HORTON PLAINS - VICTORIA PARK NUWARA ELIYA
WEATHER: thick mist and rain all morning - brighter with sunny spells in te afternoon
We couldn't have picked a worse day to visit Horton Plains, rain was forecast for the whole of the day and rain is what we got. A very early start saw us trundling up the winding road to Horton, it was foggy, raining and not too warm. We didn't hope to see much but you never know.
We stopped at Pattipola Station, the highest train station in Sri Lanka at 1,891 meters (6,200ft), it was drizzling rain and cold and Saman assured us that is where we would se the emdemic Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon. Well, we waited below the designated trees and waited some more. Then all of a sudden two Wood Pigeons flew in and perched just above us, wowza! this bird is now becoming hard to find and we had found it! Saman also pointed out a couple of Purple-faced Leaf Monkeys, an endangered species he tells us.
birding in the rain, how nice!!
At the entrance to the park we had to stop and buy tickets and to our great surpirse a apir of Whistling Thrushes had taken up residence next to the ticket office. This normally very elusive thrush is so hard to see well, but we had outrageous views of both male and female. I can remember spending a lot of time in the past searching for this bird and only getting fleeting views of it. Near the toilet block we found our only Indian Blackbird, an exact copy of the European Blackbird with just a name change!
the male Whistling Thrush - deep in the undergrowth but showing well
The rain continued for most of the morning, we were in thick cloud, it was dark and miserable but still we saw some birds. We stopped by a pool of water and quickly found a Dull-blue Flycatcher, a Sri Lanka Bush Warbler called, but we could not entice it out.
a wild Orchid
The endemic Yellow-eared Bulbul was a delight to see, a bright and colourful bird in a dull setting. We found Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Sri Lanka White-eye and a Grey Wagtail.
We ate our picnic breakfast on the bus at 8am and continued to search for the Bush Warbler afterwards without success.
For the next two hours we drove further into the Park, the rain came down in fits and starts with some clear times. We watched Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Indian Peafowl, Red-wattled Lapwing and near the visitor's centre we had great views of Pied Bushchat and Hill Swallows. Several sigtings were made of Sambhur Deer.
a doe Sambhur
Around 11am we decided to call it day, we drove back out of the reserve, the rain lashing against the windscreen. As we dropped down out of the clouds, it stopped raining, patches of blue sky could be seen and the whole day just brightened up.
After lunch we met up at 3pm and drove into town to visit Victoria Park, a beautifully manicured area in the centre of town, full of birds. The recent storms had demolished several areas of the park, trees had fallen and the flooded rivers had left deep scars of devastation. However, the birds were still there. We spent a couple of happy hours seeking them out and Saman produced the goods.
Kashmir Flycatcher was a must see, a beautiful male showed well for us, as did Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Yellow-eared Bulbuls and Sri Lanka White-eye. Then Saman pulled out a nice surprise in the shape of a Greenish Warbler, this is a rare visitor and a much prized find.
As the light began to fade we made a special effort to see a Pied Thrush, one of my favourite Sri Lankan birds. We found a beauty and enjoyed some great views of it, that was a great sighting for the tour list.
We were back at the hotel in good time for our 7pm dinner. Tomorrow we set off again, into a much warmer climate.