Bundala National Park

 

So one of the main attractions of this resort is its proximity to national parks. It is on edge of Yala, but also close to Bundala, which is primarily a bird reserve. So up early morning and hired a jeep. In the whole time I was there, there was only one other jeep, like me with one passenger. Although he had a camera the size of a rocket launcher. I just had my pocket camera

As you can tell from the map, this park is largely wetlands - a lot of sizable reservoirs.

And it really was an early start, 5:30am, so I was out of bed before 5!

Indian cormorants, among others

Sleeping crocodile. Not just birds in Bundala

Purple faced langurs

Capuchin monkey

Painted Stork

Purple faced langurs again

Purple Heron

Wild boar

Grey Heron

Painted stork

My best croc photo!

Egret with a Darter

Blue tailed bee eater

Black winged stilt

Common Kingfisher

Painted Stork

Orange breasted Green Pigeon

There were masses of peacocks. Flocks of them.

Brahmin Kite

Purple face langurs (above) were the most common species to see but there were also macaques (below)

Spoonbill

White throated kingfisher

Black headed ibis

Purple swamphen

Open billed stork

Purple Heron

Swamp heron

Little bee eater

Darter

Black winged stilt

Lesser whistling ducks

Little bee eater

Red wattled lapwing

Yellow wattled lapwing