A 3-day visit to the KANNELIYA forest reserve

A group of Haritha Diyatha members & friends visited the Kanneliya Forest between the 03rd & 05th of April 2015. The group travelleled to Galle by train, and took a bus from Galle to Kanneliya via Udugama. It was a 2km walk from the Kohollegama junction bus-stop upto the Forest entrance office.
They explored the Bio-diversity of the forest, travelling allong the Kabbale-Kanda mountain trail upto the 'Kuda-kabbale' peak & along the Narangas-ella trail upto the Yoda (Giant) 'Navada' tree. The 'Anagimale' falls was visited and the 'Cave trail' & 'Pus-wela trail' were too covered.

Special thanks to Mr. Weerasiri Gamage of Kohollegama, Mr.Gunadasa Pathirana, Our tracker Mr. Lasantha Kulasekara & rest of the Forest Department staff at the Kanneliya Forest Conservation centre.

Just got-off the bus @ the Kohollegama junction
(Photo taken by Mr. Weerasiri Gamage)

the 2km walk to the Forest centre
(Photo courtesy by: Mr. Chamitha Rathnayaka)



The Kanneliya (Man & Biosphere) Forest Reserve

 

The Kanneliya Dormitory; Our Home for 2 nights

Hiking-up the Kabbale trail

Climbing before 'the Leeches climb' !

Seen the 'Sea' @ a far distance; almost at the peack !

In the 'resting-hut' on top of the Kuda-Kabbale peak

Kuda-Kabbale peak - 03rd April 2015.

'Kabbala-Kanda' mountain as seen from far.....

Tracker 'Lasantha' leading the way....

Hump-nose Lizard ; Kabbale-kanda trail



? Skink ; Kabbale-kanda trail

Garden Lizaerd ; near the Forest entrance

A Crimson Rose ; just 'born' out of its Cocoon
(04th of April 2015 @ 6.45 am / in front of the Dormitory)

Black-headed Yellow Bulbul ; Kanneliya Dormitory Garden

White-rumped Munia ; Kanneliya Dormitory Garden

Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard ; Narangas-ella trail

Southern Purple-faceed Leaf Monkey
(Trachypithecus vetulus vetulus)

Spot-winged Thrush ; Narangas-ella trail

Wet-Lowland's Giant Squirrel
(Ratufa macroura melanochra)

'Anagimale-ella' lower part of the water fall

'Anagimale-ella' - upper water fall

A tree of 'Mushrooms'

a Mushroom

a Mushroom

'Bandura'

a Snail



a Snail

A Moth

A beetle ?

The Group in-front of the Kanneliya Forest Dept. Dormitory; just about to leave
(Photo courtesy ; Mr. Chamitha Rathnayake / Photo taken by ; Mr. Lasantha Kulasekara)

Chilaw Sand-spits, Anawilundawa & Nawadankulama

හලාවත වෑලිපර, ආනවිලුන්දාව සහ නවදන්කුලම වෑව.
A group of Haritha Diyatha members and friends went on a one-day Birding tour to the Chilaw sand-spits, Anawilundawa wetlands & the Nawadankulama tank (wewa). The sea levels were a bit too high on the day, to walk over to the edge of the sand-spits. Tanks such as Maiyawa, Suruwila, Anawilundawa, Pinkattiya & Maradansole that belong to the 'Anawilundawa Ramsar Wetland' were observed. Many Butterflies & Dragonflies were too recorded at Anawilundawa. The Nawadankulama tank was visited in the evening.

Chilaw sand-spits

@ Chilaw sand-spits

Gull-billed Tern (@ Chilaw)

Lesser Crested Tern (@ Chilaw)

Mongolian Plover (@ Chilaw)

Anawilundawa ........

recording Waders in the 'Suruwila' lake @ Anawilundawa

Common Coot (@ Anawilundawa)

Cotton Pygmy-goose (@ Anawilundawa)

Little Grebe (Breeding @ Anawilundawa)

Little Grebe (Non-Brdg @ Anawilundawa) ?

Large Cuckooshrike (@ Anawilundawa)

Butterfiles & Dragonflies.... @ Anawilundawa

Dragonfly ? (@ Anawilundawa)



Dragonfly ? (@ Anawilundawa)

Common Kingfisher (@ Nawadankulama)

Grey Francolin (@ Nawadankulama)

Ashy Woodswallow (@ Nawadankulama)