Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Blue Wanderer/Dark Wanderer (Pareronia ceylanica ceylanica)


Rather uncommon butterfly found in low country below 1800 ft a.s.l. all the year round while seldom also flies in the hills.  Its female occurs in three forms and those forms vary greatly in width of blue markings though all of them are darker than the male. One such form mimics poisonous Blue tiger and one of another form mimics Euploea species (Crows) -also poisonous- and by that escape from its predators. Its food plant are Capparis brevispina and  Capparis zeylanica (සුදු වෙළන්ගිරිය) of the family Capparaceae.

Monday, October 29, 2012

කොටිකන් වවුලා[Kotikan Waula]/Great horse-shoe Bat/Lesser Woolly Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus beddomei sobrinus)


Great horse-shoe bat is restricted to forested areas of both wet and dry zone lowlands. However a specimen from Madamahanwara (1077m a.s.l ) was also collected ( Bats of  the Indian Subcontinent – P.j.j. Bates and D.L. Harrison, 1997). It spends the day time hanging by one foot, with their wings wrapped around them in a hollow tree or a small cave. Great horse-shoe Bat lives solitary, in pairs or as small parties of up to three individuals. It emerges in the late evening from its diurnal roost and flies low over the ground among low bushes and along jungle paths in seeking of its prey which consists of beetles, termites and other flying insects. Race sobrinus is endemic to Sri Lanka.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Brown Awl (Badamia exelamationis)


Rather rare skipper found in all elevations of the country in all the year round while scarce in higher hills. It is a migratory species and sometimes appears in great numbers usually in company with Ceylon Banded Awl (Hasora badra lanka) and White-banded Awl (Hasora taminatus taminatus). It is less afraid of sun unlike other two and often visits flowers even on a bright day. The larva feeds on Terminalia bellirica and Hiptage benghalensis.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

බෝ[Bo]/Peepal/Sacred Bo (Ficus religiosa)

An introduced tree from Himalayan forests of India to Sri Lanka. Bo is the tree it is said that under which the Lord Buddha attained the enlightenment. A sprig of that same tree was brought to Sri Lanka in the year 288 B.C. and still survives at the Mahamevna garden of Anuradhapura – the ancient capital of Sri Lanka – and which is known as the oldest historical tree. In Sri Lanka it is commonly cultivated at temples, parks, along roads etc. 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

නීලකොබෙයියා[Neela-Kobeiyya]/Emerald Dove/Bronze-winged Pigeon (Chalcophaps indica robinsoni)


Common breeding resident of forests and well wooded home gardens and plantations of all climatic zones while rare in higher hills and less common in drier areas. It feeds on various seeds, grains and berries and spends mainly on ground solitary or in pairs. Emerald Dove breeds all the year round but peak in February to March and possibly again in September. The nest is placed in a small tree or bush in jungle usually not very high from the ground where it lays two eggs.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Common winter migrant to the coastal areas of the dry zone and also to the some inland water bodies.  During its stay here Black-tailed Godwit inhabits marshes, coastal mudflats, lagoons, paddy fields and tanks singly or as small to large flocks.  Black-tailed Godwit was formerly considered as a rare vagrant but in 1944 W.W.A Phillips recorded 200 to 300 birds at Mullativu lagoon (Phillips W.W.A 1978) and since then it has become a common winter visitor to the island. It breeds in Europe and Western Asia

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Monday, October 15, 2012

American mint (Mesosphaerum suaveolens [Syn: Hyptis suaveolens])

An introduced weed common in wastelands, roadsides, coconut plantations etc. from sea level to about 525m a.s.l. It is a native plant of tropical America

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)


Common Redshank is a common winter migrant mainly to the dry coastal areas. It is less common in wet zone and occasionally occurred in inland.  It feeds on crabs, mollusks, worms and other aquatic animals in shallow water in mudflats, salt marshes, coasts, lagoons, etc solitary or as small groups, sometime with other waders. Race eurhinus (Status of the other race terrignotae in Sri Lanka is considered as uncertain) which is the most common in Sri Lanka breeds in Central Asia.

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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Brown Shrike (lanius cristatus)


Brown shrike is a migrant to the island. It occurs as two races in Sri Lanka and race cristatus is the most common while Philippine Shrike or race lucionensis is uncommon. Both races can be seen in open areas with trees or bushes throughout the country. While its stay in Sri Lanka it feeds on insects like grasshoppers, beetles, etc. Brown shrike (race cristatus ) breeds in central Asian region and ‘Philippine’ in Eastern Asia

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Monday, October 1, 2012

වද/සපත්තු මල්[Wada/Sapaththu Mal]/Shoe-Flower/Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Large shrub with flowers with varies colors such as red, white, orange, pink, purple, yellow and sometimes brownish-yellow with a red center etc. It is native plant of China and introduced to Sri lsnka and cultivated in home gardens. Escapees also occurs in waste lands. Flowering throughout the year.