Steve Rogers 🟰🟰

We spent several days in the Mannar coastal area (NW Sri Lanka) end of Jan. We found uncountable hundreds of mixed terns at several sites. Unviewable offshore sand bars held thousands more. Lesser Crested Tern was default tern plus a few Greater Crested, Little, Caspian and a vagrant Sandwich.

Lesser Adjutant at Puttalam, NW Sri Lanka. We found five on 21 st Jan, the only sightings of the trip. You can’t fail to be impressed with this giant of a bird.

#srilankabirding #srilanka

Slaty-legged Crake found today at Kitulgala, Sri Lanka. We have scored well on herons and ibis’ etc. but this is the only crake we’ve found.

Day 21: 245 species incl 26 endemics.

#srilankabirding

Pallas’s Gull (or Great Black-headed Gull) at Mannar, NW Sri Lanka. We saw about 20, mostly roosting birds a couple miles inland.

I’m no lariphile, but this is a seriously impressive gull.

#srilankabirding #srilanka

Blue-tailed Bee-eater. The most common bee-eater found mostly in the lowlands of Sri Lanka.

#srilankabirding

Spot-winged Thrush today at Kitigala mid hills forest. Our fifth for the trip. A striking and fairly secretive thrush which skulks around in the leaf litter. It’s endemic to Sri Lanka.

Day 20 #245 species inc 26 endemics.

#srilankabirding #srilanka

Sri Lanka Drongo. An endemic species to Sri Lanka. We found plenty in the Sinaraja rain forest area.

Day 19. #244 sp and 24 endemics, many of the latter in the rain forest. Highlights today included Red-faced Malkoah, Serendib Scop’s Owl and Scaly Thrush.

#srilanjabirding #srilanka

Sri Lanka Frogmouth. A pair seen today at Singhiraja rain forest. A species I never thought I’d see. This is the best I could get given the amount of deep foliage obscuring the view. How the local rangers find these birds is beyond me.

Day 17 #237 total.

#srilankabirding #srilanka

Brown Shrike of the form L. c. lucionensis. A very smart male with grey head and nape. Found at Kalamatia, south Sri Lanka. (1st Feb).

#srilankabirding

♂ Yellow Bittern at Yoda marshes, Tissa, south east Sri Lanka. (31st Jan). We found four today at this outstanding wetland area. Also found 118 species, our highest day total so far. We declined the Yala safari circus and the 800 jeeps entering the park. Not for us.

#srilankabirding

Scimitar Babbler at Horton Plain. An endemic species to Sri Lanka. A scarce bird and only seen in the high hills. Whoever named it describes this species perfectly.

Day 14. #221 species so far inc 12 endemics.

#srilankabirding #srilanka

Imperial Green Pigeon this morning at Tissamaharamma, south east Sri Lanka (31st Jan).

Widespread in small numbers. Despite its large size, this species is wary and shy.

#srilankabirding

Thanks Julian. It is a real stunner. The picture doesn’t really do it justice. We also saw four today (30th Jan). 👍

Oriental Magpie-Robin at Victoria Park, Nuwara Eliya. A regular sight across all habitats in Sri Lanka.

A feisty, charismatic bird which allows fairly close approach.

#srilankabirding

Male Pied Thrush at Nuwara Eliya (Victoria Gardens) 29th Jan. A spectacular and striking thrush.

Described as an uncommon migrant to the hills of Sri Lanka. We saw four today.

#srilankabirding

Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot feeding on an avocado. This endemic species to Sri Lanka feeds and even roosts by hanging upside down!

#srilankabirding

Black Eagle. An uncommon breeding resident in the high hills. Nr. Kandy, Sri Lanka (27th Jan). It’s a spectacular raptor with a name to match.
Sri Lanka day 10 #189

#srilankabirding

Blue-tailed Bee-eater at Mannar, NW Sri Lanka (24th Jan). A common sight in all habitats. Getting close though is a challenge.

#srilankabirding

Long-tailed Shrike at Musali, south of Mannar, Sri Lanka (23rd Jan). A scarce resident breeder here. This is our first in seven days.

#srilankabirding

Great Knot at Thallamannar mud flats, NW Sri Lanka today (23rd Jan). We found 13 among uncountable hundreds of sand plover, Terek Sand, Broad-billed Sand, Little Stint, Wood Sand and Marsh Sand.
The sheer size of this place with vast number of waders and herons is mind-blowing.

#srilankabirding

Long-toed Stint at Eluwan Kalama, Wilpattu (NW Sri Lanka. 🇱🇰) One of three found among 250 Tibetan Sand Plover and hundreds of mixed waders. (22nd Jan).

#srilankabirding

Asian Green Bee-eater at Wilpattu, north west Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 A locally common bird of pastures and farmland. Luckily this incredible species is approachable.

#srilankabirding

Blue-tailed Bee-eater just south of Wilpattu, Sri Lanka this morning. A fairly common bee-eater near fresh water.

#srilankabirding

Brown Shrike (Philippines form) at Coco village, north of Colombo today (20th Jan).

Total birding sensory overload. The place is a birder’s dream.

#srilankabirding

First full day in Sri Lanka and we see this fabulous Lesser Flameback.

Flashback to 20th October ‘25 when these Leach’s Petrels passed Pendeen Watch.

2025 was a good year for this species. I managed to see 21 over seven sea watches. Two from Porthgwarra on 9th Sept. and 19 from Pendeen Watch.

Video shown here courtesy Mike McKee.

#cornwallbirding #ukbirding

Two Pacific Divers off Roskilly (12th Jan). These are probably the third & fourth for Cornwall. Photo includes four Great Northern Diver and two Pacific Diver (extreme right and second left). This is the first time that two Pacific’s have actually been seen and photographed together in Cornwall.

The Pallas’s Warbler at Penrose estate nr Helston survived Storm Goretti. First found on the 4th Jan, it was still showing on the 10th. Well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

#cornwallbirding #birding #ukbirding

Pallas’s Warbler found on 4th January at Penrose estate, Loe Pool by Joe Jones. It preferred the mature tree copse behind the old chapel. This is approximately the 95th for Cornwall.

It’s #100 for 2026 as well. What a bird to mark the ton.

#cornwallbirding #birding #ukbirding

Ring-necked Duck at Tehidy country park:

The wintering female Ring-necked Duck seems well at home at Tehidy. Present since before Christmas and has also been seen at nearby St Gothians. Today’s sighting (2nd Jan ‘26) in bright, low winter sunshine shows off the stunning plumage.
#cornwallbirding