Pied Kingfisher - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

I hadn't photographed a Pied Kingfisher until my last trip to Arugam Bay in July. I came across a pair of them hunting along a small waterway on the side of the road. They were making short flights out over the water and hovering for a while and returning to their perch on a telephone wire. Fortunately for me, they hovered for long enough for me to take a few photographs.

More inside.

 Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Pied Kingfishers range from sub-Saharan Africa across to west Asia. The species found in Sri Lanka is considered to be a sub-species named leucomelanura. They are about 17cm in length and are white with a black mask. The males have a narrow second breast band while females have a broken breast band. The photographs above are of a male. It hunts by hovering over water to locate prey and then diving bill first to capture fish. 

Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

These photographs were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. The conditions were not ideal as the clouds were a very bright background for these flight shots. I also had to push the ISO up to be able to shoot photographs of the birds in flight. I'm hoping to get some better shots in the future but they are not too bad for a first effort.

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Paddyfield Pippit - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Paddyfield Pippit (Anthus rufulus) - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

The Paddyfield Pippit, a small passerine, is a common bird found in scrub, grassland and cultivated areas through Asia. I photographed these birds while driving to the Kudumbigala Monastery in July. It's a relatively plain looking bird with a streaked grey and brown body. However, measuring in at around the 15cm mark, it is large for a Pippit.

More photographs inside.

Paddyfield Pippit (Anthus rufulus) - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Richards Pippit and Blyths Pippit are similar in appearance to this species and differentiating them can be difficult in the winter month when they migrate into the area. 6 subspecies have been identified. The Paddyfiled Pippit is smaller, weaker in flight and has a shorter tail. 

Paddyfield Pippit (Anthus rufulus) - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

This species breeds throughout the year, mainly in the dry season, and may have two or more broods in a year. The nest is built on the ground under a slightly prominent area which could be a push or a tuft of grass. A clutch usually consists of 3 - 4 eggs which are greenish in colour. When disturbed near the nest the parents may feign injury to distract predators.

Paddyfield Pippit (Anthus rufulus) - Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

I came across these birds by the side of the road and photographed them from the car. I used the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens for all these photographs.