The first disconcerting creature that I saw as I climbed aboard our small boat for a journey through the Mangrove Swamp was a particularly large water monitor slinking around the vegetation at the waters edge!
The imagination works overtime within the low light levels, and even an innocent log can appear to resemble something of a more sinister nature.
High up in the canopy there were lots of very large fruit bats flying around - pteropus giganteus, commonly known as flying foxes, with a wingspan of 120 cm.
Leaving the Mangroves firmly behind us, we headed off down the river to visit the home of a family sponsored by our travel agent. They demonstrated how they make rope from the coconut fibres, and then showed us the many things that they are able to create from the coconut shells - spoons, dishes, hair slides etc. They kindly offered us a cup of refreshing Ceylon tea together with slices of pineapple and some of their home grown bananas - their sweet little daughter entertained us too.
On another occasion we had a very early morning jeep ride across Bundala Bird Sanctuary, which rather pleasingly ended with us having breakfast overlooking the sea. Whilst travelling through Bundala we quickly realised that a bird sanctuary is not simply a domain for birds and water-fowl!
Mugger crocodile
The quality of my bird photos leaves much to be desired, the camera lens is not powerful enough to capture distant birds
The Lesser Adjutant is a very large bird and listed as an endangered species. He was busy gobbling up the newly hatched young of the Black-winged stilt, who incubate their eggs on the ground. The adults were attacking him as violently as they could, but he took no notice at all of their futile attempts to drive him away.
Black-headed Ibis
Rose-ringed Parakeet (female)
Yellow-wattled lapwing,
and this very strange looking bird - Indian Great stone-curlew. Curiously his legs are bent forward whilst resting - I wondered if he had been injured, but apparently this is normal. The beak is covered in soil because it feeds on invertebrates from under the ground.
Black-winged stilt
Common Myna bird
Purple heron
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Macaque eating prickly pears for breakfast
Now its time for our breakfast overlooking the sea, but with the company of a friendly Star tortoise
Next time 'mainly mammals'
Mugger crocodile
The quality of my bird photos leaves much to be desired, the camera lens is not powerful enough to capture distant birds
Macaque eating prickly pears for breakfast
