11th April - Yala National Park to Mirissa, Sri Lanka

The final drive set off again at 5.20, arriving at the centre as one of the first.  As we sat waiting for the permits, an Indian Nightjar flew past us, and then could be seen sitting in the middle of the road.  Was this to be a good sign?  The plan again was the same as before, back to where we had seen the Leopard before, however again the plan changed almost immediately.  Sampath received a call from his friend, we turned around and raced along a track which did nothing for all the bumps and bruises we had received all week.

As we came around a bend we could see only a few Jeeps in front of us, and in the open was a Leopard.  I watched as it got up and walked into the scrub and out of sight, but what I did not see immediately was the other Leopard sitting out in the open.  

Camera up, and plenty of shots, thankfully the SD card was full so I took it out and replaced it with a new one, this one was OK when I got home, so at last I have pictures of Leopard.

More vehicles arrived, and as usual they wanted to get the best positions, incredibly one person got out of the Jeep, and was talking on the phone.  The Leopard immediately turned its head towards the person.

These were two cubs, probably about nine months old, it listened to the man, and then looked around.

and then finally went to get up. 

But was clearly stiff after lying down, and went into some strange stretching positions

It wondered off in the direction of where its sibling had disappeared, but stopped just before the scrub, to turn around to look back, the man was still talking on his phone

It then seemed to pull a face that said "idiot" and then walked off to join the other one, out of sight.

What a beautiful animal, oozing with power and stealth.  Finally we had been treated to wonderful views of the Yala speciality, and with no problems over pushing and moving Jeeps.  The mood again changed and as we set off we really didn't care what else turned up, we had seen what we had hoped for.

We did continue though, and we came across another set of tracks in the sand by the side of the road.  Again there was leopard, and Sloth Bear, and you can see them both in this picture.

When you think bear you think of a large animal, so when I saw the bear prints I thought they were too small, but the Sloth Bear is in fact a small bear only about a metre long.

We followed the tracks and the road came around to an opening where there was a mongoose sitting on a rock.  It quickly went from view, but when it emerged again we could see it wasn't one of the commoner Ruddy Mongoose we had been seen, but a Stripe-necked Mongoose

It was foraging for food, digging into the sand with its muzzle, and muching on something it found.

Leaving the mongoose, we were in for some more excitement, the driver saw a leopard on our left, but as we came around the bend we came across another by the side of the road.  Startling it, it shot off quickly through the bushes.

A blur I know, and probably all a Spotted Deer sees before the lights go out, but a record.  The thought was these were two cubs also, and the one we startled was play stalking the other.  We waited to see if they showed.  As we sat there a Green Bee-eater perched alongside us.  Thankfully I photographed it, only to be told by Helen to be quiet.  I didn't take any more, so I only have one Bee-eater photograph from the trip, gorgeous

Once we realised that they were not going to appear we headed off, and came to the lake by the bungalow, and site we had visited before, and seen White-bellied and Grey -headed Fish Eagles.  There was always something going on during the last visit, and it was the same, thankfully today.

Firs up, by the side of the track was an Orange-bellied Green Pigeon.  This was a pigeon I wanted to watch, beautiful

On the other side of the lake were a pair of Brahminy Kites.  These kites are a common bird along the coast, and quite a widespread bird, as I have also seen them in north and Eastern Australia.

Wild Boar were drinking at he far side of the lake, with Cattle and Intermediate Egrets and an Indian Pond Heron feeding in the lotus and mud around them.

There was not much open water, the lake covered in lotus flowers and leaves.  On these Pheasant-tailed Jacanas scampered about.

A White-throated Kingfisher also sat patiently on one of the dead leaves.

We were on a raised bank over lookingthe lake, and in the bushes along side the bank a Baya Weaver Bird was in the process of building its nest.  A really complicated structure of grass and reeds.  You have to wonder how they go about starting it.

I successfully managed to capture an image of why the Pheasant-tailed Jacana is named.  Its long tail feathers streaming out behind it.

We moved up a little to the end of the track, taking us closer to the reeds and a little more open water.  A Purple Heron was stalking through the reeds in front of us.

and close by the more familiar Grey Heron was doing exactly the same.

Black-faced Langur Monkeys were running about on the shore, and a small party had come down to the water for a drink.  Clearly this is a dangerous exercise, because the monkeys were ever watchful, looking out for each other as the bent to drink.

