Black-winged Stilts - Yala, Sri Lanka

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Black-winged stilts are common waders found in most Sri Lankan tanks. Their distinct red legs and black wings make identification straightforward. I hadn't actually photographed this species before our last trip to Yala and was quite keen to get a few shots of them in flight.

More photographs inside.

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

We stayed at a house outside the park during our time in Yala. Just before leaving for Colombo, I walked down to the bottom of the garden and found a number of Black-winged Stilts in the tank adjacent to the property. The photographs on this post were shot during the 30 minutes I spent at the tank.

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Males of this species are said to have a black back with a greenish gloss while female's backs have a brown hue. Immature birds are grey in colour  instead of black and have a sandy hue on their wings. The Black-winged Stilt belongs to the avocet family and mainly feed on insects and crustaceans.

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

These photographs were taken with the canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. If I were to take these shots again, I would probably get lower down to the ground and shoot at a similar level to the birds as they fly past.






  

White-browed Fantail - Yala Sri Lanka

White-browed Fantail (Rhipidura aureola) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The White-browed Fantail, also called the White-browed Fantail Flycatcher, is a common fantail found in the lowlands and the mid-hills of Sri Lanka. I saw this species in Yala, Anuradhapura, Kandy and Arugam Bay in July. However, I only photographed it in Yala.

More photographs inside.

White-browed Fantail (Rhipidura aureola) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Measuring in at 18cm in length the fantail is a little larger than a house sparrow. Apart from its plumage, it's loud whistling song, the constant twitching of its tail and the regular opening and closing of its wings make this species unmistakable. It's nest is shaped like a cup and is made out of plant matter bound together with spider webs. A clutch consists of 2 or 3 cream coloured eggs with dark brown spots. The duties of building the nest, incubation and feeding the young are shared by both sexes.

White-browed Fantail (Rhipidura aureola) - Yala, Sri Lanka

All the photographs on in this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. I pushed the ISO up a bit in order to use a faster shutter speed. No tripod was required.

 

Mugger Crocodile - Yala, Sri Lanka

Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Mugger Crocodiles, or Marsh Crocodiles are fairly common in Sri Lankan national parks. They can often be seen on the banks of most water holes or submerged in them. I saw and photographed a number of them on drives through Yala and Wilpattu.

More inside.

Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Mugger can be found in and around the Indian subcontinent. It is primarily a fresh water crocodile but has some tolerance of salt water and has been seen in salt water lagoons. It prefers slow moving bodies of shallow water as opposed to fast flowing, deep rivers. It feeds on fish and other mammals which it seizes and drags into the water to drown and consume at leisure.

Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) - Yala, Sri Lanka

These photographs were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Indian Peafowl - Yala, Sri Lanka

Indian Peacock (Pavo cristatus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Indian Peafowl are a common sight in the dry zone jungles of Sri Lanka and are probably one of the most easily recognisable birds in the area. The male has an unmistakable train of elongated blue and green upper tail covert feathers and a metallic blue crown and neck. The female doesn't have the train of feathers or the same bright plumage.

More photographs inside.

Indian Peacock (Pavo cristatus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Peafowl are native to the Indian Subcontinent but have been introduced to many other parts of the world. In Sri Lanka they are common in the dry zone and have adapted to living around areas populated by humans. In India the bird is protected by religious sentiment and can be found foraging around villages and towns.

Indian Peahen (Pavo cristatus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The male's tail is fully developed after it reaches the 4 year mark. Interestingly the blue and green colours of the Peacock are not a result of pigmentation but the micro-structure of the feathers themselves. The males are known for raising their train in the shape of a fan and quivering them as part of a courtship display.

Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Peafowls forage in small groups called musters which usually consist of a Peacock and 3 - 5 Peahens during the breeding season and only Peahens and young. Their diet consists of berries, grain, snakes, lizards and small rodents. They are most active at dawn and dusk and tend to stay hidden during the heat of the day. When disturbed they prefer to run through the undergrowth and will avoid taking flight.

Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

All the photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. Unfortunately I didn't see any Peacocks with raised feathers during this trip. 




 

Little Green Bee-eater - Sri Lanka

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Little Green Bee-eater is a common sight throughout Sri Lanka's dry zone and can often be heard twittering in open grasslands. Its Blue/Green chin makes it easy to differentiate this species from other Bee-eaters found in Sri Lanka (Blue-tailed Bee-Eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater and the European Bee-eater).

More photographs inside.

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) - Panama, Sri Lanka

On my last trip to Sri Lanka I photographed this species on a number of occasions in Yala, Panama and Anuradhapura. Most of these photographs were taken when the species was perched on branches at or below eye level. Later on I read that Bee-eaters in Sri Lanka seem to divide the airspace vertically with the Green Bee-eater occupying the lower part,  the Chestnut-headed Bee-eater occupying the middle region and the upper region occupied by the Blue-tailed Bee-eater.

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) - Panama, Sri Lanka

This species of Bee-eater is distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Western Arabia and Asia. Several variations in plumage can be found across different regions and a number of subspecies have been identified. Some populations are said to move around seasonally but patterns have not been observed.

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Green Bee-eater's diet mainly consists of insects including Bees, Wasps and Ants which are caught in flight. This species seems to hunt from perches which are relatively close to the ground (less than a meter in height). Once it captures it's prey it can often be seen thrashing the insect on its perch to get rid of stingers and the exoskeleton.

