Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to Blog yesterday, that was Sunday, I had a very hectic and tiring day, in fact the last week has worn me out. I have been coping with no more than 5 hours sleep if best. Then add to that the incredible heat, frankly from about 10 in the morning until 4, its hard to do anything at all except try and get somewhere in a breeze, in the shade and preferably air conditioned. I made the mistake of sitting on my bed and then closing my eyes, this was around 7.30, the next time a woke it was way gone midnight and I then slept through until the next morning at 5.45 when I got up to carry on with my quest to get the best shots possible. But yesterday was a good one for sure. I had booked a boat from the nearby Ranweli Eco Centre, just a Hotel that pitches its self on a green theme. They employ some local guys to drive boats who are at least very interested in the birds and wildlife and also very knowledgeable. I booked a boat to myself and the boatman of course with a 6.15 start. We went to look for Stork Billed Kingfisher. My guide the other day showed me how to call the Stork- bills who will respond by aggressively by calling back if they are males and the females will come to try and find the source of this new bird intruder. I have been trying everywhere I go to perfect the call which is relatively simple. Yesterday I was really chuffed when suddenly a female flew in to me……. I had fooled her, always a great thrill to interact with wildlife like that.
The boat trip was good, it involved the local canal and rivers. We looked for and saw 4 species of Kingfisher as well as Purple Sunbird, Black Bittern, Yellow Bittern, Red Vented and White Browed Bulbul and, as the day before Striated Heron and Stone Curlew and the usual Bee-eaters.
However without doubt the highlight of the the day was smashing close ups with photos to match of a Brown Shrike. A really brilliant bird and wonderful to see. I reckon that the photos of this bird are perhaps amongst the best I have taken on this trip.
My evening walk was not very productive, just a few birds including a small party of Nutmeg Manakin more commonly known as Spice Birds and even Scaly Breasted Munia, thats probably their best known name.
Did I mention the Fruit Bat that paid a visit to Ravi's garden? It was hanging from a tree very low on th edge of his neighbour's garden. Ravi fed it with mango which it really enjoyed however it ignored totally the banana. I managed some nice flash photographs.
I must tell you more about Ravi who's house I am staying in. Ravi and his family have a "corner" shop where they sell just about anything and everything. Ravi has a finger in every pie but he is obviously a kind man and appears to be extremely honest. His wife Indira is lovely and cooks breakfast for me every day which is a kind of omelette, I say that because it may resemble an omelette in some way!! With it, I have local bread which gets delivered every morning at around 5.50 by a little man in local dress, from a box on the back of a moped. Newspaper is used for most wrapping jobs and the bread is handled from one and then to the other and then left open on the counter by the dusty road where it is sold to the rest of the village who come in a constant stream. It isn't at all hygienic as we would know it but you just hope that you are OK…. perhaps in the west we are too fussy? If you don't eat the bread then what are you going to eat? There is a tap in the front of the shop where hands are washed (no soap), all food is eaten by hand including rice with curry, their breakfast staple. They drink weak tea, well we are in Ceylon, the home of tea. I drink strong coffee which I brought from home, a good move on my part. I haven't once felt ill or had a dickie stomach unlike at home where my obsession with dairy products, which I know I am allergic to, constantly upsets me. I am going to try and totally, 100% quit diary when I get back because I know I will feel better for it. This morning Ravi took me to Nogombo on the back of his scooter which was about the scariest travel experience I have ever been on. We missed most other road users and they missed us, but not by much. There are only a few simple rules when using the road, these involve: 1. Staying almost on your side of the road and repeatedly sounding your horn so that other people know that you are just about to hit them and you are almost in control. 2. Try to avoid the cows which wander down the street. 3. big lorries and busses seem to have right of way based on the fact that they take longer to stop. 4. If you are a pedestrian its OK to wander along with the traffic and cross without looking as everyone else will go around you. 5. At junctions it's a free for all and perfectly acceptable to cut across everyone else because they may swerve around you of course, at least that's what they will try to do. So why no accidents? I have absolutely no idea, perhaps every vehicle as a magnetic shield around them and other road users bounce off without realising? Back at his shop Ravi does a great business in cigarettes which he sells by splitting the packet and selling usually 3 at a time, at a great mark up of course. His other big seller is coconut oil which is carried home in a Coke bottle. He lets people come and use his mobile phone which he charges at 10 rupees for a minute which is hardly anything, just a few pence. They have been incredibly kind and wecoming to me and tonight presents were presented to me for my grand daughters and grand children, how sweet is that.
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