They were joined by Spotted Deer, and as the deer came to drink, the monkeys would jump in surprise.  The deer are really beautiful, with delicate spots and a lovely black stripe down the back.

As I watched the monkeys I saw that they seemed to be drinking, and at the same time watching in the reflection of the water for movement.  This seemed to allow two to drink at the same time.  You can see the eyes of the monkey on the right looking into the water.

On the other side of the bank we picked up a Golden Jackal, gradually it made its way around the lake, coming quite close to us, and upsetting the monkeys and deer, although it did not seem to have any interest in them.

This monkey watched it from the safety of a nearby tree.

The alpha male monkey seemed to be occupied with some of the females that were drinking, but distractions resulted in him not succeeding in his quest.  We decided to leave, but as we back up a brightly coloured bird behind us was spotted and we stopped to enjoy a Small Minivet.

It was checking the ground beneath it for insects, and posed nicely for us.

We turned to leave, just stopping at the end of the path to see an Imperial Green Pigeon, another beauty, and the largest pigeon in Sri Lanka.

We stopped one more time by a small pool.  An Indian Darter was perched on a branch over the water.

We also wound our way past some more rocks that typify the landscape here in Yala, no leopard, but then I think we had done pretty well this morning.

It was back to the hotel, breakfast and pack before checking out as we were off back to Mirissa.  As we waited for the minibus, the Langur Monkeys around the pool were teasing and enjoying themselves.  Love this picture of the sunbathing monkeys.

Our journey took us back along the coast road we had travelled a few days earlier.  through the same towns and cities.  We stopped along the at  Hambantota first to admire the Lotus flowers on the lake.  The leaves and flowers are picked for food, and you could see the boats in amongst the plants.

The second stop was at a Fruit Bat colony.  Hundreds of Fruit Bats could be seen hanging in the trees, while every so often  some would fly between the trees.  You can see the fox shape of their heads that gives them an alternative name of flying fox, and the extended finger on the wing that they use to grip, and to clasp their wings around them as they hang for the trees.

In the trees you can see some of the bats cuddling young ones inside their closed wings.

Alongside the road you can see dead bats hanging from the power lines.  What happens is they hang down from one line, and then touch one beneath it creating a circuit, and electrocuting themselves.  Thankfully there are not too many.

We left the bats and continued to the hotel outside Mirissa where we checked in once again, and then headed back down to the pool and beach, where some concluded some major business.

The beach was as empty as before, this view reminded me of Tracy Island in Thunderbirds.  All that needed to happen was the palm trees fold back and Thunderbird Two take off!

We made the most of the daylight, staying outside to watch the sun set into the Indian Ocean.  The birds were Greater Crested Terns, attracted to the same fish the Stilt Fishermen were after.

The fishermen were of course on their stilts, whether fishing or not they created a lovely picture with the setting sun.

Tomorrow we have one more Whale Watch, our last chance to find the Blue Whale we had hoped for before we return home.  I am glad I have been able to post some photographs that show the beauty of this wonderful place.

8th - 10th April - Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

Day Four - 8th April

This morning saw us up a little later than the previous days, but it was early enough to enjoy the quiet time just after dawn along the beach, and around the property.

A single Cattle Egret walked around the lawns, and on the beach there was an Indian Pond heron, again unfortunately I am not able to show them.

The fishermen were also up early, the morning light giving a different perspective on them, and the bay in which they were fishing.  The stilts are in relatively shallow water and the rods have a line with a hook on it that they lift up and down in the water.  The fish go after the shine of the hook, as they do not bait it.

The trees in the grounds were dropping strange flowers that we thought at first were from a Fig.  But it turned out that these were flowers from the Fish Poison Tree.  The flowers when they fall into water, poison the fish.  They look quite beautiful though, this one I mounted on a rock to get a good look.

We set off as the day was just beginning to get hot, we nice and cool in the mini bus air conditioning.  Our journey would take us around the south coast travelling on single roads through the cities of Matara, Tangalle and Hambantota.  We would stop at the most southerly point of the country, Dondra Head to see the lighthouse we had seen while out at sea yesterday.

As usual the roads were busy, and in the towns and cities there were plenty of people out shopping in preparation for the New Year celebrations to take place on the 13th.  In Matara the first large town we came upon there were vibrant colours in the shops, and plenty of Tuk Tuks everywhere slowing us down.

Tuk tuks were also lined up alongside the road, some grandly decorated, others quite plain.

While it was hectic, and busy it didn't seem as over powering as Indian, with the madness was a calm, a paradox maybe, but that was the way it felt.

In many places by the side of the road were piles of pots.  Apparently pots are bought new for the New Year feasts, but looking at the number available, I would think there are going to be many left over.

We got lost  looking for the lighthouse, but this took us down to the waterfront where again we could see the brightly coloured boats and ships.

This Tuk Tuk looks like it is looking at the boats jealously.

At the lighthouse eventually we were able to have a walk around the area.  It was being tidied up, and there was a man cutting down coconuts with a sharp knife blade strapped to a very long pole.

The lighthouse looked like any normal lighthouse, and that is probably because it was built by the British to replace a wooden one that burnt.  The lighthouse is the tallest in Sri Lanka.

We went back on the road, stopping again at a cafe for a drink.  In the main room there was this sharks jaw, from the smell it was a recent catch.  The owners were sheepish about what and where it came from, and a little later on our guide Sampath was able to find out that it was from a Thresher Shark, a protected species.

Outside of the the towns the fields and ditches would be full of egrets, mostly Cattle Egrets they would follow the cattle of workers in the paddy fields, their reason being the cattle or workers would over turn a meal at some stage.

The landscape then changed from the lush green vegetation to a drier environment.  This is known as the Arid Zone, and was to be the landscape we would find in Yala National Park.

Unfortunately this is where the photographs end.  After checking in, and sorting our selves out we took off on an afternoon game drive.  Entering the park we passed large expanses of water and small pools where we saw Water Buffalo, Wild Boar, and Spotted Deer.  Of the birds at the first stop we found a pair of Greater Thick Knee, Pacific Golden Plover, Wood, Marsh and Common Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilts and Avocets.  There were plenty of herons and egrets including Striated and Intermediate.  

We were searching for Leopard, and every so often we would race off following a call to say there had been a sighting.  We would turn up along with many other jeeps, stare into the undergrowth and wait, but to no avail.

Back to the birds, the stars for me were the Little Green Bee-eaters.  They would perch by the side of the road, and then zoom off to catch a passing insect.  We had seen them in India, but they never fail to impress.  More water birds included Open-billed Storks, Painted Storks and Lesser Whistling Ducks.

Highlight of the drive though was an encounter with a group of Asian Elephants, with three youngsters, one being probably only weeks old.  At first they protected the young ones, but as we watched the young ones became a little more braver and became a little more active, and pushed each other to play.

Eventually it started to get dark, and we had to return to the hotel, we did so in the knowledge we had five more drives in which to find Leopard.  Back at the Hotel we were advised to call for an escort when walking from our cabin and the restaurants.  The resort is in the buffer zone of the park, and many animals can wander through, including Elephant and Leopard.

Day Five- 9th April

It was another early start, driving to the park in darkness.  We had to wait to get our permit at the entrance but were on our way in as the sun came up.  Plenty of birds were seen and photographed (!), and there were many false alarms of leopard sighting but nothing turned up.

The park is a mixture of scrub, open grassland, water and large sandstone rocks.  The rocks are apparently a good place to find the Leopards, but despite continual searching we didn't turn up anything.

This rock group is known as the Head Rock, its not difficult to understand why.

We returned to the hotel in time to get breakfast, and then we decided to go for a walk to the beach.  We set off walking around the lagoon by the hotel where there was a European Kingfisher, and plenty of Barn Swallows.  As we approached the beach, it became very hot, and despite the presence of a breeze from the ocean it soon became quite uncomfortable.

You couldn't swim here, there was a fishing village with pots for catching lobsters, but as well you could see a few tuna.

We walked through the hot sand, and eventually turned off and walked back around the cabins to the pool area.  Our next drive was at 14.30, so it was off to relax and to get ready for our next attempt.

On this drive we were successful, but for awhile I thought we were going to miss out due to the crowds, and lack of any order around who and how long you claimed the pole positions.

There had been a report of cubs and an adult out at the west end of  the park.  We set off in the general direction, but it was a long and uncomfortable drive with very few stops.  Finally we came around a corner to run into a group of Jeeps that were clearly trying to look at something.  There then started an incredible sequence of jostling Jeeps, queue jumping and bad tempers.  I must admit to a bit of bad temper, but there were clearly no rules about how to ensure everyone saw something.

There was a Leopard there, but it seems the view was not that clear.  We tried to position ourselves, but with no luck, we could not get a clear view, and every time we moved somebody else filled the space behind us.  By now the general opinion was the Leopard had gone, and no one could see it.  The best thing to do in this situation would probably be to sit and wait, but we were not in a good position, but we could see the open area.  Incredibly our driver set off, and our space went.  We drove up the road, then turned around and came back.  The guide stopped the Jeep as he had seen something moving.  Yes it was a Leopard, and it was walking back to where we had been.  We raced back and again fought our way with the others.  We finally saw the Leopard, it had come down to drink at a pool and we watched as it drank, and looked around.  Again I had pictures, they did look good on the camera, but there we are.  

Finally the Leopard stood up, turned and walked off into the scrub.  It tail being held high, the black tip moving as it walked, the scene I have always wanted to see, and at last have achieved.  It is a magnificent cat, the markings looking even more beautiful in real life.

The mood in the Jeep changed, there was a air of relief, and nothing elese really mattered after that.  We drove around to continue the search, but our hearts weren't in it, we had seen Leopard, and we wanted more.

Day Six - 10th April

It was another early start, and the same pattern as yesterday, straight to the park centre, wait for the office to issue the permit, and then off into the park.  As we headed towards the first set of lakes the sun was just coming up over the distant trees.

All the Jeeps ahead of us were hurtling down the road, but we stopped to look at the dusty road.  The guide saw tracks, and we turned off and followed the pug marks which were clear made by a Leopard, but they were heading in the opposite direction to where we were going.  We continued on along the track, and also came across tracks made by a Sloth Bear, they too were going in the other direction.  

The track brought us to a series of rocks, that I would imagine a Leopard would look wonderful on, but all we could see was a single male peacock, and the sun now getting higher, and warmer.

What then followed was a frustrating drive, stopping in places, but only to wait to see if anything would emerge.  The stops became less and the drive more uncomfortable.  The positive mood we ended the day with yesterday started to evaporate.  Finally we came to an area where there was an open space of green with a series of dead trees.  We could see Water Buffalo and Wild Boar in amongst the Lotus, and of the birds Purple Heron, Spot-billed Pelicans and Brahminy Kites on the nest.  We also saw a Land Monitor on the path in front of us warming up in the morning sun.

Then it was back on the bumpy dusty roads, and we were heading back to the hotel.  We did stop once to witness a strange bit of behaviour.  A Changeable Hawk was on a dead branch that was lying close to some bushy scrub.  The hawk was being mobbed by a pair of White-browed Fantails, who probably had a nest close by.  Nothing unusual in that you may think, but it was all about the way they were mobbing the hawk.  They would jump literally on to the back of the hawk and peck at it while sitting on the neck and back.  The hawk though made no effort to move, and just put up with it.

Back at the hotel, we spent the time up to the next drive by the pool.  This gave me the opportunity to photograph Purple Sunbirds around the pool, and to find at last the owner of the most annoying song around the hotel and scrub land, the Asian Koel, a dark blue black bird with a red eye. 

As we boarded our Jeep for the afternoon drive an Asian Elephant was feeding in the trees close by, and about 30 metres for our cabin.  As we headed off the Green Bee-eaters were jetting around us on either side of the track.  Waiting at the park centre a flock of five Malabar Pied Hornbills flew across in front of us, and then perched in the trees alongside the track.

The plan was to head back to the site we had seen the leopard yesterday, but this changed when Sampath received a call, we turned off in the opposite direction, and raced along a track.  We thought Leopard, but it turned out to be a tusker elephant which really did not give a very good view, the elephants feeding in the scrub by the track.

Here is a picture taken by Dan of me taking a picture of one of the elephants that unfortunately was lost!

Leaving the Elephants it was back to the plan, but another call detoured us once again, this time though with good intent, a possible Sloth Bear, but as usual we couldn't find it after some more traffic problems.  By now then there was not enough time to head off back to the previous days leopard site, so we drove around the area, with no luck at all.  As we came out of the park we came across a group of Elephants with a couple of youngsters that entertained us for a while, as they pushed each other about.

Back at the hotel we realised we had but one more drive to get that special view of leopard.  Today had not been a good one.  A combination of tiredness, and the failure to see anything today had deflated us.  The mad dashes only to find out it was elephants was also a rather frustrating tie, we could have been asked.  But who knows what may happen tomorrow.