Thursday 18th of May 2017 and yet again, the alarm went off at 4 thirty. We left Laya hotel behind at 5 o'clock and we made 200km/h to the national park entrance. I was scared in the back of the car. We arrived 5 minutes after 5 and I expected us to go straight in to the park.
But the ticket office didn't open until 05:45 and I was not happy. I could have been in my room sleeping. When my driver/ Guide came back we drove to the gate, overtaking the other jeeps and we stopped and now we had to wait for them to open the gate.
I don't know, I think it is a competition between the drivers here in Yala. First to the water hole, anyway, I will tell my driver that we will start at 5 thirty tomorrow morning. All this and we ended up with a bear and 100 other jeeps and tourist hanging out of the vehicles with their mobile phones. A sight I wish I never had seen.
We are inside the park and everyone is in a hurry to find a leopard
They follow the bear
My new friend the dung beetle
We pass a crocodile
A tree is full of Indian Darters
Mongoose
Mongoose
Sri Lankan Junglefowl
A Spotted deer cross our track
Male Indian Robin - Copsychus fulicatus
Male Indian Robin - Copsychus fulicatus
Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis - 18 May 2017 - Yala National Park
Male Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher coming to take over the egg sitting while the female go look for food
Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis - 18 May 2017 - Yala National Park
Male Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher sitting on the eggs
Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis - 18 May 2017 - Yala National Park
Male Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher sitting on the eggs
Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis - 18 May 2017 - Yala National Park
Male Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher sitting on the eggs
How to see the difference between the male and female? The male have a long tail and a little crest. What a fantastic day this turned out to be. It started very bad with the bear. And then we ran in to the dung beetle and now the Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher.
We drove around and we ended up close to the beach. We spotted a White-bellied Eagle in one of the trees. We also saw the Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark and the Yellow-wattled Lapwing. And I have noticed that the Sri Lankan The Yellow-wattled Lapwing like to stand on top of cow dung.
White-bellied Sea Eagle, also known as white-breasted Sea Eagle
White-bellied Sea Eagle, also known as white-breasted Sea Eagle
Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark - Eremopterix griseus
Yellow-wattled Lapwing - Vanellus malabaricus
Lizard enjoying the sun
White-throated Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher
We run in to a hungry elephant
We run in to a hungry elephant
We run in to a hungry elephant
We run in to a hungry elephant
White-throated kingfisher
White-throated kingfisher
Spotted deer
A Chestnut-headed Bee-eater have caught an insect. The bird need to kill the insect before feeding it to the babies in the nest.
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
An insect that needs to be killed before bringing it home
The Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, as the Green Bee-eater they build their nest under ground with a hole as an entrance. Below we can see a bird coming home with food
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater with the dead insect outside the house
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater nest
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
Flying out again to catch more food.
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
Bee-eater and Kingfisher staple food
Yala, Sri Lanka - May 2017
There is a terrible noise in the woods, sometimes so you suffer from pain. That is the bugs the birds are eating. You can hear them but it is not easy to see them. But my Guide/ Driver managed to see one on a tree. I have no idea what the insect is called.
A beautiful morning and time passed really quickly and it was soon time for lunch. Can as well split this page in to two as I can sense that we will blow it out of all proportions. So click HERE to find out everything about our lunch break and the rest of the safari.
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)
noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!