Great Northern Divers at Weybread, 8 January 2020

It's always nice when a good bird turns up locally and when 2 do it's even better!

I nipped along to Weybread GPs early this afternoon and the 2 Great Northern Divers were located straight away on No.1 Fishing Pit. Walking around the edge I managed to get reasonably close and both birds then surfaced even closer which was superb. Both birds were still present when I left, ranging all over the pit and diving/feeding constantly. The only other things of any note were Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Song Thrush.

 

Norfolk rarity mop-up, 4 January 2020

There were 2 birds I wanted to catch up with today - it's just a shame they were at opposite ends of the county. Cue some filthy twitching!

I made my way to the Norwich NDR poised to go either way on the first news - and that news was from Eccles-on-Sea so off I went. After a mile long walk south from Cart Gap I found the 1w male Desert Wheatear showing on the top of the seawall. It even popped down on to the rocks on the beach in the early morning sun at one point. A very smart bird indeed and very much job no.1 done! Just along the coastroad between Ingham and Sea Palling were a nice mixed flock of 17 Bewick's Swans, 7 Whooper Swans and a few Mute Swans. I was watching thses when the news I wanted from west Norfolk came though so I hit the road.

 Desert Wheatear

In just an hour and a quarter I was at Choseley and within a couple of minutes I was scoping the adult Grey-bellied Brant in a flock of c2000 Pink-footed Geese in a field to the SE of the drying barns. This bird really is distinctive and with Pink-feet the right 'chums' so like many others I can't see why the bird info services are giving it out as a possible. After about half an hour the flock gradually departed to the south. A lovely ringtail Hen Harrier flew past us at the site too.       

With time to spare I drove the short distance to Sedgeford for 2nd dabs at the 'Alaskan' Eastern Yellow Wagtail and it didn't disappoint. Indeed it showed much closer than before. Initially on it's favoured muck heaps and then in the field by the track entrance.

'Alaskan' Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Benacre/Covehithe, 3 January 2020

Belinda and I indulged ourselves with a breakfast at the Lighthouse Cafe in Lowestoft before walking it off with a walk into town and back via Ness Point (with no birds!)

We weren't quite done so decided to go for a stroll along the clifftop from Covehithe to Benacre Broad and back. The juv Great Northern Diver was present and correct on the broad with c8 Goldeneye and a pair of Common Buzzards circled over. On the walk back a single Russian White-fronted Goose had plopped down in the clifftop field with 14 Brent Geese and 15 Snow Buntings were up and down clifftop eventually landing on the latest part of the cliff to slump onto the beach. Not bad for an hours work.

 

Sri Lanka, Day 11, 20 December 2019 - Rock View Motel area, Sinharaja & Colombo seafront

This was mainly a travelling day as we headed back to Colombo for our flights home.

We did however manage to squeeze a final bird walk in from the Rock View Motel after breakfast. Purple Sunbird, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Orange-billed Babblers, 3 Brown Shrikes, 2 Common Ioras, 2 Brown-breasted Flycatchers, Asian Brown Flycatcher, 3+ Yellow-fronted Barbets, Red-backed Flameback, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, 4 Orange Minivets, Green-billed Coucal, White-bellied Drongo and 5 White-rumped Munias were the highlights before we hit the road at 10.00

The journey in the rain didn't yield much except White-breasted Kingfishers, 1 Blue-tailed Bee-eater and a Crested Serpent Eagle but it was strange to see Spot-billed Pelicans on lamposts beside the freeway as we neared Colombo!

After a flying visit to Jith's house for a de-brief an a few snacks we headed towards the airport where we dropped off AbdulRahman for his early flight. Hetti and Indunil then very kindly offered to drive us to the seafront area to kill a couple of hours as our flight weren't until later. It was hard going in the rain but at one spot with access to the beach we scored with several Lesser Crested Terns, some distant Brown-headed Gulls and a Whimbrel on the beach to round things off.

My personal total triplist - 206
Lifers - 69
Mammal lifers - 18

Next stop Mexico ;-)   

Sri Lanka, Day 10, 19 December 2019 - Sinharaja area

Our last full day birding.

Picking up the same jeep and driver as yesterday we bounced our way up another very bad track to a 'village' which actually consisted of 2 houses. Arriving in the first birdable light of the morning our final endemic fell within minutes as 2 Sri Lanka Blue Magpies appeared in tall trees and then down in one of the gardens. We'd achieved a full house of 34 out of 34 and the pressure was off!  A couple of Ashy-headed Laughthrushes and saveral Orange-billed Babblers were also feeding on the lawn.

We then spent a good three hours around the house opposite as it rained on and off. The owners didn't mind the invasion as we birded from under their eaves and even through their windows to keep dry. We had our packed breakfast in their house and they even brought out tea and jaggery (the latter a sweet treacle tasting confectionery). The whole spot was very birdy and we busied ourselves photographing verious species albeit in pretty awful light. From my point of view I was grateful for a 2nd chance to photograph Sri Lanka Spurfowl as a pair appeared. Indian Blue Robin, Spot-winged Thrush and a gorgeous Yellow-striped Mouse Deer were also seen in the same clearing in the trees at the rear of the house. A pair of Sri Lanka Scimitar Babblers showed well in the garden and up to 6 Ashy-headed Laughingthrushes visited to feed. In the same small area we also had Green-billed Coucal, Sri Lanka Crested Drongo, White-bellied Drongo, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbills, Sri Lanka Green Pigeons, Orange-breasted Green Pigeons, Emerald Dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Red-backed Flameback and another new mammal - Layard's Squirrel. 

