect close encounters with some of the many wild Indian Elephants that inhabit the park. Night at Embilipitiya. Day 13: After breakfast we’ll visit an extensive area of marsh and coastal lagoons to look for Black and Yellow Bitterns, Watercock, Ruddy-breasted Crake, a variety of waders including Pacific Golden Plover and Pintail Snipe, and hordes of stunning Blue-tailed Bee-eaters. We’ll then travel east to the village of Tissa, famous for its large tank (or lake) and ancient domed dagoba (Buddhist shrine). Deepal has recently discovered a population of Marshall's Iora breeding on Sri Lanka. This colourful bird was previously thought to be restricted to the Indian mainland so its discovery by Deepal (yet another new bird for Sri Lanka which he has found) is important, and we have a good chance of seeing this latest addition to the Sri Lanka avifauna around Tissa. After lunch we’ll visit Yala National Park where we’ll encounter drier forest and open grasslands. These habitats are still very rich in birds and we’ll look for Lesser Adjutant, Asian Openbill, Spot-billed Pelican, Great Thick-knee and Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark among others. Yala is also home to many mammals including Indian Elephant, Wild Boar, Tufted Grey Langur, Sambar and Spotted Deer. When dusk comes we’ll linger to search for Jerdon’s Nightjar and also the commoner Indian Nightjar. Night at Tissa.
Day 14: This morning we’ll explore the wader-rich pools of Bundala Sanctuary where Little Pratincoles breed. Here, mixed flocks of roosting terns will hold Caspian, Great Crested, Lesser Crested and, with luck, Saunders’s Terns. There will also be hordes of waders to search through, and we’ll see good numbers of Lesser Sand Plovers here as well as a few wintering Red-necked Phalaropes. We’ll end the day by searching a coconut plantation for the elusive White-naped Woodpecker. Night at Tissa. Day 15: We leave Tissa and begin the journey back to Colombo, arriving there in the late afternoon. We'll check into an airport hotel and have dinner before we return to the airport to connect with our onward flight to London, where the tour ends on Day 16. Whale-watching extension Day 15: Those staying on for the whale-watching extension will travel as far as Mirissa where we'll check into our hotel located right on the beach, overlooking the Indian Ocean. Night at Mirissa. Day 16: The lack of monsoon weather in March should give us calm seas, which in turn make the whale-watching conditions perfect. However we have set aside two days in which to do a pelagic boat trip should bad weather prevent us putting to sea. Recent research has shown that Blue Whales appear to be resident in the water around Sri Lanka and at this time of year they are busy feeding and are usually found between 3 and 10 miles offshore. Our large and comfortable boat will take us out to sea in search of the largest mammal on the planet. In addition to Blue Whales we may also encounter Sperm and Bryde's Whales, and Spinner and Bottle-nosed Dolphins. This is not the best time for seabirds but we should find Wilson's and Swinhoe's Storm Petrels, Bridled and Sooty Terns, and perhaps a migrant Long-tailed Skua. Night at Mirissa. Day 17: There is another chance this morning for a second boat trip or to visit a forest close to Galle, or just to relax around the hotel. Later we'll travel back to Colombo to connect with our return flight to London, where the tour ends on Day 18.
E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.
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Sunbird was the first tour group to see this new species - Serendib Scops Owl - and we have seen it every year since.
In the island's wet zone, the beautiful song of the endemic Spot-winged Thrush echoes around the rainforest...
and other endemics that await us include the striking Red-faced Malkoha...
and the plainer, and much harder to see Ceylon Spurfowl.
The Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher provides a flash of colour in the dense forest...
We see the endemic Sri Lankan Woodpigeon in the forests of the Horton Plains, along with...
the poorly named Dull Blue Flycatcher...
and the rare Kashmir Red-breasted Flycatcher which winters here.
However the star of the show in the highlands is without doubt the Ceylon Whistling Thrush.
And Sri Lanka has to be one of the easiest places to see Indian Pitta.
Other attractions on the island besides the birds includes this striking Green Garden Lizard.
Photos by Uditha Hettidge, Paul Holt, James Lidster, Tim Loseby and Trevor Quested |
Bird List
