LEAVING ANDURAPURA and heading for WILPATTU

Today we left Andurapura and headed for Wilpattu. We had lunch at the Heritage Hotel. From the lunchroom, I saw a white-browed bulbul (LIFER), red-vented bulbul, greater coucal and a nest of white-rumped munias.

White-browed bulbul

Then we left for Wilpattu. First, we drove to Wilpattu in one of my dad's friend's cars. Along the way we saw some of the common roadside birds of Sri Lanka- red-vented bulbuls, white-throated kingfisher, common myna and similar. It struck me that there were less crows here than back in Colombo. When we got to the park office, I immediately spotted the second lifer of the day- a common woodshrike.

Can you spot the woodshrike?

From the office we hired a jeep to take us to our bungalow in the middle of the national park. Because it was getting dark, we didn't see much. The main highlight was when the jeep stopped and its headlights lit up the forest. In the headlights I saw my third lifer for the day- A JERDON'S NIGHTJAR!

A nightjar across the road

We also saw a black-naped hare, our only one of the trip, hopping across the road.

When we got to the bungalow I went to sleep, knowing tomorrow would be a new adventure.