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

This species is also known to sand bathe quite frequently (picture below) and have been known to bathe in water too. These birds are solitary nesters and their nests are tunnels dug into a sandy bank (some can be as deep as five feet). A clutch consists of 3-5 eggs which are incubated by both sexes. The eggs take 14 days to hatch and chicks fledge in 3 - 4 weeks.

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) - Panama, Sri Lanka

All these photographs were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. Photographing these birds in flight is tough as their flight paths are not predictable. I haven't been too successful at getting decent flight shots of them to date but will keep trying.

Green Skimmer - Yala, Sri Lanka

Green Skimmer (Ortherum sabina sabina) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Between the morning and afternoon drives through the Yala national park I spent some time experimenting with my macro lens. I'm still getting the hang of using it but it was very early days in Yala. Fortunately the harsh midday light ruled out the need for a flash and simplified things for me.

More photographs inside.

Green Skimmer (Ortherum sabina sabina) - Yala, Sri Lanka 

This Green Skimmer was a cooperative subject and was content to sit still while I played around with auto-focus and manual focus. I also had extension tubes on which made focusing quite difficult. I used the macro lens for the first and third photographs on this post.

 

Green Skimmer (Ortherum sabina sabina) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Green Skimmer is also known as the Green Marsh Hawk and can be found in parts of Africa, Asia and Australia. Both sexes are similar in appearance and can be identified by the shape of the abdomen, dilated first three segments and the alternating yellow-green and black pattern.

Green Skimmer (Ortherum sabina sabina) - Yala, Sri Lanka

It is a very common dragonfly in Sri Lanka and can be found around tanks, ponds, irrigation channels and rice fields. It's range covers the low country and extends up into the hills. I have photographed them on a number of occasions in Thalangama, Yala and Arankelle.

Green Skimmer (Ortherum sabina sabina) - Yala, Sri Lanka

All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D. The 100mm macro was used for the first and third photographs while the 100-400mm lens was used for the others. Fortunately I didn't have to use a flash for any of these photographs.

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. 

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.




   

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.

The Leopards at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

Wel Mal Kema is a rocky area within block 1 of the Yala national park. There are a couple of water holes amongst the rocks and apart from the rock itself, there aren't any open areas. The road actually runs up the rock and relatively close to one of the water holes. The area is known for Leopard and Bear.  It's not the easiest road to drive along.

More photographs inside.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

On our first drive through Wel Mal Kema we found fresh Leopard tracks along one side of the road. We knew the Leopard was close by but visibility wasn't the best due to the thick jungle on either side of the road. Our best chance of seeing the Leopard was if it was on the road.  Fortunately for us it was. We saw it from about 25 meters away as it peered around a rock to watch us. The engine was promptly tuned off and we waited hoping to get a better view.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

After a few minutes the Leopard crossed the road and climbed up on the rocks to our right. Unfortunately for us another jeep pulled up at that moment and the inexperienced driver (there are a lot of them around Yala) didn't turn off his engine and the Leopard got spooked and left.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

On another one of our trips we had a brief sighting of a Leopard as it walked away from the road. I did manager to get a couple of photographs of the Leopard as it walked away and scent marked a tree.

All the images on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Common Iora - Thalangama and Yala, Sri Lanka

Common Iora (female) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

While I was in Colombo in July I visited the Thalangama wetlands almost every morning to photograph the bird life. On one of my visits I came across a few Common Ioras. I hadn't photographed them before and took the opportunity to shoot a few frames. The photograph above is one of my favourites because of the warm early morning light on the bird.

More photographs inside.

Common Iora (male) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The males proved to be a bit more elusive and I wasn't able to get many shots of them. Males are unmistakable as their upper parts are a blue-black in colour where as the females are a dull yellow. The Common Iora is found throughout the lowlands and the mid hills of Sri Lanka. It is a very vocal bird but can be difficult to see due to it's plumage.

Common Iora (female) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The male Common Iora is said to perform an "acrobatic courtship display" during the breeding season. It is said to puff up it's feathers and dart into the air and spiral back to the same perch. Once it lands, it spreads its tail and droops its wings. I am yet to see this performance.

Common Iora (female) - Yala, Sri Lanka

All the photographs on this post were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. I did push up the ISO to allow me to use a faster shutter.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher - Yala, Sri Lanka

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher is similar in appearance to the immature Indian Paradise Flycatcher, which is a winter migrant to Sri Lanka. I came across a number of these birds in Yala and Anuradhapura during the month of July. I was fortunate to photograph a number of them at fairly close proximity on a number of occasions during these sightings.

More photographs after the jump.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Adult males are easily identified by their long tail feathers which can grow up to about 30cm in length. It is found in wooded habitats throughout the island and breeds in the dry lowlands and the lower hills. It is known to visit other areas during the migration season.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The female, pictured above, has a smaller tail but a similar body size to the male. The birds can be located relatively easily as they have a high pitched call which is used often. The male's long tail also gives it away in flight.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

One of the main challenges in photographing these birds is getting the shutter speed correct. Although this is dependent on the speed of the lens being used, the available light also plays a part in this. I tend to push up the ISO on my camera to compensate for the aperture of f5.6 on the 400mm end of the lens I use.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka