Squirral Enjoying Titbits Off My Bird Feeder

I've recorded this video with a Three-stripped Palm squirrel eating some stuff off my bird feeder. These little brats can recognize my whistle now, as I always whistle filling up the feeder every morning.

Lots Of Birds In My Workibg place premises- 3, Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) , Konda Kurulla

These are very active birds. They seem not too keen on coming to the ground. I've seen them catching insects in mid-flight.   One of my relations has a few of these birds visiting his garden every morning. He throws crumbs  in to the air, and the Bulbuls catch them before they fall to the ground. Their aim is that accurate. If you wish to read some interesting facts about Red-vented Bulbul, click here.

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) Or Pilihuduwa

 These beautiful birds are very accurate hunters. Prefers habitats where there is plenty of water, but a frequent sight in home gardens too. I've often seen them perched patiently on tree branches pr power cables  above streams or what ever with naturally filled water, and then coming down on it like an arrow to snatch a  fish,crab or a frog. Learn more.....       

Lots Of Birds In My Working Place Premises 2, A Greater Coucal [Centropus sinensis] Enjoying A Meal Of Snails

   

These are solitary birds roughly the size of crows and can be very easily observed among cultivated lands and house gardens. They seem to be very comfortable on ground. This particular one in the video claimed three or four Giant African Snails with in a few minutes. Giant African Snails are an invasive Species of Sri Lanka, so these birds' and Common Ground Monitors' roles in reducing their numbers is important. Learn more about Greater Coucal .......................

Red-wattled Lapwings(Vanellus indicus) In a Paddy Field

I recorded this video today at a Paddy field in Kurunegala. These birds always seen where there is plenty of water, such as Paddy fields and wetlands.   Lots of scientific information about Red-wattled Lapwing is available here. 

Lots Of Birds In My Working Place Premises

Getting these birds on video and identifying them is lots of fun. I wish I could have a job that allows me more time with nature instead of a  few minutes of a lunch break now and then. :-(  But I'm luckier than many to work where there are so many birds. :-) Pleas correct me if any of my bird identifications are incorrect.

Bellow are Purple Sunbirds (Cinnyris asiaticus) feasting on the flowers . The first one is a male.



This One shows a house sparrow.

The little black and white busybody in this clip is Oriental Magpie Robin.



This One is a Purple-rumped Sunbird.

Three-Striped Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum)

These are the most common squirrels in Sri Lanka.  They are very fond of fruits and nuts as well as food scraps and crumbs people throw, so always come near households. There are some regulars of  their kind who claim the most of what I put in my bird feeder.

 Very active and swift animals, they  have a very loud, high pitched, and rapid call that goes "tin, tin, tin".




The females build soft and fluffy nests on tree branches using fiber from dead leaves and grass, etc. Normally there is an average of three offspring at a time.

These squirrels are easily tamed. If people in a particular household give then food regularly, they will probably allow themselves to be hand-fed and nest some where in the house too, as in my old place. I used to raise the orphaned juveniles and release them as they grew up. They always hanged close and let me pet them.     

Their main predators are domestic cats and Rat Snakes. Crows snatch juveniles from the nests too.      Read more.............

Black-hooded Oriole, Just A Glimpse

Black-hooded Oriole [Oriolus xanthornus] is a bird that I really adore. I've mostly observed these birds from April to May. I don't know what on earth they disappear in to for the rest of the year. It's very difficult to approach them without startling them. They also seem quite unable to perch at one place, they are very active. But I'll try to get a longer and closer footage and some photos, with a but of luck. Like some more info?

Bloomed In Spring

Spotted Dove[Streptopelia chinensis] At My Work Place

My work place premise is quite big with a well maintained garden that has a lot of trees. So it attracts a lot of birds.  This bird was walking on the wooden framework of the roof of a corridor. Having seen hundreds if people daily, they are don't get scared easily, so I could get quite close to this dove. More information about Spotted Dove is available here.  

Yellow-Billed Babblers(Turdoides affinis) In My Garden

I've videoed some regular visitors in my garden. These are another type of commonly seen birds in Sri Lanka.  They are very fond of food scraps found in gardens. Always moving around in small flocks, these birds mostly spend time on the ground and tree branches close to the ground. I have seen them falling prey to domestic cats and Rat Snakes, but apart from that I don't know what their predators are. Their distinctive chatter that is both loud and rapid allows them to be recognized at  a distance. Learn more..........   

Common Green Forest Lizard(Calotes calotes)

I captured these crawlers in my neighborhood. These are not as common as oriental garden lizards. learn more...... 

From The Recent Trip To My Old Place 01- Common Indian Monitor (Varanus bengalensis)

I spent three days with my Parents at my old place in Panadura nearly two weeks a go. That's when I shot this footage in a coconut plantation. These lizards are seen  in various parts  of the country, including human habitats. They prey on worms, arthropods, and snails. It's a simple matter for them to crush a snail's shell with a snap of jaws. I don't know whether they have any predators other than some local folks who have a taste for their flesh and eggs. Learn more................      

Common Myna(Acridotheres tristis)

 These birds are commonly seen in most parts of Sri Lanka. Almost always seen in pairs. An omnivorous bird,
 Common Hill Myna thrives on insects, worms, fruits, seeds, as well as food scraps found among house holds and gardens. A lot of them daily visit my garden for the stuff in the bird feeder. People raise them as pets,they learn to talk just like parrots. Learn more .......