Magul Maha Viharaya - Lahugala, Sri Lanka

The Moonstone at Magul Maha Viharaya - Lahugala, Sri Lanka

While driving back form Arugam Bay, on the east coast of Sri Lanka, we took a detour to visit Magul Maha Viharaya, off Lahugala. This temple complex dates back to the 14th century when it was known as Ruhunu Maha Viharaya. It is said to have been built to commemorate the wedding of King Kavantissa and Vihara Maha Devi.

More photographs inside.

The Moonstone at Magul Maha Viharaya - Lahugala, Sri Lanka

The main archeological feature of this site is the moonstone which is the only moonstone in Sri Lanka featuring a human being. If you look closely at the image above, the second last Elephant at the bottom right hand corner of the photograph has a man perched on its back. I have heard that the people who lived in the local area around the 14th century were known for trapping Elephants and this could be the reason behind people appearing on this moonstone.

The "Poruwa" - Lahugala, Sri Lanka

The photograph above shows the site where King Kavantissa is said to have married Vihara Maha Devi. It is supposed to be a short walk through the forest to Muhudu Maha Viharaya in Arugam Bay where Vihara Maha Devi first came ashore on the south-east coast.

The Novice Monk - Lahugala, Sri Lanka

Two novice monks, who couldn't have been over 10 - 12 years old, were living at the small temple on the site when we visited. They saw the camera and insisted on posing for a number of photographs during the two hours we spent there.

The Novice Monks - Lahugala, Sri Lanka

I had the 7D with the 24-105mm lens on me when I walked around the temple complex. I would have liked to have spent a bit more time wandering around the place but we had a long drive to Yala with a stop scheduled at Maligawilla so we moved on.

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Bhaja Caves - Pune, India

Bhaja Caves - Pune, India

I was in Pune on work last week and managed to free up sometime (by starting pretty early in the morning!) to see a few of the local sights. Bhaja caves was one of two old Buddhist cave temples I visited during the week. The cave temples are said to belong to the Theravada stream of Buddhism and date back to the 2nd century BC.

More images, including a panorama of the complex, inside.

Bhaja Caves - Pune, India

The Bhaja cave temple is a complex of around 29 excavations. It is said to be one of the oldest Buddhist religious centers in the Deccan region. From an archeological point of view the temples are important in terms of the development of caves architecture. Bhaja caves and the nearby Karla caves are found near Lonavala which sits on one of the major ancient trade routes between the Arabian Sea and the Deccan region, the division between North and South India.

Carvings at Bhaja Caves - Pune, India

The main attraction in this complex is the twelfth cave which contains a Chaitya and a prayer hall. Its got a large horseshoe shaped entrance and a number of pillars holding up the arched ceiling. An aisle  circles the prayer hall and the Chaitya. Although the entrance to the main prayer hall is open now, it was once covered by a wooden facade. Reliefs of Indian mythological characters, a feature that Bhaja caves are famous for, can be seen on either side of the entrance of another cave.

Stupas at Bhaja Caves - Pune, India

Most of the other caves seem to have been used for accommodation. Seven of these caves contain inscriptions which describe their benefactors, one dating back to the 2nd century AD. Another cave contains 14 small Stupas. 5 of these are inside the cave while 9 can be found outside the entrance. This area has been identified as a cemetery and some of the stupas have been inscribed with the names of early Orthodox Buddhists.

 The Main Hall at Bhaja Caves - Pune, India

The panorama of the complex was made up of  53 individual images. Taking the photographs for the panorama was not easy as the ledge on which the temple was built is quite narrow. As a result I wasn't able to move back as much as I wanted to, to take the photographs. However, out of sheer luck, I did time the visit well as I made it to the temple at sunset and had good light to work with. I also had the whole place to myself which helped with the photography.


   

Ashy Prinia - Yala, Sri Lanka

Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis brevicauda) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Ashy Prinia, also known as the Ashy Wren-Warbler, is found throughout Sri Lanka but it is commoner in the dry zone. I had photographed this species previously, on a trip to Anuradhapura a few years ago and got another opportunity to photograph it in Yala last year.

More photographs after the jump.

Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis brevicauda) - Yala, Sri Lanka

These Prinias are found in grassland, woodland, scrub and even gardens in major cities. They are found in the Indian sub-continent as well as western Burma. In some regions the plumage of the bird varies based on season. The race found in Sri Lanka, brevicauda, is said to be endemic and varies in terms of plumage and tail length.

Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis brevicauda) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Ashy Prinia is known for making snapping noise, thought to be produced by the wings, while in flight. Some authors suggest that the noise is made by snapping its tail while others think it is produced by the birds mandibles.  

Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis brevicauda) - Yala, Sri Lanka

During the breeding season these birds build nests close to the ground in shrubs or tall grass and lays around 3 - 5 eggs. The breeding season varies from area to area but is generally after monsoons. The birds are thought to be monogamous and both sexes are involved with incubating the eggs and feeding the young.

Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis brevicauda) - Yala, Sri Lanka

All these photographs were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. The birds were flying in and out of some shrubs when I saw them. Getting a clear shot was a bit of a challenge as they didn't perch on exposed branches very often. 

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Oriental White-eye - Sri Lanka

Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosa) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

The Oriental White-eye is a common bird found in the lowlands in both the dry and wet zones of Sri Lanka. It can be found in the mid hills as well but is rarely seen at higher elevations. On my last trip to Sri Lanka I was able to photograph these birds in Thalangama, Yala and Kandy.

More photographs inside.

 Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosa) - Yala, Sri Lanka

It is similar in appearance to the endemic Sri Lankan White-eye but is lighter in colour and slightly smaller. Both species can be seen in mixed flocks. Their presence is often given away by their constant calling while they move through the undergrowth. Their diet consists of nectar as well as small insects and other invertebrates.

Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosa) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The White-eye's range stretches east from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia as far as Malaysia and Indonesia. A number of subspecies have been recognised throughout this range. Their habitat varies form scrub to moist forests.

Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosa) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka 

White-eyes are social birds and form flocks which separate only during the breeding season which stretches from February to September, with April considered a peak. Their nests are shaped like cups and are built out of cobwebs, lichen and plant fiber. Two eggs are laid and they hatch in about 10 days.

 

Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosa) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The hardest part of photographing these birds was getting them on an open perch for a clear shot. The fact that they are constantly on the move and quick, didn't help matters. These photographs were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.




   

Black-fronted Babbler - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

I photographed a flock of Black-fronted Babblers in Thalangama while they foraged through the undergrowth. I hadn't photographed them prior to this and was quite happy that I was able to move quite close to them and fire off a number of frames.

More photographs inside.

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

These Babblers are found in India and Sri Lanka. Three subspecies have been found in Sri Lanka, one each in the dry, wet and hill zones of the island. The species found in India have a complete black hood while the Sri Lankan species, pictured here, have a black mask.

 

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

They are weak in flight and tend to clamber up vegetation when startled. Their diet consists mainly of insects. Like most Babblers the Black-fronted Babblers are noisy birds and their presence is often given away by their calls. They are also known to join mixed species feeding flocks.

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Breeding season is between May and July and a clutch usually consists of two eggs. Nests are often built low down on bushes and shrubs. The nest is said to look like some dry leaves that have got stuck in a bush with an opening on one side.

  Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Photographing these birds wasn't hard as they were foraging when I found them and they weren't bothered by me being around. I had to keep looking around to find birds which had hopped out onto an exposed perch in order to get a clear shot. All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Around Sydney - Australia

The Skyline - Sydney, Australia

I hadn't been out in the city with the camera for sometime so decided to go for a bit of a walk last night. I started off near Mrs Macquarie's chair near the open air cinema but didn't have any particular route in mind. I wasn't after any specific shots last night, just a walk and an an intention to photograph whatever came up.

More photographs inside.

The Opera House & Harbour Bridge - Sydney, Australia

The next subjects were the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. I'd been to this location to photograph them before (to take this photograph) but the light conditions were very different. This time I got there after sunset and the sky was a rich blue in colour.

The Opera House & Harbour Bridge - Sydney, Australia

I would have preferred to have used a longer lens for the photograph above but unfortunately, I only had the 24-105mm lens with me. I was surprised that the smaller sails of the opera house were not lit up. That resulted in the main sail being a lot brighter than the others.

Cahill Expressway - Sydney, Australia

The next stop was a bridge overlooking the Cahill Expressway. Being a Saturday night there wasn't a lot of traffic on the road but a 30 second exposure was sufficient to photograph a few light trails as cars moved to and from the city.

Chaos on William Street - Sydney, Australia

Heading up along William Street towards Kings Cross on a Saturday night is probably the worst place to drive in Sydney. Kings Cross, the red light district in Sydney, is a hive of activity with thousands of people hitting the clubs in the area. The ever present hoons add a level of stupidity to the whole experience.

The Archibald Fountain - Sydney, Australia

The Archibald Fountain in Hyde park was the last stop on my walk. Built in 1932 , the fountain was a gift to the city bequeathed in the will of J. F. Archibald. It is intended to commemorate the association between Australia and France in World War 1 and is the work of French sculptor Francois Sicard.

All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 24-105mm lens. I also used a tripod for these photographs.  

Common Wood-Shrike - Yala, Sri Lanka

Common Wood-Shrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Common Wood-Shrike is a member of the helmetshrike family Prionopidae and is found throughout Southern Asia. The sub-species found in Sri Lanka is sometimes considered a separate species, the Sri Lanka Woodshrike. I photographed them in Yala and Anuradhapura in July.

More photographs inside.

Common Wood-Shrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka the Common Wood-Shrike is found throughout the dry zone and up to the mid hills. It can be seen in the wet zone as well but is rarer and localised. In Asia the  bird is found in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Laos.

Common Wood-Shrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The female of this species is duller than the male and appears to be slightly brown in colour. They are often seen in pairs and this was the case in Yala. The bird in the second photograph on this post is most likely a male and the other photographs are of females.  It is not a small bird and was easy to spot in the mid canopy. Fortunately they flew down onto lower branches and I was able to shoot a few clear frames of the bird.

Common Wood-Shrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

These photographs were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. From a photography point of view, the fact that the bird was above eye level was a bit frustrating as the angle distorted the proportions of the bird.