Friday, May 9, 2008

Enjoying Birds and Nature in Hill Country

FOGSL organised another successful field visit for its members from 1st to 4th May. Victoria park, Gregory's lake, Bomuru Ella forests, Kande Ela forest and reservoir, and Hakgala Botanical Garden were among the places visited for bird watching. Trekking along the Bomuru Ella falls to Welimada was unforgettable experience to the members. Some of the memorable scenes captured in digital media are given here.






The list of birds recorded during the four day visit.

Sri Lanka Spurfowl
Sri Lanka Junglefowl
Little Grebe
Indian Pond-heron
Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Little Cormorant
Brahminy Kite
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Crested Serpent-eagle
Black Eagle
Changeable Hawk-eagle
White-breasted Waterhen
Red-wattled Lapwing
Pintail Snipe
Rock Pigeon
Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon
Spotted Dove
Emerald Dove
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Asian Koel
Greater Coucal
Collared Scops-owl
Indian Swiftlet
Asian Palm-swift
Little Swift
White-throated Kingfisher
Brown-headed Barbet
Sri Lanka Yellow-fronted Barbet
Crimson-fronted Barbet
Streak-throated Woodpecker
Greater Flameback
Common Iora
Scarlet Minivet
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
Brown Shrike
Black-hooded Oriole
Asian Paradise-flycatcher
Sri Lanka Magpie
House Crow
Jungle Crow
Great Tit
Jerdon’s Bushlark
Zitting Cisticola
Grey-breasted Prinia
Ashy Prinia
Plain Prinia
Red-vented Bulbul
Sri Lanka Yellow-eared Bulbul
Asian Black Bulbul
Common Tailorbird
Sri Lanka Bush-warbler
Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler
Dark-fronted Babbler
Yellow-billed Babbler
Sri Lanka White-eye
Oriental White-eye
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Common Myna
Pied Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Oriental Magpie-robin
Indian Robin
Pied Bushchat
Sri Lanka Dull-blue Flycatcher
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher
Thick-billed Flowerpecker
Sri Lanka White-throated Flowerpecker
Pale-billed Flowerpecker
Purple Sunbird
House Sparrow
White-throated Munia
Scaly-breasted Munia
Paddyfield Pipit

Participants: Mr. Sapumal Liyanaarachchi, Mr. Nishantha Kulathunga, Mrs. Indika Kulathunga, Mr. L.W. Manawadu, Mrs. Asanka Abeysekara, Mrs. Chitra Devi Ranasingha, Mr. Rohantha Samarajeeva, Mrs. Shanthini G. Atapaththu, Mr. Rayharn R.G. Atapaththu, Mr. Carl Fernando, Miss. Yuraji Karunaratne, Mr. Isuru de Zoysa, Miss. Nadeeka Gunawardhana, Miss. Thilina Deegoda, Mrs. Sindy de Silva, Mr. Nils Jonas Holgersson, Mrs. Carolina H. Ivarsson, Mr. C.R.I. Gomez, Mrs. Shamila Perera, Mr. Asantha Sirimanna, Miss. Zainal Ibrahim, Mr. Malaka Roddrigo, Mr. Saman Gamage, Mr. Indrika Pradeepa.


Indrika Pradeepa provided the list of birds recorded and photos.

‘Sri Lanka Birds’ in the festive month

April is a festive month for every Sri Lankan because of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. A brief summary of the results obtained during this festive month is given here. However, lowest number of visits and observations were recorded in this month after the launch of the system. It is predictable in this month since our members had to participate in many other activities as well.

Nine new members registered for the month of April increasing the total membership to 130.

The number of observations for the month of April was 574. Total of 144 species were recorded in the system during this period. It is nearly a half (50.9%) of the total number of species recorded so far in the system. Although the number of observations recorded was low, our members were able to record 21 of the 26 definitive endemic species and all seven proposed endemic species within the month of April.

Five mostly recorded species (and number of observations) were Red vented Bulbul (21), White-bellied Drongo (20), Yellow billed Babbler (17), Spotted Dove (17), and Common Myna (17).

Observations of nesting birds were recorded for a total of four species in the system during April. Species recorded nesting were, Crimson fronted Barbet, Greater Coucal, Common Myna and Orange breasted Green Pigeon.

A total of 21 locations were visited during April by our members. Highest numbers of observations were made at the locations in the Gampaha District namely Ihalayagoda (86) and Katawalamulla-Ganemulla (76).

Current statistics describing the number of field visits, number of observations and bird species, as well as the number of users registered in the system, are displayed on the login page of ‘Sri Lanka Birds’ - www.worldbirds.org/srilanka .

We would like to thank all the members for entering their valuable observations into Sri Lanka Birds. We highly appreciate contributions of members towards conservation of birds through this initiative.

We wish you happy birding.

Administrator of “Sri Lanka Birds”
Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka