YOUNG BIRDER'S NOTES: ULAGALLA RESORT: A SLICE OF HEAVEN

We spent most of our first three days of the Sri Lanka trip relaxing in the Ulagalla Eco Resort. As well as lots of comforts, there were lots of nice birds around the property. Endemic birds are highlighted in bold.

Most of the birding I did was along a short bike track. The track started in a grassy area with a small stream, on the sides of which I saw a white-breasted waterhen. In the grassy area was also a helipad, and red-wattled lapwings were often resting on the helipad. The track then passed into an area of forest. In this forest I spotted Jerdon's leafbirds, a Sri Lankan junglefowl, oriental white-eyes, white-rumped munias, pale-billed flowerpeckers, purple-rumped sunbirds, rose-ringed parakeets, oriental magpie-robins, red-vented bulbuls and more white-breasted waterhens. The red-vented bulbuls were very common throughout the eco resort, as were spotted doves. After passing through the forest the track came to a paddyfield with wooly-necked storks, Indian pond herons, median egrets, little egrets and openbill storks, before going into more forest. In this last bit of forest, Ceylon green pigeons and green imperial pigeons could be seen eating fruit in trees. While eating dinner, I also observed more birds in a huge dead tree near the swimming pool, and a large, living tree next to the pool. The birds I spotted in the trees were brown shrikes, coppersmith barbets, Indian peafowl, spotted doves, red-vented bulbuls, jungle crows, white-throated kingfishers and blue-tailed bee eaters. Soaring above the property were brahminy kites. Finally, in front of the restaurant was a small lake in which I saw purple herons, openbill storks and plain prinias, and a lawn where I saw a single paddyfield pipit.