Another stop as we decsended gave us Plum-headed Parakeet, Layards Parakeets and Black-headed Cuckooshrike.

By the carpark at the rainforest entrance c6 Sri Lanka Blue Magpies gave us the opportunity to get some pics in reasonable light.

Yellow-browed Bulbul

Green-billed Coucal

Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler

Ashy-headed Laughingthrush

Brown-breasted Flycatcher

Yellow-browed Bulbul

Black Bulbul

Emerald Dove

Sri Lanka Spurfowl

Spot-winged Thrush

Indian Blue Robin

Sri Lanka Blue Magpie

Layard's Squirrel

 Black-headed Cuckooshrike

We then retired to the Rock View Motel for a while as we were in for a late night. During a chilled few hours I managed to get some nice shots of bird around the motel such as Loten's Sunbird and Yellow-fronted Barbet as well as seeing Greater Coucal, Indian Swiflet, White-browed Bulbul, 4 Orange Minivets, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike and Shikra.

Loten's Sunbird

Yellow-fronted Barbet

Red-vented Bulbul

 Orange-billed Babblers

Our late night vigil was beside a busy road and hours drive away to the west. We failed with our quarry of Sri Lanka Bay Owl but did hear it call a couple of times. The Fireflies here did put on a good show through!      

Sri Lanka, Day 9, 18 December 2019 - Sinharaja World Heritage Rainforest

We began today with 9 remaining endemics to see and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slighty concerned - time was running out!

Once again we were up pre-dawn and with packed breakfasts picked up and leech socks on we were off to the famous rainforests of Sinharaja for the day. To get to the sites we swapped into a battered jeep on the carpark and endured a long and extremely uncomfortable ride up what is the worst track I've ever negotiated in a vehicle!

The first stop was at a house by the track where we were ushered to a viewing screen and almost immediately 2 Sri Lanka Spurfowl wandered in to view - mega! Just a pity my camera memory card got full at just the wrong time! A Crimson-fronted Barbet was also in a tree where we had parked.
  
A further stop along the way and a short walk gave us the much wanted White-faced Starlings, brief views of a Red-faced Malkoha which gave us the run around plus Orange Minivets, Sri Lanka Hill Mynas and Black Bulbuls. Battered it may have been but the jeep did the job as we got to the start of the main trail. A quick breakfast (at which I hand fed a pair of Sri Lanka Junglefowl biscuits!) and we began our walk.

Peering down to the right of the path down towards a stream eventually paid off as I got a brief on the deck view of one of the hardest endemics - Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush! Quickly followed by a Green-billed Coucal spotted by Indunil. Beside the path a little further on 2 Brown-capped Babblers were watched well and with another small tour party we managed to get a half decent shot or two as one fed in a small ditch. The endemics were starting to fall!

Searching anther area beside a stream gave us flight views only of another Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush plus Brown-breasted Flycatcher so we continued our walk as far as the research centre. Here we were glad to shelter from the rain for an hour. As it cleared we continued up a side path seeing a 2 fantastic Green Pit Vipers curled up on low branches.

Back down on the main path our guides spoke to a ranger who gave them some directions and we were soon batlling our way through mud, a stream, up a steep muddy hill and through vines to reach the spot - where, despite much searching amongst the leech-infested foliage we found nothing! Our ranger then offered to go back to fetch the other ranger and when he returned he took us right to the spot and sure enough 2 Serendib Scops Owls sat on a low branch in full view. To say this was a special moment would be an understatement in the extreme. We were watching one of the world rarest species that was only first documented in 2004!

We then began the walk back and were delayed again by a bird 'wave' which, with patience gave us out next endemic - c3 Ashy-headed Laughingthrushes and a Red-faced Malkoha which I was in the right place to get a decent shot of. Lunch was eventually had at about 15.30 back at the entrance gate! Other species seen on that memorable day included 5 Sri Lanka Crested Drongos, 2 White-bellied Drongos (of the white vented race), 2 Pale-billed Flowerpeckers, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, 3 Spot-winged Thrushes, Yellow-browed Bulbul, 2 Sri Lanka Scimitar Babblers, Lesser Yellownape, 2 Black-naped Monarchs, Green Imperial Pigeons, Sri Lanka Green Pigeons, Crested Serpent Eagle and Besra.

I needn't have worried - we had scooped 8 of the remaining 9 endemics in a truly memorable day!  

Orange Minivet

White-faced Starlings

Sri Lanka Junglefowl

Brown-capped Babbler

Green-billed Coucal

Serendib Scops Owls

Red-faced Malkoha

Green Pit Viper

New Years Day walk at Earsham/Bath Hills, 1 January 2020

We did a long walk from Earsham to Bath Hills and back via Bungay town and marshes to blow the cobwebs away today.

The years birding started off in fine style with a self-found Great White Egret perched high in a tree on the island on Earsham GPs. 3 Little Egrets and loads of Cormorants shared the same trees. Other things of note were Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Stock Dove, Common Buzzard and then 2 Grey Wagtails at Earsham Mill.