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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Dancing Dropwing(Trithemis pallidinervis)

An uncommon dragonfly found in tanks, ponds and marshy areas of dry and wet zone lowlands.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

ගැට තුඹ[Geta-tumba] (Leucas zeylanica)

Very common indigenous herb found along roadsides and waste lands of both low country wet and dry zones up to about 1700m elevation. Flowering throughout the year. Leaves edible and eaten as a vegetable. Leaf size variable.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Hill Swallow/කඳු වැහිළිහිණියා/හෙල් වැහිළිහිණියා[Kandu Wehilihiniya/Hel Wehilihiniya] (Hirundo domicola)

Hill swallow is a common breeding resident found in grass lands, plantations and open areas in villages and towns of the hill country while occasional visitor to the foot hills of the wet zone. Its food consist of small flying insects capturing on the wing, usually as small flocks of its own members or others of the family like red-rumped swallow, Barnswallow.etc.The breeding season is from February to May and again in September. It lays 2 or 3 eggs in a mud and straw cup nest, lined with feathers and bracketed on a wall, road-bank or earth-slip. 

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Pink-headed Knotweed (Persicaria capitata)

An indigenous creeping herb.  Flowering throughout the year and growing on the ground, rock surfaces and over walls in the montane areas. 

Monday, February 20, 2012

Banded Blue Pierrot (Discolampa ethion ethion)

Rather rare butterfly found in low country wet zone up to about 1500m a.s.l. elevation. It prefers wooded areas and often settles on a twig or leaf overhanging a jungle path and male a ‘mud-puddler’ settles in wet patches in jungle paths sometime in swarms. Its larva feeds on  Ziziphus oenopolia (හීන් එරමිණියා) and Ziziphus mauritiana (දෙබර/මහ දෙබර/මසන්/Indian jujube/Chinese apple)  of  the family Rhamnaceae .

Saturday, February 18, 2012

මොණර මල්[Monara-Mal]/Peacock flower/Paradise flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Monara-Mal is a small tree, native to tropical America, which was introduced to Sri Lanka at an early time as an ornamental plant. Very common in home gardens and sometimes escaped and naturalized plants can be seen along roadsides and scrub lands

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Marsh Skimmer (Orthetrum luzonicum)

Common in marshes and swampy areas from lowlands to the central hills while widely distributed in montane and submontane areas. 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea)

Common breeding resident in forests and adjoining well wooded home gardens of lowlands and hills up to 1700m a.s.l., while more frequent in the wet zone and riverine habitats of the dry zone. It feeds on flying insects in usual flycatcher habits and constantly travels about in the canopy solitary or in pairs. The breeding season is from March to May and, the nest a small deep cup placed in a fork of small sapling few feet from the ground to higher levels of the canopy. 

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Friday, February 10, 2012

Ceylon Lace Wing/Tamil Lace Wing (Cethosia nietner nietner)


Rather uncommon butterfly occurred all over the island throughout the year, while relatively abundant in mid country jungles. Its larva feeds on Adenia hondala [හොඬල/පොතු හොඬල] plants of family Passifloraceae

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)



Common Iora is a very common breeding resident distributed mainly in gardens, scrublands, and forest edges of low country and lower hills up to 1000m a.s.l. But it is much common in dry zone. Iora lives in pairs and feeds on insects, especially on caterpillars among leaves of trees. While feeding it keeps in touch with each others by frequently calling in variety of whistling sounds. Breeding season is mainly from April to June and the nest a little cup made out of fibers and cobwebs fastened to a twig of a tree where it lays 2 or 3 eggs.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

ලීනිය[Liniya]/Screw tree (Helicteres isora)



Liniya is rather common indigenous shrub or small tree found in scrub lands, secondary forest edges, roadsides, beach edges and also of primary forests of dry and intermediate zones of the island from sea level to about 225 m a.s.l. Timber use to manufacture oars and bark provides a strong fiber. Fruits and seeds are used by traditional medical practitioners to treat colic and ear ulcers respectively.