Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
 Red-wattled Lapwing |
 White-throated Kingfisher |
 Asian Openbill Stork |
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 Blue-tailed Bee-eater |
 Purple-rumped Sunbird |
 Long-billed Sunbird |
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Flight from Heathrow to Sri Lanka via Muscat with Oman Air. My trip was booked with Mercury Direct and transfers to and from the airport were included.
I stayed at the Club Palm Bay hotel in Marawila, 30 or so miles north of the airport. I chose this hotel as it has large areas of garden and a lagoon. I spent the entire trip in and around the hotel on this occasion, but on my next visit, I will visit other sites. Everyday I strolled around the hotel grounds and the lagoon in the morning and weather permitting the surrounding area in the afternoon.
The first five days were dry and the water in the lagoon was quite shallow; attracting waders in good numbers. Most days there were Greenshanks, Redshanks and Common Sandpipers. Asian Openbill Storks and several species of heron were also regular visitors. At the entrance to the hotel on the telegraph wires were Blue-tailed Bee-eaters and Common Mynahs. In the many trees and shrubs in the hotel grounds were Sunbirds, Asian Koels and Coucals. I saw three species of Kingfisher most days, Stork-billed, White-throated and Common. I was told by one of the knowledgable staff that a Pied Kingfisher is also an occasional visitor .
The remainder of my ten-day holiday was rather wet, as it was the rainy season ,but most days had at least five hours of sunshine. There are guides stationed close to the hotel entrance, who take birding tours to various sites in the area and after chatting with them at some length, found they really know what they are talking about, so I will definitely use them on my next visit.
At other times of the year, different species are common visitors to the hotel grounds, flycatchers and different Bee-eaters for instance.
As well as birds, I saw numerous butterflies, dragonflies, mammals and reptiles, including the rather large Water Monitor Lizards that patrol the hotel grounds. They are generally very calm and easily approached, as long as you keep a respectable distance, although on one very wet day, a very large fellow marched into reception and had a bit of a tantrum. He was quickly ushered out by the staff, much to everyone's amusement.
Long-billed Sunbird
Purple-rumped Sunbird
White-throated Kingfisher
Stork-billed Kingfisher
Common Kingfisher
Large-billed Crow
House Crow
Black-tailed Godwit
Common Redshank
Common Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Red-wattled Lapwing
Asian Openbill Stork
Indian Shag
Little Cormorant
Indian Pond Heron
Purple Heron
Striated Heron
Shikra
Brahminy Kite
Asian Koel
Greater Coucal
Little Egret
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Common Mynah
White-breasted Waterhen
Black-winged Stilt