SRI LANKA: A visit to Mannar

The far north of Sri Lanka is home to many migratory birds. Three of the island's flyways cross through the far north, meaning most migratory birds flying to Sri Lanka stop over in the north. Two places are well-known for birding because of this: Mannar and Jaffna. On this trip we had decided to drive the long way to Mannar, then Jaffna, so we got in the car and went for a drive. I saw my first lifer before we even left the Wet Zone of Sri Lanka.

SANDERLINGS!

As we drove along a beach I noticed terns flying and wheeling overhead, as well as waders on the beach. Thinking they were just little stints (a small wader that is fairly common in Sri Lanka) and redshanks (another common wader) I wandered down to the beach and realised they were sanderlings. They were running away from the waves and into the wet sand, looking for food. As I watched another lifer flew over my head, a gull-billed tern!

The gull-billed tern is a fairly common migrant to Sri Lanka's beaches and wetlands

However, soon we had to leave on our journey.

The whiskered tern is a very common migrant to wetlands throughout Sri Lanka

We kept driving, stopping at a wonderful wewa (a tank or large dam). Whiskered terns flew around us and caught fish, while a little cormorant stood patiently on a branch. As two lesser whistling-ducks landed on the water I saw a flock of spot-billed pelicans resting on a tree in the distance, and a grey heron flying past. 

Another reason many birders visit the north is because some Indian birds that aren't normally found in most of Sri Lanka are residents in the far north. As we neared Mannar we spotted one of these, the black drongo.

The black drongo is rare in Sri Lanka outside of the north, where it is very common

We saw many birds along the road from then. Indian rollers and crested hawk-eagles perched on the wires, while near water we saw little cormorants, spot-billed pelicans, Asian open bills and little egrets. 

The Indian roller is known as the 'dumbonna' or smoke-drinker in Sinhalese because of its habit of flying around fires to eat anything fleeing the flames

The majestic spot-billed pelican, a beautiful sight in one of the many wewas of Sri Lanka

Finally we arrived at Mannar. I could tell we arrived when a flock of northern pintails lifted off the water next to us. Jerdon's bushlarks fed in the grass, while a wood sandpiper fed in the mud. A brahminy kite flew overhead and barn swallows perched on the wires. 

A flock of male and female northern pintails

Barn swallows are common throughout Sri Lanka

Then we entered a causeway over a lagoon. We looked around but saw nothing until my father said 'Stop the car! Stop the car!' The car slid to a halt. We looked out of the window and saw a sight that made this entire long drive seem worth it:

The CRAB PLOVER!

The beautiful crab plover is the only wader known to dig its nest in sand, using the warmth of the ground to incubate its eggs. It is the only bird in the genus Dromas and family Dromadidae. Some consider it related to stone-curlews, pranticoles and thick-knees, while others consider it related to gulls and auks. It is one of the world's greatest birds, and a very, very rare migrant to Sri Lanka. I had come here with only a faint hope of spotting one in the wild, and I saw it.

A pair of common redshanks, a very common migrant to Sri Lanka's coast and wetlands

Of course, crab plovers weren't the only birds around. As Pallas's gulls, brown-hooded gulls and whiskered terns flew above us, a pair of redshanks fed in the mud.
Soon we had to leave for our accommodation in Mannar, and then do some more birding. But I'll leave that to my next post.